Renee Reedy, senior psychology major,
doesn't let her disability get in her way
Associate
remains open
By Christine Brooks
Staff Reporter
Dr. Burton Porter of
Western New England College
entertained the idea of joining
the Penn State Harrisburg team
in an open forum on March 29
in the Gallery Lounge
Porter, who has applied
for the position of Associate
Dean for Undergraduate
Studies, spent two days touring
the PSH campus.
The job would include
advising, teaching, program
accreditation, and involvement
with the new honors program.
Porter currently holds
the position of Academic Dean
in the School of Arts and
Sciences at Western New
England College in Springfield,
Mass.
it's Penn State qualita
tive excellence that has drawn
me to this institution, " Porter
said. "I'm impressed with the
faculty and staff. The faculty
have excellent backgrounds."
Porter's main involve-
ment would be with under-
graduate students. "Students
are coming in today with more
problems," he said. "They
need more supportive ser-
vices."
In solving conflict, Porter
claims he is approachable. He
tries to see below the appear-
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out & Design Danielle C. Hollister & Tina Shearer
py-Editor Christine Brooks
aft Re•orters Advertising Assistants
o-editors
Christine Brooks
Duane Brooks
Jody Jacobs
Brian Laßonte
Ann E. Mease
Kelley Thomas
Miriam Turpack
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Dean position
ance of the problem and build
trust by being trustworthy
"The students I've spo-
ken with seem pretty well satis-
fled with the exception of the
parking fee and paying 50
cents for schedules," Porter
said. 1 see these as relatively
minor things."
Porter believes the
library is at the heart of an aca
demic institution and that the
library usually does not get a
very loud voice. He would like
to see significant resources allo-
cated to the library.
Building intellectual
excitement and involving stu
dents in more events would be
one of Porter's goals.
Porter holds a Ph.D in
Philosophy from St. Andrews
University, Scotland and a B.A.
in Philosophy from the University
of Maryland at College Park.
He has published six
books, some in several editions,
and is currently at work on a
seventh. He has done both
scholarly and creative work.
Porter has a 13-year-old
son he like to spend a lot of
time with. He enjoys music,
tennis, sailing, Writing, and can
get lost in reading.
"I agree with Voltaire
about this," said Porter. "That
life isn't good; it isn't bad, it is
tolerable."
Ann E. Mease
Jody Jacobs
Kelley Thomas
Miriam Turpack
Student with disability can handle
problems,
By Jody L Jacobs
Staff Reporter
If any student should be
happy about the renova
tions to improve accessibility
in the Olmsted Building at
Penn State Harrisburg (PSH),
it should be Renee Reedy.
She is a senior psychology
major who has cerebral
palsy.
Although she is able to
walk with the assistance of a
walker, she said that it is not
practical for her while she is
on campus. Because she
has to carry her books and
travel between several
classrooms, she says she
uses a wheelchair.
Reedy said that although
the problems with the build
ing accessibility are large,
what really needs to be
changed are the attitudes
of students, faculty, and
staff.
"The building I can deal
with," she said. "But I can't
deal with the way people
write me off simply because
I have a disability."
Jody Gebhard, Lion
with the physical barriers,"
Meashey said. "But, through
that, her beautiful spirit and
depth is much more appar-
Ambassador vice president ent."
elect said the she has
noticed that the only con-
tact some students will
make with Renee is if they
encounter her when she
needs assistance with the
physical barriers of the build-
'Tye heard her say that
Composing sacred music satisfies his soul
"I would be happy
By Mary Angelo
Contributor
One will never see a
paper-only recyclable can in Dr
Robert Lau's office; he doesn't
need practice sheets to com
pose his music.
1 create by allowing
things to be carried inside me for
a long time," said Dr. Lau. "I save
a lot of paper, pencil and
aggravation by carrying it
around in my head until it has
enough shape to be written
down."
Dr. Lau is a part-time pro
fessor at Penn State Harrisburg,
coming from Lebanon Valley
College where he was a mem
ber and chairman of the music
department for 22 years. He cur
rently holds five part-time jobs
including private teaching, com
posing, church organist, teacher,
and the director of the
Harrisburg Choral Society.
1 would be happy doing
what I do now for the rest of my
life," Dr. Lau said. 1 gave up
what I did because I wasn't feel
ing personal success where I was
(at Lebanon Valley College),
although I was very successful
otherwise."
At at time when most
children were playing in the
mud, Dr. Lau decided at the
age of nine that not only did he
want to be a musician, but he
also wanted to teach.
