Capitol times. (Middletown, Pa.) 1982-2013, February 18, 2008, Image 2
February 18, 2008 ==aar-AllO • =IMICL• Hello! I'm hoping you all had a good past 2 weeks and enjoyed the day off! I know that my past two weeks were pretty hectic, but all is settling down which is definitely a positive. So I want to ask you all; what inspires you'? When you're tired and ready to give up, what gets you out of bed? What keep you going? Why do you do what you do? Is it personal ambition, the need to prove someone else wrong, or the desire for power? It is happiness? Is it a goal that we've set? Is it another person? Do you even know? If the previous is true, I dare you to think about it, why do you do what you do? I think that you will be surprised to find out. Feel free to write in, e-mail me at mabs33Bo)psu.edu or just stop in the office. I've been thinking a lot about what keeps us all going. Is it money? I've been doing a lot of reevaluating of my busy, busy schedule and realized that what inspires me is not the power, not the money (really, I get no compensation for this...) , not even the people. It's the feeling of going Okay people... . I love what they've done with the place. Really, I do. I'm really excited that the front of our building got a makeover. But what the cast and crew of "Extreme Home Makeover: College Edition" forgot, was that it's cold in Pennsylvania. So when you put a huge door in the middle of the cafeteria, there is a slight chance that the cold air would come in. Solution: this cubicle wall! I think it adds something to the school. I'm thinking about putting Dilbert comics on it, and a calendar picturing babies dressed as fruit. Apparently, this "wall" is supposed to help block some of the cold air from coming in. I understand the concept, but it's going to be cold next winter too, and honestly Penn State Harrisburg, this is not the most aesthetically pleasing thing. Maybe you can get some people to paint a mural on it? I can't wait to see what happens in the summer... CORRECTIONS: The Cap Times has a websitel The Study Abroad story psucapitaltimes.com. incorrectly stated that the stu- Check it out for this current dents went to South Africa, issue and copies of our old instead of South America. issues. Please submit any corrections to mabs33B@psu.edu eo'r ) i . C home at the end of the day and knowing that I did something, that I helped someone, or made an impact I've been told that I can't say 'no' to volunteering, which doesn't have to be a bad thing. But I can't begin to tell you the amazing feeling that I get when I get a 'thank you' from someone I helped. As you may or may not know, I've volunteered at a camp called Camp New Day for the past 5 years now, which is a camp for mentally disabled adults. Although it's hectic and stressful and I barely sleep, I could never stop. Camp inspires me. If I'm having a bad day, I tell myself, only another month until camp, or I call a fellow counselor to talk about memories. But it also has made me who I am, made me patient, caring, understanding and has educated me. I ask again, what inspires you? Take THON for an example. It's not easy not sleeping or sitting for 48 hours. But the dancers are inspired by the amazing and strong children from Hershey Med. Center. If you've been to THON, you'll know that by Sunday morning, all of the dancers are exhausted, but when those kids come on the floor, everyone's faces light up and new energy is found. It could be something little like that, being inspired to keep going to help someone else. It could be a mentor, who pulls you back onto that metaphorical horse. It doesn't even have to be someone you look up to. For me, it's my exec. board. Without them, I honestly would be in bed all day, but there's always that phone call from Diana wondering where I am and telling me that I promised here that I would be there 15 minutes ago, or an e-mail from Amber wondering what's going on. I feel responsible to them, which keeps me going. Or sometimes, I just rethink the stupid thing I am about to do and remember that Roo packs a good THE CAPITAL TIMES affi punch. Either way, without them, I would probably be huddled under a bridge somewhere, wondering where I was Yes, I am aware that I claimed that it wasn't the people who keep me going, but if it wasn't for them, I would not have that accomplished feeling. Granted, there are the things that we do because we have to Obviously, no one is inspired to get their oil changed, but even something as small as that needs inspiration in my view. You get your oil changed because it's part of typical care car, right? But why do you need a car? To get to a job that you love? Why do you love that job? There are many minute factors that help us to do what we are inspired to. It may be a combination of a lot of things that inspire you. Something little may inspire you to greatness, or a constant source of inspiration can inspire you for a long period of time. Whatever it is, take a moment to think about what would happen if it was not there. It's amazing how different your life could be without that person, or that even in your life. I leave you all with these thoughts, have a Beat next two weeks! Mairin Alice The Capital Times The Capital Times is currently looking for writers and Ad vertising Managers. Contact mabs33B@psu.edu or stop into E-126 From the barstoo By MARUJA ROSARIO Assistant Editor MXR3OO4,PSU.EDU Hello everyone. How are ya'll doing? I always hope that you are doing well. So, this week, I found myself sitting at the bar with an old friend. She and I have known each other