6/PSH NEWS SSVSS
Yearbook popularity suffers at PSH
Anne Feeney-McGovern
Capital Times Staff
Has the Penn State Harrisburg
yearbook outlived its usefulness?
Sixteen percent of Penn State
Harrisburg’s 1991 graduates bought a copy
of The Capital ite. the school yearbook.
Nationally 75 percent of graduates
purchase their senior yearbook, said
Capitalite editor Monica Bowersox.
Janet Widoff, coordinator of student
activities and advisor to The Capitalite.
said she wonders whether students here
still want a yearbook in its traditional
form, or whether a different format might
be more popular.
Her idea might work for George Nagle,
a senior majoring in American Studies.
"The image I get of a yearbook is a
high school thing,” Nagle said. "Maybe if
PSH faculty opposes school choice bill
Angela West
Capital Times Staff
Many Penn State Harrisburg faculty
members believe if the school choice bill
would be passed it would not serve a
positive purpose, but promote segregation
and divide the educational system.
"Wc have enough problems in the
education system, and this could he more
of a distraction," said Robert Lesniak,
associate professor of education. He added
that the system could become racist and
erase unwanted classes of people.
High percentage of college students lack health insurance
Ann Feeney-McGovern
Capital Times Staff
Although accessible and affordable
health care remains an issue for all
Americans, college students have the most
reason for concern.
According to a national study done on
the medically uninsured, 29.9 percent of
they called it something different.”
The problem may go deeper than
image. Robert W. Colman, assistant
professor and coordinator of community
psychology, said weak school spirit
induced by family and work obligations
may contribute to the sparse response.
The tendency for students to isolate
themselves in cliques within their own
curriculum may also contribute to the lack
of attachment to the school, said Sharon
Purcell, a recent communications graduate.
”1 basically stayed in my own little
department," Purcell said. "The only
people you get to know well are the
people in your own curriculum."
Clem Gilpin, assistant professor of
community systems, said the sluggish
economy might keep students from
shelling out the $25 a yearbook costs.
"Elitism could creep into the system,"
Lesniak said.
Under the choice plan, parents would
receive tuition vouchers worth $9OO to
enroll their children in private, parochial
or public schools outside their districts.
The choice bill was defeated in the
legislature last year, but supporters of the
idea promise to reintroduce it.
Lesniak said under the voucher system,
communities will no longer play a
valuable part in their educational
decisions, or have the authority to
complain.
"If we take the squeaking out of the
people in the 18-24 age group have no
health insurance.
J. Marvin Bentley, professor of health
economics at Penn State Harrisburg,
spoke before an audience of 75 on March
11 at the Downtown Center in Harrisburg.
He said the 18-24 age group which
comprises college students and graduates
cannot afford health insurance rates.
f Trnilwnys J
"I'd rather spend my money on a roll of
film and take pictures of all my friends,"
said Maryann Harpin, a senior majoring in
secondary education.
Many students surveyed said they didn't
realize Penn State Harrisburg published a
yearbook.
"I didn't even know there was one,”
said Andre Valsing, a junior majoring in
communications.
The answer to the awareness problem
may lie in advertising.
"I have not seen anybody selling the
yearbook," Gilpin said. "They may not
have developed a marketing strategy."
But Bowersox said letters advertising
yearbook sales go out to the parents of
graduating seniors, suggesting the
yearbook as a graduation gift. She said she
placed ads for the yearbook last semester
in the Capital Times.
wheel then there is no one squeaking
about the things that should be fixed,"
Lesniak said. "If the voucher system is
approved, they will be robbing from the
poor to give to the rich."
Other faculty members are also
opposed to the plan for similar reasons.
Barry Kanpol, associate professor of
education attacked the proposed voucher
system.
"I think the voucher system
camouflages the real issues," he said, "that
includes poverty, hunger and teenage
pregnancy."
Anna Hayek-Kanpol, instructor of
Bentley told the audience that this
group of people are also usually healthy,
thereby placing a low priority on health
insurance in their budget. For these
people, unexpected illness also brings on
financial hardships.
Bentley defined the medically indigent
as "at risk for financial disaster if they
experience a medical problem that ruins
"The problem is, there's not enough
additional promotion after the letter,"
Bowersox said. "So we're working on an
advertising promotion."
Labor is another obstacle. Currently
only five students work on the yearbook
staff.
"We definitely need more staffing,"
Bowersox said.
One student said he might purchase a
yearbook, but his comments seemed to
underline the problems haunting the
academic tradition at Penn State
Harrisburg.
"Most likely I will buy one,” said Paul
Wolf, a senior majoring in
humanities/business. "I'm not 100 percent
positive. It's nice to have just to look
back and see friends and clubs. I don't
know-it's kind of thin."
elementary educations agreed.
"It’s evil because they want to give
money to rich kids to go to school" she
said. "It's racist and it would not work for
the poor kids because poor kids do not
have $9OO to attend any school in the first
place.”
William Henk, associate professor of
education, said the whole plan needs
revising before it could be passed.
”1 think the issues should be researched
thoroughly," he said. "I'm concerned about
the fact that public schools are strapped
financially now. The voucher system is
not going to help."
them financially."
He also said we need programs that
will reduce the risks to the medically
uninsured, such as investing in public
health care programs and improving the
effectiveness in the delivery of medical
care.
Pennsylvania's medically indigent
population rates at nine percent. This
places the commonwealth in a healthier
position when compared to states such as
Texas, where 26 percent remain uninsured.
Crime, from page 1
Alesky said most vandalism occured at
Meade Heights. Stop signs had to be
replaced and on Halloween, cars were
soaped and toilet- papered.
Despite the increase, police are not
changing procedures, because the crimes
are scattered across the campus. Alesky
said they were going to keep up with their
patrols.
"We don't have a pattern to our
patrols," he said. "It deters crime from
happening that way."
Alesky suggested some strategies
students can use to hinder criminals.
"Make sure valuables are secure and
marked with some kind of 1.D., such as a
social security number so the item can be
identified," Alesky said. "People will have
second thoughts."