Editor’s Comments Semester gets off on right foot By Kathryn Herr Editor in Chief kah92B@psu.edu Another year begins for us... What will it bring? Let me start my comments by saying Welcome back to everyone and good luck with the next two semesters. As I ventured onto campus Tuesday I noticed a change in the atmosphere. A more lively and fresh attitude was displayed throughout the stu dent body. This is the first time I saw students truly excited to be at school. I myself was glad to be back. I think the addition of fresh men students will breath a breath of fresh air into the campus and wake it up. The freshmen are rubbing off on all of us ‘old’ students. I remember my freshmen year, as I walked onto cam pus with anticipation and excitement. I began my Penn State education at the York campus, which is prima rily freshmen and sopho- mores. Those students par ticipated in all of the events and hung around campus with friends, when not in class, instead of rushing home after class. The York campus held a lot of events for its students to keep them busy with student life. Although events are held here at PSH, the turnout is rather pathetic. This campus seems to be quite apathetic about student iife. Perhaps these new freshmen stu dents will remind the rest of us how to enjoy college life again. SGA president, Rodney Horton, is working hard with his staff to increase student involvement on campus and I applud his efforts. Many clubs are gearing up for a full year of events, as is the Capital Times, I hope the Local Judge speaks out about community issues By John Fox Staff Reporter jtf 153@psu.edu Jeannine Turgeon has served as a judge in Dauphin County since 1992. Her experience serving at this capacity has given her valu able insight on the problems of American society and how best to resolve them. A hum ble public servant, Turgeon talked with me at length about her perspectives and experience within the criminal justice system. A leading school of thought in criminal justice cites reha bilitation as the core goal of incarceration. Restorative sanctions serve as a critical utility for such rehabilitation to take place in the lives of con victed defendants. Turgeon talked about the process she goes through when deciding whether to impose restorative sanctions to follow the incar ceration of a defendant. “I like to have a synopsis of EXECUTIVE BOARD Assistant Editor: Eric Thomas Copy Editor: Maruja Rosario Business Manager: Dan Berger student body will get involved I’m feeling pretty confidant that this year will hold some thing great for the student newspaper. The Capital Times is changing. With new content and a new look, the paper should be more enjoy able for everyone. We have some great articles and entertaining news. The paper will have a news, sports, and entertainment section, as well as all the regular goodies, such as the calender of events and the always ‘suspicious’ police report. I, along my with sports crazed assistant editor will try to cover all campus events as well as community events. Because many of you call Penn State Harrisburg home, we want to provide you with Cap. Times approved ‘Hot Spots’ in the surrounding towns and cities so you can get off campus between attending classes and cramming for tests. Submissions You may reach the capital times at Penn State harris burg Campus, e-126 Olmsted Building. 777 W. Harrisburg Pike, Middletown, PA 17057. Phone us at: (717) 948- 6440, or email: capti mes@psu.edu Next Issue: Sept. 27, 2004 Please tell our advertisers that you saw it in the Capital Times the facts of the underlying crime when deciding whether or not I should impose restorative sanctions," said Turgeon. “I like to get the fla vor of how the assault hap pened so I can tell what kind of conditions to impose when they’re out because locking people up doesn’t solve the problem of why they commit ted the crime,” she said. Stanford University professor Alberta Bandurais Social Cognitive Theory suggests that people learn and behave as a direct result of their envi ronment. Turgeon explained specific restorative sanctions she may impose on a defen dant in order to recondition their criminal behavior. “Society creates some mon sters. There's no doubt about that,” said Turgeon. “But, the only authority I have in the courtroom is to try to impose conditions on a defendant so that he can make a change if he wants to change. Typically, STAFF Editor in Chief: Kathryn Herr Photo Editor: Jennifer Kauffman Advertising Manager: Seema Patel New computer lab a hit More professors using computer labs for techonolgy enhanced classes By Sharon Fufaro Staff Reporter srfl7l@psu.edu Four new computer labs are now open and fully opera tional for students and facul ty. These new labs, boasting approximately 125 comput ers, are located on the ground floor of Olmsted where the Lion’s Den once was. The Lion’s Den, once a cafeteria, now houses two new Student Technology Enhanced Classrooms (STEC), as well as two Instructor Technology Enhanced Classrooms (ITEC). Robert Brinkley, ITT director, said that the plan ning process for this facility began over three years ago. Student and faculty represen tatives of the Information Systems and Technology Committee of the Faculty Senate created a design plan for flexible classrooms. The Associate Provost then appointed a committee, con sisting of faculty from several Penn State campuses as well as the ITT and Physical Plant staff to create the Program Statement for this facility. Brinkley said