the CAPITOLIST Vol. 3, No.x Interviewer—Doug Megla a telephone conversation Doug: “I’d like to know how long you’ve been here and your background here.” Pat: “I’ve been here since August, 1969, and do you mean my responsibility? I was designated, more or less, to be advisor of the CCSC, and I served in that capacity until the end of this past term. And this past summer I was designated initiator, or advisor of the Drug Awareness Committee, on the campus, which has since become the Head Shop. Iris Praeger and myself were involved with that. And I’ve donated a lot of time to getting that thing going and keeping it organized.” Doug: “That’s your responsibility now? You have more than that...” Pat: “Well, those are the basic ones. Other things I’ve undertaken were the Commencement Ball last year, the Talent Show this year, which Twyla Brown and I are working on. And, oh brother, any other things that have come my way! People coming in and needing this and needing that.” Doug: “Well, you work with the RSC?” Pat: “Oh, that’s the Residents Student Council with the Residence halls. And I’m advisor to the Resident Student Government and to the Resident Assistants and the receptionists. The RA’s and the receptionists are my staff.” Doug: “When were you informed that you wouldn’t be renewed?” Pat: “Last Tuesday, the second of February.” Doug: “Is Mr. Millman going to take your place?” Pat: “I do not know if he accepted that. The way it was explained to me was that they were restructuring the office of Student Affairs into two parts: one, there will be a new Assistant Dean for Residence Living, and two a Residence Living Coordinator. I was told that Steve Millman was offered that job and I don’t know if he took it or not.” Doug: “He will take both jobs, yours and the one he now holds?” Pat: “He’ll be responsible for all the residence areas. He’ll be the under-person in charge and he’ll report directly to Dean Grimm.” Doug: “When is your contract up?” Pat: “I was told that, as of July first, I would no longer have a position.” Doug: “You told me the other day that they wouldn’t tell you a reason, other than restructuring... You couldn’t say that it’s financial difficulties?” Pat: “No, I had no reason, and what I was told was, I explained that a number of things that I had done which had taken away from my time spent on Residence halls were designated to me, and I had given it my all...(every project) my all, as much as I could. You know I didn’t spread too thin. I said I had done a lot, I had Pat Murphy Gets Nittany Screw MISS PATRICIA A. MURPHY—a true friend to students in the Student Affairs Office. worked very hard. And why was I no longer to be here? And I was told that it wasn’t what I had done, but what I had not done. And this is the first thing in the way of criticism, that I had heard.” Doug: “You think that they would have told you beforehand, much beforehand?” Pat: “Yes, right. Some prior warning would have occurred. And if I had done anything wrong I was never informed, and anything that had come up, I had met with Dr. Grimm, and we had resolved. It just seems as though...the couple weeks before this happened, the pressure was really on. I had been ill. I had a lot of pressure from home, my family was undergoing a crisis, and it seemed as though I was getting a lot more criticism back here, than before, and part of it had to do with an issue about drugs in the dormitories and a meeting with Dr. Grimm, which made it look...(I was asked by the RA’s to meet with him regarding this issue) well, during or after the meeting, somehow he got the impression that I wasn’t able to communicate effectively enough that he had to be drawn into it. This wasn’t the case at all. They felt they had not seen him at all, at any of the meetings this year, and they wanted to see him and talk with him about this. And just what it was and what their responsibilities were from the top. Or any legal liabilities for their action, or lack of action.” Doug: “Then it was Dr Grimm who informed you?” "All The News That Fits . CAPITOL CAMPUS - MIDDLETOWN, PA Pat: “Yes.” Doug: “Do you have any other things that you would like to tell me?” Pat: “Well, that’s basically it. I was very stunned and surprised and I hated to go away like that because it left a lot of unanswered questions in people’s minds. There was one thing, I only informed three people, people who were very close to me, and I trusted them implicitly not to deposit any information to anyone else...and when I came back, it seemed as though the whole campus knew. I know that Dr. Grimm conducted a meeting that night with my RA’s in which he asked them how they felt, or how they would function under someone else, which makes me wonder whether or not they want me to leave before July Ist. I was curious as to why I was told so early. He told me it would give me plenty of time to look for another job, but it seems like it is very early to be told something like that; which makes me wonder, maybe they want me to get out now...quick. Doug: “I didn’t know what Millman did, because I live in the dorms...did he get around much?” Pat: “Well, as much as he can, I suppose. I’ll tell you one thing...l spent the week in self-flagellation over what I didn’t do, one of the things was that I didn’t communicate as effectively with Steve Millman as I might have, but there were so many times when communication broke down between us. We Print" Doug: “Did you have a lot of problems working for the school, being paid by the school, and working with the students? You’re being paid by the school and they want you to keep everybody happy because you’re getting paid by them...” Pat: “I thought about that too. I’m going to quote somebody., „ As Walter Hickel said when he left the Nixon Administration,‘l had to do it my way.’ There’s a conflict there, but, then once again I was never told when there were conflicts or when people were dissatisfied, but when I was told, we’d work it out. That’s why this thing has come as a complete surprise to me.” Doug: “Would you say that the meeting with the RSC, concerning the demands (which really they weren’t) had any effect?” Pat: “If it were anything it would have been my (or our) ineffectiveness in getting the demands through because it is a project that we’ve devoted a lot of time to with the RSC and the last RSC, improvements in the tacilities. This hasn’t succeeded, whereas Venderville and the Student Lounge project has succeeded in a large measure. We just don’t seem to be getting anywhere. So if anything was wrong, I would say that it was my ineffectiveness in getting, or making progress in this matter.” Doug: “You don’t have anything against me writing this article, do you?” Pat: “I’d like to know what the tone of it is going to be...” Doug: “What would you like it to be?” Pat: “I’ll tell you, Doug, I don’t want to g0...1 really don’t and I realize that some people like me and want to see me stay. I appreciate it, I really do.” Doug: “In my opinion, and the opinions of most everyone I’ve talked to, we always felt that we could call you and talk to you if we had a problem, could we call Steve Millman? Who is there?” Pat: “Jerry South...he’s always been very helpful.” Doug: “Does everybody know him? I mean the people in the dorms have always felt close to you. I don’t know about Meade Heights. They wouldn’t call Steve Millman...you’re closer to the students. I think that if he takes your spot, it’ll pull the students further away from the school. Maybe you can get up and talk to Dean Grimm right away, whereas now there’s not going to be communication.” Pat: I’ll tell you one thing, an observation that I’ve made over the last couple of years, is that there has been an effort on the part of the administration to do away with people like me. Mrs. Long is an example, Sherry Loutinski is an example, Paul Reichwein, Mr. Baus, who was here before...all of whom seemed to have a rapport and wanted to help. Maybe they’ve gone a bit overboard or underboard or whatever, but it February If, 1971 seems as though me and the people that I’ve mentioned, had a great deal of criticism directed toward us. They’ve wound up leaving beacuse the System doesn’t operate that way.” Doug: “If would seem as though you’re working for the students more than the school.” Pat: “Right, but I can’t see that I’ve antagonized the school in any way. Because the conflicts that we had have been worked out. And I like Dr. Grimm. I’ve criticized him a lot, but I’ve never said anything to anybody else that I haven’t turned around and said to him, or vice versa, and I thought that things were finally beginning to work out. With the new offices, and the changes. It really surprised me. They’re doing away with my job to make an Activities Department and a Housing Department. It will remove the Administration from the students because there will be less people for them to go to. That will make one person for 800 residents, if I’ve done anything against the school its in exercising too much freedom and maybe not communicating a lot of what I’ve done, but I have my priorities in what I chose to communicate and what I don’t. I’ve worked the way I’ve been trained, and the school shouldn’t be so much concerned with the appearance of the thing, but the attitudes of the people. I work for people and with people. That’s what I learned and that’s the way I’ve acted.” Doug: “Thank you for your time...Do you have anything to add?” Pat: “You’ve helped me get it off my chest anyway. I don’t have any qualms about it (i.e. printing this article) because so many people do know. It will help clear up a lot of rumors and speculations. So... Thanks a lot.” Black Ectasy by Roger L. Hawkins On Monday evening, February 8, 1971, the Capitol Campus Artist-Lecture Series presented “Walk Together Children,” a prose, poetry and sing program monologued by Miss Vinie Burrows. She narrated a number of literary works from a school of black artists. This was a very important event, since it is important that blacks broaden their horizon concerning their own literary culture and whites likewise learn what blacks have to offer in the literary field. Miss Burrows was able to convey the message of protest, fear, anger, and suffering that black people had to go through while in America. It was quite an enlightening experience to see her up on the stage living the whole history of black folks. If you missed this tremendous performance, then you were robbed of hearing and seeing the filet mignon of black literature.
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