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EDITORIAL
THE ENVIRONMENTAL CRISIS
WILL BE CANCELLED...
Due To Lack Of Interest
An ad-hoc environmental committee was formed last year to plan
Earth Day activities. It was a small group of dedicated, students and
faculty members who presented the "Fair of Life” in Middletown. Shortly
afterwards, the environmental Committee fell apart . . .
This September brought Dan Durante to Capitol. Dan was coordina
tor of Earth Day activities at Montgomery County Community College,
and he was eager to form an Environmental Committee here. Dan, aided
by a few concerned students and faculty members, made the Environment
al Committee a permanent, chartered Capitol Campus organization.
But they had no money. So Dan and the Committee lobbied SGA to
budget them., Now they have $250 to spend on educational programs, the
Puppet Show, Earthy Day activities, speakers, films, legal advice, legal
assistance, and hopefully, representation in court.
All’s well with our Environmental Committee, right? Wrong! Our
student body is not responding. It takes more than seyen students and
two faculty members to help solve the environmental crisis which is af
fecting us all. 1
We students are a hypocritical bunch. We realize the seriousness
of an environmental crisis. We are outspoken about ecological problems..
when we’re in class. We act frustrated, and say, "But what can we do?”
But when we have a chance to do some work with the Committee ....
sorry, Dan ... too busy!
The last issue of the Capitalist reported that Pennsylvania’s collegiate
editors rated pollution number one of our nation’s problems. Capitol Cam
pus must not be “where it’s at.”
But there's always next semester. Maybe in January we’ll all become
concerned and involved. I hope so. As of now, the apathetic condition of
Capitol Campus students and the condition of our environment are the
same .... disgusting.
Is The Board of Governors Valid?
Part 2 by Skip Lewis
It seems that misunderstanding A unified student body with a repre
and a lack of communication are so sentative system that covers each in
prevalent today that some people feel dividual’s and each group’s particular
obliged to read into an opinion col- representative need. All existing,
umn what is not inferred or advocat- unity, diversity, and representative
ed. So seems to have been my mis- system, without destroying the other,
fortune, and a misfortune it is; but Let us not resign ourselves con
to decry the situation brings little (if sciously or unconsciously to building
any) results. So let me try to clarify walls in a time when our survival as
in the hopes that Mr. Millman and the a student body depends on those walls
Board of Governors will not think so crumbling. Let us not sacrifice unity
badly of me. and school spirit to the idea that in
First, let me state that in my first order to further individual and group
article, I did not call for the dismis- interest we must divide ourselves,
sal of the Board of Governors. What Let’s bring togetherness into bal-
I did say is that I wish every individ- ance with diversity,
ual would ponder the question of In essence, it would seem that
whether it has become a wrong an- Penn State Capitol Campus needs 1)
swer to a question still with us—how a new constitution, 2) a completely
students living in Meade Heights revamped representative system, and
should be represented and speak for 3) a student government Association
their particular problems, without di- that governs—while organizations
vorcing themselves from their fellow and clubs stick to their chartered
students. For those still not clear on purposes of interest sharing, social
what I mean, let me break it down to entertaining, and cultural enrich
two words—unity and representation, ment.
Staff of the CAPITOLIST
Editor: Sports:
RO SCANLON TONY McGOVERN
A Contributors:
Assistant Editors: ANN OSTROSKT
LEE NELL LU ANN BERULIS
TOM HAGAN MISSY ROTUNDARO
MICHAEL RIX
Business Managers: BILL WINKLER
BTfHARn MAmr CHARLIE BUSSISON
RICHARD MARX ROGER HAWKINS
Photographers: TERRY WIMMER
JOHN FANELLY RICHARD POLUN
ERIC MURRAY CHANDLER WOLF
DON DAVIS DAN DURANTE
THE CAPITOLIST
The C.C.S.C.C.
THE CAPITOL CAMPUS SOCIAL
COMMITTEE CONTROVERSY
by Patricia A. Murphy
This article is dedicated to all
those committed enough to an ideal
or to a cause that they are able,
through the work of their own hands
to make it a reality. Specifically, it
deals with the individuals who nave
been involved with the Capitol Cam
pus Social Committee, through the
bad times and through the good.
They have had to meet and overcome
many hassles, not the least of which
was the financial difficulty with
which they have been plagued in the
past.
This is my second year as advisor
of the Social Committee. I came
here after working at a community
college, the yearly .Student Activities
budget of which was a cool $lOB,OOO.
This money came from mandatary
activities fee payments. Imagine my
astonishment, and the changes neces
sary to adapt to a yearly Social Com
mittee budget of $6,000.00 to provide
entertainment for a group not too
much smaller than that which had
the larger budget. To me, knowledge
able of the potential of a full-grown
Student Activities program, five
thousand dollars is a long way from
home! It’s the difference between
Ray Charles and the Sand Hill Sing
ers!
The Capitol Campus, until this
year, had no activities fee. Its social
program was provided as part of a
per student allocation from Univer
sity Park. The amount we worked
with last year could not adequately
meet the weekly social needs of a
growing and changing student body.
It became necessary to charge ad
mission at some events to stretch
what funds we had to the year’s end,
for such community projects as Car
nival and Commencement Week. Two
thirds of the cost of Commencement
week was met by the students, staff,
and faculty who participated. The
last third was a gift from the SGA.
Otherwise, we wouldn’t have met the
expenses.
This fall, with the help of some 300
students who purchased the Activi
ties Card, the Capitol Campus Social
Committee was able to assist the
Black Student Union, Business Club,
Cheerleaders, Human Service Club,
and the Meade Heights Board of
Governors, and the XGI fraternity,
in presenting all-campus activities
which benefited these organizations
financially besides allowing students
to become familiar with their mem
bership. In this sense, the Social
Committee acted innovatively, for it
is not traditionally within its “role”
to bolster other Campus organiza
tions. Yet we felt a responsibility to
help others because we are more for
tunate than they. However, we are
more fortunate because we did a
great deal of; work to bolster our own
financial resources.
To those of you who will insist that
other organizations fill more stu
dents’ needs than does the Social
Committee, I urge you to prove that
they do and work for your funding.
If you feel no need for movies,
dances, All-U-Day, Carnivals, Con-
December 8, 1970