Edi t - o r's
C o or/ ot/ & kt/
By Kathyrn Herr
Editor in Chief .
kah92B@psu.edu
I would like to start out this issue's
comments by apologizing to two
of my writers for mistakes we've
made in past issues. The article
about Dragonfly's Salsa night
was not written by are regular Hot
Spot writer Elizabeth Wingate, as
it read, but was actually written
by her sister, Second on the
list, Marko Primorac's name
was spelled wrong on several
occasions in the past two issues
and for these two mistakes I am
very sorry and I would like to
say Thank You to Elizabeth and
Marko for all the hard work they
put into this paper.
I went to the football game this
weekend and I have only one
word: Student Section. I guess
that might be two. If you guys
have never been to a Penn State
football game in the student
section you are missing out.
There is dancing and singing,
cheering for the team and yelling
at the refs. It's passing the lion,
white out days, and the Blue Band
that breaths the breath of school
spirit. Yeah I'm a nerd and I love
it. We were lucky enough to be
in row N, yeah I said N not 88
like the last game I attended or
row 81 like the one before. Row
N. I heard the helmets smacking
against shoulder pads, I heard the
phone on the sidelines ringing. If
you ever get a chance to go and
sit in row N, do it.
New topic: Swipe cards. Who
thinks we need swipe card access
to the building after hours? I'm
doing a survey on this topic so
please email me and let me know
it you would have use for such a
thing. I also welcome any other
suggestions anyone may have
to improve accessibility to the
resources on campus. Hey, we
are paying for them, shouldn't
we be able to use them when it
is convenient for us. Everyone
knows college students work late
and sleep all day.
Some colleges bolt everything
down to the desks, computers,
desk lamps, and pens included,
and leave all buildings open all
the time so students can get to
the resources they need when
they need them. Maybe our
campus should adopt a similar
policy that allows only students,
faculty, or staff into the buildings
Students serve us in Iraq
By Amanda Nace
Staff Reporter
acnl29@psu.edu
They are not your average Penn
state students.
They have gone half way around
the world. They have had near
death experiences. They have
helped save lives.
Meet Staff Sergeant Mike
Campbell, 24. of New Oxford,
Sergeant Matt Mahoney, 24, of
Rochester, NY, and Sergeant
James Elligson. 25, of Reading.
They are all full-time students
at Penn State Harrisburg and
veterans of the Iraq war.
Penn State Harrisburg currently
has 205 veterans and 57 Chapter
1606 Reservists attending
classes. Reservists are currently
enlisted in the military and could
be called up for duty at any time.
All three were deployed in 2003
at the beginning of the Iraq war.
Both Campbell and Elligson
spent seven months in Iraq
TAFF. tor in 3e :
a y annon, teve yso
Kathryn Herr
O'Holla illll Davis, ' a
Herr, Elif Kaynak
Supat Kunchanasakul, ac arY ey, aew er, an. a
Oscar Beisert, Allyson
Davis, Katherine Davis, v
Nace, Steve O'Holla, Marko
Primorac, Brandon Sarzyn-
Assistant Editors: Photography Editor: Ashley Lockard, Michael Edwards, James ski, Aiyana Taylor, Biran
Llsrr Maruja Rosario, Ashley Lockard Grap, Brianna Guyer, Kath- Williams, Elizabeth Wing-
Staff Reporters: ryn Herr, Elif Kaynak, Mat- ate, Jordan Wiskemann
Kathryn Herr,
Editor in Chief
after hours
Soon I will be gone and there
will be no one to send a ripple
thorough the administration or
the food services office. I am
counting on you, the students, to
use your voice and start sending
letters to the editor to make the
ruckus that, as a college student,
you have a right to do. We might
not have grilled cheese and
chicken fingers in Stacks had
I not needed those items. The
great thing about the 'power of
the press' is that not only are
we allowed to write just about
anything as long as its true, but
our words are protected by law.
So go ahead and type away your
grievances and send them over
to the Cap Times and we'll put it
out there for you.
Now I know you guys are ready
for Thanksgiving break, with
all the turkey, stuffing, sweet
potatoes, cranberry sauce and so
much more, but eat responsibly.
Turkey can cause drowsiness
and prolonged napping.
