2—The Highacres Collegian Operation of by Bill Sheman Interested area residents awaiting the opening of the Sus quehanna Nuclear Power Plant will most likely be waiting longer than they had expected. The plant, located five miles northeast of Berwick and ten miles northwest of Highacres, is facing a possible delay in the scheduled commencement of operations. The delay, due to the Nuclear Regulatory Commis sion's prolonged examination of the plant, will be costly to both Pennsylvania Power and Light and its customers. The first of the two reactors, Unit 1, was to start operations Ju ly 1, 1981, with Unit 2 following a little more than a year later on October 2, 1982. Estimates now indicate that Unit 1 will be idle until the second quarter of 1982, and Unit 2 until the second quarter of 1983. The decision to build the plant was reached in • " , , Susquehanna Nuclear Power Plant, located 10 miles northwest of Highacres, has delayed the start of operation until 1982. Students file dorm contracts Penn State students at branch campuses are well aware of the difficulties they encounter when transferring to University Park. One big problem for many transferring students who wish to live on campus is acquiring dor mitory housing. In attempting to alleviate this problem, University Park has issued dorm contract request cards. Although the procedure is not new to the University, it is new to transferring students who have never had to fill these cards out before. Students transferring to the main campus for Fall Term 1981 should have already submitted a dorm contract request card to University Park. Upon receipt of local plant may be delayed 1968, and construction began November 2, 1973. The planning and construction period of this plant, which has a forty year life, will be fourteen years. The cost of constructing this mammoth facility is expected to reach, by its completion, three billion dollars. The cost per day of the idle plant is 500,000 dollars. P.P.&Locustomer rates will con sequently rise, possibly by as much as 25 per cent during the plant's second year of operation. P.P.&L. expects this increase to be offset at least by the end of the second operational year and to decline thereafter due to the relatively inexpensive cost of nuclear fuel and the sale of elec tricity to - surrounding oil-fueled power companies. The delay itself is due to the Nuclear Regulatory Commis sion's prolonged inspection of the plant before issuing to it an ..',..,;,....'..,r,„:.:,.$ : r;r= ?, ..,...,vi,,,,,:z,,5F....;,:: 4,:/..tt-i;i::, i:r4 , ..;,, , ..:,.„4i.,! . .. - rr. , , , ffoiA:;2s..:::' , t , :fA i Y • - , ,- ;: ,....;... 7 . 4; g?'"'" " . ,,Ck:4g.;, , ':' , ... 41 i . f ..,2:,f,,, : , retzrz4 g,,,,e,';',;;:f,!: , ..A. • ''-'Ne4,0 , 35 ,-1,,, 4,g ) ;,•-. , t.,4 , "- ii-' " . by Chris Hausammann these cards, the University sends the applicant two more cards an applicant agreement card and a sequence contract and assign ment preference card. Fall Term transfer students should save these cards until March 14, when they turn in the cards along with a $45 advanced payment at the Highacres Physical Education Building. Those students wishing more in formation on dorm cards should report to the Student Affairs Of fice in the Administration Building. A form detailing hous ing and food service application procedures for fall transfer students is posted on the first floor of the Classroom Building, opposite the student mailboxes. News operating license. Students can understand the enormity of this task by examining the Final Safe ty Analysis Report of the Sus quehanna plant available in the Highacre's library. William Begin, Public Information Direc tor at the plant's information center, feels that the N.R.C. has become more cautious in their is suing of licenses since the Three Mile Island incident. Is the need for the plant worth the wait and cost? Mr. Begin feels that it unquestionably is in order to meet Pennsylvania's ever increasing demand for elec tricity. To illustrate this point he cited the unprecedented 4936000 kilowatt consumption of January 10 this winter. P.P.&L., ac cording to Mr. Begin is simply providing its customers with the power they demand in the safest and cheapest means presently available. • Breckenridge pursues doctorate Professor Jay Breckenridge of the Hazleton Campus of the Penn sylvania State University is cur rently taking a graduate study leave. Professor Breckenridge is attending the Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh where he is in a doctorate program in composition and rhetoric which State legislature raises tuition By John Allison "The state legislature is mak ing students pay more University costs through higher tuition because many legislators believe students are the only beneficiaries of the educational system," said University Presi dent John W. Oswald. "The legislators say Penn State is not really serving the state at a level to warrant lower tuition, and students should pay more and more of the cost," Oswald said at a news conference. "I've heard the arguments." "Students already pay too much of the cost," he said. Oswald said the University sought to appear reasonable to the General Assembly by in cluding 5 per cent tuition in creases in its 1980-1981 and 1981- 1982 budget requests. Without the built-in increase, the University's $144 million 1981- 82 request would have been $3.75 million more. "I thought it would be helpful if we acknowledge that costs should be shared by the students," Oswald said. "I'm admitting at the beginning that students should expect tuition to rise." "I hope the 5 per cent (schedul ed tuition increase for 1981-82) sticks. I don't think we're going to do any better," Oswald said. "Sometime in early January, I expect to get some kind of ad vanced indication of what is pro posed in the next state budget, and what Penn State can ex pect." The University requested $l4O million for 1980-81 and received ;127 million. Tuition rose an addi tional 5 per cent, making the total tuition increase for this year 10 per cent. Oswald said he hopes a better way can be found to obtain state funding so the University can avoid the funding problems of this year. The Legislature approved the University's appropriation last summer, but the appropriation was temporarily abated by Gov. Dick Thornburgh when funds an ticipated from the Liquor Control Board and other revenue sources didn't come through. Not until October, after the LCB came up with a revenue increase plan, was the University assured of its full appropriation. During the period of uncertain ty the administration withheld a certain amount of money from every section of the University in case of having to make cutbacks. The University's funding pro blems this year were partly related to its status as a non preferred institution. As dictated by the state constitution, non preferred appropriations are will prepare him to teach writing. Professor Breckenridge re ceived his earlier degrees from Thiel College and his Master's Degree from Penn State. Prior to teaching at the Hazleton Campus for the past six years, Mr. Breckenridge was a volunteer funded. However, Oswald said he does not want the University to become a preferred institution. "Pd imagine it could be arrang ed for Penn State to become part of the (preferred) state budget as such, but in the process its relative freedom from the state would practically disappear," Oswald said. "Our employees would un doubtedly become- state employees. We'd probably come under the state purchasing system. All of the kinds of autonomy matters that I think really make Penn State so much different than state colleges (would be gone.) " "What we're seeking is: Is there a method where we can get into the state budget so that (ap propriations) will all be decided at one time, so we can't be cut off as a hostage of some type, and at the same time, preserve the in dependence we have as a state related University?" he said. "We never approached it before, as the four universities (Penn State, Pitt, Temple, and Lincoln) together," he said. "Whatever's going to have to happen, it will take a constitu tional amendment. It's in the con stitution, this bUsiness of prefer red and non-preferred." Oswald said the University must also be concerned with the federal government, which pro vides some of the University's operating budget as well as sup port for research activities. "We're watching very closely the federal side. We don't expect any particular changes in the support of research and special programs that the federal government has been supporting. On the other hand, we are con cerned about possible cuts in stu dent aid, which is the biggest part of the Department of Education budget," he said. President-elect Ronald Reagan has said he would like to do away with the Department of Educa tion and combine its functions with the Department of Health and Human Services (formerly Health, edupation and Welfare). Since Reagan has appointed Sen. Richard S. Schweiker, R- Pa., as his secretary of Health and Human Services, Oswald said Schweiker, a University alumnus, could be helpful to the University. Schweiker helped the University get funding for a new building at the Hershey Medical Center, Oswald said. "Richard Schweiker is very well qualified," Oswald said. "He has been on the appropriate side of health, the appropraite side of education, and of science." and administrator in the Peace Corps in the Philippines. While at the Hazleton Campus he was the co-founder of the Drama Steering committee a group which presents two full length productions and sponsors bus trips to New York every year.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers