ra ua ion issue
CAPITOLIST
y “All The News That Fit, .... We Print 11
Vol. X, No. 10
Graduation class
is biggest ever
More than 500 students will
be gratuated in commencement
ceremonies at Capitol Campus
today.
Quest speaker at the
commencement ceremonies
scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on the
lawn in front of the Main
Building - will be Ms. Frances
Farenthold, former Texas State
legislator and Chairman of the
National Women’s Political
Caucus.
Including among the 571
students slated to graduate are
542 candidates for baccalaureate
degrees and 29 candidates for
advanced degrees.
Baccalaureate degrees to be,
awarded are Bachelor of
Business-, Bachelor of
Elementary Education, Bachelor
of Humanities, Bachelor of
Social Science, Bachelor of
Science in Mathematical Science
and Bachelor of Technology.
Advanced degree candidates will
receive master's degrees in
Administration, Education,
Engineering, Humanities, Public
Administration and Regional
Planning.
Most of the baccalaureate
degree candidates attenned
Pennsylvania community and
juniot colleges and other Penn
State branch campusei prior to
- Knesiriek to Receive
Jordan Teaching Award
The second annual James A.
Jordan, Jr. Memorial Award for
Teaching will be awarded to Dr.
James L. Knestrick, assistant
professor of Social Science and
Psychology, during the
Commencement Ceremonies
scheduled for today.
The award was established in
1972 in honor of Dr. James A.
Jordan, Jr., a former Capitol
Campus faculty member who
died in a boating accident in the
summer of 1971. The first
recipient of the award was
Ambrose Klain, associate
professor of regional planning.
Dr. Knestrick was selected by
the student' body from among
nine faculty members who were
nominated for the award.
Selection was based on effective
teaching, enthusiasm and sincere
interest in accomplishing above
average results as a
Knestmck Beueves Honesty an Important
Robert W. Bonaker
Dr. James L, Knestrick is
the recipient of the second
James A. Jordan Award for
excellence in teaching.
Knestrick believes that
students expect certain qualities
from a professor. “People tend
to turn students off with a
certain aloofness. I feel I can be
as honest with students as I want
them to be with me. In that
respect, involvement with
students as individuals is of
utmost importance.” He says he
“totally loves taching” and
assets that the instructor must
take full “responsibility for the
courses he is teaching. That, I
feel, is what students expect. ”
The sandy-haired professor
conducts courses in the field of
psychology that are extremely
popular with students enrolled
in the Psychosocial Option of
tile Social Science Program. One
G—d
on rolling at the Capitol Campus
- an upper-division college with
undergraduate programs
beginning at the junior year
level
Thirty-six of the
undergraduate students are to be
graduated with highest
distinction, having attained at
least a 3.80 average out of a
possible 4.00 average during
their two years of study at the
campus.
One hundred and thirty-four
graduates who completed their
degree requirements at the end
of the winter term also will be
recognized. Dr. Robert E.
McDermott, provost of the
Capitol Campus, will preside at
the commencement ceremonies.
Dr. Richard H. Heindel, dean of
the faculty, will present the
candidates for baccalaureate
degrees. Candidates for advanced
degrees will be presented by Dr.
Ernest H. Ludwig, associate dean
of Penn State’s Graduate School.
The degrees will be conferred
by Dr. McDermott and Dr.
Helen D. Wise, member of the
University Board of Trustees.
In the event of inclemept
weather, the ceremony will,be
held in the large arena of the
Farm Show Building, Harrisburg.
teacher-educator.
A spokesman for the Student
Government Association, which
initiated the award, noted that
Dr. Knestrick also has
demonstrated unlimited concern
and humanitarian attitude
toward each individual student
and campus community member
with whom he has been
assiciated.
The award consists of a
plaque which is a replica of the
memorial plaque which hangs in
the Gallery Lounge of the
Capitol Campus. It features a
bust of the late Dr. Jordan and a
plate on which is inscribed the
names of the recipients. The
plaques were created by' Oliver
LaGrone, a well-known black
artist and lecturer at Capitol
Campus who also serves as
special assistant to the
University’s Vice President for
Undergraduate Studies.
course in particular,
Introduction to the Techniques
of Counseling, is in constant
demand as many times twice as
many students as can be
permitted sign up for the course.
Knestrick thinks that one of his
attributes is his sense of humor.
“Sure, we are serious people, but
we must be able to laugh at
ourselves.
Knestrick, prior to coming to
Capitol, had taught a t th e
University of Pittsburgh and
Harrisburg Area Community
College. He also has had five
years experience in his field
since he received his doctorate
from Penn State. “With such
experience, I am able to
introduce concrete examples
into my lecture material.” He
explains that when he started
teaching at Pitt as a graduate
assistant, he conducted classes of
300 people , reading precise
noted as he taught. “Now I
outline the material and make
my points that way, preventing
boring classes and making
7 CAPITOL CAMPUS - MIDDLETOWN, PA
Students nominated
for awards
This year, for the first time,
students will be honored for
extra-curricular activities while
maintaining a high level of
scholarship.
The Student Government
Association, in conjunction with
the campus administration, will
present awards to
undergraduates in three
categories.
Nine seniors are nominated
for the Leadership Award,
including: Bob Bonaker, Editor
of the Capitolist; Marc Cohen,
Manager of Radio Station
WZAP; Mike Dini, SGA
President; Rita Girondi,
Cheerleading Co-Captain;
Marilyn Levin, SGA Senator;
Gaye Miles, President of Delta
Tau Kappa, the international
social science honor society;
Paul Mirabile, Coordinator of
the Music/Arts Festival; Dick
Mulfinger, XGI President; and
Don Snyder, Social Committee
Chairman.
Those nominated by a
student/faculty committee for
the Humanitarian Award are Joe
Davis, Mike Dini, Mike
Kowalcheck and Sam Randazzo.
The names of those
nominated for academic awards
were not released by committee
chairman Mike Pierce.
The winners will announced
at today’s commencement
ceremonies —nr —z
awards fashion.
** * *
Or. Janies Knestrick, winner of
the second Janies A. Jordan
Award for teaching excellence.
teaching more fun."
This year’s Jordan Award
winner is “excited” about his
teaching duties, maintaining that
good teachers must react to
students. I make the assumption
that if a class is dead, the fault
lies with me and I must do
something about it. But I don’t
have that problem here as my
students are interested and eas y
to teach.”
Knestrick does not have a
fundamental philosophy, but
stresses that “honesty, in what
you are, what you know and
what you don’t know has always
been something in which I have
believed. I’ve had experiences
with both good and bad teachers
and I’ve come to realize
that teaching is a challenge.
Students learn because they
want to learn. Teachers must
involve their students in the
thought process - more than just
having them take notes.” In the
same vein, he says professors and
students should never becomes
adversaries; that they must share
Sissy Farenthold to Speak at
Commencement
Frances (Sissy) Farenthold,
former Texas state legislator and
Chairman of the National
Women’s Political Caucus, will
be the guest speaker at the
Spring Commencement of
Capitol Campus.
Ceremonies are scheduled for
Saturday, June 16, at 1:30 p.m.
on the lawn in front of the Main
Building.
Ms. Farenthold has been
active in political and civil rights
movements for many years. She
was a candidate for Governor in
1972 and won more than
800,000 votes. During that
campaign, the sobriquet,
“Sissy”, because a household
word in Texas.
She also had the distinction
of being the first woman to have
her name placed in nomination
for Vice President of the United
States and received over 400
votes in the race at the 1972
Democratic National
Convention.
A graduate of Vassar, Ms.
Farenthold holds a J.D. from the
University of Texas Law School.
She is a member of the Nueces
County, Texas Bar Association
and was named to Who’s Who in
American Women in 1972. A
The Year in Review
by Mike Dini , President
Student Government Association
As the 1972-1973 Academic
(school) year comes to an end,
we celebrate the culmination of
a year of academic, social and
cultural endeavors in our pursuit
to make and keep our campus
“student oriented. ”
The year has seen a greater
interaction and involvement
among all campus members. As
participants in the political
process, we have noted the
influence we, as students, have
played in the affairs of our
campus.
Our achievements and
accomplishments have included
a direct input and vital role in
the development of an Academic
Calendar for the campus, a
concerted effort and
determination that graduation
be held on our campus, and the
maintenance of the “Round
Table” as a symbol which unites
all campus community members,
alumni and friends.
We have also acted as the
Attribute
in the learning experience.
He, in turn, expects certain
things from his students. “From
them I want class participation,
although not all in the same
manner. I also desire scholarship
and abstractly, a certain
intellectual honesty.” Knestrick
says he does not have
pre-conceived notions of a
particular class, “they are each
as different as are individual
students.”
When asked why he chose to
be a teacher rather than enter
some other profession and made
double his current salary he said
that at the outset, he was not
sure that he would be a college
professor, “But I was certain
before I started teaching, I
would go out and gain
experience in my field. Even
now, I am a part time
consultant, but my clinical work
is merely a means to am ‘end’,
which is teaching. For me,
teaching is a more meaningful
payoff.”
** * *
June 16,1973
member of the Editorial Review
Committee, Forum for
Contemporary History, she
serves as Assistant Professor of
Law at Texas Southern
University.
More than 500 students will
receive baccalaureate and
master’s degrees at the fifth
Spring Commencement. Last
year’s ceremonies were informal
because of Hurricane Agnes.
catalyst for the entire University
system in leading a determined
drive relative to the parking fee
placed on all Penn State
University students. Through the
efforts 8f your SGA, the
Administration lowered the
parking fee for this term to help
bring attention to this excessive
and inequitable fee. We have
thus seen a greater participation
by student in the policy
decisions of our campus and
University Park, and we have
also attained an expanded
representation on Faculty
Council and other faculty and
administration committees.
Students have played a
leading role in the development
and support of the recent
proposal to interface with the
Harrisburg Area Community
College and other Pennsylvania
community and junior colleges.
We have continued to develop a
greater input of students 'in
orientation and graduation
planning and activities.
Academic proposals by your
Student Government
Association have included a
proposal for an “Academic
Appeals Board” with a detailed
grievance procedure for
students, a uniform course
“Withdrawal Policy” for the
campus, a continuation of
Teacher/Course Evaluations, and
a sustained interest in matters of
registration, advising, drop-adds
and other academic concerns
which have been augmented by
the student initiated and
directed “Student-To-Student”
Advising Program.
Your Student Government
Association has taken strides to
become more self sufficient, it
has gone through a phase of
reorganization, including the
enactment of a new SGA
Constitution, restructuring of
the Social Committee, and the
development of new student
committees i.e.,
Campus/Community Service and
Academic/Campus Concerns.
( Continued on p. 2)