The # w Lou $ PENNSTATE Delaware County Vol. XXX, No. 7 Eye Penn State University, Delaware County Campus February, 1999 Students Reminisce A Life Untimely Lost By Sarah Stover Lions Eye Staff Writer During Common hour on Wednesday, January 27, a memorial service was held. for Scott Latimer in the student lounge at the Main building. Latimer, a 3rd semester sophomore majoring in engineering, was struck in his car on December 19 around 8:30 p.m. on Burmont ~ Road by James Comber, 29, of Broomall. Police reported that .Comber’s blood - alcohol level was 0.15, far above the legal limit o£ 0.10 in Pennsylvania. Comber has since been charged with involuntary man- slaughter and drunken driving. Latimer later died in the hospital on the 20th, just five days before Christ- mas. He was 19 years old. According to his peers and instructors, Latimer was extremely involved on campus. In addition, he was also president of the Engineer- ing Club. He was described by friends as always being self-confi- dent, overly organized and energetic. The service, arranged and planned by the Student Government Association and the Office of Stu- dent Life, lasted one hour long, and the lounge was overflowing with stu- dents, faculty and staff long before the service began. Latimer’s parents, Paul and Phyllis, his grandmother, and his sis- ter Lori, sat before the podium in the front of the lounge. Martin Ranalli, (4th semester, Business ) one of Latimer’s friends, was the first to speak. “I worked with Scott on many different levels,” recalled Ranalli. “Scott was always on the ball, ready for anything.” Ranalli shared some high school memories with Latimer as well. He arranged to play their graduation song “Like An Eagle” stating that the song reminded him of Latimer and gave him com- fort. Both graduated in the same class from Upper Darby High School. “We were good friends,” said Ranalli. Many students on campus recalled Latimer with his Elmo lunch box, always filled with food that he shared with friends. Several class- mates walked up to the podium to share fond memories of Latimer. Walid Dimacukie recalled Latimer as kind and patient. Dimacukie, a Leba- nese student who entered Delco in the fall of 1997, did not know any of the students on campus. Then, he met Latimer. Scott was “one of the few people who gave the time to know me,” said Dimacukie. As he fought tears, Dimacukie described a friend who helped him through several dif- ficult classes, including a physics course and two math courses. The Campus Executive Of- ficer, Ed Tomezsko, called for an end to irresponsible student drinking while addressing Latimer’s death. “Scott was not the first stu- dent we’ ve lost to drunk driving, and he won’t be the last,” Tomezsko said. He continued by stating that on any given weekend, an average of 100 students are rushed to the emergency room at University Park for abusing alcohol. This number is the equiva- lent to 3 students every weekend at Delco. | Tomezsko went on to com- memorate the Delco campus for its ability to come together to honor Latimer’s life. “The beautiful part about Penn State is that we are all one big family,” said Tomezsko. An award is being organized in honor of Latimer. Details are still sketchy, but the award will be given to a student in engineering display- ing many of the outstanding quali- ties Latimer possessed. The student should also be involved on campus and display a strong desire to achieve. Mary Anne Rees, Director of Development, is collecting the dona- tions for the award. “I’m sure it means a great deal to the Latimer family,” said Rees, “knowing that so many people want to create this award in Scott’s memory.” Rees encourages any student to make a donation, no matter how small, to support such a worthy award. Students wishing to make a donation should make checks pay- able to Penn State with a notation of the Scott Latimer Award in the memo and drop it off to Mary Anne Rees, 111D Main. Ranalli briefly talked of a tree planting ceremony that will take place in the spring when the weather is nicer in Latimer’s honor. A set date has not yet been determined, but the event will most likely occur in April, probably around the 19th, or 20th according to Ranalli. All students will be welcome to attend. The service was very sol- emn, with many students trying to hold back their tears. The memory of Scott Latimer will live on in his friends and in the lives that he has touched. In his closing, Ranalli said simply, “We will miss him.” | In | Memoriam SCOTT LATIMER 10/26/79 — 12/20/98 Presidential Resignation Within Delco SGA Office By Aimee Stone Assistant Editor On Dec. 29 the president of Delco’s Student Government Asso- ciation, Marty Ranalli, resigned from his position. “I wasn’t satisfied with my performance as a Penn State stu- dent,” stated Ranalli (4% semester, engineering). As it would be, the SGA commands a lot of time that a working full-time student does not have. Ranalli has been very vocal in the events surrounding the Penn State Annual Dance Marathon (THON) which raises money in sup- port of the Four Diamonds Fund. He also helped in creating the memorial service for Scott Latimer. Despite his resignation, he will continue to participate in the preparation for the THON. Taking his place as president is Liz Mondi, vice president under Ranalli. - “He’s gotta do what he’s gotta do, I respect and support his decision,” said supporting Mondi on her predecessor. Mondi fulfilled her new po- sition directly following the resigna- tion. As the new president, Mondi is preparing to create more organiza- tion and a stress-free semester. “She [Mondi],” stated Ranalli, “has a more demanding per- sona ... she’ll get the job done.” The executive board of the SGA will not be effected by the res- ignation. The entire executive com- mittee will uphold the empty VP seat until the fall semester. Page4 ........ Pageb5:........ Page6......... Page8......... A GLANCE INSIDE: Page2 ...........MLK Celebration Page 3 ..........New Mac Machine . .Editorial & Opinion .......People Poll ....10 Cheap Gifts .....Sports Recap
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