Page 4 Thursday, February 28, 1985 The Capitol Times Campus Forum A message to the campus community from Neil Myers, Associate Editor Lots of folks stop me in the halls and ask why the Capitol Times doesn't print more sports, or more club news, or more literary news, or more people features, or more in vestigative stories, or more whatever. Actually, I'd like to know myself. The fact is, we don't have enough experienced people. Now, why that is, I'm not sure. I suspect it has something to do with the two-year nature of the campus, the fact that lots of people commute, and the fluc tuating strength of the jour nalism program here. But whatever the reason, we are somewhat understaffed, under-equipped and under-experienced. Actually, that's not quite true. It would be more accurate to say we are moderately under equipped, disturbingly under staffed in a few key areas, and grossly under-experienced. Some of us are trying hard to swim against the current. We spend most of our waking hours at the newspaper (and some of our sleeping ones, too). We exist on pizza and nachos, and our friends call us strangers. We are the remnants of the old guard, left over from bet ter times. And then there are the new recruits, many of whom are ex periencing journalism or adver tising work for the first time. They are working hard, putting in long hours, and learning. Capitol Times Thursday, February 28, 1985 Vol. 19, No. 10 Published by students of Penn State's Capitol Campus, Middletown, PA 17057 The Capitol Times welcomes letters from readers. Letters intended for publication must be signed by the author and indicate his/her club or organizational affiliation, if any. The Capitol Times reserves the right to edit or reject letters at its discretion. Letters published do not necessarily reflect the views of this newspaper or its staff. We're proud of their efforts, which are definitely improving. If things seem tough, guys (and gals), hang in there; you're cat ching on. There is one cold hard fact that we all need to face: You don't acquire experience over night. It's going to take time to learn how to write, to interview, to sell ads, to compose and lay out a newspaper. Those of us on the editorial board are keen ly aware of our shortcomings, but the reality of the situation is that things will get better with time. This semester, through nobody's fault, all of us on the editorial board have obligations that mean we can affford to devote much less time to the Capitol Times. Some of us have done the realistic thing and ac cepted the situation; others con tinue to defy logic and hang around more than we should. This semester, the Capitol Times will serve as a learning experience for the up-and coming staff that will take over the reins next fall. With this issue, we have in itiated another one of our fre quent upper-echelon shuffles in an effort to make things a little easier on ourselves. 1 have assumed the title of Associate Editor, and am currently enter taining wild fantasies of actual ly doing homework and making up my two deferred grades from last semester. Don Strausburger will remain as Managing Editor, but will do more managing. Jan Shatzer has come aboard as Assistant Business Manager, with hopes of controlling Our vast cash em pire on her own next fall. As the semester progresses, VIOAR I . VD LIKE To HUG litAT Urfa TWO! ********* we'll be making additional changes to make sure the Times has a solid core of leaders in the fall of 'B5. I'm confident that by using this semester as a learning ex perience rather than an exercise in perfection, we can make the Capitol Times a newspaper that will be both fun to work for and interesting to read. So if this semester's Times isn't quite what you would like, be patient. The experience our staff gets now will make for a better product in the long run. And to all of my professors, especially Dr. Graham, I thank you for your patience. I hope we'll be seeing more of each other the rest of this semester. Of course, I'll still be glad to hear all of your views on our ef forts. I just thought you ought to hear mine. Letters to the Editor: Dear Dr. Leventhal I have learned that I will not be able to graduate in May because I must earn an addi tional THREE credits during the summer. Because of THREE credits, I will not be able to walk with my classmates in the May ceremony. This means that if I wish to par ticipate in any ceremony, I must do so NEXT January. I am terribly dismayed at this policy. It is both intolerant and inflexible. By next January, I hope to have completed one term of graduate school. I will not feel like celebrating my "graduation" with a ceremony that should have occurred over eight months before. Certainly, non-participation is my choice. However, I now know that there is a FEE which I must pay if I wish to have my diploma CI WY! SET YOU COULD HUG Oete OPE A MAK! ?AM , M *\* WNDR is ready to grow By Don Strausburger Capitol Campus has approx imately 35 organizations work ing under the wings of Student Government. For most clubs, groundwork for the entire year is laid early in the Fall Semester. Student leaders roughly design ideas for the year's projects and coast through the year following the master plans. For many clubs, a change in leadership results in no change in the scheduling of club events or, occasionally, the downfall of the organization. Right now, though, one organization is making a serious effort to take last semester's groundwork and build on it. I'm talking about WNDR! mailed to me. A FEE? Haven't I ( and countless other students) paid this institution enough without these endless auxilliary fees? The purpose of this letter is more or less the equivalent of a primal scream room. Ater two years I've had it with the inane bureaucracy which shrouds Penn State. I realize policies are not changed on the whims of students. However, I do hope that the newness of your post will provide you with somewhat of a different perspective. Yours truly, Catherine Madigan Editor's note: Ms. Madigan reports that the administration has made an effort tovolve her problem since she sliprnitied this letter, but:that tlUissue re mains unresolved."' College Press ServK That's right! The school radio station experienced a change in management in Oc tober, 1984 and because of member interest refused to roll over and die. Through the efforts of several people, the excessive number of contacts barely kept by the one person who ran the station for the previous 18 months are being easily handl ed. Important contacts with faculty and administration have been renewed and the station's management and staff are working hard to give the station the vitality for which it has long strived. As the former program direc tor and now creative consultant of the station, I only hope the administration will look toward the station with respect and at tempt to reopen the necessary channels for the continued im provement of the station. WNDR has a long way to go both technically and musically. However with Jerry Slezak, the new station manager, Steve Roberts, the music director and Program Director Brian Con roy, the mountain can be climb ed, rather quickly. From a musical standpoint, every student at Capitol can help. Select members of the WNDR on-air staff will be con ducting a person►-to-person survey to find out exactly what you want to hear. If one of the school disc jockeys approaches you with some questions, take a few minutes and let him/her know your feelings about the station. Don't let yourself be another of ,the reasons that • WNDR joins a growing list of clubs understaffed due to campus Apathy.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers