SGA
update
By JORDAN WISKEMANN
Staff Reporter
JLWIO62@PSU.EDU
The SGA, now down from 18 to
eight senators, is looking for new
members. There has been
much discussion about appointing
new senators in the past few
SGA meetings.
During the February 1 meeting,
a contender showed up for a
senator position in the School
of Humanities. He was made to
stand in front of the senate and
answer senators’ questions, as per
protocol. The questions included
whether he knew the policies and
whether he had ever previously
worked with a governing student
body. He explained that he
was nervous.
He was then sent into the hall, as
the senate had to vote on whether
he could become a senator.
Senators voted “no” because he
had difficulty answering
their questions.
Senators used the Open Forum to
ask questions about the procedures
regarding appointing senators.
President Ariel O’Malley said the
senators should be looking for
ambitious students
with good leadership skills who
will dedicate their time and
services to
plan things
According to Vice President
Augie Bravo, senators have been
resigning from the SGA almost
biweekly. The most common
for resignation is the time
commitment required by senators.
“I’d rather have eight dedicated
individuals than twenty-eight who
don’t care,” said Bravo. “Those
eight would still be doing all
the work.”
Bravo explained that there are
never assurances a senator will stay
with the SGA through the year. He
said if the Senator of Academic
Affairs resigns, other senators have
to take care of Academic Affairs
plus their own department.
Also during that meeting,
the president of the pending
multicultural club asked the
student court why he had to
wait seven months with no
response on the constitution of his
club. His club won’t be recognized
as a club until the student court
accepts his constitution. The
student court said that
he had to resubmit his constitution
due to some technicalities. He
insisted he had resubmitted his
constitution in October and still
had not heard
any reply.
Then SGA advisors suggested a
link on the SGA website to give
students and faculty the dates and
times of SGA meetings.
Also included would be a link to
the minutes from each meeting.
The SGA spent most
ot the February 8 meeting debating
planning for The Rites of Spring
events. Some of the SGA
members said that they felt it was
unfair for the SGA executive board
to plan The Rites of Spring events
without including senators. They
also thought the SGA shouldn't
pay for the exents since the entire
SGA didn't get to help plan
the event.
O'Malley and Vice
president Augie Bravo told the
SGA that details of The Rites of
Spring events are
traditionally always kept secret
to draw more attention and
excitement toward the events.
Senators then questioned w hy the
executive board didn't use the free
printing services in the Olmsted
building’s basement.
"I’m not advertising 525.000
worth of events on 8 by 11 inch
paper," said Bravo. "That just
doesn't make sense."
Internal strife about furniture
By JORDAN WISKEMANN
Staff Reporter
JLWIO62@PSLI.EDU
A few Student Government
Association (SGA) senators are
questioning the need for new
chairs purchased for their office.
The leather chairs include heated
massaging seats.
“I just don’t think it’s a good use
of the students’ money,” said Sahar
Sahaee, Senator for the Division of
Undergraduate Studies
According to
President Ariel
O’Malley, the chairs
were paid for through
a Student Activities
Fund (SAF) grant.
O’Malley submitteda
proposal for funding.
Vice President Augie
Bravo explained
the process.
“The grant requires
that the requestor
submit in writing
the reason for the
request,” he said.
“The request is then
reviewed by the
allocation committee
which is comprised
of students, faculty
and staff.”
O’Malley cited a line
in the S AF handbook,
which states that SAF funds may
be used to purchase furniture for
WPSH:
By GREG BRITTAIN
Staff Reporter
GCBI34@PSU.EDU
Penn State Harrisburg’s radio
station, WPSH, has never been
fully operational. Recently though,
as the result of the dedication and
commitment of one student, WPSH
is reaching more people than it ever
has, but in a less traditional way
than one might have expected.
Timothy Marowsky, the
president of WPSH. has led the
station into the Internet Age.
Students can now download
WPSH-created content through
iTunes. Currently several
students, including Marowsky,
are creating "podcasts."
What is podcasting?
Podcasting is the creation
of either audio or video that
is published on the internet,
generally in a "show" format.
So far, students have focused
mainly on music. Marowsky's
show covers a broad variety
of music. DJ X Level’s show,
"Degrees,” is formed around
the premise that he can connect
six artists in hip-hop and R&B
based upon each artist having
appeared in another artist’s song.
Michael Tuffy does a short
format sports show where he
discusses issuesandcontroversies
in sports. I also do a show, and 1
generally cover a broad variety
of eclectic music.
Why podcasting instead
of true radio broadcasting?
Marowsky says, "Analog radio
is a dying medium.” Podcasting
allows for a nearly unlimited
amount of student-created
content to be published and
shared on the internet. Also,
the time and money that it
would require to get a real radio
station up and running would
make the entire undertaking
unleasible and probably
financially impossible.
