THE CAPITOLIST
Vol. VIII, No. 1
WELCOME TO CAPITOL
Upon your entrance to the
only senior level branch of the
Penn State System, you become
a part of a unique institution.
Capitol Campus has no other
counterpart in the state of
Pennsylvania and there are only
25 senior level institutions of
higher learning in the nation.
The many academic, cultural,
social and athletic activities on
campus have been and continue
to be planned and developed by
all the member constituencies of
the campus community. Your
activism, participation and
involvement in these affairs can
come to be one of the most
eventful and rewarding
experiences of your life.
As you must know, the
Harrisburg area was one of the
areas of our state to be ravaged
Housing
by R. W. Bonaker
For fifty students, some of
whom are seniors, the first week
of the new academic year will be
much less than enjoyable. It will
be a difficult time for them
because they will be living in the
residence halls when they fully
expected to be living in Meade
Heights.
The entire issue is a very
complicated problem, but I will
attempt to explain, as accurately
as possible, the origination of
the problem, what the current
situation is, and what can be
done to alleviate the problem.
As of September 13,
forty-four men and eight
women, who paid a $45 deposit
for a house in the Heights, and
were supposedly guaranteed a
spot when they received a bill
from University Park which
wanted the balance of the total
$lBO for fees for the remainder
of the fall term, have been
"bumped" as tenants. However,
these people have been assigned
to places in the residence halls,
so they aren't exactly out in the
cold.
But to be able to live in the
dorms, a student must pay the
complete package of room and
board, which totals $335 a fee
which many of the people,
especially veterans, cannot
afford. THE CAPITOLIST has
contacted the various authorities
involved Housing and Food
Services, the residence living
coordinator, who is based in the
Office of Student Affairs, and
the Finance Office to see what
can be done to help these
people.
The problem began with a
mix-up in the Meade Heights
Housing Office. The staff in the
office, in order to guarantee
housing to all returning students,
set up a huge chart, identifying
all available space in the Heights.
But to be GUARANTEED a
spot in Meade for the fall term,
the $45 deposit had to be paid
by March 31, 1972. After that
date, housing was ensured only
on a first-come, first-serve basis.
mark on the yellow card the
dorms as second preference.
by Hurricane Agnes (the Flood
of '72) in June of this year.
Capitol Campus, through the
initiative of students, faculty
and administration alike, ran a
Flood Evacuation Center on
campus during the flood
emergency.
Whether you are an incoming
Junior or a returning Senior, I
am sure you noticed the more
than 75 mobile homes sitting on
what was once a part of our
campus. This land was leased to
the state for the sheltering of
flood victims. The complex,
situated adjacent to the
Administration Building,. is now
known as "Capitol Campus
Village".
Capitol and the surrounding
communities have united in an
Problem
In Meade Heights
If the residence halls were a
designated second preference,
the contract cannot be broken.
At this point, if a student still
decides not to live in the dorms,
he does not have to, but there is
no chance that the deposit will
be refunded. The student would
not have to pay any more
money, but he will be out $45.
The second alternative is to
stick it out in the dorms and
wait for vacancies as they open
in the Heights. The housing
authorities expect that through
drop-outs and natural attrition,
vacancies for most of the
students will occur by the end of
the term.
Possibly a dozen people will
have been moved to the Heights
in the third week to fill openings
created during the opening
weeks of the term. People will
continue to be moved as
vacancies are created.
For the unfortunate people
who must live in the dorms and
a student wanted Made
Heights as so specified on the
housing contract which is
presented with the deposit, and
paid the fee by June 9, he then
is living in Meade Heights.
To help these students who
paid after June 9 and now must
live in the dorms to be able to
live on campus, there are a few
alternatives.
First, a student may not want
to live in the dorms because he
may not be able to afford it. He
has the option of cancelling the
contract, thus regaining the $45
deposit. This can be done by
going to the Heights housing
office and presenting your case.
But a contract can be cancelled
only if the student, when he
paid the deposit, specified
Meade Heights only, and did not
pay the $335 package (there call
be no reduction, as specified by
university law) and may not
have the available funds, there is
a deferred payment program.
Forms are available in the
Financial Office. The student is
given five weeks to pay the dorm
fee, at no interest. After that
"All The News That Fits . .. . We Print"
CAPITOL CAMPUS - MIDDLETOWN, PA
effort to help alleviate the
hardships caused by the recent
flood disaster to the populace of
our immediate area. This feeling
of community spirit and a sense
of caring is what Capitol is all
about.
Your Student Government
Association and all its associated
student organizations call upon
you to join us in a spirit of
friendship and unity in our
pursuit at making and keeping
our campus "student oriented."
