2 December 3, 2007
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I recently went to interview for
an internship at the Arc of PA,
which helps pass legislation for
developmentally disabled people.
I was told to sit in the conference
room and wait for my interviewer.
There was a poster in the room,
with the face of a developmentally
disabled child and the text "I'm
different" across the poster.
As shocked as I was at the
statement, I quickly realized that
underneath this statement was the
text "I want a small wedding."
Yes, we're all different. I hate
jelly and foods of different textures
on my plate. Others prefer Coke
over Pepsi or Thousand Island
dressing over Ranch.
I've noticed talk lately about
differences. A difference in race, a
difference in sexual orientation, a
difference in appearance is always
an underlying part of society.
But there is a lot more that unites
Americans than divides them.
Don't we all want the best life for
ourselves and our families? Don't
we all cherish our given American
freedoms and wish to defend them?
We have worked as a society
to gain rights for women and
minorities, we do not tolerate
oppression outside of our borders,
Okay peop
That's right folks! Gas is $3.15 at the local 7-11. Remember those good old days when gas was under 3 bucks?
Remember when it was under 2?! It's true, gas used to be cheaper than a gallon of milk. But now, thanks to many fac
tors, we're all spending half of a pay check to fill up our tanks. Imagine telling y our children how cheap gas used to
be, in the same fashion that my dad used to tell me how he could by eight crayons and a coloring book for a dollar.
You'll sigh and remember how good it was, and how you remember when gas hit three bucks a gallon and the world
was shocked. But really, how much more of this are we willing to take? I ask those of you who commute to campus,
how much is this hurting your wallet? Now, those of you who live in Pineford don't count, but what about the students
who commute from Hershey, Harrisburg, or even across the river? I'm pretty sure that you should get some more mon
ey from FEAA for gas. It's amazing how we all just accept this with little fight. Yes, we all sit around and are appalled
at the price, but remember when gas hit 2 dollars a gallon? And now it's over 3 dollars?! A friend recently came to be
bragging that he got gas for $2.85, a price that would have seemed outrageous this time last year. Though I do not
have a proposed plan to reduce gas prices, because I personally feel that boycotting gas for a day it worthless, but
something has got to give! The money in my wallet is quickly falling, unlike gas prices in central PA.
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but why do we refuse to focus
inside of our borders?
An ideology where any American,
no matter white, black, gay,
straight, smart, disabled, rich or
poor, can walk down the street
without being chastised or judged
is obtainable. I do not believe that
laws regulating personal thoughts
of hate will cure this societal
malady. I do believe that it will be a
slow recovery from years of social
standards and inherited beliefs.
We regulate through the Civil
Rights Act and the ADA that
no man or woman, regardless
of gender, race or intellectual
disability will be discriminated
against, but this can only apply
to things such as housing and
employment.
It is deemed in civilized society
that discrimination against another
due to a difference to be wrong. It
is the living room conversations,
or the jokes between friends
that cause hidden discrimination
that may channel into outwards
aggression.
Call me crazy, but I believe that
the people who are crazy enough
to think they can change the
world are the ones who do. It will
take the one person in the room
who calls out comments that are
inappropriate, the one person who
holds the door for a woman in a
wheelchair, and the one person who
stands up for basic human decency
to change what has been acceptable
in American society for years.
We need to celebrate our
differences, not highlight them.
There should not be a need for a
Black Student Union or a need for
women's rights groups. The only
thing these groups do is call out the
difference between Americans with
the mission of creating an even
bigger rift.
We accept our friends for who
they are, for their mistakes, but we
should also accept others that we
do not know for the same reason.
We are all human, we all have
dream, we all feel happiness and
CORRECTIONS:
Diversity was spelled
wrong on the ticker.
THE CAPITAL TIMES
No matter if you scramble an
egg or poach it, it is still an egg.
The same applies for people.
We all want what is best, we all
want peace, we all want ultimate
happiness.
Learn, appreciate, change. I beg
you. We are the future of this
country, let's be proud of what we
grow up to be.
You can help promote change by
contacting different clubs around
campus. The MCRT or MAAEP are
great places to start.
Or get in contact with SGA
Diversity Chair, Pheobe West.
She is starting a lecture series that
focuses on the history of different
cultures, and hopes to start a class
on this topic. Get involved! The
more people who help to make a
change, the better.
If you are the type to laugh in the
face of activism from your couch,
atleast come out and attend a
MCRT meeting, or one of the MLK
lecture series. Or even join a club
that you know no one in.
Diveristy is not just about race,
it is a group of different people
coming together for one common
goal: happiness.
On a completely different topic,
Marques: good luck next semester,
and thank you for all that you
have accomplished. You have set a
standard for every SGA president
that comes after you and inspired
change within the school. The
amount you have done in such a
short time is amazing and I thank
you. You will be missed.
Marin Alice
e• • •
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From the barstoo
• • •
The crux of the semester is
quickly approaching, and with it
comes the chaos of papers, exams,
and general widespread panic. But
there is more to this time of year
than just finishing the semester, and
I call this time the fabulous holiday
season. So on top of finishing my
30-page paper for a class, I am also
concerned about fighting people
for parking spaces, adding on and
crossing off people on my holiday
list, and trying to figure out how to
pay for it all. Which is how I ended
up sitting on my barstool trying to
release some stress.
Turns out that lots of other people
are trying to do the same thing.
