Page 2 BES nl December; 1990 PSU Narrows Retention Gap Among Students Penn State has narrowed the gap in one-year retention rates between White and African American/Black American students, the Board of Trustees has learned. “The University has provided a con- siderable array of support to those stu- dents who need assistance,” Jerry Covert, associate dean for under- graduate education and chair of the President’s Council on Undergraduate Recruitment and Retention, said. “It has been an important goal to in- crease retention rates of all students and eliminate the retention rate differences between White, African-American and Hispanic undergraduate students through support programs such as counseling, advising, tutoring, special courses and special course sequencing.” Of 309 African-American freshmen from fall 1989, about 81 percent, or 249, have remained in a degree program. This compares to 85 percent retention rate for fall 1989 White freshmen, or 6,883 out of 8,135 students. “There is a difference of only 4 percen- tage points between White and Black freshmen who stayed after one year, a decrease from 6 to 7 percentage points of previous years,” Dr. Covert noted. The one-year retention rate for fall 1989 Hispanic freshmen is 74 percent, or 121 students out of 163. LOOKING AHEAD Spring Semester 1991 Classes Begin 8:00 a.m. Jan 14 Drop/Add with $6.00 fee begins Jan 21 Late Registration deadline Jan 23 Course Drop/Add deadline Jan 23 Spring Holiday - no classes ‘Mar 4-8 Late Drop deadline Apr 12 Classes End 9:30 p.m. May 3 Study Days May 4-5 Final Examinations May 6-11 Commencement May 18-19 Search for 1992 Miss PA/USA Now Underway L Appibations are now Soin accepted from all ever the Keystone State for the annual MISS PENNSYLVANIA USA PAGEANT to be staged this year for the seventh time in Monroeville,” Penn- sylvania. The, three‘day event will be presented in the Grand Ballroom of the Palace Inn on March 8, 9, and 10, 1991. That i is correct, the 1992 Pageant will be held in March of 1991. The Miss Penn- sylvania USA Pageant is an Official ADRIENNE ROMANO Miss Pennsylvania USA What's funny about Delco? Find out at the next Comedy Night on January 25. Photo by: Diana Miceri Feeling Frazzled Over Finals? by Jennifer Darr Is it December already? Yes that’s right, it’s December and you know what that means: Final Exams! I know they stink but we have to take them sooner or later. Here’s a few helpful preparation ~hints to help you ace them. * Make sure you know when they are being given and where (you have to show up for the exams to pass them). e Set aside separate study time for each exam; don’t condense it all into one session. * Study over a period of a few days or a week, even if only for a short while A each time. eo Attend the Cram and Jam in the main building student lounge on F'ri- day, Dec. 7 from 1:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. * I'm sure you've heard this from Miss USA - Miss Universe Contest. There is NO PERFORMING TAL- ENT requirement; all judging is on the ‘basis of poise, personality, and beauty of face and figure. Entrants who qualify must be at least 18 years of age and under 27 years of age by February I, 1992, never married and at least a six- months resident of Pennsylvania, thus college dorm students are eligible. If you're interested in competing for this prestigious title, write to: Miss Pen- nsylvania USA Pageant, Tri-State Headquarters - Dept. S, 347 Locust Ave., Washington, PA 15301-3399 by December 15, 1990. Letters must include your mother many times but it’s got to be said: get a good night’s sleep the night before and eat a good break- fast the morning of the exams! e Come prepared to the exam with, yes, the famous NUMBER 2 PENCIL. (You can bring one of the pencils you so conveniently forgot to hand back to the teachers from the mid-terms). e One final and very important point, do something fun or relaxing right before the exam, such as meditation, sports, or just sitting around chat- ting about meaningless subjects with friends. This, you will find, can help prevent intellectual burnout (whatever that may be!). Now that you have been given a few guidelines to go by, final exams might turn out to be a pleasant experience, rather than a horrifying nightmare. Good luck! a recent snapshot, a brief biography, ad- dress, and phone number. The new Miss Pennsylvania USA will receive a 14-day expense paid trip to the site of the Miss USA Pageant nationally televised. on CBS-TV in February 1992, competing for over $200,000.00 in cash and prizes. The. new State winner will receive over $2,000.00 in cash among her many prizes and awards. The winner will be crowned by the cur- rent Miss Pennsylvania USA, Adrienne Romano of Columbia, who will be pre- sent for the event at the Palace Inn. AP- PLICATION DEADLINE IS DEC. 15, 1990. International Students Club Sets Start for Spring Semester by Youngoak C. Marousky The student meeting for the formation of an International Students Club was held on Friday, November 16. It was led by Miss Njeri Kamau from Kenya. In the meeting, ten Penn State Delaware County campus students gathered together to discuss the feasibility of forming an International Students Club. The group consisted of students with Korean, Malaysian, Jamaican, Hispanic, Kenyan, and Greek origins. Many of them are American citizens. The idea is that the International Stu- dents Club would represent more than just one ethnic group. The International Students Club would be a visible group that could be beneficial to all students. It would help and support each member of the club. Through meetings and various presentations, it would allow each group to present the customs and cultures of the various countries represented. It would be a place to make new friends and acquaintances. The group discussed various activities and possible programs that could be presented. There was a wide range of ideas and suggestions, including the possibility of an international lunch or dinner. This is the second meeting to start the ball rolling for the formation of a club. The group hopes to lay the ground work for the actual formation of the club dur- ing the 1991 Spring Semester. This meeting was the base meeting for the spring organization. Remember, anyone can be a member. There are no qualifications. Watch the bulletin boards for the next meeting. elco Funnies’ Gets Big Laughs by Angela Deal Comedy, ventriloquists, hypnotism, magic and many laughs have made their way to Penn State Delco. The Penn State and Bonkers Comedy Production presented their first evening of “DELCO FUNNIES” November 28, with an evening filled with comedy. The show featured David Christianson, Gene Frantz, and Frank Barnett. DELCO FUNNIES is a new entertain- ment series implemented through the Student Activities Committee (SAC) and SGA. There will be four additional presentations of “DELCO FUNNIES” next semester. The first will be on January 25, 1991, and will feature Barber and Seville, a ventriloquist team from Philadelphia. Jim Barber is a talented performer, turning heads with unforgettable shows. There is no cost to Penn State stu- dents, and a mere dollar ($1.00) charge for the general public. Watch for details on dates and times for the additional shows which will be posted the next three months. foal exams? al The Front Desk Continued from Page 4 The purpose of a University is to teach the ability to discriminate good from bad, right from wrong. We should certainly know the stréngths and weaknesses of the messenger. That helps us shape our own character. But the value of the message always transcends the behavior of the messenger. The debate over the message is the stuff of life within a university. This debate creates a thinking, mutually supportive community. JFK said that we must be better: MLK said that we must be equal. Still good messages from human messengers. Work to build a better community here at Penn State Delaware County, and these messages live forever. Back in August, I told the first year students how fast the year would go by. Here we are at the holidays already; half the year is over. It was fast all right. I think that this has been one super year so far. There are lots of thank you’s to go out to a lot of people, but mostly to the students. You make us what we are, and you know who you are. THANK YOU, PENN STATERS, ONE AND ALL. HAPPY HOLIDAYS. Nj { _ TG Fro RE
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