Pennsylvania State University at Capitol Campus
Vol. 9 No. 3
Admin, rejected rally because of facilities
Fonda turned down
The Jane Fonda --.Tom
Hayden rally that was held at
Penn Harris Motor Inn on
Sept. 23, could have been
added to Capitol Campus’ long
list of pro-, con- and anti-nu
clear activities the campus
has hosted. Capitol came close
to doing so; but it was finally
decided that the campus would
not host the Fonda - Hayden
rally against nuclear power.
On Sept. 4, Kay Pickering,
a Three Mile Island Alert
(TMIA) staff person, ap
proached Bud Smitley, Athletic
Director, about securing the
gym for the Sept. 23 Fonda -
Hayden anti-nuke rally.
Pickering told the Reader
that “Smitley said he didn’t
think acoustics were great,
but, it would be alright to use
the gym.” Pickering told the
reader that Smitley also ex
plained to ner that it would be
inconvenient for students to
have the gym closed from
setting up on Friday evening
until take down on Monday
afternoon, but he didn’t think
students would mind.
In a phone interview with
the Reader, Smitley said that
he told Pickering that he <|id
not think the gym was a
satisfactory place for the ral
ly.
“I was not in favor of it
then, and I am still not in
favor of it.” Smitley told the
Reader. “I would have had
more criticism for closing the
gym then for having a rally,”
he said.
After talking with Smitley
about the use of the gym,
Pickering told the Reader
that she contacted Betty
Merkle, secretary to Ron Mel
chiorre; Director of Contin
uing Ed., about signing the
proper papers in order to
confirm TMIA’s use of the
gym for the rally.
“Betty Merkle said she
would send the papers and
cost rates in the mail,” Pick
ering said. “The next day,
Sept. 5,1 called Betty Merkle to
see if the papers had been
sent. Over the phone, we
agreed on the process and
costs. Betty Merkle said she
would put the papers in the
mail right away,” Pickering
said.
Merkle told the Reader
that she did not confer com-
pletely, the use of the gym.
Merkle said that the only
thing she could do was to
check and see if the gyn was
being used or not, and if it
wasn’t, to send out the proper
papers that needed to be
signed before the gym could
be used.
After Pickering called
Merkle on Sept 5, Pickering
said that Ron Melchiorre
called her about an hour later
and told. her that it was
not alright for TMIA to have
the rally in the gym.
Pickering said that Mel
chiorre told her that he had
talked with the administra
tion they had decided that
Capitol Campus had done
Bookstore examined
Due to the ever increasing
concern over the Campus Book
store, A Bookstore Task Force
has been created to extensively
check into the bookstore's opera
tions. The task Force's main
objective is to evaluate the book
store's pricing system.
The bookstore’s financial
statement has been acquired by
the task force. This is the first
time a bookstore-oriented com
mittee has been able to see the
financial statement. The acquisi
tion of the financial information
is conditional ( by sworn oath) on
the Task Force members
keeping the information con-
fidential.
The task force compared
prices on similar items from
Capitol’s bookstore and HACC’s
bookstore. The study showed
that Capitol’s prices were higher
in several cases than HACC’s
prices on the same items. For
example, E. Hemingway’s book
For Whom The Bell Tolls (469
pages), cost $4.95 at Capitol’s
bookstore and $3.95 at HACC’s
bookstore.
Michael Sheldon, President of
SGA and member of the task
force, said the reason for the
book prices being the way they
are is twofold. Sheldon explained
that some faculty members wait
until the last minute to give their
book orders to William
Kistler.. Thus Mr.
Kistler has no time to shop
enough in the realm of hosting
nuclear related activities.
Melchiorre told the Read
er that “I told her no, they
could not have the Fonda --
Hayden rally here. We don’t
have the facilities or the se
curity force to handle some
thing like that. We also could
not have accomadated the
crowd. The gym only holds
900 people.”
The Reader asked Mel
chiorre about whose decision
it was to reject the Fonda -
Hayden rally.
“It was my decision in
consultation with Provost
Gross,” Melchiorre said.
Pickering said that after
Melchiorre told her that
around for the best deal. The
bookstore has to take what
it can get on short notice.
Another reason is the way
the pricing schedule runs. A
suggested retail price is given
for a book plus a twenty-five
cent charge plus shipping.
And once again, the earlier
the book order is in, the
better chance at a lower price.
TMIA could not have the rally
at campus, she was shocked,
but had to accept the decision
and try to find another place
for the rally.
Melchiorre also told the
Reader that “Three Mile Is
land Alert expected us to
absorb some of the cost and
we felt we couldn’t. When the
NRC was here they paid for
the entire cost and provided
FBI Agents for security.”
Pickering told the Reader
that TMIA has its own inter
nal security -- trained mar
shalls, that they would have
provided. She said that the
State Police probably would
have cooperated with them
for security purposes since
Items other than books in
our bookstore were to a de
gree higher than HACC’s.
Capitol’s bookstore is inde
pendent of the University and
it also gets its items from one
company. HACC is subsidized
and also receives its items
from different companies.
Next term, a new pricing
system for books will be used.
4 October 1979
the State Police had been
very cooperative in other
TMIA sponsored events, in
cluding the Fonda - Hayden
rally at Penn Harris.
Pickering also told the
reader thatTMIA had not ex
pected the college to absorb
any of the cost for the rally,
but that they did think the
campus would have been
cheaper. Pickering said that it
cost TMIA $6OO to have the
rally at Penn Harris, and that
it would have cost between
$2OO and $4OO to have had it at
Capitol Campus.
The C.C. Reader also in
terviewed Provost Gross
about the decision of the ad
ministration to reject the anti-
cont. on pg. 15
The system was designed by
the Task Force and in 3 out of
5 instances it will show less
cost to the students. The
savings will be between 16 and
18 cents.
The Task Force is also
going to remind the faculty to
get their book orders in as
soon as possible.