Most of them are also huddled on
their stools, rocking back and forth
with the sheer horror of trying to
take care of the holiday season. A
bartender tells me a story about how
when she moved to Pennsylvania,
the thought of not being able to shop
in a mall and stop at a restaurant
inside it to get a festive beverage
before taking the crowds again
filled her with horror. Which got
me to thinking that my Christmas
shopping would be much merrier if
I could also get a festive beverage in
between the chaos.
Other conversations include also
figuring out how to pay for the all
the presents that they have to buy
for people. I heard comments as
simple as putting them on "the god
\ 1
LICE-...................._ Li(;
11/12/07: Employee injury: M&O
employee was pricked by needle
while emptying trash in room w3ll
Employee's report of occupational
injury was completed.
11/13/07: Health and safety: PSO in
area of first floor women's restroom
in attempt to determine person
leaving waste in trash can. Negative
results
11/14/07: Smoking policy: Staff
reported people smoking in front of
library. Gone on arrival.
11/14/07: Reckless driving: M&O
employee reported gold Honda was
driving with passenger on hood.
Citation issued for reckless driving
to operator.
11/15/07: Reckless driving: M&O
reported black car speeding and
doing donuts in rear lot. PSO
checked area with negative results.
11/15/07: Community education
By NUItRUJA ROSARIO
Assistant Editor
MXR3OOOPSU.EDU
Capital Times Staff
Editor in Chief: Marin Bendoritis Assistant Editor: Maruja Rosario
Business Manager: Matthew Carroll Copy Editor: Diana Le
Layout Editors: Amanda Noce, Amber Hudson, Katrina Fulk
Staff:
Rabyia Ahmed
Kris Aumiller
Sharnice Barnett
Jenifer Baughman
Marin Bendoritis
Matt Birx
Matthew Carroll
Craig Dewalt
Oliver Eisler
Janelle Howell
damn credit card" to extravagant
ideas of trying to hit the lottery.
Then there are the complaints
about the time and how no one has
any to go Christmas shopping. More
are taking to the Internet for their
shopping needs, finding that to be
the most efficient way. For people
like me though, who have no idea
what they are getting until they see
it in the store, we are the champions
in procrastination. In fact, one
such comment included buying
Christmas presents on December 24
at the local gas station.
On this particular day, for
whatever god forsaken reason,
Christmas songs were being played,
which opened up a whole new
can of worms. Everyone begins to
complain about the music and how
it does not make people, especially
drunk people, merry. As the fourth
one begins, one lovely lady just
says, "Seriously?" and from her tone
the listener knows that she is two
songs away from ripping someone's
throat out.
Then there are the complaints
about seeing that family that you
only see when it is the holiday
season. People are already getting
drunk with the thought of having to
see that side of the family that they
do not associate with unless forced.
Which brings me to the point. For
all the supposed joy of the holiday
season, I sure as heck couldn't
find it at the bar. All I found was
a barrage of complaints covering
almost everything the holidays try to
promote. Spending time with family,
REPORT
PSS spoke to Capital Times about
department services.
11/15/07: Trespass: Caller reported
person in construction area. Gone
on arrival
11/17/07: Disabled vehicle: PSO
contacted towing company at
owners request for vehicle that
broke down.
11/19107: Health and safety
Periodically checked road
conditions due to snow.
11/19/07: Vehicle escort: Provided
escort for chancellor from campus
to HIA
11/20/07: Parking: Sherwin issued
parking ticket for parking in 3
parking spaces
11/21/07: Employee accident:
Multiple employees reported being
exposed to floor tiles in Demey
school. Employee injury reports
Ivana Lee
Whitney Loug
Matthew Mahoney
Ariel O'Malley
Matthew McComas
Allison Mills
Adam Porter
Maruja Rosario
Martin Santalucia
Dusty Sipes
giving gifts, and being merry are the
last things on these people's minds.
They are too busy trying to figure
out how to pay for it, how to pretend
to be happy, and the best way to
cope with this invasive time of year.
I personally do not care for
Christmas because I feel it has
been commercialized, and it would
appear that the rest of the bar stands
with me. Which then leads me to
dream up what would be a great
Christmas.
Wouldn't it be great if I didn't
have to get you a present simply
because you were kind enough to
get me one? Nothing personal, but I
truly don't have the money.
Wouldn't it be great if I got to
choose the people that I call family
and spend Christmas with them
instead of being forced to spend it
with someone I really don't know?
If I could surround myself with
my definition of family, I would be
joyous.
Wouldn't it be great if the radio
stations let the malls be the sole
players of Christmas music so that
I wouldn't have to be reminded
every second of the day that it is
Christmas time?
And lastly, wouldn't it be great
if we could all go back to the time
when you looked forward to waking
up early and opening presents, not
caring their worth or their value,
and just being pleased that someone
thought enough about them to give
them a little something?
Happy Holidays my friends. Drive
safe, be safe. See ya later.
111
completed
11/23/07: Employee injury:
M&O employee reported being
exposed to asbestos at Demey
scb,gpJ, Employee report of injury
completed.
11/24/07: Vehicular escort: PSO
provided escort for chancellor from
airport to campus
11/24/07: Suspicious incident: PSO
observed white male sleeping in
vehicle. Male early for airplane
flight taking nap.
11/25/07: Security lapse: Found
rooms cl 2 & cl 5 open with lights
on. PSO secured doors. Monitor
for rooms was outside smoking/
educated monitor about crime
prevention.
I ]/28/07: University policy:
Observed 5 smokers in smoke free
zone. Dispersed them to other side
of Olmsted drive
Sahar Safaee
Matthew Shortall
Ann Stillwater
Anna Ustilovskaya
Photographers:
Marin Bendoritis