Submissions
The Capital Times can be
reached at
Penn State Harrisburg
777 West Harrisburg Pike
Olmsted Building Room E-126
Middletown, PA 17057
Phone: (717) 948-6440
Email: captimes@psu.edu
Next Issue:
November 21, 2005
Please tell our adver
isers you saw them in
he Capital Times!
while Mahoney stayed for nine
months.
All three became involved in
the military during high school. "I
was a freshman in high school,
and I knew that's what I wanted
to do. It was only a matter of
time until I picked the Marines,"
said Mahoney, a junior electrical
engineering major.
Campbell, also a senior electrical
engineering major, enlisted in the
Army Reserves while he was
in high school so he could take
advantage of the benefits and
college money offered by the
military.
According to www.Military.com,
education is the number one
reason for joining the military.
Reservists can receive up to
$297 a month while veterans and
those who served active duty can
get up to $1,034 a month for their
education.
As was recently reported in the
Pittsburg Post-Gazette, nearly
70% of Pennsylvanians now
By Jordan Wiskemann
Staff Reoprter
jlwlo62@psu.edu
Fall is in the air, accompanied by
a significant drop in temperature,
leaves defying their primary
emerald hues, and the constant
need to carry an umbrella
should any raindrops decide to
plummet. Fall is the foundation
for change, and that theme was
the kickoff for SGA's 7th meeting.
It began with roll call, as it alway s
does; however, when it came
time to open the floor for public
comments, a representative
from the international Affairs
Association (lAA) roused the
members of senate from their
Autumn-induced daze. The
representative from the lAA read
a letter of apologies in regards to
a prior submitted letter that had an
apparent accusatory nature. The
lAA then resubmitted the previous
proposal for further funding of
an upcoming trip to Arlington,
Virginia. The senate collectively
elected to grant the request of the
lAA, presenting the organization
with over $lOOO from the SGA's
restricted account.
As the lAA representative took
his seat, the president of the
school's art magazine Tarnhelm
Students worksfor free to raise money for THO
THON cond' from 1
This year, Penn State Harrisburg
will be sending two students to
THON weekend to be part of
the 700 dancers that represent
the many organizations at Penn
State University Park and all of
the commonwealth locations
The THON
committee is
working hard
to raise funds
to find a cure
to pediatric
cancer through
strategic
investments
in hospital
bills, research
efforts, and a
new family
centered
pavilion at the
Penn State
Children's
Hospital.
The THON
committee would like to thank
Cold Stone Creamery owner
Jaime Bolen-Pollock and all of
the employees for allowing them
to take over the creamery for
the evening and support Penn
State Harrisburg's efforts to raise
serving in the military are college
age. That's up from 40% during
Operation Desert Storm in 1991.
When college students serving
in the military are deployed
they can take leave from their
college and the school must then
reimburse them all their money.
Carolyn Julian, the student aid
advisor for PSH helps students
deal with financial aid. "They
were great here. Carolyn and
everybody helped me out a lot
and refunded all my student loans
for the semester. I even got my
book money back for the original
price," said Elligson.
Elligson, a senior environmental
engineering major, found it
shocking to go from the classroom
to the Iraqi desert in such a short
amount of time.
"It was real quick. Usually you
get some warning," said Elligson.
About two weeks into the 2003
spring semester, Elligson was
given his orders, and in less than
a month, found himself in Iraq.
News
SGA update
requested a private meeting
with the Treasurer or President
of the SGA to discuss methods
of assisting the publication.
The Student Affairs chair then
called the senate's attention to
a developing dilemma around
campus housing- trash and litter.
Members of the SGA were asked
to investigate solutions. They
were then informed that members
of THON will be
scooping ice cream at Cold Stone
Creamery from 5 10p.m. every
last Wednesday of the month.
Once all public representatives
had a chance to speak, the
Advisor's Report was given,
during which the acquiring of a
Gaming License by the SGA was
discussed. This license would
provide the SGA the legal ability
to hold a variety of entertaining
fundraisers such as a casino
night.
The most controversial topic of
the meeting was then unleashed.
The SGA proposed amendments
to their Of the three topics
included both on the handout
and in the senate's debate, the
most deliberation was caused by
Amendment 111, the mandatory
involvement with the SGA of
all club presidents. The senate
disputed the amount of times
money for kids with cancer. The
committee also wants to thank
those who have supported the
students' efforts.
