PENNSTATE PPM Harrisburg 18 5 5 CAPITAL TIMES February - 19, 1990 Shroeder Stresses Getting Family Foundation Back By Christopher Burns Capital Times Staff "We have to help the families in this country increase education, take control of the budget and get back on the right side of human rights," said Congresswoman Pat Schroeder. Schroeder, a Colorado Representive, was the final lecturer for" the 1989-90 Penn State at Harrisburg lecture series on Feb. 4. Schroeder emphasized the need for some simple changes for our country in the 90's. "The Family is the basic foundation on which our society is built, and it is crumbling," Schroeder said. "If we don't get the foundation back in place we're going to be in big rouble." Schroeder proposes. that congress restructure the tax laws to help keep the family a growing institution in America. "We are heavily over-taxing our families," says Schroeder. 'People who raise thoroughbred animals get better tax breaks than people who raise a family." Divorced couples also get a tax break, while couples who work to raise a family fork out their paychecks to Uncle Sam. The new tax laws would create an incentive for couples to have a family and turn around the backward system we now have. Education is another problem that Schroeder has plans to work on. "We need more education not less," Schroeder said. "Three months off in the summer to bring in the crops just doesn't fit anymore." Schroeder plans to introduce a year Bill Proposes Instructors Speak Fluent English By Sharon Purcell Capital Times Staff Capital College students and administrators welcomed a proposed state law that aims to address student complaints that foreign-born instructors often cannot speak English well enough to teach effectively. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Vincent Fumo (D-Phil.), would require that colleges and universities evaluate all instructors for English fluency. Capital College administrators say the college already follows procedures to assure that teachers speak English effectively. But students interviewed recently continued to complain about their instructors' language ability. The bill, which legislators' aides say Pennsylvania State University at Harrisburg round school plan that will give kids a better education and consequently a better chance to compete in the world. "We should take a look at what other countries are doing for the children," Schroeder remarked. "Other countries spend their tax money on the children, not defense." Schroeder commented on President Bush's plan to cut the number of troops in Europe. "The President is on the right track, but why stop at 195,000? Why not have a total troop withdrawal with a 1000 km neutral zone from the borders? This would make it very difficult for any new leader in the Soviet Union to move troops back in once they are gone," according to Schroeder. The money saved by this troop withdrawal would then go towards funding new education programs and help bring the deficit under control. Schroeder- let it be known that making up to China after what happen in Beijing last May will be a step backwards for human rights. "We've seen so much change in the world in the last four months for human rights that it's time for China to come around and make changes too," remarked Schroeder. Since being elected to Congress in 1972, Schoeder has been at the forefront of the progressive movement in the Democratic party— taking leadership stances on critical issues of foreign and military policy, arms control and disarmament, work and family issues, women's economic equality, education opportunity, and civil and constitutional rights. has a good chance of passage this session, has won praise from administrators, students and faculty. Fumo introduced the bill because many students, particularly those in science, engineering and mathematics departments, complained to their legislators that they could not understand foreign-born instructors, said Jerry Sabol, Fumo's senior budget analyst. Students complained that they had either flunked classes because of the instructors' inability to speak fluent English or were forced to work twice as hard to pass the course, Sabol said. "This places an added burden on the student," Sabol said. Under the law, state colleges and universities would evaluate their full and part-time faculty for language PSH L By Pr Dr. Ruth Leventhal Judy Pugliese Capital Times Staff Hopes that Penn State Harrisburg's long-awaited new library would be funded this year appear to have gone up in the smoke of the Camp Hill prison riots. Penn State Harrisburg's $l5 million library learning center is currently second on the university's list of building priorities, said Ruth Leventhal, provost. Marvin Bentley, head of the college's library committee, said that he had expected the library to be funded this year. But Leventhal said that after the prison's facility, using such methods as interviews, peer and student observations and evaluations, publications, professional presentations, tests or other methods. Ruth Leventhal, Penn State Harrisburg's provost and dean, called the legislation "appropriate." She emphasized, however, that the testing should be used to screen for actual fluency, not just for foreign accents. "Some South Central Pennsylvanians think a Boston accent is a foreign accent," Leventhal said. "You can get used to an accent, but if someone doesn't know the right words to use, that's a problem." Students interviewed supported the bill as a way to solve a problem of ineffective communications that still briaray Delayed son A near destruction she is worried that "the usual capital budget list will get ignored completely" and funding for construction of the library will be delayed. She did not say how long the delay might be. "...the usual capital budget list will get ignored completely" urrent state funds for capital construction--$l4O million-- must cover construction of new buildings for the state colleges, Penn State University, University of Pittsburgh, Temple University and government buildings-- including Camp Hill State Correctional Facility. Faced with doubts about state money for the library, Bentley's committee is examinging ways to raise the funds locally. The committee is considering sponsoring a library fundraiser as part of Penn State Harrisburg's 25th anniversary celebrations and forming a "Friends of the Library Committee." Further complicating the issue is the forthcoming change in administration at University Park. Bryce Jordan, the current provost, supports the need for a new facility but he is leaving the university as of July, 1990. With a new provost, Penn State Harrisburg's admininstration "may find it exists One senior information systems major, who asked not to be named, said, "I ended up getting ony a 'C' in a course because of not being able to understand an instructor." Bill Bernhart, a senior majoring in mechanical engineering technology, said he currently takes a class with a foreign professor whom he has difficulty understanding. "It's not just me," Bernhart said. "A lot of students complain that his accent is really bad." Jon St. Pierre, a senior majoring in engineering technology, said understanding some foreign-born professors is a problem. "Sometimes it's hard to figure out more bill on 2 Vol. 24 No. 7 , Dr. Ruth Leventhal more library on 2
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