The Highacres collegian. (Hazleton, PA) 1956-????, September 01, 1990, Image 4

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    by Scott,jß. Hnasko
As t'Sit here typing, I can hear the
gasps of many students as they read my
headline; They make some kind of joke
to their friends, and then comfort them
selves by saying that the article is going
to be loaded with sarcasm.
Fasten your seatbelts, kids. Hazleton
is my kind of town.
I was born in Hazleton and I have
lived here ail my life. According to
some people, this makes me a "Hazle
toid" - someone who is stereotyped as a
backwater hick whose favorite hobby is
sitting on the front porch and watching
the Buick rust. In my opinion, I am a
"Hazletonian." The stereotypes of many
students make me feel ashamed. Howe
ver, I am not ashamed of myself or my
hometown. I am ashamed of the stu
dents.
A student's time here at Penn State
Hazletdh is supposed to be a learning
experience. When I say this, I don’t just
mean classes and clubs. There’s plenty
to learn by interacting with the environ
ment Unfortunately, the meager explo
rations conducted by students have
encountered boredom and what they
considered to be (INSERT SINISTER
MUSIC HERE) “hostile mutations
from the Hazle zone.’’
Here’s a startling update -- boredom
is curable. If s all what you make of it,
folks. It’s who you hang around with
Jhf' flr/s/f '/on f 'o/Jf'tf/,/n
Editor-in-chief,
Aewtant Editor-in-chief.
Photograph;.
Donna Molter, Michael T. Jeaky
Advertiaing Manager.
Technical Support
tying,... RicbeHe Ftonk, Steve Kirk, Michael T. Jeilcy
Computer Layout
Staff.
Anthony Hahn, Tory Kraemer, Keziah
L&Torret, Tug McErlain, Kevin Newbact, Mike Rote,
Michele Sale*, Amy SpaDuto, and Meredith Tracy.
and the legality of what you consider to
be fun. As for rude Hazletonians, jerks
and idiots are universal. Just because
you may have had a run-in with one of
our local citizens dosen’t mean we all
behave the same way. In fact, many of
us seem "normal enough" to "pass
ourselves off as out-of-towners.”
I will readily admit that tension exists
between our town and the campus. It's
a basic situation involving cultureshock.
In this case, I am completely confused.
Both sides hate each other when both
sides should love each other.
By placing a campus here in
Hazleton, Pennylvania State University
has helped to boost the economy of
Hazleton. In that same move, Hazle
tonians have been provided with a fine
place to enhance their educations while
staying at home.
Out-of-town students also benefit.
Hazleton represents an opportunity for
students to move out of their parents'
houses and start life on their own. The
size of the Hazleton campus also allows
students to learn in an individualized
What is there to do here? Read....
by Steve Kirk
A chilly Saturday afternoon descends
on the Hazleton campus. Many students
sit bored and lost in a lonely dorm
room. The gym is open for a few short
hours, and even then, can only offer so
much entertainment. The city holds
some enjoyment, but for the numerous
non-drivers, it is a long walk away.
These are classic problems of the
campus. The solutions, though, have not
yet been found. Year after year, ideas
are presented, but none ever take root
and grow into a useable form of
recreation.
■Scott R. Hoaifco
.Michael T. Jeifcy
.Eric Richardson
■Bob Mey
If a solution is to come, it must come
from the student body. They are the
ones who deicide what they do and do
not want. They are the ones who must
get what they want.
.Michael T. Jetky
atmosphere instead of going to bigger
campuses and attending classes of 200
students or more.
So why the conflict? Personally, I'm
at a loss. Both sides benefit from the
relationship, yet there are always dis
putes.
Why do many students feel persecu
ted by local police? Why do students
bash Hazleton without good reason?
Why aren't there any recreation areas in
Hazleton designed with college students
in mind? Why is it that many of the
students at this campus don't seem
concerned enough to realize that our
town is spelled “H-A-Z-L-E-T-O-N,"
instead of going by the mythical rule "L
before E except after Z?”
I don’t have any of these answers,
and I'm not going to hold my breath
while waiting for them. All I can say is
that I have seen the pros and cons of
both areas and I tiy to appreciate the
areas to their fullest. I invite all of you
to really experience Hazleton. Just
maybe you’ll find out that Hazleton is
your kind of town, too.
Ideas are not hard to be found.
Some faculty members have discussed
building a fitness trail on the campus.
Such a trail would offer room to run or
walk, along with exercise stations. Also,
why not make room on campus into a
video movie theater on weekends? The
school has the equipment and movies
are easy enough to find.
Another idea is weekend activites in
the gym. Games, contests, fairs, or
neariy anything that comes to mind can
be organized. Our campus has
resources, but the resources must be
effectively used. The administration can
not do everything for the student body;
students must speak their minds and
work together to organize a project.
Sometimes the task will not be easy, but
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