HAZLETON COLLEGIAN
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The Pennsylvania State University Center
Highacres, Hazleton, Pennsylvania +s §1
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for the five years that the Center has been located at Hdghaeyefs the idea of
building a new Student Union Building has been debated on and thought about by the
students, faculty, and administrative councils. Uuring the spring semester 'fft the
student council members, themselves, "started the ball rolling" by circulating
petitions to all students to get their views on this important matter. Since little
ictlon on the petition resulted at the main campus, some of our present students have
dusted off the aging issue and are now in hopes of settling it on the strength of new
petitions, which are now in circulation.
Vql XVII No. Ik
Why does the Center need a new recreational "building? Noes the Center hare
enough money to finance the construction of the "building?
Highacres lacks an appropriate place for the students and faculty to congregate
ind a SUB would make possible center-wide meetings of the student body. Thus, speakers
3ould be invited for the benefit of all students, not only special classes. Movies,
olays, etc., could be put on with adequate space to seat audiences comfortably.
Special matters concerning and benefiting all enrol,lees,and problems needing student
md faculty views and decisions could be discussed by everyone concerned.
A SUB would be a tremendous saving and convenience to all students, whether
participants in social functions or not* An average of $250 a year is spent out of
student activity fees for renting halls for the Semi’s and dances. Approximately
$125 Is spent annually on decorations for these halls. If refreshments are provided
by the hall personnel, the cost is higher; if the Center supplies it s own eats, time,
money and responsibility are needed to convey the commodities to the hall. With the
Center’s own hall, most of these expenses would be decreased considerably.
Even though the building will not include a gymnasium, the intramural program
can be expanded greatly. At the present time we have one intramural sport —-
fencing, which is practiced in the narrow and crowded South Hall.
The Hec Hall here at Highacres is rather small and can hold hardly more than
thirty students that is if all are seated. The limited space permits only card
playing, chess, checkers, scrabble, and similar table games. The only other recrea
tion is a T.V. and a radio, which require no energy and room. A SUB would constitute
and would bring new and more life to the ’’lighter side” of college, such as ping pong,
shuffleboard, darts, and a sizeable place to lounge and relax.
Our Center is still young, and local financial backing is meagre, but the main
campus authorities at State College have offered to finance the construction of a SUB
with the assurance that they will be repaid every semester.
Where will this money that the campus will be awaiting come from? One solution
is this? that the students pay-as-they-go for a student building. The precedent as
to the amount of assessment asked $lO.OO has been set by other colleges, A
recent example is Ogontz Center. Their students have willingly paid this added amount,
and their new SUB is just about complete. Students who are transfering to the main
campus after this year and who may not get the benefit of using a new SUB here should
remember that they will have the privilege of using a nearly-completed SUB and other
facilities that OTHER main-campus students have helped to build. This fact remains?
that your present funds will aid those in the future, as'former students' funds will
aid you in the near future.
No You Wantf A SUB?