api al
Lim
Vol. 35, N 0.4
Rep. Gekas answers questions from Penn State
students, faculty and staff in Washington, D.C.
Penn State President emphasizes significance of PSU
to midstate
by Jody Jacobs and
Ann E. Mease
Staff Reporters
The President of Penn
State University, Dr. Graham
Spanier arrived at the
Harrisburg Hi l ton Thursday,
Feb. 29, on the first stop of a
day long tour of events to
develop a stronger partner-
ship with the community, stu
dents and business leaders in
the surrounding area.
Dr. Spanier spoke to
the Susquehanna All lance
business group at a breakfast
meeting with over 300 busi -
ness leaders from all over the
Harrisburg area. This was the
Lion Ambassadors promote PSH to visitors
By Danielle C. Hollister
Co-Editor
Lion Ambassadors have
made a den outside the
Provost's office.
Their den is lined with
everything a person could
ever want to know about Penn
State Harrisburg. Every week
day between 10 a.m. and 1
p.m. volunteers within the
club staff a hospitality table
in the lobby of Dr. John
Bruhn's office.
The table is covered with
copies of every PSH publica
tion, maps, fact brochures,
and even PSU bumper s tic k
ers. A volunteer keeps a sign
in sheet to record all visitors.
Dr. John Bruhn, Penn State
Harrisburg Provost and Dean,
said he welcomes the presence
of this student club at the
hospitality table in the lobby
of his office.
communities during recent visit to local area
largest group Dr. Spanier has
spoken to since he began his
tour s ix months ago.
"We need to open the
doors to a better understand
ing of the importance of high
er education to the surround
ing community's business
leaders and the government,"
Dr. Spanier said.
He stressed the point
that each one of the people in
the meeting probably has
hired one if not several Penn
State graduates, who have .
helped them achieve a stan
dard of excellence in the
work place.
"We are set up to give
information to anyone who
comes in," said Kirk McCoy,
the Lion Ambassador who was
on duty Thursday. "We give
people an idea where things
are and what's available on
campus."
McCoy, who is a senior
structural design and con
struction engineering tech
nology major, said Bruhn pro
posed the idea to the L ion
Ambassadors .
good way to make us more
known on campus," McCoy
said.
According to the Lion
Ambassadors, the club strives
to maintain a mission to pro
mote Penn State, PSH, alumni
and to instill a I ifetime com-
mitment to the entire univer -
s ity system. The club's goal i s
also to promote goodwil 1
"Higher education
"We thought it would be a
Rep. Gekas shares personal experience with
Penn State Harrisburg in Washington, D.C.
Tina Shearer
Co-editor
U.S. Rep. George Gekas
credits his high school gym
teacher for sparking his ini
tial interest in politics.
"It started with my inter
est in public speaking," Gekas
said. "I began to enter speech
contests and eventually I went
on to law school."
Gekas shared an in depth
look at the personal side of his
political career with Penn
State Harrisburg students,
staff and faculty, who traveled
to Washington, D.C. The group
gathered on the floor of
Congress for an informal d is -
should be top priority in
Pennsylvania," Dr. Spanier
s., id. "Economic development
and education are the keys to
the success of Pennsylvania."
Dr. Spanier went on to
discuss the budget situation
and how it will effect. Penn
State and many other colleges
in the future. He appeared
February 27 before the state
Senate Appropriations
Committee, making his pre
sentation for increased school
funding.
Penn State only has
three sources of income
Legislative appropriations,
tuition and alumni donations,
throughout the community
and the campus.
"Lion Ambassadors is not
a competitive club," said
Tonya Salmon, club member.
"We are a group of volunteers
dedicated to the assistance of
others,"
At the Thursday, March
21 Organizational Advisory
Board(OAB) meeting, Salmon
nominated the Lion
Ambassadors for the Most
Outstanding Club. This award
i s given to the club that has
done most to reach out to the
campus community with pro
gramming, special topic
events and sponsoring events
to enhance the campus com
munity.
Frank Divonzo, represent
ing the International Affairs
Association, nominated the
Lion Ambassadors for the
Campus Community Award.
cussion that followed the offi -
c ial press conference on bio
materi a 1 s.
Gekas sponsored H.R. 753,
the Biomaterials Access
Assurance Act, which is now
included in Title II of the
Product Liability Conference
Agreement which faces a pos
s ible veto from President
Clinton.
