News
Trustees propose
coal conversion
at Capitol
Faced with rising energy costs and the inevitable cold of winter,
Penn State Trustees have taken action in the installation of a
medium-sized coal fired boiler at Capitol.
The trustees approved sketch plans for the boiler which will com
plete the conversion from gas and oil-fired to coal facilities on
campus.
- Of the three boilers in the heat plant, two boilers were previously
converted from oil and gas to coal in the 1960'5," said Joseph Kemp,
Manager of Maintenance and Utilities Operations.
Kemp also pointed out that previous conversions helped during the
energy troubled times of the early 1970's by making the need for
heating oil less of a priority on this campus than at other facilities.
Along with the oil-to-coal conversion, this campus will abandon
one-half mile of distribution lines that carry heat from the , power
plant to the residence halls. The current process of conveying the
heat underground leads to an excessive amount of heat loss.
The conversion process is pending. Preliminary plans will be sub
mitted by next January for final board approval. Project cost is
estimated at $l.l million following a feasibility study by an architect
The study included an analysis of cost for the conversion.
The University will receive funding from the state Department of
General Services.
MI,
Photo: h b Kim Guzzi
Smokers butt out but just for a day
By Kim Guzzi
Smoke-out Day, held on
November 18, was a national
event—and a local success. Of
the students, faculty, and staff
sampled on campus who smoke
cigarettes, over one-third quit
smoking for the smoke-out day.
One-quarter of those who quit
smoking for the day also quit
smoking the day after.
Pi Sigma Chi helped to make
the day a success along with
the co-ordinated efforts of Food
Services. Throughout the day,
members of Pi Sigma Chi can
vassed the Lion's Den and other
student and faculty areas.
The Pi Sigs asked smokers
for a few unused cigarettes and
urged them to stop smoking for
the day.
The Lion's Den sponsored a
"Cold Turkey Special" which
allowed a twenty-cent discount
on a turkey sandwich in ex
change for a few cigarettes.
The Dining Hall held a similar
promotion by exchanging candy
and lollipops for cigarettes.
At 3:00 p.m. a "mock
funeral" was held for the col
lected cigarettes. Starting at
the Lion in the lobby of the
Olmsted Building, a procession
was led by the Capitol Campus
Nittany lion, who held the
"coffin" filled with cigarettes,
and Christine Aversa, the
"drummer girl" for the
ceremony who banged a slow,
solemn beat. A line of students
followed the two leaders to the
"grave site"—a huge dumpster
located in the rear of the
Olmsted Building. At this site, a
proclamation declaring the
"ills" of smoking was read by
the lion. The coffin was then put
to rest.
During the day, students,
faculty, and staff had the oppor
tunity to measure the amount of
carbon monoxide in their lungs.
Susan Snell Austin, represen
tative for the Central Penn
sylvania Lung Association,
measured breath with an
ecoloyzer machine. Many
students were surprised to find
that, even though they do not
smoke, their lungs show traces
of carbon monoxide.
The National Smoke-out Day
has been an annual event for
the past six years, always being
held on the Thursday before
Thanksgiving, according to
Patricia Minsker, Field
Representative for the Dauphin
County Unit of the American
Cancer Society.
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