Editor’s Comments
By Kathryn Herr
Editor in Chief
kah92B2@psu.edu
Let me start out by apologizing
for all the mistakes in our last
issue. I am especially apologiz
ing to Grego Bosley for putting
his picture on the front page and
attaching the wrong name in the
caption. At 5 a.m., one is not
exactly thinking clearly, which is
approximately the time I retired
each night from working on this
paper in order to put it out on
time. This issue should be an
improvement. Well, it better be.
With that said, I would like to
make mention of all the improve
ments on campus since last
semester. The pool alone is
worth coming to school. For
those who have not yet felt the
water let me tell you it is the
most perfect temperature.
Stacks Market is also doing a
great job coming up with new
and inventive items for students
to enjoy. I thought the sushi was
very cool. I do wish, however,
that they would get some
cheese sticks and maybe a
salad bar as well.
I noticed during my frequent
visits to the front porch that
there are many more adult stu
dents this year. I commend
those students, whom are cate
gorized as non-traditional, and
say right now that you have my
support. In classes of my own, I
have noticed that adult students
seem to be diving right in to
class work, while other students
complain and whine about
assignments. It has been my
experience that adult students
often have a different perspec
tive on many issues and can
add new ideas and points of
view that traditional students
can’t offer. The rest of us are
luck-v to have this opportunity to
learn from non-traditional stu
dents.
So far this semester seems to
be off to a good start. I guess I
will have more to say once the
snow comes and the frostbite
sets in on my toes. All I have to
say is that this campus better be
warmer then last year. I was so
cold last year that I had to start
wearing shoes in October.
Usually, I can get away with flip
flops until at least Thanksgiving.
I am going to take this space to
PSH library, more than just books
The library is full of alter
nate resources to assist
students
By Sharon Fufaro, Staff
Reporter and Christian Torres,
Staff Reporter
srfl7l ©psu.edu
Walking through the front doors
of the Penn State Harrisburg
library, one can easily get a feel
ing of fright. Face it, the library
can be intimidating. Other than
its physical size and amount of
stored information, many stu
dents are not aware of the many
alternative materials and servic
es that the library has to offer.
Known as the “Library of the
Future,” the current PSH library
was opened in 2000.
In addition to traditional library
material, access to over 1,500
film titles in VHS and DVD format
is available on the first floor.
Students are encouraged to
check out these videos and
DVDs free of charge. Titles are
EXECUTIVE BOARD-
Assistant Editor:
Eric Thomas
Copy Editor:
Maruja Rosario
ask for everyone’s help with our
professor spotlight section. I
think it is a great new feature
and I would like to see it really
do some good. However, most
of us on The Capital Times staff
are Communication majors and
don’t see many professors out
side the Humanities office. If
anyone has a professor they
really love or hate for whatever
reason and think they would be
good for an interview, let us
know and we can use them for
our spotlight.
Although I am probably going
to get in trouble for this, I will say
it anyway; what is up with book
store prices? One of my friends
saved over $lOO.OO on books
buying from Amazon and that
included outrageous shipping
costs. With all the money we
pay in tuition and parking, the
bookstore shouldn’t be extorting
our money as well. If anyone
has a thought on this topic send
me an email and I’ll publish your
thoughts: kah92B@psu.edu.
Submissions:
You may reach The
Capital Times at Penn
State Harrisburg
Campus, E 126, Olmsted
Building. 777 W.
Harrisburg Pike,
Middletown, PA 17057.
Phone us at:(7l7) 948-
6440. or email :capti
mes@psu.edu
Next Issue:
October 11,2004
Please tell our advertis
ers that you saw it in
The Capital Times
not limited to documentaries or
educational materials. Examples
include “A Clockwork Orange”
and “The Terminator.” This floor
also includes reference materi
als, computer workstations, and
printers.
The library features the
CyberCafe, which is also located
on the first floor. The CyberCafe
has a quiet study-friendly atmos
phere, drink and snack vending
machines, and a campus infor
mation board. The Morrison
Gallery, located across from the
cafe, provides an environment
suitable for speaker presenta
tions, videoconferences, and art
exhibitions. With paintings or
photographs filling the walls, the
gallery is worth a walk-around
before entering or exiting the
library.
There are over 170 computers
available for student use
throughout the library building.
Each state-of-the-art computer is
complete with Internet service.
There are also access ports
Business Manager
Dan Berger
STAFF-
Editor in Chief:
Kathryn Herr
PSH welcomes international students
By Nat Melnicove
Staff Reporter
ncml2B@psu.edu
Nadia Ivanova related a say
ing from her native Russia,
“Nine months of the year it is
really cold and the other three
months, it is a little less cold.”
Having spent time as an
exchange student at nearby
Dickinson College in 1996,
she was eager to return to the
four seasons of Central
Pennsylvania.
The Public Administration
graduate student is one of 73
international students further
ing their education at Penn
State Harrisburg. Some, like
Ivanova, have been in the
United States in the past,
while others are here for the
first time.
PSH’s international students
represent five of seven conti
nents and 27 countries.
Though Asia is the most repre
sented continent, India, with
17 students, and Taiwan, with
11 students, are the top two
countries represented. Other
students are here from Africa,
South America, North America,
and Europe.
A majority of the international
students are here on student
visas. This makes applying to
college an especially lengthy
process. They take the same
academic tests as American
students, but also must pass
the Test of English as a
Foreign Language (TOEFL).
The student must then prove
they have sufficient funding for
their first full year of school.
Next follows an interview
process that includes a review
of documentation, proof of
<petvx\ar\erv\ ties to their home
country and a security back
ground check. The student
visa is then awarded by PSH,
through the permission of the
Immigration and Naturalization
Service.
Specific challenges await
international students at PSH.
They include a lack of on-cam
pus housing. Living off-cam
pus leads to a second chal
lenge, lack of transportation.
The combination of these
found on all three floors for lap
top computers. Students can
now take a compatible laptop to
any location in the library and be
instantly connected to the
“For me, this is
probably the
best place on
campus. It’s an
easy going
place where I
can just relax
and read a book
or study for an
exam.”
-Andrew Meyers
Internet. In addition, the library
has recently made wireless net
working available.
The Library Information Access
Photo Editor:
Jennifer Kauffman
Advertising Manager
Seema Patel
News
said Howard. She mentioned
the challenge the students
face in balancing the American
culture and their native cul-
Ask any international student ture.
problems is a major issue
because the students can
become isolated from campus
life.
on campus who helps them
through the admissions
process, as well as the adjust
ment to campus, and the
answer is Donna Howard.
Howard is the Coordinator for
International Student Affairs at
Photo by Jennifer Kauffman
International students and thier new friends enjoy a cookut
outside the community center Friday night, many events are
held throughtout the year
The number of international
students fluctuates annually,
according to Howard. This
year there is a slight decrease
in the overall number of inter
national students. However
there are 27 students begin
ning their first year on campus,
which Howard noted is a good
number. She also states the
number of applicants is
increasing as well.
With five freshmen interna
tional students on campus, the
experience of the first year of
college is especially demand
ing. “Not only is it an adjust
ment to college life, but it is an
acculturation process as well,”
System (LIAS) offers many tools
for research. The most common
tool used is the CAT, a list of
materials owned by Penn State
Libraries. The CAT searches
online resources, archives, man
uscripts, reference and book
material by subject, title, author,
or keywords. Another helpful tool
is the E-Resource list, containing
over 300 online indexes and
databases, which are utilized
through University Libraries. This
list includes indexes of informa
tion as broad as Lexis Nexis
Academic Universe and as spe
cific as African American
Biographical Database, 1790-
1950, among others.
On the second floor of the build
ing, students can get the latest
news headlines or juicy
Hollywood gossip by checking
out the various newspapers and
magazines. Newspapers from
Baltimore, New York, and
Philadelphia are included in the
Please see LIBRARY on 4
Photographers
Jen Kauffman,
Jessica Pouchan
Graphic Design:
Kathryn Herr, Jennifer Kauffman
Events are held to help the
international students make
the transition to life on campus
and America. Each semester
begins with an orientation for
new international students, fol
lowed by a reception and
lunch to allow them to mingle
and meet other students.
Other helpful programs
throughout the semester
include seminars dealing with
income tax and employment.
Monthly socials are also held.
One program Howard is hop
ing to get off the ground is the
Lunch with an International
Flavor, where an international
student would host a presenta
tion along with a small sam-
pling of the food of their native
land.
The interaction of internation
al and American students is Of
utmost importance. As Howard
said, “If you can get it to hap
pen, it is a wonderful thing. A
Photo hy Jessica Pouchan
Casy Conapitski, a junior Communications major,
browses through the hunderds of movie titles available
in DVd or VSH format in the library. Students can
check out these materials as just as they would a book
Writers and Contributors
Sharon Furfaro, Thomas
LeClair, Kellye
Way, Kathryn Herr, John Fox,
Eric Thomas, Maruja Rosario,
Kelly Nagurny, Nat Melnicove,
The Capital Times
big part of why there is hatred
is because we don’t under
stand. It’s OK to sit down and
be comfortable to ask each
other questions,” she added.
She also stressed that bring
ing students of all cultures
together would open them to
learning all different points of
One campus club involved in
bringing students of different
cultures together is the
International
Association. Dr. Clem Gilpin,
assistant professor of commu
nity systems and afro-ameri
can studies, is the club’s facul
ty advisor.
Gilpin said bringing interna
tional and American students
together “gives us an opportu
nity to interact with people
from other countries who will
become leaders of varying
aspects of their societies. It’s a
two way street—we gain a
great deal and they gain a
great deal.”
Ezra Nugroho, President of
lAA, agrees. The Information
Technology graduate student
from Indonesia said it is impor
tant to “bring awareness about
international students to local
people.” He reiterated Gilpin
in adding that people from dif
ferent parts of the world can
come together at PSH and
learn about each other.
For first-year Computer
Science graduate student
Syed Majeed Amjad, the
experience has been reward
ing. “Everything has been
great. It (campus) is fun,” said
the Pakistan native.
Russian grad student
Ivanova is happy to be back
studying in the United States.
The climate of Central
Pennsylvania is just right for
her, as is the PSH campus.
“My first impression of campus
is very positive. It is small and
you can get much attention
from the professors,” she said.
Another story on
International stu
dents can be found
on page 10 of this
issue
Christian Torres,
Herb Smith, Michael Green
Affairs