Research grants available for undergraduate students
Mary Jane Thompson
Capital Times Staff
Undergraduates now have the
opportunity to receive grants of up to
$5OO to do research through the Penn
State Harrisburg Undergaduate Research
Program. Research will be done in
collaboration with a faculty member.
"There should be a meeting of the minds
Getting AIDS is no treat
By Mary Lee Schnable
Capital Times Staff
Free condoms and penny candy were
the "treats" given out at a recent seminar
in the Gallery Lounge, but according to
Dr. Tom Small, AIDS is playing the
"tricks" and all college-aged males are
the most likely targets.
Six percent of the American
population are affected with aids or the
HIV virus, Small said, and while
heterosexual cases of the disease were
rare until two years ago, now the fastest
growing group at risk are males between
18 and 25.
"People are blowing this off like it
doesn't matter," he said. "We should be
panicked."
A group of about 15 people gathered
for the Resident Life program "Tricks
and Treats" planned by Resident
Assistants Tara McKinstry and Gary
Kiernan. As though to validate the it
won't-happen-to-me attitude that many
people have about the disease, the final
minutes before the one o'clock starting
time were spent in a mad scramble to
round up at least a few people for the
speakers to address.
It is projected that within ten years the
death rate from AIDS will be higher than
from cancer, and the disease will have
already killed more people that the two
World Wars combined. All ethnic
groups and all cultures are susceptible to
the virus, and every country in the
world has at least one reported case.
According to Small, as of now the
only way to combat the disease is
through education, as scientists still do
not understand how the virus works, and
are no closer'to a cure now than when
AIDS first appeared.
Americans need to "practice the art of
reaching into the night stand, pulling
out the packet, and putting on the
** STUDENT NOMINEES WANTED **
COMMISSION ON RACIAL/ETHNIC DIVERSITY
Any full-time underaraduate, student is eligible for nomination
Final selections will be made by President Jordan.
All nominations must be made on the provided form. Forms may be
obtained by calling Ngoc-my Guidarelli 948-6070.
All nomination forms must be returned to 405 Old Main no later than
5:00 p.m. on October 30, 1989.
For more information about the Commission, contact Ann Shields,
Chair, at 814/863-0621 or Network: 8-433-0621.
FOR TWO ADDITIONAL POSITIONS ON THE
between the faculty member and the
student," said Howard Sachs, Associate
Dean for Research and Graduate Studies.
Since this is the first program of its
kind, the program has stirred up
excitement among the faculty.
"Such a good opportunity will
disappear if students don't take advantage
of it," declared Mehdi Khosrowpour,
Chairman and Assistant Professor of
prophylactic," Small said.
Part of the problem with AIDS
education, according to Small, is that
Americans like to keep sex in the closet,
even though one in six teenagers has
contracted a sexually transmitted disease,
and one in six high school females have
had four different sexual partners.
"Every time you make love to
someone," Small said, "you've had sex
with everybody they've had sex with." If
current trends continue by the year 2000
the average person will have had sex
with 30 percent of the population, from
an epidemiological perspective.
The candy, condoms and literature on
safer sex were from Barbara Nissley of
SCAAN, the South Central Aids
Assistance Network.
SCAAN runs support groups for
people affected with and by AIDS, and
also maintains a "bucket" of money to
provide financial help in some cases.
Another activity that has met with less
success is that of holding "Safer Sex
Nights" in local bars. Nissley said that
many owners, when contacted by
SCAAN, say that ",we don't want to
offend our customers."
"Only one bar will allow it--Spanky's
in Hummelstown," Nissley said, happy
to provide the plug.
Small said that AIDS is only number
four on the list at the National Institute
of Health, which is not even considered a
priority. Researchers don't want to study
it because its so frustrating--a foe they
can't conquer.
As long as no cure is in sight, men
need to put aside the notion that
condoms are somehow "unmanly." The
time to think about the problem is not
when you're in an emotionally charged
situation, but now, when you can decide
to form a "safer sex" habit.
"You can prevent AIDS in your life,"
Small said.
CAMPUS
Information Systems.
Khosrowpour has been a member of
the Capital College Research Council
for seven years.
"I'm a true believer in undergraduate
students," said Khosrowpour, "I've
worked with some of the most talented
undergraduates here."
Dr. William Mahar, Humanities
Division Head said, "Penn State
Harrisburg has a lot of confidence in the
abilities of the undergraduates."
Sachs said "M.I.T. has a similar
program. About one-third of the students
participate in M.l.T.'s program."
The faculty affirms the benefits will
be numerous for the students who take
part in the research program.
Khosrowpour said the program will be
beneficial to students' careers.
"Graduate schools will be more
interested in a student that participated in
a research program," Sachs.
Along with these benefits, students
may be eligible for academic credit. This
can be done by registering for a course
such as 496, Independent Study. It may
even be used to satisfy a senior project
for EET majors, states Jerry F. Shoup,
COME TO THE RESCUE
GIVE BLOOD !
The XGI Blood Drive is Monday October 30, from a.m. to 6 p.m
in the Gallery Lounge. The Hershey Medical Center Life' Lion will
make a special visit, too. This year's blood drive represents a
competition between Penn State Harrisburg and other local Penn
State campuses to see who will give the most blood.
October 25, 1989, CAPITAL TIMES
Chairman of the EET program.
Sachs encourages students from all
divisions to participate. "This program
is designed to be quite open," stated
Sachs.
"We're hoping to award ten or more
grants," Sachs said.
He added that he would like to see
more proposals than money available.
"This way, a division may become
excited enough about the program that
they may also contribute some money,"
Sach said, adding that the committee is
optimistic about the program.
Grant applications are available in
room W-203. Proposals should be
submitted by November 10,1989.
Help Wanted!!!
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