October 28
The Reader Interviews
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By Diane Lewis
Hie Catholic Church is a
sometimes mysterious often
controversial subject Catholic
and non-Catholics alike are
curious about the Church and
its stand on present day issues.
This week I talked to Father
William Richardson, chaplain to
the Catholic Campus Ministry at
Capitol Campus, about Cathol
icism today.
Bom in Shamokin, Father
Richardson studied at Mount
St Mary’s College and Semi
nary. He was ordained in 1972.
He served as associate
pastor of St Teresa’s New
Cumberland, and later as
Chaplain to Bloomsbury State
College before coming to
Capitol to fill the vacancy left by
Father Jafola’s death last year.
In addition to his duties here
Father Richardson is Diocesan
Director of Pastoral Planning.
His job is to oversee the
Church’s move to collegiality or
shared responsibility with one
person ultimately responsible.
Each parish has a planning
board which gathers laity,
priests and religious together to
set goals and objectives for the
parish.
I asked Father Richardson
about the woman’s role in the
church today. He said the
Canon Law Society has recently
set goals to increase women’s
participation in all areas of
ministry except the priesthood.
For now women priests are not
likely because a move in that
direction would probably hinder
rather than help the Church. If
there will ever be women in the
priesthood, Father Richardson
said, depends on cultural
acceptance.
Talking about the Catholic
Church today, Father Richard
son explained that the changes
brought about by Vatican II
created problems not of
themselves, but because many
Catholics were too immature to
handle the freedom the changes
gave them.
The changes were not meant
to be license to do what you
wanted, but rather they were
designed to allow for consid
eration of the grey areas that the
previous 400 year old mind set
of the church ignored.
Before Vatican II there was
only black or white, good or evil
there was nothing in between.
“Religion stresses the ideal.
To live a religious life is
demanding.” Father Richard
son said, “In striving for ideals
the truly committed Christian is
harder on himself than the laws
of the Church require.”
When the Church stopped
talking in edicts and began
talking about freedom of
conscience many people
thought that to mean there were
no limits, no ideals.
The Church is now com
pelled to make formal state
ments that spell out its
teachings on certain issues.
The Vatican Declaration on
Sexual Ethics issued last year is
an example.
Father Richardson said the
declaration has had a negative
effect on young Catholics
mainly because it has been
misinterpreted. To really
understand, it is necessary to
discuss it on an individual or
small group basis so there can
be some feedback. Readipg
about it or having it read at
Mass on Sunday confuses the
issues.
Father Richardson feels this
is a problem for the .Church
today. “Catholics who went to
Catholic school thought they
had it all. They don’t want to
continue to study their religion,
to find out what is going on
now.”
“Young people are moving
back to organized religion,"
Father Richardson said. He is
pleased to see an increasing
number of students here are
attending the Sunday evening
liturgies and informal “fireside”
chats. He says that many
people today are looking for
more direction in their lives and
religion is where they are
finding it
Talking about his vocation
Father Richardson said, “I
became a.priest because of my
personal experiences. I found
peace in Christ through the
efforts of other people, as a
priest I can share that
experience with others.” He
decided to become a priest after
high school. He said he dated
in high school and college but
found that for him it was
difficult to love one person
exclusively.
He uses this exclusivity of
love to explain his feelings on
celibacy. He said, “Celibacy
has nothing to do with sexuality
as much as a way of loving.
“In marriage you love one
primarily. The celibate can’t
zero in on one person but loves
the many. There are different
ways of loving. But for both the
celibate and the married person
there is an amount of sacrifice.
“The celibate sacrifices the
security of wife and family and
abstains from the physical
expression of love. The married
person sacrifices his freedom of
individuality and promises to
remain faithful to one person.”
As chaplin, Father Richard
son sees himself as a
servant- helping people to grow
spiritually not just Catholics but
all members of the college
community.
So if you want “to get
counselled, consoled, or just
converse, make contact with
Father Richardson by checking
out “Vendorville” on Thursdays
from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
He’s usually there.”
C.C. Reader
Security
Officers
Move
By Tim Adams
How much is security
worth? Apparently the Univer
sity is not concerned enough
about it to pay the kind of
wages that attracts and retains
qualified security officers.
In the past several weeks
two newly hired officers, Bruce
Hill and Debbie Schwartz, quit
their jobs to take better paying
positions elsewhere.
In an interview with Chief
Paul, he described the rigorous
process an applicant must go
through in order to be hired.
There are preliminary inter
views, screening committees,
background checks, and if
hired, a three-month training
program at the Chambersburg
Law Enforcement Academy.
Young Demos Survey
Recently, the Young Demo
crats conducted a Voter
Registration Drive here at
Capitol Campus. Surprisingly
enough, in light of the
notorious “apathetic attitude”
that is said to exist at this
campus, the turn out was quite
good.
For those of you who are
interested, there follows this
article a breakdown of the
numbers of persons who
registered during this particular
drive, which was conducted
September 22 through October
4.
Now, we come to the major
point of this article. If you, toe
Penn State student and faculty
member, can come out and
register to vote in numbers
much greater than had been
anticipated, then surely, it is
not asking too much of you to
ask.that you go one step further
and vote.
