OPINIONS
LETTER
Dear Editor,
Thanks for the article on my former
stomping grounds, the long forgotten
baseball field.
I have a few additional comments to
add to your history.
I played baseball for former
Continuing Education Director Ron
Melchiore back in 1980 and 1981. We
were the first teams to use the new field.
Yes, I remember walking shoulder to
shoulder with empty drywall . buckets and
picking up stones after practice. I think we
could have given Pennsy Supply a run for
their money that fall.
You mentioned about locating the
field so the 3 p.m. sun wasn't in the bat
ter's eyes. That's true. It was in everybody
else's eyes in the field. It was sOOO bad,
that the infielders could not see the ball
come off the bat. We were constantly
ducking balls in batting practice. Well, late
one night (1 or 2 a.m.) during spring
break, after a few cold beers, myself and
my roommate left fielder Curt Evans, went
up to the tennis courts at the student center
near the dorms with a pair of wire cutters
and cut down a green windscreen. We then
got a ladder, a roll of wire and took the
windscreen up to the field and wired it to
the back stop. The next day Bud and Ron
showed up for practice and started to
shake their heads. They said, "We don't
want to know anything," and Ron said
something to the effect that, "If Chuck
asks me any questions, I hope you guys
won't need an attorney!" (Chuck was
Chuck Alesky, the former Chief of Police
on campus.) We never had a problem see
ing the ball again!
We also always had a problem with
foul balls going into the playground
behind the first baseline. We used to have
to rotate players during batting practice to
go all the way around the fence to throw
the balls back.
We were very low-budget in our field
maintenance program as well. Old man
Kemp had so much grass to cut on the
campus that we never really got our fields
lined for games unless we did them our
selves. We had a great assistant coach at
that time, Tom Buskey (who unfortunately
passed away several years ago) who was
from the Harrisburg area. He had pitched
in the major leagues with the Yankees,
Indians, Rangers and Blue Jays. Tom
loved to be around the field, and he was a
master at taking care of the diamond.
Buskey used to drive a gold '75 Chevy
Caprice. This thing looked like it had been
to Vietnam and back. We didn't have any
tractors to use for the field, or any carts, so
hc LOA I'Cllllßll . \
S TO THE EDITOR •
he used to open the trunk of the car, and he
and I would shovel loads of dima-tex in
and then drive the car out on the field. We
also used to chain the infield screen drag
to the bumper and then we would drag the
field with this car. People must have
thought that we were nuts. We were, but
we loved the game and this was how we
got it done. We would put in two hours
_ before the game on the field and another
hour afterwards repairing the pitching
mound and raking the baselines.
We used to marvel at the home runs
Mike Skurko hit over the left field fence.
He was named an NAIA All American
after I graduated, but he used to hit them
about 10 parking spaces deep. The kid had
some power.
And we had some loyal fans. Clem
Gilpin, Ed Beck and Charles Townsend
were regulars. They stuck it out in all of
the elements. There was no protection
from the weather out there. We played sev
eral games in heavy snow flurries in late
March. I remember we had a barrel fire
one game to keep the feeling in our fin
gers.
The players were really student ath
letes. I used to work with Bud as the unof
ficial Sports Information Director for the
campus. Bud gave me that title cause we
used to put statistics together for the
NAIA while I worked part time. One of
my other jobs was to drive the teams to the
games. I even did this on game days.
My junior year, I started at third base
and my senior year I was co-captain with
Mike "Peabody" Smith, a local
Middletown boy. We had a team GPA of
3.85. These guys used to bring their books
with them on the road, and I used to have
to turn the interior lights on in the van and
drive home. And we played some games
that were four hours away. But these play
ers all hit the books.
It was a great time in my life. We
played some good games and we played
some bad games, but gave it everything
we had. It is a shame that intercollegiate
athletics were dropped at Capital. And
now, the field of dreams will be converted
into much-needed housing. I, too, will
miss that field. Thanks for the memories.
Tell Bud, Jerry South, that Anthony
"Maddog" Beccone, PSU-HBG 1982, said
Hello. I'm sure Bud will laugh when you
tell him this. Thanks again.
