Pennsylvania State University at Capitol Campus
111 4:31
Volume 16, No. 2
SGA Merr -Go-R
The
By Gary Pellett
The Student Government
Association has definitely been active
this week--in fact, it has established a
new precedent for student organizations
in getting money for parties not origi
nally budgeted for. Unfortunately, the
S.G.A. seems to be treating some clubs
more fairly than others.
The focus of the issue was the
Groundhog Day party in the Student
Center on Feb. 2, and the beneficiary of
the precedent was the Meade Heights
Board of Governors. In effect, the S.G.A.
agreed to guarantee to make up the
difference if MHBOG lost money on the
Inside Information
Senator Hymie Quanatnepratz offers
his comments on the Finance Committee
and other SGA-related topics in his
column on page four.
Buildin • A Buildin
Phonathon Exceeds Goal
By Mike Breslin
More than 5,000 Capitol Camnus
alumni have been receiving phone calls
since February 8, when the Capitol
Campus Alumni Society began its second
annual alumni phonathon. This year's
phonathon is being conducted to raise
funds for a number of vital projects on
campus, including the proposed science
and technology laboratory building.
The University's Board of Trustees
recently named an architect for the
CALL-EGE FUND-RAlSER—Sherry Janis and Mike Breslin of the Campus
Relations Office helped kick off the second annual alumni phonathon last Monday
evening. The phonathon has already raised $14,761, thus surpassing last year's
total of nearly $9,000. The event will continue for three more evenings.
"All the news that fits we print"
Rich Get Richer
dance. However, the way this guarantee
came about left a lot to be desired.
To begin with, the S.G.A. feels
responsible only for money that they
have promised each student organization
at the beginning of the year. However,
they do keep a slush fund to cover
unforeseen expenses, which is usually
saved until Spring Term. The S.G.A.
expects all student organizations to
make some attempt to augment their
own budgets. Then, if the group still
needs more money, it is to approach the
S.G.A., who listens to the case and
considers it along with the recommen
dations of the Finance Committee. Since
the Finance Committee must treat the
S.G.A.'s budget like a business, its
recommendations are often cautious.
Consequently, those recommendations
do not sit well with many S.G.A.
members.
On Monday, February 1, the Meade
Heights Board of Governors appeared
before the Student Government, urging
that they be given the money to pay for
the next night's party. They had told this
to the S.G.A. the week before, so the
Finance Committee had had time to
decide on a recommendation. Conflicting
science and technology building at Cap
itol. Designated by the University's
Academic Master Plan as a priority need
at Capitol, the facility will alleviate
overcrowding that occurs now in the
campus laboratories due to growing
enrollments in the science, engineering,
and technology programs. The structure
also will allow for the development of
new science and technology courses
requiring laboratory study and will
make lab space available for important
faculty and student research.
Other projects to which alumni can
contribute are The Richard H. Heindel
Library, which needs periodical shelv-
READER Photo By Darrell Reider
reports claim that this recommendation
was made only minutes before the
S.G.A. meeting, and without the votes of
all of the Finance Committee members.
The recommendation was to not give the
MHBOG the $656 it requested.
Speaking for the Finance Committee,
Treasurer Karen Kurek said, "The
Meade Heights Board of Governors has
over $3,600 in its accounts ... This party
was not included in its original bud
get . . . They have not attempted to raise
money like a lot of other clubs have. . . so
we feel that they can afford to pay for
this party with the money they already
have . .. This would be an unnecessary
allocation for the Student Government."
The Meade Heights Board of Gov
ernors countered that all of its money
was allocated to the upcoming "Rites of
Spring" festival. They had the money
they needed for paying for the dance,
but they couldn't risk any of it in case
they later could not pay off a contract.
They pointed out that MHBOG does not
believe in making any money on events,
and as a service to the students they
were throwing the Groundhog Day
party. They were adamant that no dollar
could be risked, because they wanted to
ing, signs, display cases, and an audio
cassette listening-learning facility; a
student activities pavilion; a campus
wide walkway system; and student loan
and scholarship funds. The Alumni So
ciety Board of Directors selected these
projects as phonathon goals from a
listing of projects submitted by stu
dents, faculty, staff, and administration
at Capitol Campus.
Fourteen phones have been set up in
the Campus Relations Office for the
event, and student volunteers and mem
bers of the Penn State Capitol Campus
Alumni Society are making their calls
between 6:30 and 9:45 p.m. Monday
through Thursday during the two-week
phonathon.
Capitol Campus conducted its first
phonathon in 1981 to raise funds for A
new campus entrance sign on Route 230.
That campaign attempted to reach
alumni residing in Dauphin and contig
uous counties.
"Because of the success of last year's
phonathon, which raised close to $9,000,
we were encouraged to expand our
effort. This year, we will attempt to
reach all of Capitol's graduates," said
Mr. William Forrey, president of Capi
tol's Alumni Society.
"Students have again responded to
our request for volunteers for this
important fund-raising effort, and we
hope that the alumni, in turn, will
respond when asked to pledge their
support for the phonathon goals," he
said.
Students participating in the fund
raising effort are competing for cash
prizes that will be awarded to the three
student groups and to the three individ
uals who have the highest pledge totals.
All student callers receive T-shirts and
refreshments, and each will be awarded
a free five-minute phone call to any
where in the continental United States
for each full evening of participation in
the event.
18 February 1982
be sure that they had the money to back
up the band contracts they wanted to
sign. They said that, in effect, they had
no money left at all, because all of it was
already allocated.
The S.G.A. suggested that the
MHBOG hold the party, and then come
back to them if they lost any money. But,
the MHBOG was insistent that they get
at least a guarantee of breaking even
now, not believing that the S.G.A. would
indeed give them money later. At this
point, off-the-track personal remarks
were made by a senator against the
treasurer, and the whole debate ap
peared to take on a political power clash.
The final S.G.A. decision was to
guarantee in advance that they would
make up all of MHBOG's losses on the
party, for as one senator remarked,
"MHBOG does more than anyone else
does anyway, so they deserve it."
So there is the precedent. The S.G.A.
changed its policy about paying for
unscheduled events, though only for
high clout student organizations. When
the Resident Student Council asked for
far less money to buy intra-dorm football
trophies earlier this year, S.G.A. turned
them down. Thus, a social structure of
student clubs seems to have been de
fined.
Other problems surrounding this
issue occur within both groups. First, do
the individual S.G.A. members realize
what they have done? This reporter's
impression was that the vote was more
emotionally than logically made. If they
are going to be so easy to sell, they could
end up giving away all of the S.G.A.
emergency fund before they realize that
it's gone. They seem to forget that the
S.G.A. only gets money once a year, and
...continued on Page 4
A Point
Of taw
What can you do to get back your
security deposit from an unscrupulous
landlord? When lovers buy furniture or
a stereo together and then break up,
who owns what? What are your chances
if you contest a traffic ticket in court?
These and other legal questions of
interest to students will be discussed in
upcoming issues of the C.C. Reader in a
column called "A Point of Law".
The column will be written by Char
les Petrie, a Harrisburg attorney who
has taught business law at Capitol
Campus.
Anyone with a legal question of a
general nature may send that question
to "Point • of Law," c/o C.C. Reader,
W-129. Mr. Petrie regrets that he will
be unable to give specific individual
advice without a personal consultation