Many people do not know that 52 percent of Penn State Harrisburg students are graduate students. SGA President Lee Cutchall does, which is why he and the rest of the SGA are in the process of developing a survey that will ask graduate students how the SGA can best serve them. "People are trying to do certain things for [graduate students]," Cutchall said. "But whether or not that is what they want, we don't know. So we're in the process of asking them.". Graduate students pay the same student activity fees (SAF) as undergraduate students, but Cutchall said the voice of graduate students is not being heard. The goal of the survey is to hear what graduate students have to say and find out how a portion of the SAF money can best serve them. After the survey questions are determined, the SGA plans to go to graduate classes and distrib ute the surveys in person. Copies of the survey will also be available at several locations throughout the College. "I don't know how many we're going to make up yet, but I'd like to get 300 responses," said Cutchall In other news, the SGA plans to make significant progress at the Oct. 27 meet ing in their attempts to install four security cameras in the Olmsted parking lot. The cost of the cameras will be announced and divided among the departments who are making contributions. SGA, Police Services, Housing and Food Services, and possibly the Physical Plant, will all help pay for the security cam eras, which Cutchall hopes to have in place by early next semester. Ruistil Simmons puts new spin on. poetry By SINEAD DeROISTE Business Manager Multi-talented record label executive, Russell Simmons and accomplished Hollywood producer and director, Stan Lathan brought together their shared ideas of what happens when spoken word and poetry meet music. Not only did their effort pay off, but what became known as Def Poetry Jam is taking over televisions, websites and theatres everywhere. "Mainstream is going to get hit hard. The public will have a clearer under standing of how spoken word and rap are related." said Kraal "Kayo" Charles, 1998 Grand Slam winner of the Nuyorican Poet Café, NY. "Def Poetry Jam will raise the hip hop nation to a higher level of consciousness. Spoken word is one of the most powerful forces of social change," said Danny Simmons, executive producer, Def Poetry Jam. The Black Student Union (BSU) of Penn State Harrisburg jumped at the opportunity of exposing fel low students to live theatre. Offering tickets at $lO per student was a steal on any level. Held in the Merriam Theatre, Philadelphia BSU also offered round trip transportation. The theatre seats were packed at the Oct. 16 show, as everyone waited in eager anticipation for words to be shared by poets such as Beau Sia, Mayda Del Valle, Georgia Me, Suheir Hammad, Bassey Ikpi, Lemon, Poetri and Philadelphia's own Black Ice all intro duced by the Dee Jaying techniques of Tendaji. The lights dimmed and the DJ paved the way by spinning a lovely homage to various musical inspirations that encourage social change and awareness across all cultures. As the records spun, various audience members sang along. Then the music faded out and the harmony of poetic delivery came in. One at a time and sometimes in groups the artists conveyed their own personal messages. Widely ranged both culturally and talent wise these poets were able to stir up the audience with poems of rage to poems of love and any and everything in between. Audience members stepped into the various worlds of the poets and others with experiences like them. Raising awareness at all levels is what this beautiful poetic expression presented. SGA has run into a few problems in fundraising for THON, the 24-hour univer sity-wide dance marathon held every spring to raise money for children with cancer. "[Student organizations from Penn State main campus] stole all the can ning locations within a half-hour from here," said Cutchall. "There is nowhere for us to can." For those who do not know, canning is a popular way to raise money for charity that involves standing in areas of high traffic, like a busy intersection or in front of a store, and asking for donations. Cutchall said he had trouble reserving canning dates at the Wal-Mart off Route 322 in Harrisburg because it was already promised to a fraternity from University Park. After repeated attempts, Wal-Mart scheduled SGA for a couple of canning opportunities, but Cutchall said it will not be enough and he's had to be very creative in finding places to can. THON Chairman Jen Milford plans to write THON officials to request that a radius be put in place around each campus. The radius would prevent University Park from taking fundraising opportunities away from branch campuses. Though it is in the beginning stages, SGA and the Lion Ambassadors are attempting to get a Lion Shrine for the PSH campus. It would be similar to the one located in the main hall of the Olmsted building, but bigger and made of a cement mix rather than fiberglass. Cutchall said most of the other campuses have a lion shrine similar to the one he hopes to get. The shrine will be placed outside, but Cutchall said a specific location has yet to be decided. If you believe that once you have heard one poetry session you have heard them all, this presentation scoffs that concept by far. The amount of work and heart put into tak ing such an "under ground" form of expression as poetry and merging it into mainstream society was captured in Def Poetry Jam. Its success can be weighed on the sold out shows that move from stage to stage, in city after city. While the tickets for the show were reasonably priced, the cost of refreshments could send a person the poor house. For $6.00 you get a plastic cup, sim ilar to the cups at. Tragic and beautiful was the show itself and its rep resentation of the dying theatre, as one poet put it to the tune of Sam Cooke's famous song, "it's been a long time coming, but I know a change gone come." Keep an eye out for Def Poetry Jam appearances on HBO and for exclusive bookings contact Susan Weaving William Morris Agency, Inc. 1325 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10019.
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