47 No. 5 ~~"~~: r By RABYIA AHMED Staff Reporter RZA 1 09@PSU.EDU "All mathematicians are perfectly insane," he said. That is how they are portrayed in popular culture, anyway. With movies like Good Will Hunting and A Beautiful Mind, people think that mathematicians are these antisocial, peculiar beings who are either bald or have crazy hair. The opposite is true for many math-lovers, actually. Such is the case with Ronald A. Walker, assistant professor in mathematics. He joined the Penn State Harrisburg family this past fall, but judging from a few first appearances, he seems to be very "normal". Of course that poses the question of what normal actually is, but it's definitely safe to say that he is not an alien from Mars. One of his distinguishing factors from some other professors is his sense of humor, he said; especially his use of puns. Walker describes himself as a practitioner of paronomasia or word-play. Occasionally, his sense of humor makes it to the classroom. "There are three types of mathematicians, those who can count and those who can't," he said wittingly, as he provided a sample. For research, this soft-spoken professor enjoys studying complex analysis, where he studies the functions of complex variables. He said the concrete and abstract aspects of math make it fun for him, which is why he wants to communicate it to others. "I really enjoy teaching it to others because I get to revisit what I love to do," said Walker, the curly, redhead. The classes he teaches this semester are calculus, which many incoming freshman are taking and linear algebra. It is his drive to assist students that puts him in line with other professors. Walker wishes to be a mentor-like figure to his students. He wants to be there for his students with any class related questions, which is why his office door is almost always open. "I want to provide my students with any support I am able to give to them when they don't understand the material," Walker said. There are two things about teaching Please see WALKER on page 4 INDEX: ITAL c if Newspapers, DOA By MARIN BENDORITIS Editor in Chief MABS33B@PSU.EDU Newsprint is dead. Newspapers sit idly on stands, waiting to be read while the pulsing glow of the TV joins in a mocking chorus with the blue of the computer monitor. The decline of print news can be seen within the past decade or so. Major newspapers have experienced a decline of circulation, and a loss of revenue, forcing cutbacks on staff and a reduced paper size. No longer do we rely on print journalists to update us on worldly events. It is the TV news, and the news websites that are able to provide up to date information. In 2000, the Washington Post reported that their net income was 225.8 million, compared to 417.3 million in 1999. Parking At Penn State Harrisburg Too many students for not enough spaces By IVANA LEE Staff Reporter 151.5004@PSU.EDU We all must park our car somewhere. But to park on campus, one needs a permit. Parking permits cost full-time students $75 for two semesters, both fall and spring, or $4O for one semester. One semester costs part-time students $2O. Full-time faculties pay $lO per month while part-time faculties pay $5 per month. Photo by MARIN BENDORMS/Capital Times The Olmsted lot becomes crowded by early afternoon, focing students to drive around in search of the closest space. Since 1994, parking permit costs stayed the same, and where does this money go? It goes toward construction of parking lots, snow removal in the winter, the traffic light when entering campus as well as painting the lines on the lots. Ever notice the campus parking lot so filled? Ever leave campus for about 30 minutes and return only to wonder, "Where did these cars come from?" Everywhere you look Police Report Opinion Newspapers are changing format, but also striking content. The Wall Street Journal, for instance, eliminated stock pages to save on cost. Other newspapers, especially localized ones, must downsize staff which results in fewer articles. In order to keep up with the interne news trend, many newspapers are converting to online publishing. You are able to read the day's news online, for a fee, from major newspapers across the country. Although this allows users to access news published around the country, which it can be argued, actually advances journalism. The New York Times hoped in 2005 to increase revenue by charging for content, $49.95 a year, but free to those who have a subscription to the printed version. the library parking lot, the back of Olmsted cars are packed row after row. Even the parking lot near the Swatara and C.U.B. is full. It can be frustrating at times to find a parking spot on campus, especially if you're rushing to get to a class or meeting. "I have never been late for a class because I couldn't find a parking space, but it does take up a good amount of time, maybe five to eight minutes, before I'm able to find an empty parking spot," said a Penn State student. One thing I most hated about parking on campus was when I would think I found a parking spot and turn into it only to find a small Honda Civic or Mini Cooper. Then I have to reverse and go row after row, looking for another spot. We all have our own experience of parking here at Harrisburg. Some find it more frustrating than others. Some arrive to campus in time to see a parking lot almost empty. December 3, 2007 But with the availability of free news from sites such as msnbc.com or cnn.com, few