CAPTIMES, April 24, 1997 PSH student university-wide award for tolerance "This is really one of the few awards that goes to students university-wide. I'm really proud of George for having done this - I think the whole campus should be." Jody L. Jacobs Editor The last thing George Daka expected to hear when he returned from the Cairo International Model United Nations Conference in March was that he won an award. Daka, president of the International Affairs Association, did more than that - on April 6 he became the first-time recipient of the Jackson Lethbridge Tolerance Award. "It's still shocking that I received such a prestigious award," Daka said. The award - which is only given Lion's Den offers more than a good meal Deb Mallek Assistant Editor Everybody who frequents the Lions' Den knows Harve. She's always smiling, ready to help stu dents, staff and faculty. What's amazing about Harve - Mary Alice Pittman - though, is that she knows all her customers' names - an admirable trait consider ing the hundreds of people eating at the Lions' Den every day, and with new students coming in every semester. But Harve is not unique to Lions' Den employees. All of the staff - Franq, Rita, Peg - know their customers Is it just luck that has given us such a pleasant bunch? Not according to Greg Schiavoni, Assistant Manager Housing and Food Services. "I truly believe that the staff at the Den epitomizes many of the keynotes of customer service - going beyond just learning names and favorite foods ordered, they have always taken a genuine inter est in each customer." `They make it a point to treat Donald Smith was focusing his efforts on the water testing being done in the laboratory of the Science and Technology Building. Water testing by Environmental Chemistry and Analysis (Chem 301) students was being conducted from 11:00 to 2:00 in the Laboratory of the Sciences and Technology Building. Dr. Yuefeng Xie, chemistry pro fessor on campus, said he incorpo rates an on-going community out reach program in the lab by doing water sample testing for the sur rounding communities. 'This service to the community gives the students a sense of com munity and contributes to the'active learning process of water testing," said Xie. Becky Hoefert, environmental engineering student was selling Earth Day T-Shirts at a stand inside the Sciences and Technology Building. The T-Shirts are ten dol lars each and are still available at the campus bookstore. `The proceeds from the sale of the Earth Day T-Shirts benefit the college tree planting program", said Hoefert. George Daka receives to one junior or senior within the entire Penn State University system - recognizes outstanding efforts to enhance the understanding of diverse cultures. Recipients are chosen for their ability to create a community where all individuals are accepted and val ued equally, Dr. Clem Gilpin, assis tant professor of community sys tems at Penn State Harrisburg (PSH) said. 'Mils is really one of the few awards that goes to students univer sity-wide," Gilpin said. "I'm really proud of George for having done this - I think the whole campus should be." "I truly believe that the staff at the Den epitomizes many of the keynotes of cus - tomer service - going beyond just learning names and favorite foods ordered, they have always taken a genuine interest in each customer." -- Greg Schiavoni Assistant Manager Housing and Food Services students with the same high regard as staff and faculty," Schiavoni said. The average Lions' Den staffer had been serving students for about 10 years - another Lions' Den sta tistic that defies service industry norms, Schiavoni said. Franq Wyman is the new kid on the block, with only little over a year on the job, but he plans on making the Den his home for many years to come. "From the moment I walked in the door, I felt right at home. It's been a real pleasure for me to be of service to the Capital Campus," said Franq. Permanent staff, however, are not the only strong point of the Lions' Den. Each semester, the Den employs several students to work with the veterans. Schiavoni says of his staff, 'These strong points also carry over to the camaraderie that the staff develops with the student workers. The student employees are an indispensable part of the Lions' Den," Schiavoni said. "Although initially, a food ser vice job might not be their first The T-Shirt design was chosen from thirty different designs entered by students at the Penn State Harrisburg campus, according to James Malm, Coordinator of the Earth Day Expo. "Diana Reed, humanities major was chosen for best design and she donated the rights to the design of the T-shirt to PSH," said Malm. An exhibit from the Capital Region Science and Technology Fair was displayed in the lobby of the Science and Technology Building. The winner of the science fair was Kyle Kalearczyk, a sopho more at Bishop McDevitt High School. "My project was on Equilibrium behavior of fluorspar (CAF2) and sodium floride (NAF) for