Raw materials are supplied
by companies that are increas
ingly being held 1 iable for
overall device defects.
Gekas thanked PSH for
attending the press confer-
"This sti 11 would have hePn
a mammoth success if only you
had come because you'll go
back to your classrooms and
homes and you'll remember
this," Gekas said.
After the press conference
adjourned, Gekas invited the
PSH group to stay to answer
their individual questions.
Gekas shared his exper i -
ences as a U.S. Representative
as students asked questions
about the concept of govern
ment and his daily routine.
"I have homework also,
such as briefings and caucus
es," Gekas said.
Gekas also addressed the
wide range of problems he
faces in reaching his personal
Dr. Spanier said. Without
state funding there could be
areas that could suffer, like
any other organization.
"An investment in
Penn State is the best invest
ment anyone could ever make.
It benefits you the business
leaders, you the parents, and
you the people who believe in
education," Dr. Spanier said.
At 12:50 p.m. Penn
State Harrisburg student,
Sherry Bartush sat in the
Gallery Lounge at Capital
campus patiently waiting for
Dr. Spanier, who arrived 10
minutes late for his meeting
anier I .. 6
This recognizes the c lub that
has done the most to reach out
to the surrounding community
in volunteering services,
promoting services, sponsor
ing special events for the
enhancement of the communi-
The Lion Ambassador's
agenda for this year is exten
sive. A few of the events they
have been involved with
include: dignitary tours and
receptions, alumni functions,
other club assistance, home
less shelter collections,
Vietnam Veteran's
clothing/household collection
and Big Brothers/Big Sisters
Bowling for Kid's Sake.
An awards ceremony for
all clubs on campus will be
held on Friday, April 19 in
the Dining Commons. The win
ners of all awards will be
announced at that time
goals.
"The name of the game is to
get something accomplished,"
Gekas said, "You can't always
sense the jubilation of an
accomplishment as much as the
depths of despair you feel
when something goes wrong."
Gekas recently solved a
local resident's eviction
dilemma only to travel to D.C.
to deal with his disappoint-
ment on not getting his way on
the anti-terrorism issue.
"That little thing with
the eviction means I can do
anything, it propels me to keep
trying to solve other prob
lems," Gekas said.
Frank Divonzo, public pol
icy, said "We were shown
things I believe are essential
to people in our major [public
policy], and criminal justice,
as we all have to deal with the
political process."
Brian Guistwhite, public
policy, said "Congressman
Gekas was very insightful not
only on current legislation,
but the personal aspects of
decision making his day-to
day routine."
"An opportunity 1 ike this
you get once in a 1 ifetime, to
sit down and have a
Congressman meet with you,
definitely an A+," said Wendy
Farber, public policy.
Dr. Graham Spanier answers students questions at an
Open Forum in the Gallery Lounge Thursday, Feb. 29
r/\
%No
•
mss\
,
tMt
~ , oFF
,". Aek
I;MMi=
A group of Taiwanese demonstrators hand out literature
saying, "Let us protest China and boycott Chinese prod
ucts", to oppose China's aggression. The group demon
strated for recognition of Taiwan's independence in
front of the Capital in Washington, D.C., March 18, 1996.
March 28, 1996
Liability at issue for
biomaterial suppliers
"People are going to die,"
Dr. Gierson Rosenberg said in
response to the severity of the
decreasing number of suppliers
of biomaterials.
Dr. Rosenberg, Hershey
Medical Center, spoke at the
Biomaterials News Conference
in Washington, D. C. on
Monday, March 18, 1996.
U.S. Rep. Gekas intro
duced Dr. Rosenberg to offer a
medical researcher's point of
view on the biomaterials crisis
Rep. Gekas announced his
plans to continue to fight for
the passage of Title II of the
Product Liability Report
Title II generally prohibits
a plaintiff from proceeding
directly against a supplier
because a device was defective.
Suppliers will still be held
liable if they are also the man
ufacturer or seller of the
device
Three suppliers of materi -
als used in critical medical
implants have begun to 1 unit,
or cease altogether, shipments
of raw materials to device man
ufacturers, due in part to 1 ia
bility defense costs.
"Materials are no longer
being supplied and the
reserves are running out," said
Dr. Anne Roberts, President of
Cardiovascular and
Intervention Radiology and a
practicing physician.