C.C. Reader
Letters To The Editor
Getting A Charge
Out Of It
Editor:
In response to David J. Caruso's
editorial "Seeing the Light" in the
February 19 issue of the C.C. Reader, I
applaud enthusiastically. I applaud be
cause he addressed what is perhaps the
most important issue in America today—
the energy crisis. Some of you may be
thinking, "Oh, no! Not another article
about the energy crisis. Haven't we
heard enough?" The answer to thar
question is "Obviously not!"
The aim of this letter is not to
inundate you with repetitive prose, but
to look at the situation in a. different
light; to bring the matter to the one area
students, professors, and administrators
all consider vital—the pocketbook.
In an average Capitol Campus class
room there are six rows of lights, with
three fixtures in each row; each fixture
holds at least two flourescent light bulbs
for a total of 36 bulbs in one room.
Assuming energy-saving 35-watt bulbs
are used (I hope this is not wishful
thinking), it takes 1260 watts to light the
classroom. If the lights in this classroom
are lit for one hour--whether or not the
room is occupied-1.26 kilowatt hours
(KWH) of electricity have been wasted.
(One KWH = 1,000 watts of electricity
drawn for one hour).
On any week night, Monday through
Thursday, the lights in at least 10 empty
classrooms are burning. If they are lit for
two and one-half hours, the total amount
of electricity wasted in one night is 31.5
KWH. In one week the amount increases
to 126 KWH. In a month, a whopping 504
KWH is wasted. The cost to a PP&L
residential customer like myself for this
unnecessary lighting would be $24.80.•
That's not very much, you say? Well,
look at it this way: every month 504
KWH or $24.80 has been wasted. In a
year 6,552 KWH or $297.60 will be
wasted. That amount of energy would
supply my husband and myself with all
the electricity we needed for approxi
mately three and one-half years.
The responsibility for this wasteful
ness lies equally with the students and
the faculty, as well as with the school
administration. Yes, I realize the Uni
versity doesn't pay residential rates and
no individual student or faculty member
pays for the squandered electricity di
rectly, but be aware that the University
must pay for its electricity and those
costs are passed on to you.
If we as a nation are ever to solve the
energy crisis, the effort must come from
each of us, not only through an increased
awareness of the problem, but more
importantly through an increased
willingness to change our lifestyles. The
first step is as simple as flicking a light
switch as we leave an empty room.
* This figure is based on the October 31,
1978 Residential Rate Schedule. As of
January 30, 1981, residential rates in
creased.
Maybe Next Time
Editor
Several weeks ago 39 students sign
ed a petition requesting that PSU
change the wording on diplomas for the
Humanities Division to include the stu
dents' study options.
Because the Humanities faculty tries
to comply with student requests when
ever feasible, we looked into the reasons
for the present wording and into what
would be involved in changing it. Also,
because we felt sure that the petition
was prompted by students' concerns
about their chances in the job market,
we did some research into employment
of our Humanities graduates.
We found, first of all, that there
would be some difficulties in making this
change in the format of the diplomas.
One problem is that adding the option
would clutter an already full diploma--
designations of degree, major, and loca
tion are included now. There is barely a
line of the diploma that isn't already
taken up with other information.
Then, too, there are administrative
complications involved. To qualify for a
particular option, a set of requirements
must be met, and in some instances a
student is forced to change his or her
option just prior to commencement. In
these cases, a new diploma would have
to be ordered, which would inconven
ience the student and, on a University
wide basis, would be very costly.
I know that the students who signed
the petition (and others) are primarily
concerned about finding jobs after grad
uation. We therefore checked with Peg
O'Hara, director of our Capitol Campus
Placement Office, for her thoughts, on
the matter. Ms. O'Hara talks with
employers every day, and we felt that
she would have a good sense cf how
employers react to the PSII Humanities
degree.
Ms. O'Hara said that she has never
heard one adverse comment about the,
degree, and that the Humanities stu
dents have, in fact, done extremely well
in finding jobs. Students from the
Multi-Media Journalism option, for in
stance, are working at virtually all the
local and nearby media outlets, and
many have moved on to better jobs at
larger stations or newspapers a few
years after graduation. A significant
number of the interns in that option are
hired immediately after graduation by
their internship employers.
As for the students in the Human
ities/Business option, Ms. O'Hara said,
"If anything, that combination makes
them more, marketable to the business
employer."
I think it's also important to remem
ber that the option does appear on the
student's transcript. Since this, not the
diploma, is the official record of one's
academic work, it is usually the docu
ment that is presented to prospective
employers. Letters of recommendation
from teachers would also make clear the
type of work that the student has been
doing here. And, of course, the student
can feature the option and courses that
he wants to emphasize on his resume.
I realize that this information may
not completely satisfy those students
requesting the change, but hope it will
put to rest at least some of the anxieties
about jobs. With the resume, the tran
script, and teacher recommendations, I
believe that prospective employers will
have a good idea of which skills the
student has.
Dixi J. Weaver
I might add that if any of our seniors
have not yet visited the Placement
Office in the Multi-Purpose Building, I
silggest they do so as soon as possible.
The people there are friendly, know
ledgeable, and sincerely interested in
helping the students find the right jobs.