Feel free to stop by anytime
at your Student Government
Association and student
organization offices as our doors
are always open. We'll look
forward to seeing you.
Mike Dini, President
Student Government Asso.
time period, there is a charge of
6% per annum.
In the event that a student is
arse to move Imo the Heights,
the cost difference between the
dorms and the Heights will be
pro-rated, giving the student a
nominal advantage.
But another factor has
contributed to the graveness of
this situation. The housing office
created temporary staging in the
dorms where some rooms would
have three people in a room
utilizing bunk beds. There are at
least 25 of these rooms. The
office reasons that at least that
numb ero f people would
withdraw from college in a few
weeks, creating spots for those
who were in staging.
The 52 people who paid a
deposit for Meade but were
"bumped", have priority over
those two dozen who are in
staging. So, it looks like a sticky
situation, one which will take
quite a while to solve. And the
three-people-in-a-room concept
has become a reality, no matter
how temporary. It is hoped that
more alternatives will pop up.
The entire problem was nearly
unavoidable. And Hurricane
Agnes only added to the
problem as it created confusion
in the housing of flood evacuees,
upsetting the entire residence
program over the summer.
Voter Registration
Students may register to vote
in Dauphin County on October
3 at Harrisburg Area Community
College from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Registration will also take place
at Capitol Campus on October 4
at the same times. Students who
reside in Middletown at the
Municipal Building from 6 p.m.
to 9 p.m.
Absentee ballots must be
received by the individual
County Board of Elections
Office no later than the Friday
preceding Election Day.
CA PITOLIST
orientation week Activities
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 17
Informal Reception and Picnic
(An opportunity for all students to
meet informally with faculty, the
administrative staff and community
leaders. Bring your family along.)
00-7:00 p.m
Ice Cream Social—
Nostalgia Night
9:00 p.m
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 18
Concert THE LEGENDS
9:00 p.m
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19
Student Organization Fair
(Leaders of campus student
organizations will be present
to familiarize old students as
well as new ones with the clubs
and the various social and service
opportunities characteristic of
Capitol Campus.)
7:00 p.m
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20
1:00-5:00 p.m
10:00 p.m.
Sports and Watermelon Party
All Night Film Festival
featuring Laurel and Hardy,
Roadrunner cartoons and
other films.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 21
00 p.m
Pizza and Beverage Party
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22
00 p.m. Casino Night Student Center
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 24
Movie-of-the-Week Student Center
"Zembriskie Point"
8:00 p.m
All returning students who wish to help coordinate these activities
and assist with their operation may contact a Student Government
representative or the Orientation Committee chaired by Miss Mary
E. Gundel, E-106.
Housing
Of Hurricane Agnes
Capitol Campus Village, a
temporary housing community
which is being used to
accommodate flood victims
from the area, has been
established in the parking lot in
front of the Main Building.
Dr. Robert E. McDermott,
provost of Capitol Campus, and
Philip J. Spagnolo, Executive
Director of the Housing
Authority of the County of
Dauphin, issued the
announcement on July 13.
Land for the project has been
leased to the Housing Authority
by the University for one year
for the sum of $l. It is
anticipated that the project will
be phased out gradually over the
coming year as families are able
to return to their homes or find
new ones. Many of these families
presently are residing in Capitol
Campus facilities.
The Department of Housing
and Urban Development (HUD)
has taken the responsibility of
acquiring 75 two and three
bedroom mobile homes which
have been situated on the
campus just off First Street near
the athletic center andplacernent
offices.
The utility grade mobile
homes have been provided those
Monday, September 18, 1972
For Victims
who have applied and been
certified as eligible. All
assignments arc made by the
local Housing Authority.
The housing is rent tree
through funds made available by
the Federal Disaster Relief Act
of 1970. Residents are
responsible for utilities and
Lower Swatara Township
furnishes police and fire
protection.
The U. S. Corps of Engineers,
through an agreement with the
Department of Conununity
Affairs, is responsible for
developing the site on Capitol
Campus. Berger Associates, Inc.,
of Camp Hill, has been assigned
by the Corps to serve as
architectural consultants.
The consultants have laid out
the eight-acre plot in order to
accommodate the 75 mobile
homes in the most advantageous
way. Play areas for children,
parking areas, paved driveways,
garbage disposal facilities and
mail boxes are included in the
plans.
According to the lease signed,
the Housing Authority agrees to
restore the Campus property to
its existing condition upon
termination of the contract.
Student Center
Student Center
Student Center
Student Center
Student Center
Student Center
People's Park
Meade Heights