Who can create podcasts? Any
student currently enrolled at PSH
can become a member of the radio
station and create his or her own
content. Students who are new to
WPSH and want to create podcasts
but do not quite know how will be
student offices. According to Bravo,
SAF funds have nothing to do with
SGA funds.
“Some members of the SGA don’t
know where the funds come from,
yet they vote on it every week,”
said Bravo.
O’Malley originally submitted a
proposal for $95 per chair. Bravo
explained that the allocation
committee felt a greater sum should
be given to the SGA. The chairs cost
close to $lBO per chair.
Several members of the SGA said
Photos by SUPAT KANCHANASAKUL/Copital Times
the old chairs in their office were
unsafe. O'Malley said the old chairs
instructed by the current members
of the station. Podcasts are not
limited to music programs; because
of the format, students are free to
create whatever they want, like
talk programs, sports discussion
or even short films. The future of
WPSH is not limited to being simply
an outlet for radio programming.
Because ofthe nature of podcasting, it
The interior of the WPSH studio glows with warm light. In this very studio WPSH has finally began podcasting, w hj,
also has the potential to become a
television station.
The future ofthe station lies in the
hands of the students ot Penn State
Harrisburg. It is important for more
students to get involved, especially
underclassmen, so the station can
Radio station finds voice
were beginning to fall apart
and becoming hazardous.
The back of one of the
chairs fell off continuously.
Both O’Malley and Bravo
said that only two members
of the SGA have had
issues with the decision to
buy the chairs. O’Malley
walked around and asked
random students how they
felt about the chairs. She
said the student body is
very understanding and the
majority just don’t care.
Bravo explained that
the students are more
concerned with the SGA
helping them. Most
senators agree.
“At first I thought it
wasn’t a good idea [to
buy the chairs], but
then 1 learned the story behind
it,” said Craig Dewalt, SGA
Community Liason. “The SAF
told Ariel to spend more money
than she asked for because
they wanted us to have better
quality chairs.”
Dewalt said he was with
O’Malley when she was looking
at the chairs on a website.
She originally planned to buy
massaging plain leather chairs
that cost less.
“I think if we would have
bought more expensive plain
leather chairs, nobody would have
made a big deal about it,” said
remain active after Marowsky and
other current members have left.
If no one joins, WPSH will likely
revert to its previous state, and
that will be a shame, as so much
progress has been made in this
last school year. Students can and
should come by the radio station
if they are interested. WPSH is
located conveniently near Stacks
Market in the Olmsted building
How do you access the podcasts*
First, make sure you're connected
to the internet and that y ou have
iTunes. If you do not have iTunes
you can download it at www.appie'
com/itunes. download. Once you
Dewalt. “Since the new chairs have
massagers, that’s what threw this
whole thing over the edge.”
Bravo spends over 25 hours
per week in the SGA office while
O’Malley spends at least 40 hours.
Both agreed that buying the new
chairs was necessary. O’Malley
explained that she often had severe
back pain and discomfort after
spending so much time in the old
chairs. Bravo said he had pain in
both his back and his legs.
Still, not all senators are positive
that the accessories on the new
chairs are essential.
“It was definitely a good idea to
are connected, go to the website
su.edu. There, you
will have to select whether or
not you are a Penn State user or
a Penn State guest. If you are a
student, select “Penn State user.” If
youarenotastudent,select“PennState
guest.” If you have downloaded and
properly installed iTunes, it will
be launched and you will be
www.itunes
taken to the Penn State podcasts
main page in iTunes. Under the
category “Around Penn State,
click on the “Penn State Podcast
Shows” link. After accessing that
page, you will be shown another
page with the title “Shows at
buy new chairs,” said Sahaee. “I
just think they went overboard
with the heating and massage.
Just because the chairs were more
expensive doesn’t mean they are
better quality.”
Sahaee said that although the SAF
offered more money to the SGA, the
SGA didn’t have to accept it all.
“I don’t know how better chairs
make a better SGA,” said Sahaee.
Bravo explained that nothing was
taken away from the student body
and the SGA funds that are intended
for the student body and student
organizations were not affected in
any way.
the top. In the bottom left comer
of this page, there is a link to
“WPSH Radio Station.” Click
that, and you will be taken
to a list of all of the podcasts
students have posted thus far.
You can download each podcast
individually, or you can select the
option to subscribe
will automatically
ich are available now on iTunes
new podcasts when they
are uploaded.
Students who join WPSH w ill have
the opportunity to have their voice
heard by a massive audience. Stop
b y the station today to see how you
can get involved.
so you
receive