6 Monday, October 5,1998
Smells like school spirit
OK! OK! Turn off the damn lights and take the tape off our eyelids! For
the love of God, put away the truth serum, we’ll talk! Have you no
mercy?!?
We admit it. Things are looking up at PSH (well, accept for the bees
that keep flying around are heads and the spine-tingling-sounds-like-nails
across-the-chalkboard noise of the locust trees scraping against our win
dows).
Hey, you didn’t expect us to stop complaining overnight, did you?
But, for the first time in awhile, it’s beginning to seem as if people
actually enjoy being here. In fact, producing this paper is becoming en
joyable. Which, frankly, makes us a little suspicious.
More people have been in the Cap Times office within the past week
than the last two semesters combined. A group of people got together and
realized that the gym across the way is there for their use, so now it’s
possible to play some basketball over the lunch hour. The photo lab door
is mysteriously always open now, when finding a photographer last se
mester was like asking to borrow someone's kidney. And WPSH, the cam
pus radio station is actually having a staff meeting this week.
A short aside: We can vouch for the existence of radio equipment in
room W 343. Being directly next door, we’ve heard it. Unfortunately, the
station’s speakers aren’t quite loud enough to send those thumpin’ beats
to Meade Heights. Or another room down the hall for that matter.
A second aside: We even overheard a student giving a soccer mom di
rections to the school’s athletic fields for her son’s afternoon practice not
long ago. Yes, we actually have athletic fields. We were shocked students
even knew because, unfortunately, none are playing on them. At least we
can’t see them. Maybe there is a whole “Field of Dreams” thing happen
ing over there, and students are appearing from out of the CUB. The
fields were built, but it seems nobody came.
Back to it: We actually heard people laughing outside the Olmsted Build
ing the other day. Not just once, but many times; as if holding a long
conversation. It couldn’t be. After all the complaining we heard (and yes,
we wrote) last semester. Is PSH becoming more than a commuter cam
pus?
But don’t think everything’s just peachy yet. We still have radios miss
ing from cars while police ticket pizza-delivery drivers for parking in
front of Olmsted for three minutes. We still have plenty of apathetic, “drive
in” students. Those that order their degree with a side of fries. And yes,
smokers must still make sure their vile stench doesn’t invade the healthy
halls of PSH.
More and more, though, it seems people actually care.
Which brings us to the question of why this is happening. One theory,
and it doesn’t seem completely implausible, is that John Bruhn, our pro
vost and dean, is pumping some mind-altering drugs through the air ducts.
Of course, who knows what else is in there. Can’t be anything much
healthier than cigarette smoke at a few parts per million.
Maybe it’s just the 5-year-old Snickers bars found in one of WPSH’s
cabinets.
Or maybe we simply shouldn’t care why it’s happening. Maybe we
should just enjoy it while it lasts and hope it lasts a good while longer.
Besides, the room's starting to spin. What does happen to sugar after
five years anyway?
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Editorial
OPINION/EDITORIAL
1 am writing this letter as a concerned student of Penn State Har
risburg. I feel the students, administration and faculty deserve to
know what’s going on with the Student Government Association
here. In order to function properly, the SGA has a Constitution by
which the student body is to be governed. Below are a few areas in
which SGA is not adhering to its Constitution or areas which create
questions of conflict of interest, unconstitutionality or self interest.
I was under the impression, as per the SGA constitution, the main
purpose of SGA is to promote the welfare of students and direct
activities of student organizations in the best interest of the student
body. My question is how are we serving the students best interest
with these decisions? Another area that I would like addressed: how
ethical is it to allow 3 of the 5 members of the Finance Committee
to be from the same club/organization.
-To resign from office, a resignation shall be presented in writing
before the Senate and shall become effective when recorded as such
in the minutes (Article VII, Section 5).
The resignation letter of Audrey Rose (Chief Justice) was never
presented to the Senate in writing, therefore, she still retains that
position and Jim Cushing cannot be appointed to that position.
-The President shall approve all members of standing, ad hoc, and
campus committees (Article 111, Section 2G).
Currently 3 of the 5 members of the Finance Committee are Chi
Gamma lota (XGI) members. Was this approved by the SGA Presi
dent?
-The Treasurer shall submit a statement to each active and regis
tered student organization within the first three weeks of each se-
Brad Moist
Assistant Editor
Lauren Capitani
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Letters
mester as to the financial status of those organizations (Article 111,
Section4H).
This was only completed as of 9/21/98
-A Constitution Revision Committee must review all amendments
to the Constitution, as well as the bylaws. The Chairperson shall be
the Vice President. The member will consist of two Justices, chosen
by the Chief Justice, two Senators, one Junior and one Senior cho
sen by the President, and the Chair of the Meeting (Article X).
Currently there is a copy of new proposed bylaws outside of the
SGA office. Was the Vice President, Justices, or Senators involved
in this process?
-According to the current SGA Bylaws (revised 3/26/98). The elec
tions for the open positions of senators and officers of the SGA
shall be held no later than the fourth week following or proceeding
a semester on a date designated by the Senate.
Elections are currently being held Sept. 29 - 30, this is the sth
week of the semester.
-According to the current SGA Bylaws (revised 3/26/98). A vot
ing member viewed as having a conflict of interest concerning a
motion on the floor shall be asked to abstain by the President.
Does this also apply to the decisions the Finance Committee makes
concerning club/organization budget allocations? Or if a member
of the Finance Committee is also a member of another club/organi
zation are they asked to abstain from voting on their own budget?
Sincerely,
Stacie Wentzel
Matthew J. Bowman
Editors
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