11l be happy to talk with any stu
dent who has additional questions about
the diploma or degrees granted at
Capitol Campus.
Thursday, April 16, 1981
Robert J. Graham
Head, Humanities Division
Roberta For Prez
Editor
As a student at Capitol Campus for
the past two years, I've been involved
with a lot of the goings on here. Election
of the SGA officers is quite a serious
matter and I'd like to remind students
that they have a right to participate. I
hope that everyone with a sense of
responsibility will vote in the elections
and will vote for the most responsible
candidates.
I personally and wholeheartedly en
dorse Roberta Bronson for president of
the Student Government Association.
Roberta is currently a junior senator and
was a leader at the branch campus she
attended. She's energetic, personable,
and would be excellent for the position. I
hope everyone will read her platform
(which is printed in this paper) and put a
big X beside her name next Tuesday or
Wednesday. VOTE ROBERTA!
People Who Live
In Glass Houses...
Editor:
We thought your April Fool's issue
was really disgusting. In our opinion, it
wasn't worth the newsprint you wasted.
We even tried lining the bottom of the
bird cage with it, but the bird died as a
result of acute constipation. We consid
ered using the paper to wrap some fish,
but the paper smelled worse than the
fish. It's a wonder that your adviser
hasn't been deported to Europe for this
journalistic disgrace.
In an effort to help you raise the
standard of your publication to a level
fitting a Pennsylvania State University
publication, we are sending you, abso
lutely free and at no charge, our latest
copy of the state-acclaimed Schuylkill
Collegian. It would be to your best
interest to try to copy our paper as
closely as possible (Why not? You've
already tried to copy "Ask Aunt
Harriet").
We certainly hope you appreciate our
efforts and hard work at trying to
elevate the level of your paper. Best
wishes in continued success (or lack of).
The Board of Editors
The Schuylkill Collegian
P.S. No hard feelings about the bird, we
went out and bought a new one.
About Trout
Editor
Let's go fishing! Pennsylvania's trout
season opens this Saturday at 8:00 a.m.4
and plenty of trout have already been
stocked for those of you who like to take
to the streams. Resident fishing licenses
are $9.25, while non-resident cost $14.25.
They are available at most sporting
goods stores, including Pennsylvania
Outdoors in the business district of
beautiful, downtown Middletown. A
very productive local stream is Stony
Creek. To get there, take Route 322
West to the town of Dauphin. Turn right
on Route 225 North, which immediately
crosses Stony Creek. As soon as you
cross the bridge, hang another right.
This road parallels the creek for at least
eight miles, and there are ample parking
places all along it.
My Phillies are starting to get it into
gear and the Pirates will soon be
scuffling to the hold of their galleon with
their big guns deprimed. And watch
those Orioles fly high in the A.L. East,
while the Bronx Bombers ride deeper
and deeper into the subways of the Big
Apple. C.C. baseball is doing remarkably
well, but can't a schedule of their games
be published somewhere?
All of you country-rock fans out there
simply must go to see the group Abilene
at your first opportunity. I saw them last
weekend at Country Road and they were
excellent. In fact, Country Road is a good
place to go see any group (a $3.00 cover
but reasonably priced drinks and a nice
crowd).
I was glad to see the space shuttle
take off and land this week without too
many problems. It was a good way to
show the Ruskies and the rest of the
world that the United States is still in
the lead in at least some areas of
technology. I believe a peaceful display
of strength and power such as this shows
something worthwhile to the rest of the
world. It may even have a small part in
preventing some of the Irans, Afghan
istans, and Polands of the future.
I might as well take time now to
announce my candidacy for SGA Pres
ident. Since I lost by such a narrow
margin last year, my public relations
expert thinks I stand an excellent chance
this year. I plan on running a clean
campaign, and hope everyone else does
too. Details of my platform will come at a
later date, along with an appraisal of this
year's SGA.
Concerned
Until the next time I feel like writing,
I remain
P.S. Who does this Frank Nelk character
think he is anyway? He has no couth!
111 Editor's Note-The next issue of the
C.C. Reader will feature the Lions' 1981
baseball schedule.
E-Pitt-omy Of Indecision
From CH
The University of Pittsburgh Cam
pus Judicial Board recently convicted
three students there of assault after
they ran a classified ad in the student
newspaper that allegedly threatened
another student.
Each of the three students was put
on probation by the Campus Judicial
Board, a student court. One had actually
placed the ad, while another had allowed
his box number to be used in it. The
third helped put up a threatening poster.
The threats were focused on a female
student unknown to the defendants prior
to the incident, according to testimony in
the CJB hearing.
The University of Pittsburgh Stud
ent Code of Conduct defines assault as
any type of threat, intimidation, coer
cion, or use of physical force in a way
that endangers the health or safety of
another person. Under that definition,
both the classified ad and the poster
amounted to assault because they
threatened the female student.
One of the three convicted, Alan
Gladish, admitted taking out the classi
fied ad and putting up a poster that
threatened the woman as part of a
Halloween prank. Gladish denied char
ges that he also placed a circled copy of
the ad under the student's door and
made threatening phone calls.
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LEONARD WUMKE