Vol 34, No. 4
Women's Studies Minor to be Offered
Bradley Schlegel
Staff Writer
Penn State-Harrisburg's first in
terdisciplinary minor focusing on
women's issues and accomplishments
is scheduled to begin next Spring.
Beginning in the Spring of 1996
three departments, Humanities, Pub
lic Affairs and Behavioral Science,
will present Women's Studies.
It will be based in the Humanities
department.
"This will be a fresh, new perspec
tive on race, gender and class," Dr.
William Mahar, head of the PSH Hu
manities Department, said. "It is vital
to understanding the 21st Century.
"It's a way of introducing into the
curriculum a new research method
and another, very important method
of interpreting history," he said.
"This is well overdue," said Alison
Rites
Ali Pirinccioglu
Staff Writer
Last Saturday many Peim
State Harrisburg students gathered for
one reason - to have fun. And was it
ever fun
A Rites of Spring committee
member said, the 1995 Rites of Spring
was definitely a success.
The entertainment-filled day
began at 10 a.m. at People's Park in
Meade Heights with the volleyball
Vehicle Registration Meeting
Joy Maatman
Staff Writer
The Vehicle Registration Open
Forum registered no attendance at the
scheduled meeting on Thursday,
March 16 at 4:30 p.m.
No one except a Capital Times re
porter went to the one-hour long meet
ing that was scheduled to discuss the
Vehicle Registration Program.
Sandra Jackson, Manager of Busi
ness Services and the head of the meet
ing, was surprised to find the Dining
Commons, where the meeting was
held, empty.
Jackson said she thought the meet
ing was well-publicized with signs in
the Lion's Den. She also said that the
meeting was mentioned in the weekly
publication of "This Week" on March
13.
The meeting was held because stu
dents were concerned about how the
parking fee on campus was being used.
The Vehicle Registration Program
began last summer. Full-time cm-
Faculty Heads
Joy Maatman
Staff Writer
A petition recently began cir
culating at Penn State Harrisburg to
rescind the parking fee. The move is
headed by the faculty.
The petition drive is in re
sponse to the Vehicle Registration
Program that began last summer. Full
time employees are assigned a $l2O
parking fee per year. Students who
are on campus for 12 credits or more
are assigned a $4O parking fee per
semester.
Penn State Harrisburg is cur
rently trying to raise $2 million to
support the new library.
The United Way is also ask
ing for charitable contributions from
the faculty and staff. The petition
argues that many people will be more
likely to give to charitable organiza
tions if the parking fee is abolished.
The petition also states that
the parking fee is inequitable because
it is not being imposed at a number of
other Penn State campuses like York,
Ogontz, and Mont Alto.
Hirsh, who along with Carol
Nechemias from Public Policy and
Kathryn Townes from Behavioral
Science and Education wrote the pro
posal. "We are the only college in the
(Penn State) chain that doesn't have a
women's studies."
The minor will focus on women's
contributions to all facets of society,
politics, art, charity, law enforcement,
science, etc. Professors say it will also
foster a new awareness towards
women's perspectives and a feeling of
tolerance for those of a different race,
gender or sexual persuasion.
Classes will be offered through the
Humanities, Public Policy and Be
havioral Science departments.
The Women's Studies Coordinat
ing Committee, made up of 16 faculty
members from Humanities, Public
Affairs, Behavioral Science, Educa
tion, Science, Engineering & Tech
of Spring a
Penn State Harrisburg students enjoy Rites of Spring
tournament. The tournament lasted gan to arrive around this time and
throughout the day. The crowds be- were treated to WPSH disc jockeys
No Attendance at Open Forum
ployees are assigned a $l2O parking
fee per year. Students who are on
campus for 12 credits or more are
assigned a $4O parking fee per semes
ter. The fee assessment schedule is
based upon how much time is spent on
campus. Jackson said the fee breaks
down to approximately $lO a month
for the user.
The fees are the result of a 3 percent
cut in University budget. The fee
system was supposed to be activated
two years ago, but Penn State Harris
burg put it off as long as possible,
Jackson said.