Tony Beccone, Director
Office of Criminal Tax
Investigations
Dept. of Revenue/
Commonwealth' of Pa.
Dear Editor,
In a recent edition of The Capital
Times, a staff writer questioned the
University's priorities in building a new
library on the Harrisburg campus before
the new student housing. That's fair. I
understand completely resident students'
desire for improved living quarters. I
understand, too, that sometimes the tim
ing or juxtaposition of events can suppose
a certain chronology, intended or not.
There are several factors that impact the
timing of new construction at all Penn
State locations. I'd like to explain some
of these factors.
The University is not blessed with
limitless funding. Projects and initiatives
for the entire system are prioritized to sat
isfy the most immediate identified need.
The Harrisburg campus is an example of
the process through which the university
establishes priorities for new construction
and effectively maintains and upgrades
the facilities at all its locations.
Quite a few years ago, the University
recognized the need for a new library here
and established it as a priority for state
funding. Funding for the library worked
its way through a series of
Commonwealth budgets. Governor
Casey eventually released funds for the
construction of the library in the latter part
of his final term in office, and incoming
Governor Ridge endorsed the expendi
ture. The project traveled through all the
University and Commonwealth approval
paths and construction began, albeit more
years had passed. The good news is that
the library opened its doors a year ago,
forever changing, in the most positive
ways, the character and skyline of the
campus.
The new library, incidentally, is
designed to serve as a resource for the
public as well as the College. Its size is a
complement to our growing campus and
external community. As a research library,
it answers an acute need for our growing
graduate student population as well as our
undergraduates.
The new housing on campus was also
under discussion for some time. And
while priorities had to be established
across other Penn State locations,
University Housing and Food Services
recognized a need here.
The construction of new housing was,
in some ways, linked to the completion of
the new library. Housing and Food
Services, in addition to funding the lovely
new apartments for our resident students,
is also creating a new, expanded food ser
vice operation to be located in the space
occupied by the former Heindel Library.
The new "food court" is designed to serve
the resident students as well as com
muters, faculty, staff, and visitors.
The Trustees and Penn State adminis
tration work diligently to identify
University priorities and allocate
resources to those projects needed most.
Yes, sometimes, it means a campus must
wait its turn while a sister location
receives funding for an equally important
project.
The University, Housing and Food
Services, and the Commonwealth have
been generous in their commitment to
Penn State Harrisburg. Since the library
construction began, considerable funds
millions of dollars have been dedicated
to projects on campus, all designed to
enhance the campus infrastructure and the
academic and social environment of our
students.
Madlyn L. Hanes, Ph.D.
Provost and Dean
Capital Times Policies
The Capital Times is published by the
students of Penn State Harrisburg.
Viewpoints are solely those of the authors
and are not representative of the college
administration, faculty or student body.
Concerns regarding the content of any issue
should be directed to the editor. Advertisers
are not sanctioned by The Capital Times.
The Capital Times is funded with Student
Activity Fee money.
The Capital Times welcomes signed let
ters from readers. No unsigned submission
will be reprinted. However, a writer's name
may be withheld upon request and by
approval of the editors.
You may reach The Capital Times at
Penn State Harrisburg Campus, W 341
Olmsted Building, 777 W. Harrisburg Pike,
Middletown, PA, 17057. Phone us at: (717)
948-6440, or e-mail: captimes@psu.edu.
All materials - articles, photographs and
artwork - are property of The Capital Times.
No parts of this paper may be reproduced
without permission of the editors.
Advisor: Samuel Winch, PhD
Editor In Chief: Cathie McCormick
Asst. News Editor: Barbara Gertzen
Layout Editor: Mitchell Bentley
Business Manager: Connie Goodell
Photographer: Steven Shearer
Writers & Contributors:
Geoff Conklin, Michelle Dauberman,
Debra Glass, David Kopac,
Paula Marinak, Joe Marsicano,
Lori Mitchell, Kerry Monaco,
Matt Mosley, Marco Primorac,
Jenny Poust, Jacyln Talarico,
Jillian Weise