this lab was needed because student access to computers was lim ited at both the Harrisburg and Schuylkill campus loca tions. These new labs give students access to instruc- tional equipment and a wide range of software options. Although there are computers available at the library for stu dent use, these new labs’ computers are installed with software to accommodate various course needs. These new labs have relocated the labs previously located in I Iwould order them to get their GED and get job skills training because if they’re working and have a steady job they’er less likely to com mit another crime. If they’ve got children and aren’t visiting their children I will send them to parenting classes and give them information on how to get a custody lawyer so they can start visiting with their children. If you have a rela tionship with your child you’re more likely to want to be are sponsible adult,” she said. “If they have a drug and alcohol problem I will have them get a drug and alcohol evaluation and treatment. If I sense a mental health issue, I require a psych evaluation, counsel ing, and pharmacological treatment. I also give them curfews. Some rehabilitate, some don’t. I also make them all go to STD classes because Dauphin County has the second highest STD rate in the state, which is a social Photographers: Jen Kauffman, Kate Herr, Sharon Fufaro W 306, W2OB, and W 305 Room W 306 will now house faculty offices, Brinkley said. Now, in the lower level, all labs are located in four rooms, Cl 2-15. Terry Majzlik, ITT manager, said this set up is better than before for two reasons. First, technologically speaking, even though two rooms (Cl 2 and Cl 3) have the same sys tems as before (2003 PCs), rooms Cl 4 and Cl 5 have new, more powerful systems not previously available, with Cl 5 being an additional classroom and lab facility. Second, the new lab is more aesthetically pleasing, with a comfortable atmosphere complimenting a learning environment. With its recently installed power floor system, which has raised panels for cable storage Photo by Jennifer Kauffman Penn State added a new computer lab to offers ample work space and quiet enviorment conducive to learning and studying for those big exams, surfing the internet is allowed but playing games is not permitted. problem,” she said. Turgeon profiled the types of individuals she sees in her courtroom and speculates on the root of their behavior. “There are people out there who have criminal minds and there are sociopaths, but the vast majority of people com mit crimes because of an underlying mental health, drug and alcohol, or socio economic problem,” said Turgeon. “Sometimes it’s because they were never taught to get up in the morn ing and go to work and dress nicely and finish school. They're typically a tenth grade dropout, have no job, and no goals in life. So, all they do is get into trouble. Then you’ve got peo ple who are addicted to crack-cocaine and they just live for that next buy so they’re committing crimes to feed their habit. Then you have some people who have mental health issues. A lot of bi-polar is not being treated Graphic Design: Kathryn Herr, Eric Thomas, Jennifer Kaffuman underneath, potential system problems will be easier to locate and correct in the future. Some rooms are fit- ted with projectors and audio visual equipment, as well as wipe boards for enhanced teaching and interaction between instructors, stu- dents, and technology. Majzlik said that each per- son’s input added to the “con catenation” of the team’s project. Concatenation, Majzlik’s favorite word, means to link together, like a chain. “In other words I can’t tie my shoe until I put my sock on my foot,” she said. In the same way, Majzlik said the lab could not be ready today without every member on the team doing their parts at the right times. The team consisted of students, faculty and staff from Penn State Photo by John fox because they don’t have pre scription insurance and those drugs cost a lot of money and we have no funding for peo ple with mental health prob lems to pay for their prescrip tions,” she said. Turgeon elaborated on the social aspect and preventa tive measures involved with conditioning children to become responsible adults. Writers and Contributers: Sharon Fufaro, Tom LeClair, Kellye Way, John Fox, Herb Smith, Kelly Nagurny, Eric Thomas, Kathryn Herr Harrisburg and Mr. Bob Myrick of the University Committee on Instructional Facilities. It included the lead ership of Dr. Mahar, Dr. Hanes and Mr. Ed Dankanich, lIT staff, Physical Plant staff and visiting work ers. Majzlik has been work ing at PSH full-time since 1975, and has seen many changes to the format of classrooms and technology. When asked about where the future of this campus is going technologically, she smiled and said, “In a word, wire less.” She said that more, people don’t want to have to “connect.” “Just like taking your laptop into a coffee shop and getting wireless Internet, I can poten tially see this campus head ing toward wireless," she said. Teaching kids to be responsi ble is a parentis responsibility as well as the community’s responsibility,” said Turgeon. “Sometimes parents arern't stepping up to the plate and often the community isn’t stepping up to the plate. Everybody knows the phrase it takes a village. When you Please see Turgeon on 4 Got a story idea or Interested in becom ing a staff member? call 948-6440 email: Captimes@psu.edu
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