The meeting was scheduled to be an
Open Forum where students, faculty,
and staff could voice their opinions,
find out where the Vehicle Registra
tion money went last year, and what
the current funds are being used for
now.
According to Jackson, last year's
Vehicle Registration dollars went to:
- upgrading of lighting throughout PSII
campus,
Dr. Alison Hirsch
The excess of funds is also
mentioned in the petition. It states the
fee charged is more than needed to
provide and maintain the parking fa
cilities at Penn State Harrisburg.
The petition also points out
that the parking fee alienates visitors
from the community who are said to
be welcome to use the campus facili
ties at any time.
Alison Hirsch, professor of
American Studies in the Humanities
Division, said that the alienation of
area residents is the biggest defect of
wAvww•iffYi
nology and Business, spent two years
putting together the proposal that was
recently approved by the Academic
Affairs Committee of the faculty sen
ate.
The Academic Affairs Committee
is expected to approve it March 29.
From there final approval from the
Women's Studies Committee at Uni
versity Park is needed before it be
comes official.
"This is a natural progression,"
Nechemias said. "The classes were
already there. The number of faculty
who teach classes on women has in
creased greatly."
Nechemias said those classes are
vital.
"Through my doctoral degree I
never had 60 seconds focused on
women," she said. "1 would expect
some to be there."
"This class is not just for women,"
- conversion of the former ten
nis courts at the
Educational Activities Build-
ing into parking
spaces. This construction ap
parently provided
a 300% increase in spaces
available at that
building,
- snow removal,
- sidewalk construction between
the Capital Union
Building and the Educational
Activities Building,
- other minor repairs to road
ways and walkways.
In addition to the parking fees, Penn
State Harrisburg contributed $25,000
to the Vehicle Registration Program
last year.
According to Jackson, there will be
no increase in the fee price. She said
that students should be aware that
Petition
the Vehicle Registration Program.
"The effect of community
relations is the long term problem,"
said Hirsch. "No one will want to
come back for fear of being ticketed."
Hirsch has refused to pay the
fee and has been repeatedly fined. She
understands that sometimes a parking
fee must be implemented, but not on a
rural, commuter campus like Penn
State Harrisburg.
"Parking fees are for two rea
sons-if there is a parking shortage and
to encourage other methods of trans
portation," said Hirsch. "Penn State
Harrisburg does not have either of
these two conditions."
Penn State Harrisburg does
not encourage other methods of trans
portation and how can they when it is
a largely commuter campus, Hirsch
said.
The fee is in many minds for
pure revenue. The amount that is
asked of students, faculty, and staff is
an extravagant amount that is more
than adequate to maintain parking fa
cilities, Hirsch said.
Hirsch said. "Men can take this to
better understand where women arc
coming from. Everybody has a mother
or a sister or a daughter or a wife.
"Women are not just victims. They
are actors in politics, philosophy, so
cial issues. It would be hard to imag
ine a lot of things without them," Hirsh
said.
"This is another angle to analyze
history," Hirsch continued. "Tradi
tionally history has been split into four
or eight years when a new president is
elected."
"Hopefully we can encourage stu
dents to pursue certain areas of inter
est as well as get them to look at the big
picture," Nechemias said. "We would
like them to look at another perspec
tive, beyond the narrow bounds of
their own life."
Blast
who gave out many pizzas and t-shirts
to students
Around noon, Bubba, the first
band, started to play. This group re
ceived mixed reactions from the crowd.
While the bands 11l Juveniles, Isum
and Perfect Flavor were playing, din
ner was served to the mass of students.
Meanwhile, other entertain
ers were walking around. The Penn
State Lion played all day with the
See Rites of Spring
page 4
a Failure
Penn State Harrisburg's fees are very
different and much lower than Univer
sity Park's parking fees.
Jackson also would like students to
know that Penn State Harrisburg, like
University Park, Behrend, Hershey,
and the College of Technology are
funded differently than other Penn
State campuses. These locations are
considered colleges, and not branch
campuses. The allotment of funds is
different because colleges have the
authority to give degrees.