since 2003, when we both enrolled at Penn State Harrisburg to get our bachelor's degrees in Communications. She would end up graduating in the spring of 2005 and I in the fall, and together our lives would change from our quaint existence as undergrads at PSH. We laughed merrily about the old times, cried about the new, complained about the jobs that we both still have and dreamed about the future. We learned that most of our high school classmates are married, pregnant, or divorced, and that our college classmates are headed on the same path. We learned that we still had friends who live with their parents, even though they should have left that nest a long time ago. It was at this point where we started to evaluate our own lives and tried to figure out where we fit into this quaint pattern that we obviously are \ -E9LICE 2/14/08: Health and safety: M&O reported portable heater in office melted trash can liner. 2/13/08: Outside assist agency: caller reported car was in ditch & hit telephone pole/RO advised DCC. 2 / 1 3/08: University policy: student smoking in tobacco free zone. RO advised student about policy. 2/13/07: Disorderly conduct: RO observed student urinating behind building. 2/13/08: Disturbance: CA reported loud bang in trash can outside building. Remains of chemical reaction found in can. Investigation continuing. 2/13/08: Vehicular escort: PSS provided escort from train station to eab for chancellor. 2/12/08: Motorist assist: provided directions to lost truck driver Capital Times Staff Editor in Chief: Marin Bendoritis Business Manager: Matthew Carroll Copy Editor: Matt Shortall Staff: Kris Aumiller Lee F. Barber Marin Bendoritis Maurice J. Blackmon Matthew Birx Ben Branstetter Julianne Dauber Ivana Lee Matthew Mahoney not following. We both have managed to live by ourselves for a pretty decent period of time. To be technical, we have both had our share of roommates, but still, we are out from under the wings of Mom and Dad. Neither one of us is pregnant, nor have any intentions of being in the near future. In fact, she was telling me about how excited she was that one of her sisters is getting ready to have a baby because that took the pressure oft of her to do that very thing. And as far as I am concerned, I have been saying for a long time about how I do not really want children, though should one appear, I am not opposed to taking care of him or her. As far as the marriage question goes, we both completely chuckle at it. First that to happen, both of us needs to land in that typical relationship and frankly, we are just too unusual for that. We both like the complicated ones, the ones that inspire a challenge. And though they are the best kind to have, every single one of our complicated relationships ends badly, as in we tend to remain friends, but we never get that supposed great connection that we are supposed to feel in order 2/12/08: Health and safety: PS S advised M&O of road conditions during snow storm. 2/12/08: Housing issue: student reported washer leaking on floor. PSO contacted housing. 2/11/08: Traffic warning: PSO validated warning card for student 2/9/08: Assist: caller reported dead bird at entrance. PSO contacted M&O to dispose of bird. 2/9/08: Criminal mischief: student reported vehicle's side window shattered and front of vehicle egged. 2/8/08: Theft: caller reported theft of audio recording device from room w 356. Value $235.00. 2/8/08: Assist outside agency: harrisburg airport PD requested assistance with traffic control for Assistant Editors: Maruja Rosario, Diana Le Layout Editor: Amber Hudson, Ben Branstetter Webmaster: Matt Keavney Allison Mills Philip Narsh Maruja Rosario Martin Santalucia Sahar Safaee Sepideh Safaee Matthew Sarver Tianna Segneri Matt Shortall , L/, to be inspired into the marriage lifestyle. Which brings up another point; she and I do not want to be married. We like running free, under the thumb of no one. We can do what we want, when we want, with whom we want and no one can say anything. I equate our lives to that of the mustangs running wild in western US. We are both beautiful creatures and everyone loves to look at us, but good luck if you try to catch us and break us in. (We are really not that vain, but the point needed to be made.) Which I guess brings me to the end. For all that she and I have seen throughout our friendship and all the stuff that came before, our spirits are not broken. We continue to hold on to our internal strength as well as the strength of our friendship. We have that friendship where we may not speak to each other for weeks on end and yet as soon as we do; it is like the time never passed. We will always be there for each other, laughing over our drinks and crying on our shoulders. And we will always run free, even if one of us should magically change that. Drive safe, be safe. See ya later. vice president motorcade 2/8/08: Assist: PSO & M&O provided assistance to student with removal of tractor trailer grill lodged underneath vehicle 2/8/08: Assist outside agency: Lower Swatara PD requested assistance with fleeing subject 2/8/08: Theft: traffic cone from north end of walkway taken, value $35.00. 2/8/08: Suspicious incident: M&O reported finding student sleeping in room w2OB. Verbal warning issued to student. 2/4/08: Suspicious activity: staff reported white male in dark gray suv following her from Ix-83 to campus 2/2/08: M&O issue: caller reported open window in Demey school. PSO contacted M&O about an open window in North/east corner of building. Photographers: Marin Bendoritis Ben Branstetter Julianne Dauber Diana Le