The Capital Times
NEWS
EDITOR IN CHIEF
ASSISTANT EDITOR
LAYOUT EDITORS
COPY EDITOR
STAFF WRITERS
CARTOONISTS
BUSINESS
BUSINESS MANAGER
The Capital Times is published biweekly by the students of Penn
State Harrisburg and is funded with Student Activity Fee money.
Viewpoints are solely those of the authors and are not representative
of the college administration, faculty or student body.
Join Us
The Capital Times is always looking for students to fill writing and
photography positions. Necessary training is provided and opportuni
ties for advancement are available.
Interested students should stop by The Capital Times office at E-126,
call 717-948-6440 or e-mail captimes@psu.edu.
Buy Ad Space
To buy advertisement space in The Capital Times, please contact
Business manager Ashaka Patel at AXPSOI4@PSU.EDU.
Available advertisement sizes, prices and printing dates will be
provided. Penn State Harrisburg clubs, organizations and services are
eligible for discounts.
Diana Le
Marin Alice
Benjamin Branstetter
Kelsie White
Marty Santalucia
Rabyia Ahmed
Josseline Carbonare
James Couche
Jenna Denoyelles
Morgan Dysinger
Jade Herbst
Janelle Howell
Wills King
Allison Mills
Phil Narsh
James Speed
Chris Varmecky
Phil Narsh
Mike Pierce
Ashaka Patel
editor's comments
Student newspapers are a
different breed of media.
The students working on the
paper are only beginning their
journalism careers and lack the
knowledge and experience gained
through real world experience.
Our network and resources are
comparably smaller, but with the
ambition from having little to lose
and a lot to gain achieving the big
story is far from impossible.
Unlike professional media
outlets, student newspapers are
not protected so much by laws and
constitutional rights such as the
First Artiendment. Though some
may be completely independent,
many are still subject to university
policies.
Another area in which student
newspapers differ from other
media is the camaraderie
which can be a hard find in the
competitive journalism industry.
Really, the paper wouldn't be
what it is without the contribution
of each of its writers and
photographers, and the team of
self-starting editors that get the
final product to the printer. But
it's not all work in the newspaper
office. We work hard and we play
hard. We don't really have office
hours. We spend long days, and
nights on occasion, trying to make
our next issue better. Having a
great team to work with makes all
the difference.
I officially accepted the
promotion to Editor in Chief
upon returning from winter
break. Marin, then Editor in
Chief, trained me throughout the
semester in everything I would
become responsible for. By the
end of the year, I had my team
of editors lined up and hired an
amazing business manager.
Marin, unofficially The Capital
Times's guru, was stepping down
to become my assistant editor. We
couldn't be more different when
it came to running and handling
the paper, but that's why we make
a great team. Her strengths as a
leader are my weaknesses, and
my strengths are her weaknesses.
Combined with a passion for
journalism and the sense to consult
each other on major decisions, our
Corrections and Comments
Correction: The photo published with the article "Tom Brady out for season" in Issue No. 1 on Sept. 10
was not of New England Pariots quarterback Tom Brady. The photo was of New Orleans Saints quarter
back Drew Brees.
The Capital Times seeks to provide complete, correct and fair reporting. Any necessary corrections or
comments are welcome and appreciated. Please call 717-948-6440 or e-mail captimes@psu.edu.
Se .t. 24 2008
complimentary skills made us the
perfect partners in crime.
Ben wrote one article and then
maybe another, but found his
niche as a layout editor. He stayed
and somehow grew to tolerate
the staff, demands of a layout
editor as well as a new nickname
he'd rather not have published.
Whereas I can be too serious
at times and Marin can be too
careless, Ben strikes that perfect
balance, often with a hint of
sarcasm. Sometimes even getting
into arguments with Marin when
she was Editor, he isn't afraid to
speak up and tell it like it is.
Kelsie is the newest. She wrote
an article or two in the Fall 2007
semester, but became too busy to
continue writing. I later ran into
her in the spring semester in a
journalism class and that's when
I decided I really wanted her to
come back as one of our editors.
She had the traits I wanted in my
editors: smart, eager, dependable,
responsible, capable of doing
the job well and like the Army
brat she described she was in our
philosophy class, able to take
directions as well as give them.
Marty used to be our political
commentary writer. Once a copy
editor, I loved that I hardly had to
make corrections to his articles.
Though I've done well, I envied
his writing skills, so it was no
surprise how ecstatic I was when
he came into the office and asked
about a promotion to copy editor.
It was the case where the best
man for the job just happened to
be under our noses.
Ashaka is an incredible business
manager. The accounting and
finance double major responded
to a Capital Times e-mail sent
out to students in the School of
Business Administration. She
was hired in Spring 2008 to start
working in the Fall 2008 semester.
Instead, she immediately started
selling ads and has been doing
great work. I cannot ask for more
from her.
There also are the staffers who
hang out in The Capital Times
office. With them and the editors
around, the long days aren't so
bad.
We actually have tons of fun
"working" on the paper. Some
of our best college memo r ies
are with the newspaper staff and
some of our hardest laughs were
in the office.
If we've been cooped up in the
office working too long and too
hard, we go on adventures. Often
they're to Tropical Smoothie.
Once it was to a random house
with a free couch on the lawn.
(We thought it would make a nice
addition to the office furniture.)
Marin, Ben and I had a heck of
a time. A rusty metal rod in what
apparently was a sofa bed fell
apart as we tried pulling, pushing
and shoving the couch into the
trunk of Marin's GMC Envoy
with no plan as to how it would
fit. Poor Ben was left holding up
half of the couch while Marin
and I were yelling at each other,
trying to get the back seats to go
down further.
The couch didn't fit. We quickly
hauled it back to the lawn, left it
facing backwards, hopped into
Marin's car and took off laughing
at our crazy idea.
I could go on about all of our
adventures, but the point is they
aren't just writers, photographers
and editors, but they're some
of the best friends you'll ever
have. Between the friendships
developed among the staff and
the traditions passed on from
editor to editor throughout the
years of publication is passion
and dedication to the paper so
cherished, each of us would
defend it and make sure it keeps
printing.
-Diana