4/psh news
Soviet tour planned
during spring break
Hilary Zeiders
Capital Times Staff
While most students plan spring break
vacations to sun-drenched beaches, Penn
State Harrisburg students can spend their
break becoming culturally enriched.
Penn State Harrisburg is offering an
opportunity for students to visit the
Soviet Union from March 6-19,1992.
Led by Carol Nechemias, associate
professor of public policy, the program
will feature visits to the Soviet cities of
St. Petersburg, Yaroslavl and Moscow.
"Scheduled in the tour are a number of
meetings that are not typical tourist
events," Nechemias said. "There is a
diversity of different things to do."
Highlights of the tour include
discussions, with educators, politicians,
journalists, health professionals, students
and businesspersons.
The four-day program in St. Petersburg
will feature a comprehensive city tour,
visits to the Hermitage Museum, Russian
Museum, an excursion to the town of
Puskin and a concert performance.
An overnight train trip from St.
Petersburg to Yaroslavl has been arranged
on the evening of March 11. In Yaroslavl
the group will visit a wedding palace,
health clinic and a monastery.
While in the city, the group will be
hosted by members of the Yaroslavl
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Friendship Society. The group strives to
promote better understanding between
Americans and local citizens.
"This is a new element in our
program," Nechemias said. "The homestay
allows each individual to live with a
family for three or four nights."
A four-day tour of Moscow will end
the program. Scheduled events include
visits to the Kremlin, Armoury, Red
Square, Novodevichy Convent and
Cemetery, and the Museum of Applied and
Folk Art.
In association with the tour of the
Soviet Union, Nechemias will be teaching
a course to familiarize its participants with
the society and culture of the country.
"It will give an organized approach,”
Nechemias said. "I want them to learn
something about the cities, architecture
and life."
The program has been coordinated by
the Citizen Exchange Council, a leader in
U.S.-Soviet exchanges. An experienced,
Russian-speaking representative from
CEC will accompany the group to
translate and facilitate personal contacts.
The estimated cost of this all-expense
paid trip from New York is $1975 per
person. The program is open to all
students and members of the community.
There is no application process or
language requirement.
Jack Benford, an employee at Penn State Harrisburg and veteran of World
War II and Korea, receives colors from a member of the honor guard from VFW
Post 8638. The presentation was part of Penn State Harrisburg's Veterans
Day ceremony on Nov. 8 in the Vartan Plaza. A P.O.W. flag was presented to
Gentle Floyd of the XGl's.
Funds, from page 1
are being reviewed.
"Pennsylvania ranks 47th in state
funding per student," Mahon said during a
phone interview last week. He said Penn
State receives only 19 percent funding
(about $258 million) from public monies
now, and formerly got as much as 34 per
cent.
"What's wrong with this picture,”
Mahon asked while referring to the state's
low ranking in providing funding for
education. He questioned why greater
accountability is being called for in the
wake of reduced appropriations.
Mahon concluded by saying Hafer's call
for legislative action means "eventually
some form of accountability will be in
effect." He said Pitt is a good school, but
Penn State shouldn't be held accountable
because of problems there.
During her testimony before the Senate
Education Committee, Hafer said: "As the
state's chief auditing officer, I heartily
endorse efforts to make all entities which
receive state funding more open and
accountable to the public... Don't the
citizens of Pennsylvania expect you to
establish criteria for the expenditures of
public funds? Don't they expect schools
receiving taxpayer money to be accessible
and affordable? With rising tuition and
abuses in spending, their expectations are
not met."
Hafer continued by saying public
universities "should no longer expect state
money to be appropriated with no analysis
of need, no guidelines for spending, and no
accountability." She said "the role of the
Auditor General should be expanded to
include a compliance audit" at public
schools like Pitt, Penn State, Temple and
Lincoln Universities.
Harry Hostetter, an accounting senior
at Penn State Harrisburg, said he agrees
with the university's position. "Why
should they reveal how funding is being
used when it's only 19 percent of the
budget?" he asked. Agreeing that
professors salaries are a private matter, he
said he could also see Hafer's point of
view. "I admire her; she's really on the
ball," he said.
Norma Frame, a senior majoring in
business, said "Penn State should account
for the public money it receives. People
have a right to know how these funds are
being spent." She said professors' salaries
should remain a private matter.
Melvin Blumberg, management
professor, said he agrees with Penn State
President Joab Thomas' position. "If he
thought it would help the budget
situation, he'd open the books," Blumberg
said. He agreed the issue of salary is
personal, but said, "If it would do any
good, I wouldn't mind professors’ salaries
being made public." Blumberg added he
wasn't certain what the benefits of such a
measure would be.
Legislators in the House of
Representatives have already passed the
bill to amend the state's open records law,
and the measure is currenUy pending in the
Senate.
Edwina Crawford, a behavioral science
junior, said she'd like to see Penn State's
books opened for public review.
"I spend my money here; I'd like to see
where it's going, " she said. "But it's
tough, I understand both points of view."
Photo by Mike Starkey