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We are really Penn State
Name withheld by request
I am writing this article in re
sponse to the editorial written by
Richard Danner, which is caus
ing an outrage on this campus
with faculty and students alike.
Do not get me wrong, I do under
stand the points which Mr. Dan
ner touched upon and respect his
opinions, but on the other hand I
feel that his brief stint with col
lege life has left him somewhat
bewildered with what the real rea
son for college is. I am in my ,
third semester here at Penn State
University and carrying a Biolo
gy major, therefore I have experi
enced the ups and downs of col
lege life on the academic level.
Do not get the impression that I
am a book worm, or spend con
stant hours studying a week. I
also have an active social life and
compete in almost every sport, but
that is not the issue. What the
main reason, I feel, for Mr. Dan
ner's discontentment is the idea
that he was not accepted to the Uni
versity Park campus. This, I
think, cannot be blamed on the
high school guidance counselor
(Personally, I filled out my own
application, and took it to my high
school, in late August or early
September, to be checked over and
sent to Penn State with my tran
scripts, which is what I am sure
most of the students who were ac
cepted here have done.) If Mr.
When Vote Rhymes with Joke
By Beth Breznak
This was the year I finally got
to vote. I actually hadn't regis
tered until two months before "the
big day." I had waited that long
because, I'll admit, I didn't care.
Would my vote really count?
Would either candidate really
care if some college student in
Pennsylvania gave him her sup
port? Then I realized that this
president will determine how
much I recieve in college aid, if
I'll ever drive 65 legally, or if I'll
eventually have to pay more tax
es. This president will still be in
office when I graduate and will
affect me one way or another. I
have the right to vote. People in
other countries literally die for
this right. I might as well exer
cise it.
So off I went on November
eighth. It was a rainy, dreary
day, but still I trekked to the fire
station that doubled as a polling
place. I walked, excitedly, in
side, positive that my vote would
make or break a candidate. I
strided up to the woman who
would have my voter's registra-
swi'
Danner actually did need to go to
the University Park campus, for
reasons other than athletics, I'm
quite sure that they would honor
his request (this is a fact). If he
was qualified to go to the main
campus he would be there, no mat
ter how late the application was
sent in. One of my best friends in
high school, who is extremely in
telligent, applied to the main
campus in late October and was
accepted instantly.
The facilities at this campus
may not be as good as other uni
versity branch campuses, but it's
not really the facilities that make
the campus; it is the people, facul
ty and students together. I also
cannot seem to find the negli
gence constantly spoken of by Mr.
Danner. For some reason, he
feels that he has been treated un
justly. I chose this campus as my
first choice, and I'm sure that
many people ask why. I have
been to the main campus many
times, for football games and fra
ternity parties, and I realized the
immense size of the campus. Ac
tually, I liked this facet, but it was
the idea that I would be treated as a
number, in a class of 250 or so,
and never even be able to see the
instructor with any problems I
might have, be sent to see my as
signed grad. student instead.
Here at this campus, finding
faculty is as easy as finding your
best friend, and most are willing
tion and who would consequently
give me the fabulous ballot that
would help me change the future
of the nation.
What? I wasn't listed on the
precinct register? I can't vote? I
won't change the fate of the na-
tion? Okay. What's going on?
I soon learned that my voter's
registration was lost somewhere
amidst all of the "voting stuff' at
my county seat, the "headquar-
ters" for the precinct. Needless to
say, I was quite disappointed. I
also later found out that my case
wasn't unusual. This type of situ
ation more often than is let
known.
So, this made me wonder, is
voting really worth it? Every reg
istered voter is encouraged to vote
by such people as Nancy Reagan
and Jodi Whatley. The polls ex
pected one of the lowest turnouts in
the history of America. But whose
fault was this - the apathetic voter,
or the voter who turned apathetic
thanks to the system? I know that
I won't look forward to the elec-
tion of 1992 due to the needless
consequences of the election of
acres
to help with any problems you
may have. It is also not realized
by some freshmen here that to
find your advisor at University
Park means tracking him down
fora week or so. One of my high
school friends, who attends the
main campus, told me last year
that it had been three weeks into
the registration period for the next
semester, and he had yet to find
his advisor. Actually, I think that
a campus like this allows for the
college adjustment to be much
easier, even though Hazleton is
not a booming metropolis.
I would also like to touch on
another "fact" pointed out by Mr.
Danner. He stated in the article
that the freshmen year of college
is simply nothing more than a
high school review. I would like
to ask one question Mr. Danner,
what is your major? Fm quite
sure that most of the sophomores,
and freshmen, on this campus
would be interested in the answer
to this question (I have talked to
many people on this subject of
freshmen year being a review,
and not one could even come close
to agreeing with this. Perhaps
with more experience in the area
of "higher education", as you put
it, your blindness will recede).
The final point I would like to
speak on is the issue of the Uni
versity not caring for its students.
I'm sure it is unknown to most
students on this campus, that offi-
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i'" ~l
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December 1988
cials from University Park come
to the branch camPUses periodi
cally to check on problems that
, they may be having, and anyone
may attend. Another thing to re
alize on this campus is the fact
that it is expanding. The new
bookstore is just the beginning,
and another residence hall, and
classroom building are on their
way,to transform this campus into
a four year college.
All in all, I feel that the article
written by Mr. Danner was un
just (simply stated, the article was
written without all the facts clear
ly at hand.) I hope that this article
can settle some angers and make
people take a better look at this
campus for what it really is, a
preparation for students who need
some time to adjust before moving
out to the main campus. lam very
glad that I attended the Hazleton
campus because now I truly feel
ready to go on. I'm sure that for
every sophomore, there was a per
iod of adjustment, yet we all made
it through, but could you imagine
if you had to adjust to an incom
ing class of 10,000 students rather
than that of 600? The students on
this campus are some of the best
around, and I feel Mr. Danner
should get to know some of them
before judging them.