CAPITOL CAMPUS READER
Vol. 6 No. 14 Capitol Campus Penn State University.
Rise In Crime Warrants Guns On Campus?
By Ed Perrone
Due to the rise in crime both on
campus and in the surrounding area, the
Student Government Association last
week took up debate on a proposal which
would arm the regular Campus Police
Force with guns.
The proposal, introduced by SGA
Vice-President Ray Martin, called for
the SGA to take a poll of all resident
students regarding their opinion on this
question. If a majority of these students
are in favor of it, a petition with their
signatures would be seht to University
President John W. Oswald, along with a
letter from the SGA requesting
permission to implement this decision.
Martin, Meade Heights Resident
Assistant John Leierzapf, and SGA
Senator Charles Alesky - a member of
the Campus Police Force - argued that a
new policy is necessary because the
Campus Police are now inadequately
equipped to effectively protect the
campus. They cited a sharp rise in the
number of complaints received by
Security in January as opposed to the
previous months, and a recent rash , of
burglaries in Meade Heights as the basis
for their position.
According to figures obtained from
the Security Office, the number of
complaints received there during the
period from June 1 through December
31, 1976, was 364. In January, 1977,
alone, there were 161 complaints.
When interviewed on Monday,Chief
of Security James Paul expressed his
support for the proposal. "The
sidearm is the basic tool of the police
I seem
or grow on you.
E!S=l
officer," he said. "Would you send a
surgeon to perform an operation without
a scalpel?" He also pointed out that the
five Campus Police are trained and
sworn police officers, "as well or better
qualified" than any municipal police.
Dr. Jerry South, Director of Student
Affairs, disagrees, however. He stated
that the arming of the police is "not a
wise idea at this time, because there is
no demonstrated need for it." He also
brought up the possibility of an accident.
"You can never tell when somebody will
overreact, no matter how well trained."
South stated, however, that security
policies are constantly being reviewed
and are subject to change. In December,
1976, a board was formed called the
"Student Affairs Subgroup for
Security", consisting of 2 faculty and 2
Changes Opinions Sought
By Brian McDonough
Change is in, the air concerning the
Capitol Campus unit and term systems.
A report requested by the President
of Penn State, Dr. John W. Oswald, and
researched by the Associate Dean for
Academic Affairs, Dr. Duane R. Smith.
is making the rounds of the faculty and
student community.
The report is in response to a
sell-evaluation of Capitol Campus's goals
and directions for the seventies and
beyond.
Originally established as an experi
mental branch campus of Penn State in
the turbulent sixties, Capitol once
comprised only a handful of professors
and students. The unit concept was
initiated in order to give the internal
flexibility desired in an unique teaching
situation, as well as to develop the full
potential of the institution within limited
resources.
Records Office
Attempts To
Speed It Up
By Karen Pickens
In order to avoid long frustrating
lines, registration materials will be
mailed to undergraduates on February
14, according to Lonnie Schaeffer in the
Records Office. The material will be sent
to the student's local address. If you've
not received the registration materials
by Friday, February 25th, or if your
packet contains incorrect information. , 2 , XSOMMZMIMP.M7.m:
check with Records Office in W-101.
Payment for Spring term is due on Weekend
Friday, March 4. Registration will be in
Weather
person on March 9, 10, and 11. Forms
should be completed and signed by an
The Eastern Pennsylvania extended
advisor before registration. This
outlook for Friday-Sunday: Possibility of
material, plus an I.D. card and fee
receipt are necessary for enrollment, rain or snow Friday and Sunday.
The Records Office will not process Temperatures will range from 20 to the
any early registrations, Ms. Schaeffer upper 40's both days. Clear skies are
said. If a student misses his scheduled predicted for Sunday with morning lows
day, he can still avoid the $lO late fee by from the mid 20's to mid 30's. The high
temperature for Sunday will be between
registering on Thursday, March 24.
See Page 7 the mid 30's to mid 40's.
February 10, 1977
student members. It's purpose is to
provide "student and faculty involve
ment on an ongoing basis, reviewing the
hiring of security personnel, and
evaluating training programs, policies,
and manuals." The faculty members,
appointed by the Faculty Council, are
John Jones and Lemuel Molovinsky.
Students members, appointed last night
by the SGA, are Ray Martin and Kitty
Nestor.
Also at last night's meeting, Ray
Martin, Chairman of the special SGA
committee running the student poll on
the question, said that the proposal
appears to be "the most popular thing
since central heating." He said that
response from the students polled thus
far is running approximately 80% in
favor.
The inherent "differentness" of
Capitol has stayed with us as it has
grown to its present size of well over
2,500 students, faculty and administra
tion. The flexibility necessary to the
survival of an experimental institution
was sharply limited when internal
recordkeeping and other program
requirements equated the "one unit"
concept with four credits.
As anyone who can count knows, four
credits (one unit) times the presently
required eighteen courses equals
seventy-two credits. So, technically,
seventy-two credits are necessary for
anyone to graduate from Capitol in any
program.
Reason enough for change? Perhaps.
But the question is much more abstract
than that.
The report issued by Dean Smith,
and available to interested parties,
carefully considers both sides of the unit
versus credit concept and refrains from
conclusive statements, while at the same
time acknowledging that the time for
making a decision has come.
Ultimately, the question of unit/
credit requirements, as well as the
desirability of switching from a term to a
semester calendar, will be resolved this
June by the Provost of Capitol, Dr.
McDermott.
However, as an academic community,
and a rather unique one at that, critiques
and suggestions from the groups upon
which these proposed changes will have
the greatest impact are greatly desired
by the Provost. See Page 4