The Surgeon General

Let’s see if I’ve got this straight.

U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop brings a message of “safe sex” to that citadel of learning, San Diego State University.

The Times article quotes one alleged student, presumably on campus to learn, after attending Koop’s Montezuma Hall talk, as follows:

” . . . I don’t think the surgeon general is a very effective person to get the message out on campus. He’s so conservative-looking and he’s not in our age group.”

This is a senior, surely someone you might expect to be mature enough to differentiate between mere appearance and substance.

The kicker is this “student” is enrolled in the pre-medical program! I’d never want to be her patient, thanks. My God, what is the SDSU faculty teaching these morons?

Then there’s the sophomoric wisdom of one young man’s post-talk quote:

“You hear all these things, but then you go out and party and forget the whole thing. It’s like everything in life--it’s hard to change your behavior.”

Yeah, sure. Liberace, Rock Hudson and thousands not quite so “rich and famous” would have to agree with that complaint. All would nod, if they could, to affirm the warning that says, “Your next sexual partner could be special--the one who gives you AIDS.”

But let these SDSU air heads continue to party. It’s much more fun landing the No. 3 spot on Playboy’s list of party schools than trying to change sexual behavior!

F.X. FINNEGAN

La Jolla