TARNISHED GOLD Dark clouds dampen Olympics By Herb Smith hjs43sftfpsu.edu This Augustus athletes from 202 countries descended on Athens, scandal and contro- versy already hung heavy in the Olympic air. Greece, hop ing to earn gold in track and field, watched its hopefuls be pulled out of competition just days before their events due to missed drug tests. Weeks before the Games, U.S. Olympian Marion Jones Photo from News Day.com Paul Hamm takes a nasty fall off the the vault that almost cost him his gold medal. ENTERPRISE RENT Vehicle Service Attendents are responsible for cleaning and preparing vehicles for rental and some driving/transporting duties. Immediate openings are available at our Middletown branch --Flexible schedules are available to accommodate college schedules --Competitive hourly wage between $B.OO and $8.50/hour depending on experience Qualified candidates will meet the followin 1 Valid drivers license and satisfactroy driving record (last 3 years) - 2 Must be at least 21 years of age (18-20 will be considered if full-time college student) 3 Available for either Ist or 2nd shift weekdays and weekends Interested candidates must complete an application INP PERSON at the HIA Airport Photo courtesy of Associated Press Paul Hamm poses for a picture with the silver and bronze medalists after receiving the gold. was named in a doping scan dal involving the same com pany linked to San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds. As the competition began, flexible hours to work around classes? Need A-CAR has the following part time positions available:: Branch hours (Monday -Sunday 7am - midnight) several Olympians participat ed and won medals only to have them stripped away after failing drug tests. Even while the drug scan dals hung over Athens, con troversy of a different kind was still to come. As the world watched the men’s gymnastics all-around com petition, one young man’s story was being written. Paul Hamm, who fell during the vault, was now in contention to take the gold. In a sports moment for the ages, Hamm turned in a spectacular per formance to bring home the gold. Less than a day after this marvelous performance, his world began to come crashing down. A gymnast from South Korea, who fin ished third, was not judged correctly on one of his per formances. The media imme diately began to pressure Hamm to give up his gold. Trying to ignore the press, Hamm performed a few days Immediate Part Time POpenings Looking for some Extra sss (no phone calls please): TWO TERMINAL DRIVE, SUITE 10 MIDDLETOWN, PA 17057 later in the high bar competi tion. Inciting yet more contro versy, a Russian gymnast was the recipient of yet another judging mistake. The gymnast was given a mediocre score and was knocked out of medal con tention by Paul Hamm, who took the silver. He was made public enemy number one by the people in Athens. The president of the International Olympic Committee wrote Hamm after the Games to suggest he give up his medals. The pres ident of the United States Olympic Committee politely told his colleague at the 1.0. C. where he could stick his suggestion. Hamm’s life will never be the same. Other peopleis mis takes ruined what should have been the one of the greatest moments of his life. He had trained his entire life for this opportunity and then had his achievements put into question, which is wrong. He will forever be questioned about whether he really deserved the medals he earned in Athens. These are questions he should never have to answer. Hamm is trouble at the Olympics only made the bad Olympic situation worse. Itis a shame that after waiting four years and listening to the hype of the Olympics, the Games were ruined by clue less judges and athletes will ing to cheat to win. minimum criteria Spotlight By Sharon Fufero, Staff Reporter and Eric Thomas, Assistant Editor srfl 7 l(flpsu.edu ewtll2@psu.edu He’s been spotted in flip flops, jeans, and his infa mous “black sheep” tie. The tie, covered in all white sheep except for one that sticks out like a sore thumb, may give some indication about the man behind the wardrobe. It has to be Charles Kupfer’s quirky personality that makes him a favorite among students. Dr. Charles Kupfer is a little different. Unceasingly easy to get along with, Professor Kupfer’s classes take on friendly discussion rather than traditional lecture and notes. Known to occasionally bunny trail from course material to the Texas Longhorns, among other things, Kupfer always has something interesting to say, and gives students equal opportunity to comment on the subject at hand. Kupfer, an American Studies professor and pro gram coordinator at PSH, has been around this area for a few years, long enough to know the ins and outs of Middletown. “I’m giving the Brownstone [Cafe] a recess. I overdosed on the Brownstone,” Kupfer said. “And I always thought it would be nice if Middletown developed into a college town.” Kupfer has become wildly popular on campus since his arrival from Michigan State, where he taught as a gradu ate assistant. His classes have ranged from topics on sports and its impact on soci ety to talking about the 1990’s from a social-political point of view, a class he is teaching this semester. Mixed in have been classes on the family and also American history from 1877 until present day. His says the topics are a clear indication of just who Charles Kupfer, the person, is. “The courses are a reflec tion of my personality. I respond best to autonomy,” Kupfer said, who promotes individuality in his classes for both course material and stu dents. “I don’t respond well to people looking over your Please see Kupfer on 8
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