Capitol Friday, September 21, 1984
Vol. 19 No. 2
Imes
Provost hedges on gala cost
By Tony Perry
More than $17,000 was
spent on the events surroun
ding the provost installation
ceremonies last week, the
Capitol Times has learned
despite a refusal by Capitol
Campus administrators to
disclose complete budget
information.
Although Provost Ruth
Leventhal said the events,
held on the main lawn
September 10 and 11, were a
"good investment for
Capitol Campus," her office
Campus studies
Heights safety
By Neil Myers
At least seven 'potential
safety problems in Meade
Heights, including electrical
wiring, fire extinguishers and
gas appliances are currently
being studied by campus
officials.
James South, Director of
Student Affairs, said an in
vestigation into the areas was
begun following two fires at
935 A and 936 A Mars Drive
on Memorial Day.
South said there was
"some kind of puncture in
the container inside" one of
the fire extinguishers in those
houses that may have caus
ed it to fail on the night of
the fires.
Charles Aleksy, Super
visor of Safety and Police
Services for the campus, has
recommended that all of the
Heights extinguishers be
repalced with a multi
purpose type that has a
guage to show when it is
ready for use.
South said the University
also plans to look at ways of
improving smoke detector
inspection and ways to pre
vent student tampering with
those detectors. He did not
say that tampering was the
reason the detectors in the
affected houses failed to
sound.
A plan to replace old and
leaking gas> mains in the
Heights is• still being
negotiated with UGI, the
would not disclose the total
cost of the. events.
Although it is difficult to
tell the exact cost of the un
disclosed items, Associate
Provost Robert Graham said
"some university money was
spent" on the events.
Graham said. "tens of
thousand and even hundreds
of thousand dollars of good
will" have sustained the bulk
of the expense.
"The major costs were the
tent and the food," said
John H. Joseph, Assistant
Provost.
local natura_lf,as utility, ac
coraitilii Sbper
visor Frank Williams.
"We're looking at' a
deteriorating gas distribution
system," South said.
Dan Kistler, a spokesman
for UGI, said that several
major leaks were repaired
last winter and additional
work is under way this week
to correct smaller problems.
He said UGI does not own
the mains in Meade Heights
but is working as a contrac
tor for Penn State.
Williams said the upcom
ing project will cost about
$120,000, double the
estimate issued last year by
Bernard Resnick, Director of
Housing for the entire
University. Student Affairs'
South said the work could
begin next summer.
Other repairs being con
sidered include a change in
the method of grounding the
electrical system in each
Meade Heights unit, South
said.
Also being considered, ac
cording to South, is the
replacement of obsolete 65
amp. circuit breakers in each
apartment with 100 amp.
services. Fire hydrant
flushing, tree trimming near
wires and gas stove inspec
tions are other possibilities,
he added.
South said a decision on
the recommendations will be
made by Monday.
A spokesperson from
York Tent Company in
York, Pennsylvania said
large green and yellow tent
was rented for $3,395 but
would not say whether or not
the college was giving a dis
count due to the size of the
order. Joseph said the
smaller tents cost the univer
sity $875, bringing the total
tent costs to $4,270.
He added that the picnic
cost an estimated $5 per per
son and that although up to
800 people were expected to
attend, 1,400 people were
served. In addition to the
$7,000 spent on food for the
picnic, the reception held
after the installation
ceremony cost $7.50 per per
son, Joseph said, and 600
people attended. That means
a total of $11,500 was spent
on food, not inclusive of the
coil of Vvorker' hotirt for
Food Services, which catered
both events.
Of the 15,000 invitations
that were sent out for the in
stallation, 10,000 were
"postcard" invitations
which were cheaper to print
than the folded invitations,
Joseph said. He said $1,278
was spent on printing for the
installation invitations and
ari additional $334 was spent
on printing 3,000 invitations
to the picnic.
This leaves a total of
$1,612 for printing costs, but
does not account for postage
for the mailing.
Leventhal said most of the
funds spent on the events
came from "gift money,"
and that a number of things
were done to keep the cost of
the events down to a
minimum. The landscaping
around the large tent, for ex
ample, used only potted
plants, which were used
around the campus after the
ceremonies. Food services
used disposable dishes and
cups on both days, thereby
cutting down on the worker
hours required to clean up
after ceremony.
"The original proposal for
lighting was high," Leven
thal -said. "We got them
down by 2/3," she said. In
addition, all of the talent at
the picnic was donated, she
added.
S.G.A. election
set next week
By Michelle Lackey
It's election time again.
The Student Government
Association is screening 12
enthusiastic Juniors all this
week for the position of
Junior Senator.
Running for Junior Sen
ator is quite easy, but the job
responsibilities are deman
ding, according to Jackie
Greytak, election committee
chairperson. The criteria in
running for Junior Senator
are: the student must be full
time (eight or more credits),
be in their Junior year, and
obtain a grade point average
of 2.0 or higher.
"We need enthusiastic
people who want to get a
point across to the students
on campus," Greytak said.
She added that she feels this
year's Junior Senator can
didates fill that need.
The 12 running Junior
candidates are: Lod
Morgan, John Shaw, Ivla - tci
Cryts, Keith Garrison, Carl
Wunderler, Terri McKnight,
Carolyn McGinty, Patrice
Blut, Mike Turk, Christina
Zeltri, Jim Sharbaugh and
Richard Carpenter.
"Increasing interaction
and awareness between
students living on campus
and commuters, and making
" Photo by Tony Perry
Dr. Leventhal and faculty wait for food at Provost's picnk.
the students more aware of
the happenings on campus,"
said Greytak, are what the
majority of candidates
would improve upon.
Greytak, who also func
tions in S.G.A. as a Senior
Senator-at-Large, said there
is one open position for a
Senior Senator-at-Large in
addition to the Junior
positions.
Keith Garrison, a Junior
candidate and Business Ad
ministration Management
major from Bloomsburg
State, feels the biggest issue
needing improvement is that
students don't have direct
control of the funds for
student-related activities.
"Every dollar should be
collected and administered
by the students," Garrison
noted.
Four Junior Senators will
be elected to represent each
division. Elections will be
held from 9 a.m. until 8 p.m.
in the main lobby and in the
dining hall during dinner on
Wednesday, September 26
and Thursday September 27.
This issue of the Capitol
Times was delayed due to
mechanical problems at the
printer.