"I knew I wanted to
teach on a college level," Dr.
Lau said. "so that my students
NEWS
but not people's attitude
people will help her, but
they won't talk to her,"
Gebhard said.
Reedy attributes these
attitudes to a lack of aware
ness about disabilities such
as hers. People who have
physical challenges can
make others feel uncomfort
able because their vulnera
bilities are more obvious, she
said.
"No one likes to be vul
nerable, and disabled peo
ple are
vulnerable," she said
Unda Meashey, Licensed
Psychologist, is coordinator
of academic development
programs in the student
assistance center. She said
that the difficulties students
may have in talking with
Renee involve the ability to
deal with human differ-
ences
"The handicap is only
the setting for who Renee is
because she has to deal
Often people don't
know how they should act
or treat an individual with a
disability, she said. Meashey
also said that Reedy is not
judgmental of students that
may not understand her
cerebral palsy. The impor
tant thing to remember is
doing what I do now for the rest of my life," said
PSH professor Dr. Robert Lau
Dr. Robert Lau holds five Jobs as PSH professor, director of Harrisburg
Choral Society private teacher, composer, church organist.
could make a career of it."
He also enjoys the
college crowd because he
is able to delve deeper into
his subject matter, and he
knows the students are
eager to learn, otherwise
they wouldn't pay to take
his classes.
Although his parents
weren't very musical, his
two older brothers and twin
sister all played instruments,
and his maternal grand-
mother was a pianist in
silent movies
Dr. Lau has studied
violin, viola, piano, and the
organ. He regularly plays
organ at a church and is
also the choir director
there. This is where he
began composing his
that It's OK to ask,"
Meashey said
Reedy said that if stu
dents see another student
with a disability, like herself,
they should act like they
would toward anyone else.
Disabled people are not
afraid to talk to others and
desire friendships too, she
said.
"The only difference is
that I'm trapped in a body
that doesn't work," she said
"Pretty soon you'd see that
inside, where it counts,
we're the same."
This semester, her courses
include research methods,
human relations, and ethics.
Ethics is her favorite, she
said.
"I think that it (ethics) is
important," she said. "It's
about what you believe
about things."
At times, Reedy needs
someone to type papers for
her because of her cerebral
palsy. Also, if she has an
essay-type exam, she needs
help to write out the longer
answers.
"But as far as the thinking
part goes, I've got to do
that," she said
The Student Assistance
Center has been helpful
and accommodating to her
individual needs, Reedy
said. The center is very
good with handling the
needs of disabled students,
sacred music
"For years I'd been
a church organist and dur
ing the ceremony I would
doodle," said Dr. Lau.
"Someone suggested that I
write all of this music down.
When I proceeded to, I sat
there for two days playing
solitaire, then the ideas
flowed."
His ideas have suc
ceeded in selling 76,000
copies of an anthem he
wrote that wasn't even his
favorite. It is noteworthy
that a piece considered a
*success" by publishers
standards should sell about
5,000 copies.
His most cherished
piece he's written is one
entitled, "Mary, Mary, Rock
CAPTIMES, April 23, 1996
building
problems
she said
Assistant Coordinator of
Non-Traditional Student
Affairs, Donna J. Howard
said she is currently assisting
about 15 students on cam
pus who have physical or
mental disabilities. She is the
person who has been help
ing Reedy with her papers
and tests.
"Renee dictates the
exams," Howard said. 1
write word for word what
she says. It's all her stuff."
Howard said that Reedy
is a very open person and
has done well in any cam-
pus setting
"She's brilliant," Howard
said. I think she is an
above average student."
Reedy has several inter-
ests outside of college. She
said she enjoys all types of
exercise, including swim
ming and horse back riding.
She has also been taking an
aerobics class which is
geared toward her abilities,
she said.
Her younger brother
Sean will be married at the
end of this month. She has
been looking forward to his
wedding.
"And I'm in it," she said,
"walker and all."
Although she listens to all
types of music, Reedy says
that she likes country music
R e
Your Baby," which was writ
ten for advent. Dr. Lau also
writes most of his lyrics.
Aside from compos
ing works now, he also
composed as a child.
1 wrote something
as a child," Dr. Lau said. 1
rewrote Mozart. And then I
wrote something else and
discovered it was
Beethoven."
He spends a lot of
time in Maine every sum
mer in an isolated place to
compose. Interestingly,
when writing, he never
imagines how people will
react to his music.
'After it's finished,'
said Dr. Lau. "I want some
one to like it, but I never