According to Jackson, students are
also not aware of where traffic viola
tion monies go at Penn State Harris
burg. The money that is collect.d
from traffic fines goes to scholarship
funds and the Student Government
Association. No money from viola
tions goes to Penn State Harrisburg
directly.
Students will see drastic changes in
the physical layout of the campus in
See Registration Fees
page 4
Drive
Hirsch also points out the
negative effect the fee has during
special events on cam
pus. Penn State
Harrisburg sponsors
many special events that
invites the community
and area leaders.
Security is
supposed to be notified
by the sponsor of the
event to warn them that
an event is going on and
not to ticket, Hirsch said.
It may sound like there
are good intentions, but
sometimes the "no
ticket" regulation is not
communicated to the on
duty parking officials.
recent
events, many visitors
were ticketed and be
came upset because of
see Petition
page 4
Few Attend
Open Forum
Humanities students missed
an opportunity for a one on one discus
sion with the Head of the humanities
Division, Dr. William J. Mahar, dining
a recent Humanities Open Forum.
Dr. Mahar answered questions
about students' concerns in areas such
as advising, class schedules, profes
sors' office hours, dean's list recogni
tion and the possibility of establishing
an honor society here at Penn State
Harrisburg.
Only two students showed up
for the Humanities Open Forum that
was held in the Black Cultural Arts
Center on Monday, April 10 from noon
until 1:00 p.m.
Student Government Associa
tion sponsored the event which was
designed to allow students to ask ques
tions and discuss their concerns about
the humanities program with Dr. Mahar,
along with several humanities profes
sors.
Dr. Mahar, Dr. Matthew Wil
son, Dr. Eton F. Churchill and Dr. Irwin
Richman were all in attendance. SGA
Senators Ali Pirinccioglu and Gloria
Young moderated the event.
The availabilty of advisors was
discussed in detail. Pirinccioglu sug
gested a full-time advisor position be
established so that someone would be on
campus Monday through Friday from
9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. His idea is that
this person would be thoroughly edu
cated in the area of advising and there
fore be able to answer all students' ques
tions about their schedules.
Pirinccioglu said the need for
this type of position has arisen as more
and more students complain about the
lack of availability of their current advi
sors. Presently all advisors are also pro
fessors.
Young said the problem with
availability involves professors having
office hours that conflict with class times
or with the times that students are on
campus.
Mahar said students should be
able to contact professors by telephone,
Danielle C. Hollister
Staff Writer
April 28, 1995
voice mail or e-mail if they can't come
in during office hours. lie also sug
gested students meet with the secre-
tary to set up appointment
"Advising is part of the evalu
ation we do of the faculty, - Mahar
said. "If I find oui someone is not
accessible, I will go and see them."
"I've seen students at home,
if the student needs an appointment
and can't find the time during my
office hours," Richman said.
Students have also com
plained that professors are unable to
answer some of the questions related
to the advising process.
"I've been here for four years
and I still get questions that I can't
answer," Wilson said.
"There are certain things that
I am not going to answer, like ques
tions about PIIEA A loans," Churchill
said.
The professors present
agreed that there arc too many facets
to the advising process for one profes
sor to realistically have all the an-
Mahar said there will be sev
eral changes to the advising process in
the fall, including the purchase of an
undergraduate advising handbook
from Penn State main campus. Ile said
the handbook is updated each year to
address new issues and concerns. Each
Humanities advisor will he given one.
Also new, will be cross-divi-
sional advising. Mahar said more
faculty will be involved in the advis
ing process so that each professor may
have a more manageable number of
students to advise.
Pirinccioglu expressed con
cern that many students are not getting
enough advice from their professors
about what classes to take in what
order.
This is related to students no
longer needing their advisors signa
ture to register, Mahar said. This
change was instituted based on stu
dents' demand, and it has ►undercut the
advising process.
The idea of a walk-in advis
ing center, like main campus has, was
also suggested.
"There are interesting issues
being brought up about how this col
lege is operated and how it may he
improved," Mahar said.
Churchill disagreed with the
creation of a walk-in advising center.
"The more I get to know a student, the
better I can advise them with reference
to internships and what classes they
should take," he said.
Pirinecioglu suggested that
the humanities department create a
See Forum
page 4
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