the use in fluoridation," Kalearczyk said. According to Kalearczyk he was chosen out of 350 High School students by the American Chemistry Society and The Society of Earth Chemical Engineers. Dr. Charles Cravotta, Penn State Alumni, gave two lectures one at 11:00 a.m. and another at 2:00 p.m. on acid mine drainage and the effects on water in portions of Pennsylvania. Dr. Clemmie Gilpin, Assistant Professor of Community Systems Gilpin said that Daka - who has a double major in secondary educa tion and sociology and minor in anthropology - is an excellent selec tion for the President's Award because when he arrived at PSH he immediately sought out ways in which he could improve diversity on campus. In addition to serving the International Affairs Club as presi dent, Daka is co-director for the campus Model U.N., a member of the International and Multicultural Committee, the Student Activity Fee Committee and is an associate judge on Student Court - an excellent example of leadership at the Frmq Wyman - the lion's Den's newest staff employee - prepares lunch for students at Penn State Harrisburg choice for supplemental income, the full-time staff invariably makes them feel at home and part of the team," he said Although some students feel imprisoned by the campus with only one choice for food service during their hectic days, they ultimately appreciate the refuge that the Lions' Den provides for them. I always feel like I have someplace to go for Acidic drainage from numerous abandoned coal mines has contami- nated more than 2,400 miles of streams and associated ground waters in Pennsylvania and is the most extensive water-pollution problem affecting the four major river basins in Pennsylvania, according to Cravotta. Studies are being done by the U.S. Geological Survey team to evaluate the effects of mining and reclamation practices and water treatment methods intended to reduce contamination at mine sites, Cravotta said. "There are three preventive methods our team has implemented to reduce the water contamination process. The first is open limestone channels, second anoxic limestone drain and third a limestone diver sion well, " said Cravotta. Some of the other participants at the Earth Day Expo were the United States Geological Service, Siena Club Dania Environmental Lobby group and Zoo America. The Sierra Club- an environ mental lobby group -contribute a display that explained the organiza tion's position that government offi cials should be accountable for their actions. FEATURE Harrisburg Campus, Gilpin said. "It is an outstanding award for an outstanding person. George has been a superb leader during his time at Penn State Harrisburg," Provost and Dean John G. Bruhn said. Daka - a Penn State Harrisburg student receiving a university-wide award - is an indication that the university acknowledges the fact that this campus has outstanding students at this campus, Bruhn said. "I'm very proud that Penn State would recognize students other than at main campus for some 'down time,'" said one stu dent. I don't have much time to relax on campus, but the Den employees always manage to remind me that there's life beyond the walls of the classroom." Paula Burton of ZoctAinefica .a a, I, .I, -. . . ..,,A,,, 11 , I . lls il a. is i I 6:!• •• 11. . 1I 1 . iOW , vim , ‘i ' i.l- ' ii pact animals in the wild According to Sierra Club litera ture, it has implemented a environ mental report card system for the Ridge Administration to further public interest and clean up natural resources. Zoo America had an exhibit titled "Endangered Species University President Graham Spaniel (left) presents George Dab (right) with the Jackson Lethbridge Tolerance Award a Student Awards Recognition ceremony at University Park April 6 7k'NNAI\.AA Thanks to you, all sorts of everyday products are being made from the paper plastic. metal arid glass tha you've been recycling But to keep recycling working to help protect the environment you need to buy those products BUY RECYCLED r ;11 ‘•• •••":' , • AND SAVE. So look for products made from recycled materials, and buy them It would mean the world to all of us For a free brochure write Buy Recycled, Environrnental Defense Fund. 257 Park Ave South, New York, NY 10010 or call 1-800-CALL -EDF )4 • - laill rnil Pennsylvania Dept. p 74 of Environmental BF 4 PlillaWaYAV Ail I 1( Program", and Naturalist Elaine Gruin was giving talks on the importance of preserving our wildlife. Representatives from the zoo brought snake and bird exhibits with them to demonstrate the importance of environmental advocacy to fillllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll lllllllllll l llllllll llllll lig.. -- 7 ,q‘io 4 t... -, N\ i The staff of The Capital Times wishes all Spring 1997 graduates success and best wishes + „r oe _ I 1 . "!..!„ 111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 iiiiii 111111111111 M wildlife Although the weather did no cooperate as expected, the even was "still a huge success," Mali' said.