C.C. reader. ([Middletown, Pa.]) 1973-1982, April 16, 1981, Image 1
Pennsylvania State University at Capitol Campus 10 1111 C II re CI e Volume 14, No. 2 To the tune of .3000 dus By Kathy Kern Though Websters Encyclopedic Dic tionary defines vandalism as "willful or ignorant destruction of works of art or literature," one need not damage a sculpture or painting in order to contri bute to the problem of campus vandal ism. Doors, windows, and other pieces of property are usually the targets of those who take out their frustrations on campus property. Joe Kemp, manager of the Capitol Campus Physical Plant's Maintenance and Operations, said he and his crew are doing what they can in order to decrease the likelihood of damage to campus property. "We get involved any time there is any damage to property here," said Mr. Kemp. "Although there is no sure way of safeguarding any piece of campus property, the maintenance crew does what it can to take care of the damages by using stronger, more dur able material in place of the destroyed item." For example, a broken glass window is replaced with plexiglass, which is much less prone to breakage than regular glass. Other items are also replaced with longer-lasting counterparts. But repairs cost money--money which is eventually reflected in tuition in creases in order to supplement the repairs for damages caused by vandal- Student Service Series More Than a Place to Talk By William J. Neil Fidgeting in his seat, the nervous student glanced at the clock; three hours and fifty minutes had elapsed since he began the grueling test. Real izing that he had but ten more minutes to answer 20 questions, the student suddenly became panic-stricken and began to guess haphazardly at the unanswered portion of the test. Needless to say, this student's test results were not as good as they could have been. Fortunately for this student, though, the score of his test won't affect his future college career. True, the test he was agonizing over was an important one--the Graduate Record Exam (GRE), a four-hour test which is often essential in determining whether or not a student will be accepted by a graduate school-- and one which would usually decide his future. However, this student was not undergoing the "real" version, but rath er, a practice or "mock" test which is administered by the Counseling Center to better prepare students to feel the pressure and deal with the anxieties created in an actual testing atmosphere. The Test Simulation Program, which is free to students, is only one of the many services provided to the Capitol VANDALISM: Breaking the Budget ism. From September to April, damage by vandals has already cost the main tenance and operations budget nearly $3,000. A large chunk of that money, over $760, was used to replace campus road signs which were stolen during the fall term. The buying and installation of a water fountain cost over $262. But why isn't damaged property replaced or repaired immediately? Money, or the lack of it, is usually the answer to this question. "My budget is only so much each year," said the plant's manager. It is this lack of funds which can hinder otherwise speedy repairs. Another factor which affects the promptness of repairs is the work schedule of Kemp 's 40-man crew. It takes anywhere from five to seven days to schedule a repair job into the work program. First, an estimate must be made on the cost of the repair. After this, the repair is written up into the schedule. "If the materials and work force are available for that day, we can throw it (the repair) in the schedule," Kemp noted. Some repair jobs are hard for the crew to keep up with, and the manager cited the Student Center as an example. Damaged walls and doors, usually stemming from Monday Night Football showings and other activities, are both time consuming and costly repairs. One tile repair job in the Student Center cost over $286.' Campus community by the Counseling Center, which is located in W-117 of the Main Building. The Counseling Center staff is comprised of Dr. Marian Krieger, the Coordinator of Counseling Services, Mr. Edward S. Beck, Counselor, and Joanne E. Meinsler, the Center's secre tary. According to the counselors, many students have the misconception that the Counseling Center serves basically the same functions as those counseling services found in most high schools. "We are a much different type operation," says Marian, "we provide educational, vocational, and personal counseling. Whether students want information concerning graduate school, their cur rent curriculum, or a personal crisis, we can help." Ed views the Counseling Center at Capitol Campus as "a place which provides a balanced program, one which is designed to deal preventatively with individual as well as group con cerns. Overall, we take a holistic ap proach to student counseling." Most of the individual problems the counselors deal with are those which are common on college campuses. These problems consist of the many things Middletown, PA. 17057 Although vandalism is definitely present on campus, it is a seasonal occurrence, said Mr. Kemp. He noted that graduation is a bad time for campus vandalism, as well as Tuesday nights. "Every Tuesday we expect some van dalism," added the manager. However, not all property damage on campus is done by students. Mr. Kemp said that vandalism is "not solely the students' fault" and recalled incidents in which damages, such as broken win dows, were committed by outsiders who were driving or walking through the campus. Other than trying to combat vandal ism by making durable replacements for damaged items, Mr. Kemp sees no feasible way of deterring the trouble makers. He said that the levying of fines on vandals probably would not work, since very few times is an individual pinpointed for the damage. One control for vandalism, however, may be to educate students on the problem. "If the students, faculty, and staff work together .. . we can indoctrinate and educate the students on the disad vantages of vandalism," commented Mr. Kemp. He added that vandalism is a case of immaturity on the part of the perpe trator and the people he is with. Those who do not take part in the vandalism are foolish to take the punishment for the actions of one person. Though other colleges may be hi. harder by the crime of vandalism than is Capitol Campus, the school's lack of funds for the necessary repairs is what students must cope with such as finan cial pressure, marital concerns, prob lems of relationships, and increased pressure to get good grades. "We try to help students deal with the realities of a ten-week term, which is new to some students. Our unique housing situation, and being away from home for the first time cal also create problems," explains Ed, "and we must try to determine what techniques are best to use when stress takes over." Not only must the counselors deter mine which techniques are best for dealing with individual problems, but they must also teach these techniques to the Resident Assistants (RAs). Although the RAs receive ongoing in-service training from Pat Murphy, the Coordin ator of the Residence Living Program, and John Pellechia, the Assistant Co ordinator of the Residence Living Pro gram, the counselors also help train the RAs. "Stress is only one of the phenom enon apparent in a college setting," says Ed, "and we teach the RAs how to deal with it as well as crisis intervention techniques, counseling skills, and time management." While the RAs are train ed to provide some counseling for resi- 16 April 1981 makes vandalism a special problem here. The sum of $3,000 for eight months of vandalism repairs may seem quite small at many colleges, but at Capitol, where money is obviously lacking in a number of areas, the amount becomes quite large. Vandalism ultimately costs every one, including residents, non-residents, and the vandals themselves. t J 110 1 kir 1,.. mil ......, READER Photo by HHM TROUBLED BRIDGE OVER WATERS An example of vandalism on campus. dent students, sometimes problems arise which are beyond their capabilities. In these cases students are often referred to the professional counselors in the Counseling Center. "We try to help people understand themselves better," explains Marian, "and we try to show them that their problems are not impos sible to resolve. What may seem to be overwhelming to them, we try to put in a more positive perspective. An objective professional person helping them look at their lives in a different way can usually produce satisfactory alternatives." In order to deal with these individual concerns, it is imperative that the counselors establish and maintain good working relations with members of the faculty. "We must know each other to better serve students," says Marian, "since it is through faculty members that we get many referrals." This relation ship with the faculty accounts for the fact that Marian serves on the Student Affairs Committee of the Faculty Organization and Ed is active on the Community Contacts Committee of the Faculty Organization. continued on page 14 Cents