The THON committee is excited
about their volunteer work at Cold
Stone Creamery and cannot wait
until the next Cold Stone Night,
which will be held on Wednesday,
November 30
from 5 until
10pm. Students,
faculty, staff,
parents, friends,
and community
members are
encouraged
to come out
and support
THON. Patrons
will receive
ten percent off
their order, and
twenty-percent
of all profits
will be donated
to THON. So
Arid O'Malley smiles for the
camera with a waffel cone in
hand at Coldestone Creamery.
whether you
like "Nights in White Chocolate"
or are tempted by "Caramel
Turtle Temptation," the THON
committee hopes you stop by
Cold Stone that evening and
support the volunteers from Penn
State Harrisburg. Remember, it's
for the kids!
"Not a good place for an Irish
kid," Elligson said with a smile.
"It's a different world," said
Campbell, "We had to spend so
many hours outside to get used
to the heat."
The average temperature during
an Iraqi summer is about 120
degrees Fahrenheit. Campbell
spent two weeks in 150 degree
weather. "We were drinking water
that actually burnt your mouth as
you put it in, but that's all we had
to drink," said Campbell.
Mahoney equates Iraq to putting,
"a blow dryer, the hottest heat,
full blast in your face and start
pouring sand into it."
Adjusting to living conditions in
Iraq took some time. Everyday
luxuries that are taken for granted
such as showers, air conditioning,
even beds were in short supply or
didn't even exist in the war zone.
"Originally, when we got over
there, we didn't have showers.
We didn't have enough water.
We slept on top of the humvees,"
The Capital Times, November 7, 2005
it should be required that each
club president sits in on an
SGA meeting per semester.
The amendment was suggested
mainly so all club presidents
know how the SGA works. This
would allow clubs to be
knowledgeable of where to go
and what to do if they feel they
need anything. Also, it would be a
chance for the SGA to be sure all
club budgets are running
smoothly. The debate dragged
on so long that senate members
elected to close the issue and
move it to the next meeting
because of time restraints.
The meeting concluded with
SGA President, Mike Edwards,
instructing members of the senate
to give themselves "a hand" for
their successful Fall Fest. In
return, the senate congratulated
Mike Edwards on winning the Pie
Eating Contest. The meeting was
then adjourned.
The next meeting took half the
time of the former, and was far
less eventful.
_Edwards played a
slideshow filled with pictures of
volunteers for THON scooping
ice cream from the night before
the meeting. The meeting was
filled with simple announcements.
THON reminded the senate of ice
cream scooping at Cold Mountain
Matthew Mahoney shows off his prize waffel bowls he has just
made with the help of other PSH students at Coldstone Creamery.
Sgt. James Elligson during his seven months in Iraq as a U.S. Marine
said Elligson. "After awhile we
got stuck in tents, and I think
that was actually worse," he
continues. There wasn't much
space. His tent-mates came and
went at different hours, and of
course there is always that one
person that snores. "It can kind
of grate on you after awhile," said
Elligson.
Mahoney recalls having 32-40
people to a tent when his unit first
went into Iraq. Eventually they
Creamery, and explained that
the more people who come in
and buy ice cream - even if it's
just one small dish- the more it
benefits THON. Diversity Affairs
announced a "Diversity Day" in
the works at University Park.
The atmosphere was kept
so light, that the Amendments
introduced in the previous
meeting were never mentioned.
Instead, the announcements
were followed by a proposal for
the SGA to organize a lollipop
and candy bar sale for the week
of November 14th was approved.
After the fundraising discussion,
the SGA discussed the possibility
of serving "Finals Food". This
would include meals and snacks
prepared for the students of PSH
during finals week, because
most students have little time
to prepare their own meals due
to the demands and pressures
placed on them by finals. This
proposal was also approved. The
meeting was then adjourned.
Even with all the changes involved
with Fall, and the consistent needs
and progressions generated by
the people and organizations of
PSH, the SGA is right on target,
doing all they can to enrich the
atmosphere of our campus.
Photo courtousy of James Elligson
got it down to about 16 people
per tent. "You have this one
little spot to call your own. It's
only a cot about as long as your
body. You pack everything else
underneath," said Mahoney.
The close quarters of communal
living wasn't all bad news though.
"It's really nice to see other
people working together, people
from all different backgrounds,
coming together as a team," said
Elligson.