Be All That You Can Be in Army ROTC by Phoenix Wisserman Every Thursday they appear out of no where. They scurry around campus just like other students, taking the occasional moment to chat with friends. The only visible feature that distinguishes them, besides a possible crewcut, is the green camouflage Battle Dress Uniform (BDU) they wear. They are Penn State Hazleton’s Required Officers Training Course (ROTC). The ROTC (rot-cee) as it affectionally known, is not just another college course. There is no added cost for tuition. In the case of a two, three, or four year scholarship, the Army will pay $B,OOO or 80% of tuition a year, which ever is greater. If you apply for a scholarship and are granted one, you may have decided you don’t want to take it. You don’t have to. But why wouldn’t you want to; the commitment to the Army is only eight years. You could spend all eight active Army, all eight in the National Guard, or any combination of the two. At the completion of the four year college degree, you are commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Army. A second lieutenant in the active army begins at earning over $25,000 a year. A student may also get medical benefits and even receive free Poetry Reading The fourth annual Poetry month will be celebrated at Penn State Hazleton with a po etry reading on Tuesday, March 1. The pro gram will begin at 7:30 p.m. in Room G-1 of the Evelyn Graham Academic Building. The public is invited to attend the program at no charge. The featured poet will be Dr. Charles Cantalupo, associate professor of English at Semi-Formal Announced by Scott Lieberman The Student Union Board semi-formal will be held on April 29. We are presently looking at three banquet halls for this event to take place in. We are trying to keep the ticket price below $2O so that more of the student body will be able to attend. As of now we are housing and food. If you choose to take the course, you don’t have to go into the military. The first four semesters up until the end of your sophomore year carry with them no obligation. You also can drop, the course at any time. Why would you want to though when getting an A in the course is so easy and will bring up a Grade Point Average. You can get up to seventy points aca demically. The other points can be gained by attending physical training (PT) to keep in shape and weekend activities. Common week end activities include playing paintball, indoor mountain climbing, helicopter flights, target practice with M-16 rifles and rappelling. Most of these activities have no cost attached to them since the Army covers the cost of insur ance and other expenses. There’s no need to worry about not getting an A in the course. At the end of the first semester, there were stu dents that had grades averaging over 150 points out of 100. The labs for ROTC are just as fun. Some labs include first aid, swimming with rifles, and rappelling from the upper gym. Freshman student Kelly Moore is taking Army 102 this semester. “It’s pretty cool and not to Program To Feature Cantalupo the Penn State Schuylkill Campus, where he teaches creative writing. Cantalupo has published widely. His first book, “The Art of hope,” was published in 1983; a second book “Anima/1 Wo/man, and Other Spirits.” will be published later this year. He is known for his dramatic poetry readings which often include slides and music trying to get one of the three places to provide a small dinner and an all night buffet, including fruit, dessert, and hot food. King Sound Pro ductions will be providing the entertainment for the evening. The event will be held from about 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. hard. ’ ’lt’s not what the average person would expect of military course; its laid back. Another way to earn points is by join ing the Rifle Team or Ranger Club. The Rangers are the elite members ofROTC. These high-speed individuals form a team with no rival. They study small unit tactics, train for unconventional operations and study and use a variety of different weapons. Lt. Bill Moylan, the commanding officer (CO) of the Ranger Club, explained that Rangers is all about ‘ ‘push ing yourself harder, and being more than just a regular soldier. Rangers lead the way.” Cadet Captain Tom Ehrhart knows ROTC is a learning experience. “ROTC teaches young men and women to be the future leaders of this country.” Master Sgt. Mitchell, the course in structor feels ROTC is beneficial because it helps to develop people skills. “You get to deal with people from all walks of life, “said Mitchell. The leadership skills, the people you meet, and the education you receive, can help you as you travel down the road of life. The friends you make and the things you do are memories that will last a lifetime. These are just a few reasons why Army ROTC is the smartest college course you can take. as part of the presentation. He has given read ings throughout the United States and interna tionally. Joining Dr. Cantalupo will be a number ofPenn State student poets who will read from their own works, which will also appear in the first edition ofPenn State’s “The Palimpsest Review,” due to be published shortly. ville. TN' or even Snrin?field MO Believe it
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