Voting is not something that
you should do because you
have to do it There are no laws
that say toe American people
must cast a ballot This article
is not demanding that you vote
because it is a duty. It is not It
Returning Women
Don’t be surprised to flip
through a copy of Time or
Newsweek and find an article
about a unique organization,
the newly-formed Returning
Women’s Organization on Capi
tol Campus! Returning Women
at Capitol is a bona fide
organization, approved by the
Student Government Associa
tion (October 20, 1976) and with
a legal constitution. The
constitution states:
The purpose of the return
ing Women’s Organization
is to provide for the special
needs, interests and de
mands of the nontraditional
student
Membership is open to all
full-time and part time under
graduate and graduate students
who support toe stated purpose
of the organization. Voting
membership is limited to all
dues-paying members of the
Returning Women’s Organiza
tion.
Capitol Campus boasts
The officers then control a
community that during toe day
numbers about 2700 people.
According to Chief Paul,
security has authority to
investigate all violations of
University rules and policies.
Students who violate civil law
are prosecuted by local
authorities. However, security
will try to get those cases
turned over to campus jurisdic
tion so that students can get
control of their criminal record
upon graduation.
The question then is do
security officers need to be that
well trained for this particular
job, and if they do why aren’t
they being paid a salary that is
commens orate with their abili
ties?
is something you should do
because you want to do it,
because you feel that it is
important You should vote
because you know and feel
yourself to be a necessary part
of the functions of your
government
It has been said that
intelligent, concerned and
caring individuals do not exist
at this campus, or in this
country. This cannot be true.
Intelligent, concerned people
do exist and we are hoping that
you will recognize yourself and
show your concern for your
selves, as well as your country,
by coming out to toe polls on
November 2. Show this country
that you care.
But please. Don’t vote just
because you feel it is a duty.
Don't do it because you have
always done it or because you
have never done it or even
because your next door
neighbor is doing it These are
not legitimate reasons for
casting a ballot With voting, as
with any major decision of your
life, do it because you care.
Vote as a well-informed,
intelligent free human being.
Vote as an American.
nearly 200 women who have
returned to the Halls of
Academia after an average 10-15
year hiatus. Some have spent
that time in child-rearing, some
in careers which have lost their
appeal. Lee Brennan, a
graduate student in Community
Psychology, has been one of
the driving forces behind the
formation of Returning Women.
Lee had been a microbiologist
before the child-rearing seg
ment of her life. Her interests
now' lie in working with people.
Laura Landman, another
“returning” Community Psy
chology graduate student, has
used the Returning Women’s
group as the basis for her
master's thesis. Laura confirms
that the mutual support of
Returning Women has helped
many members over a “rough”
time.
Weekly meetings- brown
bag lunches-are held each
Thursday from 11:00 until 1:00
Heavy
Industry
Mr. John Frey, Coordinator
of College Relations for the
Eastern Area of U.S. Steel, is
presently acting as a consultant
to toe Placement Office at
Capitol Campus.
Mr. Frey is working with
Penn State-Capitol Campus as
an adjunct member of toe
Student Affairs staff. His
appointment runs through
November 24.
A registered professional
engineer, Mr. Frey received his
B.A. in Metallurgy from Lehigh
University and attended the
School of Industrial Manage
ment at Worcester Polytech
nical Institute. He also served
as a Lieutenant Commander in
the Navy Reserve.
While at Capitol, Mr. Frey
will meet with faculty and
students to explain job possi
bilities in heavy industry and to
bring in qualified specialists in
various fields to lecture in their
specific areas.
According to Ms. Peggy
O’Hara, Coordinator of Place
ment and Career Planning, Mr.
Frey wall act as a liaison person
between Capitol Campus and
heavy industry.
New Education
Prof.
Provost McDermott an
nounces that Ms. Maty Ellen
Mumma has joined toe staff at
Capitol Campus as an instructor
in the education department
Ms. Mumma earned her B. A
in psychology from Pennsyl
vania State University and
obtained her M.Ed. degree in
early childhood education from
Temple University.
Prior to joining Penn State’s
faculty, Ms. Mumma held a
position as administration/ed
ucation director at Rutgers
Camden Day Care Center,
Camden, N.J. She also worked
as a child development special
ist in the Community Coordin
ated Child Care Council in
Camden and has taught in
various pre-school programs in
the Philadelphia area.
While attending college, Ms.
Mumma was a member of the
Psi Chi Honorary Psychology
and is currently a member of the
National Association for Educa
tion of Young Children.
Reading
A reading clinic will be held
here for pupils in grades 2
through 12 who attend schools
in the surrounding area,
according to Dr. Joanna
Sullivan, reading expert at the
campus.
Hie purpose of the clinic is
to offer reading help and
remedial reading to pupils who
have reading difficulties. Those
who attend will be diagnosed
for their particular difficulties
and treated accordingly by
experienced teachers.
The clinic wall be held from
Ja. 12 through March 2 on Mon.
and Wed. evenings from 6: 00 to
7: 30 p.m. Initial screening wall
be held Mon. Nov. 22. The
number of pupils accepted will
be limited.
There will be no charge for
the reading instruction, how
ever, there is a $l5 testing fee.
For more information call
787-7717 or write Dr. Joanna
Sullivan, Penn State-Capitol
Campus, Middletown, Pa.
17057.
See Page 7
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Clinic