internet users will pay for their news. According to Bob Greene, the editor of Newsday and founder of the journalism program at Hofstra University, " Reduced news staffs lead to gradual abdication of responsibility for comprehensive and insightful news coverage." According to an internet source, in 2002, the ad revenue was $44 billion for newspapers, while in the first six months of 2003, the number dropped to just under $2l billion. The sexual appeal of journalism has declined, no longer are journalists the social elite, with years of schooling and experience. With the ease of creating a `blog' which allows anyone to voice opinions as an expert; Penn State Harrisburg has 2,235 parking spaces: 77 for the handicapped, 32 for visitors, 21 reserved and five for motorcycles, leaving 2,100 for faculty and students That is a lot of parking spaces but sometimes the open spots are the furthest from Olmsted and are not a favorable. It doesn't seem there are a lot of parking spaces on campus, but there is depending on the time and what day of the week it is. By 9 a.m., the library parking lot is filled. By 10 a.m., the Olmsted But many students agreed it would be rare for a college student to wake up early and arrive at campus a hour before class just to have their car parked as close to Olmsted as possible. Let's take this crowded parking lot issue one step further. If it is crowded now, what happens when it News 4 - 5 Club News 6 - 7 parking lot is pretty packed with some close parking spaces here and there, but a little before 8 a.m., there are many open spaces Junior Jenna Wessels arrives at campus between 9 and 11 a.m. and said it gets a little frustrating, but the earlier you get to campus, the better. Many students who drive to campus agreed that arriving earlier is better because there are more available parking spaces Please see PARKING on page 4 From the Barstool National Insecurities Fall Sports Wrap-up. Hot spot journalists must constantly prove their level of expertise and their credibility. It may be a generation divide that is killing newsprint. Barely thirty years ago, the newspaper was the major source of news, but this generation of young adults refuses to even pick up a free copy of the New York Times or USA today unless it is required for a class or to rip out the crossword. Penn State Harrisburg offers journalism classes, but a student must go to University Park to complete an actual journalism degree, and only 677 students are enrolled in the major, campus wide. Here at the Capital Times, we are in the same predicament as other newspapers around the country. Our newspaper is constantly understaffed, and circulation is minimal. It is a constant struggle The Penn State Harrisburg veteran By MATTHEW BIRX Staff Reporter MEB3S 1 @PSU.EDU Most of us take it for granted. Some of us realize what they have done for us. Others know what they have, and decided to follow in their footsteps. I am speaking of the veterans ex-servicemen and women as well as those currently in and those joining the armed forces. Penn State Harrisburg happens to have a large armed forces presence on the campus. The campus was Many students at Penn State Harrisburg are veterans of the armed services or currently enlisted. It is a challenge for those to change between service life and civilian life sometimes. once an Air Force base. The US Air Force Reserves 193"' is across the road at the Harrisburg International Airport. There is a US Naval Weapons Distribution Center near Camp Hill. In Carlisle, we have the US Army War College and there is also Fort Indiantown Gap in the area as well After PSH's Veteran's Day ceremony, I interviewed a few veterans who attended this college. There are many of them here. They Campus Calendar.... 7 Sports • • '•••-'••• " ' 7 4 5:4,, Vic-. to produce news that is attractive enough that college students will pick up a copy of this free newspaper. It it not only newspapers, but books publishers who are also feeling the decline in young readership. According to an article published by the Boston Globe, almost half of Americans between the ages of 18 and 24 never read a book for pleasure. This is opposed to the 2 -2.5 hours spent watching TV, according to the article Change is slow, but unavoidable. For those whose life revolved around newspapers and newsprint, this is a hard fact to accept. Although there is something to be said for actually having a newspaper clipping to remember an event, the shocking decline of newsprint is still seen. can be seen everyday. Some of these men and women have the same classes as you and I, and you may not even know they have served. A very good friend of mine who has served said, "We are grateful to be here and be alive. Most of us are in school because society says we need a piece paper from a university so we can excel in the real world." Others are here because they want to better themselves because they are not "lifers." You would be able to spot a Photo courtesy of GOGGLE IMAGES former or current member of the armed forces by the way they carried themselves. The other way would he if you see three red letters. Those letters are XGI. Senior Matthew Mahoney said, "You can walk into a room on campus and when you see the red XGI on someone's shirt you immediately know that is a person you can trust and someone mature Please see VETERANS on page 4 Entertainment 9-10 11 Games Page 2 Page 3 Page 5 Page 9
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers