e fiow's Eye PENNSTATE { Delaware County Vol. XXXI, No. 2 Penn State, Delaware County October 6, 1999 Security And Crime: Is The Campus Safe? By Bob Dugan Lion’s Eye Staff Writer Is Penn State Delaware County safe? How much crime really happens? And do the security officers do a good job? “I come from a small town and I think PSU Delco is safe,” explains Me- lissa Evans, a freshman in engineering. “But outside the campus it isn’t.” The current crime statistics for the campus were recently mailed to all stu- dents in a brochure titled “Policies, Safety, and You”. The brochure features a handy guide to various illegal drug symptoms, some anti-alcohol propa- ganda, and a list of all the crimes that occurred at PSU Delco in 1996, 1997, and 1998. In ‘96 there were a total of twenty incidents, in ‘97 only nine incidents, and in ‘98 there were thirteen incidents. Already during the Fall 1999 semester two thefts and a few car accidents at Route 352 and Yearsley Mill Road have occurred. One of the stolen items were given back, so that crime was dropped. In 1998, the thirteen incidents involved one fight (technically listed under assault: hands, fists, feet, etc.), one forcible entry, two unlawful entry incidents (the car was unlocked), and a total of nine larceny thefts (a stolen purse, wallet, or books are examples of larceny theft). In 1997 there were two incidents of drunkenness, one forcible entry, four larceny thefts, one non-aggravated assault, and one incident of vandalism. The crime rate at PSU Delco seems low, even though a number of crimes go un-reported every year. The little crime that does exist on campus is handled by two security Officers who make up the day and night duty: day officer Dave Horevy and night officer John McKnight. Dave himself is a cheery guy who started in February ‘99 and is always hard at work. He handles all of the crime during the day at PSU Delco. unless the victim in one of the crimes wants to notify the state police. Otherwise it would be worked out strictly through his office. Clint Whittom, a junior in civil engineering, talks positively about the security officers. “I think they do a good job. Usually the guard is making his rounds. It’s easy to find him.” A few of the reasons PSU Delco has such a low crime rate when compared to other small colleges or Penn State locations is the fact that there are no dorms on campus, thus a major aspect of criminal activity is lost. A non-existent number of crimes involving underage drinking, driving under the influence, and rape are on the books. Security officer Dave Horevey’s job includes turning back students who arrive on campus during an emergency closing, as was the case the day after Hurricane Floyd struck and left the campus without power. Family Day A Big Hit By Alyece Wolff Lion’s Eye Staff Writer The campus was overflowing with spouses, parents, siblings, and friends on Saturday, October 2, as the campus celebrated Family Day for its second year. Family Day is a special event that Karl Grieb, Public Relations and Special Events Coordinator, helped to organize. Its purpose is to “showcase the campus to families who otherwise would have never seen or known anything about the campus,” said Grieb. Family Day is a cross between Parent Weekend at Penn State University Park and a thrilling day at a festival (educational and fun)! Some of the thrilling activities were presented by professors: Jim Wawr- zyniak, Information Science and Technology, who introduced the popular concept of e-commerce, Dr. Phyllis Coyle, American Studies and English, who gave a historical walking tour of the campus, and Constance Kirker, Inte- grated Arts, who lead pumpkin painting and papier-mache mask making. Other thrilling events were pre- sented by student clubs. There was face painting, mask making, fake tattoos, contests and prizes, balloons, a foreign food festival, story telling, and more. In addition, there was a chance for students and their families to try out swing dancing. The varsity soccer, volleyball, and tennis teams also held either a game or a match that day. And finally there was enough complementary food that sent the whole family home satisfied. Hurricane Floyd roared through the FLOYD'S FURY campus September 16, downing the apple tree in the orchard area and another tree in front of the classroom building. Boyle Leaves SL Position By Ed Blackburn Lion’s Eye Staff Writer Christine Boyle, the beloved advisor to student activities and clubs, has left Penn State DelCo and accepted a position as an English teacher and counselor at Cardinal O’Hara High School her dream job. “She took an opportunity, and it’s foolish to pass those up,” says former co-worker Sally Ent, a Student Life staff assistant. While earning her Master’s degree at West Chester University in Career Counseling, Christine worked at Delco as an intern. She did so well that Career Services hired her full-time when she graduated. “She was well-liked by everyone,” says Sharmon Bryant, “and very efficient. She was willing to do even the things that weren’t her responsibility.” Diane Shorter, longtime staff assistant in Student Life, describes Boyle as “very courteous, kind and professional. She had a lot of patience, and never got angry with the students she was involved with. When times got tough, she just jumped in there and performed above and beyond the call of duty.” In a nutshell Ms. Shorter de- scribed Christine Boyle as the “con- summate professional” in every way. Robert Purdy, academic adviser, worked closely with Christine and has praise for her as well. “I always found my spirits lifted by her,” he said. “She impressed me with the great deal of energy that she could focus on a task. She had the optimism and hopefulness of youth,” he said as he sat back and smiled. “She was able to do things efficiently and so well.” Mr. Purdy also had another reason for liking Christine - her good sense of humor. “Her husband, who she married less than a year ago, likes lighthouses, and so do I,” he said. “Their wedding cake was even carved into the shape of one. You’ve got to have a good sense of humor for that.” Dasa Kelly, Vice President of the Student Government Association, worked with Christine Boyle on many occasions. “She was probably the most generous person to all of us in the SGA, even though technically she wasn’t our advisor. She did more for us than we could ever possibly thank her for, and we love her to death. We miss her.” Contract With Microsoft: Free Software For Students By Cherjon Bailey Lion’s Eye Staff Writer Rumors have been circulating that Penn State will soon be distributing free software to its students. It’s true. In early to mid- October, free software and upgrades will be available to students. Thanks to the university’s new contract with Microsoft, thousands of faculty, staff, and students at all locations will soon have access to some of the latest and most popular computer software. This contract is in effect through August 2002. Full time Penn State students who have paid their registration and do not owe the university any money can take advantage of this offer. Products include Office Pro 2000, Office ‘98 (Macintosh), BackOffice Client Access License, Front-Page (2000 and Macintosh) and Visual Studio for windows. Visual Studio is upgrades only and includes Visual Studio Professional, new versions of Visual Basic, Visual C++, Visual Fox Pro, Visual InterDev, and Visual J++. Windows Server and Exchange Server are for departmental use only. The CDs offered by Microsoft will be for departmental use only with li- censes. That same copy can, however, be used for other computers throughout departments. Once a student leaves Penn State, he or she no longer can take advantage of these opportunities. This contract, which is funded partially by the student computer fee, will result in substantial savings to Penn State Uni- versity. It will allow Penn State to expand the use of Microsoft products at a lower (Continued on page 5)
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