Capitol times. (Middletown, Pa.) 1982-2013, March 19, 2001, Image 2

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    2 • NEWS
SHOULD PENN STATE REGULATE
STUDENT-SPONSORED ACTIVITIES ON CAMPUS?
Daniel Conklin
Marketing/Finance
I feel that if students can
use any type of expression
that can attract students to
get involved in the univer
sity, then I feel that Penn
State shouldn't use their
authority to stop that.
Scholar discusses African
Continued from Page 1
women are among the soul of humani
ty. We neglect this complementary syner
gy to our soul's detriment."
Mzamane's lecture chronicled the
uprisings and armed struggles, the politi
cal machinations and cultural develop
ments of the movement toward indepen
dence and self-expression among Africans
around the world; movements with a
global interdependency and parallel
dynamism that many people fail to recog
nize.
Dr. Charles Cantalupo, professor of
English and comparative literature at the
Harrisburg and Schuylkill campuses of
Penn State Captial College, introduced
Mzamane as "a renaissance person."
Cantalupo enumerated his colleague's
diverse endeavors and interests, which
include experience as a teacher, writer,
poet, administrator, broadcaster, literary
critic, publisher, music producer, film
director, performing artist, education and
culture activist, and a freedom fighter.
Mzamane received his Ph.D. in
English literature from the University of
Sheffield (England) and holds an M.A. in
English from the University of Botswana,
Lesotho and Swaziland.
After almost 30 years in exile,
Mzamane returned to South Africa in
1993. He was the first post-apartheid Vice
Chancellor and Rector of the University
of Hare in South Africa and was a profes
sor in the department of English studies
and comparative literature.
JoAnn Love
Secondary Education
Penn State needs to look
out for their interests.
There may be a need to
look into regulating stu
dent activities.
Mzamane is currently a visiting fellow
at the Hawke Research Institute at the
University of South Australia and presid
ing chair of Against All Odds, an African
renaissance initiative working to bring the
power of African language and literature
to world consciousness. He is also writing
a book on the new democratic South
Africa.
"Reaction to African renaissance,"
Mzamane began, "ranges from enthusias
tic embrace to cynical dismissal," and he
acknowledged the difficulty of speaking
of an African renaissance "in the midst of
a developing pandemic called AIDS
affecting one in ten people; amid civil war
in the Sudan, Congo, Sierra Leone,
Rwanda and Burundi; amid floods,
drought and disease; abject poverty and
collapsing economies."
But Mzamane stressed the universali
ty of the African renaissance, and he cau
tioned that "mere episodes in the rise of
Africans around the world must not be
mistaken for the process long begun but
far from finished. There have been many
episodes spanning several generations in
the rise of Africans universally . . . build
ing up to a grand finale yet to be realized."
Mzamane noted, "the rebellion of
African slaves in the New World marked
the earliest episode in the rise of people of
African descent in this part of the world,"
and he listed Frederick Douglass, Nat
Turner, John Brown and Sojourner Truth
among the "many heroes and sheroes of
that phase in the struggle, whom we cele
brate [during Black History Month]."
the
CAPITAL TIMES
Survey and photos by Debra Glass
Capital Times Staff Writer
Myra Miller
Applied Behavioral Science
Personally, I believe that
there should be some regu
lation to protect the
integrity of the university.
Rob Adams
Mechanical Engineering
Any student that pays
tuition to a school should
have the right to have any
type of legal activity on
campus. Penn State
shouldn't have to regulate
these activities if students
act responsibly.
renaissance
Mzamane observed, "The struggle for
the rise of people of African descent in the
United States continues, as the tarnished
2000 United States presidential election in
Florida demonstrates," and he offered that
"the recent transition of power in Ghana
. . . was smoother by far than the recent
transition in United States politics. From
abroad," Mzamane reported, "[the 2000
election] looks like a subtle coup, aborted
democracy, and disenfranchisement,"
illustrating that even for a purportedly
"old" government, "democracy is never a
finished product as it cannot be,"
Mzamane interjected, "when blacks and
women only started voting yesterday."
Unfortunately, in Africa, Mzamane
disclosed "a reversal of the progress that
seemed to have been signaled by the end
of apartheid" portends "the second gener
ation of struggles" that loom in the future.
"In Africa today the terrible suffering is
not caused by external enemies, but from
within by the power syndrome." While
he submitted "the most intractable prob
lem in most African countries today is
how to effect reconciliation and recon
struction," Mzamane believes "there is
light at the end of the tunnel."
MONDAY, MARCH 19, 2001
Stephanie Baddick
Marketing
I believe that Penn State
should have some type of
regulation regarding any
thing that represents Penn
State in any way. When
students do something that
is seen as wrong, it can
make our school look bad.
After a year of rebuilding, Penn State
Harrisburg's Residents' Community
Council is planning to bring back an
ambitious event the Penn State
Harrisburg Semi-Formal. "We have
worked hard throughout the semester to
plan this event," said Martin Kreibe, the
president of RCC, "and I know it will be a
successful event."
The semi-formal will be held at the
Holiday Inn East on Lindle Road in
Swatara. "Holding the event off campus
enables us to have a cash bar available to
the students," Kreibe said. Although that
option is available to students, he stresses
that this is not the primary focus of the
event. After a full sit-down dinner, there
will be a dance with a professional DJ. So,
dig out that dress or suit, polish up those
dancing shoes, and get ready to party!
The event is April 6 from 6:30 p.m.
until the dancing ends. Tickets are $l5 a
person, and on sale now in the Olmsted
lobby. Sales will be all day Mondays,
Tuesdays, and Wednesdays until the
event. For additional information, e-mail
Martin Kreibe at mxk3B4@psu.edu.
Troy Thomas
Mechanical Engineering
I believe Penn State should
not have to regulate stu
dent activities because it is
up to the student to act
responsibly at these activi
ties.
By Lisa Busch
For The Capital Times