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
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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
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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.