Ah Spring, what a great season for sports.
Is that March Madness I smell?
-See Page 5
March 23,
SGA elections, constitutional ratification postponed
Student court, government square off
A heated, ongoing debate over amendments
proposed by the Student Government Asso
ciation will delay this semester's elections at
least one week, possibly longer.
After an argument nearing one hour at their
March 17 meeting, the senate approved a mo
tion to postpone the elections and ratifica
tion to discuss the issue.
The sometimes heated discussion arose
from grievences filed by the Student Court.
Stacie Wentzel (left) and Tami Pardue, the THON contingent from PSH, flank Kirsten
Werme, Four Diamonds Coordinator for Hershey Medical Center, at this year's marathon
The PSH dancers raised $4, 977 toward THON's grand total of over $2 million.
Engineering cuts draw fire
by Dan Zehr
Despite protests by students, faculty and
alumni, four engineering professors will not
have their contracts renewed next semester.
Dr. John Bruhn, provost and dean, and Dr.
John Welsh, engineering department head,
told a packed room 211 crowd that declining
enrollment in engineering forced the cuts. In
mechanical engineering alone, the number of
students has been steadily dropping from 151
in 1992 to 80 this semester.
The drop has cost four adjunct and part
time professors their positions. They are
Mitchell Haller (MET), Ganesh Bal (MET),
Cheryl Ebel (EET) and Linford Harley
(SDCET).
Students and faculty were particularly dis
pleased with the decision. While recogniz
ing that some changes need to be made, many
Don't just lie there you deadbeat.
Sartwell gives the morgue a new mission.
-See page 7
The justices of the court strongly opposed to
new provisions added to the SGA constitu
tion. Those changes, recommended by the
Constitutional Revisions Committee, would
begin incorporating the current judicial con
stitution into SGA's.
The court currently runs under its own con
stitution, while being partially ruled by
SGA's. The recent proposals have the court
concerned about the balance of power. So
were upset these professors, Bal and Haller
especially, would be the ones to go.
"It's obvious which professors are good and
bad," said Gwen Coble, a senior MET ma
jor, "but they are letting the wrong ones go."
In a letter to the administration, 1996 MET
graduate Jack Staconis agreed writing these
professors' release, "will degrade the integ
rity of the Engineering program at PSU Har
risburg."
William Aungst, another MET professor,
worried the better instructors were being
fired. By letting go of those without tenure,
the administration was taking "the easy way
out."
He challenged the administration to release
other professors despite the tenure problems
that would arise. "They need to make the
tough decisions," he said.
arrisburg Campus
concerned, the justices have threatened to
shut the senate down.
A four-page document listing seven sepa
rate SGA violations was delivered just be
fore the senate's meeting. In the summary,
the court ruled that all SGA functions should
cease for three days. During that time frame,
the court would investigate and rule on the
constitutional breaches.
Also in that time, SGA would have to re
cruit more candidates for the elections. At
this point, only five people are on the ballot:
The weapon that heals
THON's effects last much longer than 48 hours
by Dan Zehr
A sword is displayed there. It is perched
on the wall just a short walk from the inter
section of Telethon Avenue and Marathon
Road. A longsword, brightly polished; the
kind of weapon King Arthur's knights
wielded in days of yore.
It is a symbol of the fight against cancer,
and it hangs near two of the pediatric care
wings at Hershey Medical Center one sup
ported by The Children's Miracle Network
telethon, the other supported by Penn State
University's dance marathon.
It is a weapon made for battle.
A short walk away, bright pinks and yel
lows adorn the doorways. Glow-in-the-dark
stars pasted on the walls wait for the over
head lights to go dark so they can glow.
Boxes of toys, children's books and games
are stacked in each room.
This place exudes joy.
But all is not happiness. The battle is rag-
ing here too
In the pediatric oncology units, innocent
smiles of children are set face-to-face against
cancer. There, Janiece Crovella is a sword
bearer and playmate. She is one of two child
life specialists employed by Hershey Medi
cal Center.
The hospital employs two child life spe
cialists one inpatient and one outpatient.
Both are funded solely by the Four Diamonds
Fund for which Penn State University holds
its annual 48-hour dance marathon. Both are
mediators between smiles and swords. And
both provide support for children with can
cer and their families.
Crovella, the outpatient unit's specialist
explained she helps address concerns, ques
tions or fears that may arise. "I try to mini-
The education department adopts an
expanded cirriculum - and a 43 page syllabus.
-See Page 2
Volume XXXVIII, Number 3
Bob Woehr; Marcus Richey; Daneen Will
iams; Sean Linric and Mike Woodford.
However, the whole process was tempo
rarily avoided when the two sides agreed to
discuss the proposed changes further.
Compounding the problem behind these
decisions has been time. All revisions to the
constitution must be approved by a student
vote. Thus the decision to postpone election
dates. Originally scheduled for Mar. 23-25,
the booths are scheduled to open on Mar. 30
to April 1. But even those dates remain shaky.
mize the trauma," she said, "I try to make the
medical experience a positive one."
Since moving here from California in 1994,
she has been helping do just that in a variety
of ways. Her tasks range anywhere from
comforting the kids themselves to answer
ing questions from their families. Her solu
tions are just as varied.
For the children, a variety of what Crovella
calls "tools" are used. Stories, photo albums
and anatomically correct dolls give the pa
tients and families a chance to understand the
procedures they are going through. For ex
ample, the dolls are used for medical play.
She explained that the kids can do to the dolls
what the doctors are doing to them.
"I also try to present them with relaxation
techniques," Crovella said. To help the pa
tients feel more comfortable during a spinal
tap or marrow abstraction, "We might use
music and deep breathing exercises," she
explained.
Crovella also comforts the patients' fami
lies by providing information. "They know
how to talk to their own kids," she said, "but
they don't always know what to say or they
need to know the right information."
While she tries to let the parents know they
can handle this, she also lets them know
people are there to help. But such help often
is not needed after long. "Most of our par
ents are amazing," she said.
Equally amazing are the attitudes of the
kids. In the midst of their battles against can
cer, they still are the stars, Crovella said.
"They have jokes to tell, hugs to give," she
said. "They have smiles in the worst of
times."
Like any battle, this one has its share of
Please see "THON" on page 2