Page 4 —- LIONS EYE - May 1, 1998 Opinion & Review Editorial Unappreciated Leaders By Paul Basilio Well, my two year tour of duty at Penn State Delaware County has expired In my time here, I've seen some strange things: Sex in the hallways and deer ramming cars in the parking lot. But I’ve also seen some very dull things, like the many highly publicized events with little or no student audience. In fact, certain members of the faculty and staff see me walk by and beg me to attend something in order to avoid an embarrassing turnout. This scenario often overshadows what goes on behind the scenes at the campus that everyone seems to take for granted. In my first year as a student, I honestly believed every single student drove in for their first class and drove home immediately after their last one. The only possible exceptions were the stragglers who hung around the library feigning an attempt at homework. In my second year, however, I was yanked from that apathetic world and shoved backstage. I saw dedicated students staying late into the night trying to organize activities, often believing that “this one will be the one that gets to everyone.” They gave up their nights and weekends, went without contact with their best friends for days, and poured everything they had into their extra- curricular activities. The result, unfortunately, was an invariably indifferent campus that often mocked their sincere efforts to entertain, inform, and ignite. The few dedicated students that remained did not give up hope. If they did, the school would collapse under the unbearable weight of boredom. This is not another boring editorial bashing campus apathy. Ninety-nine percent of you probably don’t know what goes on backstage at Delco. Some of you may not even care. But next time someone tries to reach out to you through some activity that may seem cheesy, don’t label them an idiot right away. Congratulations to this remaining one percent. They are the backbone of this campus. You know who you are. e Being inducted to the Alpha Sigma Lambda National Honor Society is reason to smile for Sherrie Taylor, Patti Peirsol, Phillip Ponsolle, Sylvia Schaffer (advisor), Kathleen Taylor, Paul Borish, and Richard Barret (advisor). Not pictured: Christopher Hamm, Arlene Callahan, Theresa Schiavo, Robin Griffin, and Rebecca Bravo. THE LION’S EYE Vol. XXIX, No. 8 The Pennsylvania State University May 1, 1998 Delaware County CO-EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Paul Basilio Christina Papa pnb101@psu.edu cmpl59@psu.edu STAFF Edward J. Blackburn Tracey Dinh Lea Anne McGoldrick Ryan Boldosser Christine M. Heffernan Aaron Mixson James Conroy Kelly Holmes Cynthia Moore Rob Coyle JoAnne Johnson Bill Raymond Len Damico Erin Lulevitch Aimeé Stone ADVISORS Barbara Daniel John Terrell The LION’s EYE is published monthly during the academic year by the students of the Delaware County Campus. Submissions are welcome from all students, faculty and staff. Material must be typed, double spaced, and submitted in the LION'S EYE mailbox located in the Lion’s Den. Letters, articles and cartoons represent only the views of their authors. Advertisements do not necessarily reflect editorial opinion. THE LION'S EYE regrets it cannot guarantee the return of any material submitted. All submissions are subject to editing. Martin Ranalli speaks his mind during the “Dialogue on Race” in the cafeteria. A Loss Is Felt Many Questions Arise About Kovach’s Departure By B Ray . Dr. John Kovach, associate professor of sociology, has not been offered tenure by the university and will be leaving Penn State at the end of the semester. The people who have made this decision say it is based on several factors, including insufficient research and a chance to better staff the campus with professors who specialize in the fields that will soon be offered as majors here. Fellow teachers will not speak on the matter. Dr. Kovach wishes to remain silent. But those to be silent in this matter are the most important part of the university machine: The students. When told of the situation, the students gave responses which were predictable, and so very similar. “That's just stupid. He’s one of the only teachers I liked” “He has such a great way of incorporating fun with the learning process.” “If I could have him for every class for the rest of my life, I would get a doctorate.” “He’s just a fun teacher. You don’t get many of them.” “When the semester was over, I couldn’t believe the things I remembered.” “What are thinking?” “What makes a teacher and a class atmosphere successful is total understanding and cooperation between student and teacher. I have never seen an environment that applied these factors as much as I did in Soc. He's just a good teacher.” “Where's he going? I'll go there.” “It’s hard to explain, but you just don’t get a. feeling of being those people overwhelmed when you are in his class or in his office. He talks to you like a person, not just another student. And it seems like he actually is interested in you, not just doing his job to get you out of his face like a lot of teachers and advisors do.” “Well if I think he is a great teacher and he’s not good enough for Penn State University, then maybe I'm not the kind of student they want here either. Maybe I'll take my thousands of dollars and give it to a school that wants people like us around.” ~~ ° Ten responses from ten students. Ten responses that make it crystal clear that they have a say in their education. And none more so than the last one should the “powers that be” at Penn State heed the most. Students do have "a choice. If you take away football from main campus, would the enrollment be half of what it is today? No. It would be just another branch campus because you've taken away something ‘that students hold dear to their college experience. A teacher who can educate while maintaining a tremendous rapport with every student he or she comes across is something that students hold dear to their college experience as well. There are so few “good ones”. Losing one is just a mistake. Causing students to leave to follow onc or find another one is reprehensible. As many forward strides as this campus has made to thrive independently into the new millennium, they just tripped. On behalf of the past and present students of Dr. Kovach and the rest of the Delaware County campus, I wish him many successes in the future. Hopefully starting with finding a place where his “unconventional” but highly effective and soon-to-be sorely missed teaching style will be appreciated. WRITE FOR THE LION'S EYE! Earn three credits! No experience needed! English 287A - MWF 3:30-4:20
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