Dear Editor,
This letter is in response to the
elevator story printed in the April 4th
edition of the Capital Times. There are a
few things that I feel should be addressed
regarding this incident. The article made
it seem as if I had disobeyed orders to
not enter the penthouse area. In
actuality, I was never "denied access" to
this area. I was with a group of firemen
on the basement floor when a call came
over the radio that the electrical room for
the elevator had been located:l informed,
who I believed was the fire chief, that I
was familiar with some of the electrical
aspects of an elevator, and I could
probably manually open the doors if I
could get to the electrical room. He then
sent me upstairs to give it a try.
Contrary to what the officials later
believed, I placed myself in minimal
physical danger. To manipulate the high
voltage electrical relays for the elevator,
I used a wooden broom handle, an
excellent electrical insulator. I was well
aware of the hazards of such a situation,
and I took appropriate precautions.
The final issue that I wish to address
is the controversy regarding the missing
emergency key. I'm not going to make
any particular accusations, but think
about it. Is a vandal going to go to all
the trouble of unscrewing the cover for
the key box, remove the key, and screw
the cover back on? I doubt it. What
possible use would he have for this key?
I feel further investigation should take
place in this situation. The 12 people
that were in the elevator were very lucky
that there was no real emergency, such
as a fire, that would have left them
helpless. The availability of that key
Bob Caton
Capital Times Staff
It was a dark and stormy night...l
wanted to watch a little TV. But,
unfortunately for me, I was no longer in
a world where cable TV made sense!
Yes, I live in the 9th circle of cable hell,
for I am hooked up to Sammons
Communications!
We are all at the collective mercies of
WPMT and Sammons when it comes to
what we are "permitted" to watch, thanks
to the "Syndex" law that our illustrious,
anally retentive, legislators have seen fit
to thrust upon us during a break in one
of their frequent gin and hooker fests.
In theory, Syndex sounds like a good
idea because it protects small,
independent TV stations from being
stomped into dust by "superstations"
like WPIX in New York and WTXF in
Philly. A station like WPMT would pay
a lot of money for the syndication rights
to, for example, "Family Ties". Because
the bigger stations broadcast in the area,
nobody would watch the show on
WPMT. WPMT would be unable to sell
enough commercials to pay the bills,
and would therefore crash to eat* like an
Air Jamaica jet.
No big loss, as far as I'm concerned.
WPMT has all the programming quality
would have freed the trapped individuals
in seconds as opposed to half an hour.
Steve Swanson
Mechanical Engineering Technology
Dear Editor,
In response to "Penn State Proud," an
editorial which appeared in the March 21
Times, I agree with Michele Shannon
that the publication should have been
edited and proofread much more closely.
I'm not sure I found it "appalling"
and "embarrassing," however.
Furthermore, I wonder if Michele
Shannon volunteered any of her time to
assist in the editing and proofreading of
the paper, or if her involvement was
limited to the criticisms in her letter--?
As an Editor-in-Chief 4 years ago at
the Hazleton campus newspaper (5 and 6
years ago at the Middletown High
School newspaper), Michele, I speak
from experience: the demands on a
newspaper editorial staff are
extraordinary; the deadlines come all too
soon for glossy professionalism; and the
staff often dwindles down geometrically
after a few short weeks to a "faithful
few" who ultimately run the show.
John and Vicki, let's not waste our
valuable time with complaints without
substance. I support that if a critic is
genuinely concerned with respect to the
quality of the finished product, she or he
will become a part of its process.
Cordially,
Daniel Kane
WHAT ON EARTH IS
GOING ON
What on Earth is going on The
Nittany Lion in the lobby has undergone
some reconstruction. For our beloved
Earth Week, someone painted it black
with yellow eyes. It now resembles the
Straight Talk
and innovation of TV Marti. "Gilligan's
Island" reruns would bring more class to
that station.
Anyway, WPMT demands that
Sammons block out competing
programming, no matter when it is
scheduled, and Sammons happily
replaces the stuff with the Sammons
Propaganda Channel--which sends out
subliminal messages to buy premium
cable channels. Seriously, if one listens
hard enough, the words "You NEED the
travel channel!" or "Your life is
incomplete without the weather
channel!" can be heard through the
stirring strains of the Living Strings'
version of "Inna-Gadda-Da-Vida."
As a result, we are all doomed to
become devotees of "Love Connection"
and "The Voice Of Freedom" thanks to
Sammons' obliteration of "Cheers" and
"Arsenio" every night. Who benefits?
Sammons. We still have to pay our
exhorbitant cable bills, funding tequila
binges at Sammons main office--for less
TV.
I won't even discuss the fact that
Sammons is stalling Sports Channel
until the NHL playoffs are over, seeing
as how the NHL coverage is the ONLY
OP-ED
hated panther. Why don't we just call
ourselves Pitt-Harrisburg? Or maybe
the Penn State-Harrisburg Panthers? We
traded our mascot, which represents the
Penn State University, so that we looked
good for the Earth Week demonstration.
That must have seemed like a good trade
off to somebody.
What on Earth is going 0n... Have
you heard some of the announcers on
ESPN's baseball telecasts? I'm not sure
they auditioned some of these
commentators. A couple of them might
have studied at the Ralph Kiner school
of sports announcing. My favorite color
commentator is Bill Robinson. If he is
allowed back in the booth, and if you're
in the mood for some laughs, by all
means please give the broadcast a look.
What on Earth is going on ... In the
Capital Times' last issue, someone
wrote about the terrible state that
baseball is in, and how baseball players
are terrible role models for our children.
Now, I agree there are some players who
make big mistakes. Show me someone
who doesn't make mistakes and I'll show
you a liar. The guy who wrote this
article obviously dosn't know the game
of baseball. The number of good
players, who give to charity and are
super role models, far outnumber the
players who make mistakes. In addition,
this guy doesn't know how to go to a
sporting event in general. Before you go
to a Phils' game, you eat and drink
(plenty) before you go into Veterans'
Stadium. Then you talk to scalpers who
are willing to give you good seats . If
the guy in the article had been a true
Phils' fan or baseball fan or sports fan,
he would have known what to do to
enjoy a sporting event such as a Phils'
game. The only thing I am certain of, is
thing worth watching on SC. I
personally can go without "Tibetan Yak
Racing" or "Distance Spitting from
Trump Plaza."
I know what you are
thinking..." What can WE do? Raise a
people's revolutionary force, storm the
gates of Sammons, and give the
executives lye enemas while forcing
them to watch tapes of Pia Zadora as
Lady Macbeth?"
A good idea actually, but Movie
Merchants destroyed its only copy of
Pia's Macbeth in the interest of
humanity.
A better idea? Put a cheery little note
in with your next extortion payment to
Sammons, letting them know that you
are sick of Syndex. Then write your
local legislators, telling them that
Syndex and Sammons really pull the
bell tower rope, and getting rid of
Syndex would most decidely be in their
best interests. Boycott WPMT
advertisers and let them know that you're
doing it. Soon the TV will not be
spewing anything more than its usual
trash.
Sounds like a mondo bitchin'
summer project to me!
5 CAPITAL TIMES, May 2, 1990
that the person who did write that article
shouldn't be a role model for anyone this
side of a Hider youth rally.
He should also try to write opinions
about things he actually has some
minute knowledge about.
Unfortunately, baseball doesn't fall into
that category for him. He should
probably try a topic like Star Trek.
What on Earth is going 0n... PSH
played the role of hypocrite quite well
this past week. We had our tropical rain
forest display, we had our trees planted,
and we had plenty of pamphlets. But,
before Earth Week, PSH had not
practiced any recycling. I was told that
PSH will start to recycle only because of
a mandate handed down from some
environmental board. It is a great idea,
but why didn't we start recycling before
Earth Week. I also believe many of
those people wearing those lovely Earth
Week t-shirts don't practice recycling.
But they look great in those t-shirts.
What on Earth is going 0n...
Somebody throws some junk, garbage,
trash and leftovers into the back of the
Olmstead building and they call it a
sculpture garden. If this is true, what is
Fred Sanford's front yard--a *@itAing
museum. We sure hope that our
valuable tuition dollars are not going
towards the garden. We could get
materials for it from any one of a
thousand trash and Salvation Army bins.
We want our tuition money to go
towards quality items, like the electrical
board across from the Lion's Den
checkout. The board is an example of a
vital item that we need to grow and
expand Penn State Harrisburg as an
institution of learning. Maybe next we
can get a beautiful fountain installed into
the lobby.
Skippy, B.Bobby Brown &Friends
By the way... Earth Day hoopla may
be over, but don't forget what it's all
about. Rallies and concerts are nice, but
changing things starts with YOU!
Until next time...
STUDENT
INTERNSHIP
OPPORTUNITIES
Pennsylvania Higher Education
Assistance Agency is offering summer
internship opportunities for students
residing in Dauphin, Cumberland, and
Perry counties, who are receiving State
Grant Aid from PHEAA. and who are
enrolled in two or four-year
postsecondary institutions.
Students who are interested should
contact the Urban League of
Metropolitan Harrisburg, 25 North Front
Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101 (717-234-
5925).