| : { i | } J October 29, 1999 - LION'S EYE - Page 7 It’s A First Delco Pilots Reading Program For Commuters By B. Feick Lion’s Eye Staff Associate Once again, Delco scores a”First.” This time not just “first” in the Commonwealth College or “first” at Penn State, but “first” in the nation. It happens November 1 with students and reading as the focus. Starting that day, free copies of a variety of newspaper, including the New York Times and USA Today, will be available to students in the lounges of each building and in the cafeteria. Although Readership Programs like this one are in place in many college residence halls throughout the country, including Penn State’s, the three-week trial program at Delco is the first at a commuter campus. On campus last week to pitch the program to faculty, Eric Hellstern, education marketing manager for the New York Times, said, “Our society needs people who read.” Faculty at the meeting agreed that students generally know. little about current events and turn to the Internet to get information they want. They rarely pick up a newspaper and read. Yet Penn State students seem to like having free, easily accessible newspapers on campus. A survey at University Park, where the Readership Program had been in place in the dorms for over a year, showed that a large majority of students read the newspapers and want the program to continue. President Graham Spanier even has noted, “The Readership Program has become part of the culture at University Park. Students would revolt if we took it away.” Delco students can expect to be surveyed themselves at the end of the three-week pilot. Their responses will determine whether the program will be permanently installed during the spring semester, including using newspapers in the classroom. “We want to help faculty and also build our readership,” Hellstern said. “Our surveys show that most of our subscribers starting reading the New York Times in college. Actually, we’re not making money on the deal.” Newsstand prices for the New York Times are 60 cents in New York and generally $1 in Philadelphia. Cost per copy for the Readership Program is 40 cents. At other campuses, the cost of the program is included in the students’: housing fees. At Delco, the campus is picking up the cost during the pilot program. higher for the semester. Education and DUS. Scott, and Eric M. Vilbert. — Dean’s List — Nine students have been named to the Dean’s List for the summer 1999 semester. They achieved this honor by earning a grade point average of 3.5 or The honor students are enrolled in the colleges of Business, Engineering, Named to the Dean’s List are Erik T. Beese, Jenny M. Curless, Nina V. Gupta, Michael M. Higuchi, Shake Jebejian, Li Ran, John-Michael Ruddy, Kimberly M. State Schools Settle On Threatened Strike By Bob Dugan Lion’s Eye Staff Writer On October 21st an edgy alliance was formed between the State System of Higher Education (SSHE) and the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculties (APSCUF) which averted a school strike. The strike would have put 95,000 students out of school and 5,500 professors would have began picketing. “I’m graduating in December and starting my internship in January, so I'm definitely glad they didn’t go on strike,” states West Chester fifth year senior Frank DeFeo, “I don’t know what I would’ve done if they had.” The state schools include Bloomsburg, California, Cheyney, Clarion, East Stroudsburg, Edinboro, Indiana, Kutztown, Lock Haven, Mansfield, Millersville, Shippensburg, and West Chester. Penn State is state run but not state affiliated. Also the teachers are not unionized. There were two main reasons behind the strike. The first was the use of temporary teachers. A temporary teacher usually works at more than one school at a time and teaches fewer classes. The reason. the colleges love to hire temporary teachers is because they are paid less and do not receive full benefits. The use of temporary teachers has increased by 10% in the last three years. The union wants to cut this number down and focus on getting full-time teachers positions. The second and main reason behind the strike involved money. The union wanted to have the teacher’s yearly pay increase 3.75% the first two years they work and 3.9% in the third year. The state came back with lower numbers 2% and 2.5%. The other concern was about pay increase in relation to seniority. The union wanted a 5% increase every year a teacher works, while the state would only agree on 2.5%. After a two week decision period, a contract between the APSCUF and the SSHE was finalized. The contract has not been voted in just yet, but if it does it will run from July 1st, 1999 through June 30th, 2002. The APSCUF will vote on the agreement and then it will be considered by the State System’s Board of Governors. A student stretches in the Weight room during a strenuous workout. sEEERREE Photo by Brian Lee All This And Fun, Too! By Alyece Wolff Lion’s Eye Staff Writer Why should you sign-up for intra- murals? First, you are paying for aerobics through student allocation funds. Second, your potential to be a scholarship can- didate at Delco could be maximized. Most students will not be considered for a scholarship if they do not get involved in the campus (sports, clubs, etc.). Third, you can meet new and exciting people. Fourth, you will physically and mentally feel better. And finally, you will have fun. Intramurals are designed for all students. Being the best player with the most skills is not a requirement, but the ability to enjoy oneself is a must. Intramurals are held during common hour, 12:30-1:20pm on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. According to Barbara Rostick, intra- murals coordinator and kinesiology instructor, it is still not too late to get involved. Football is scheduled to end November 2, but could end sooner. Rostick said, “Many of the students that signed-up are not showing up, and it is hard to get a good game going with only a few people.” Street hockey will start after football ends. Surprisingly, no one has signed-up for tennis. Rostick opti- mistically requested, “Please, try to find students who want to play.” Those who are interested in working off those extra pounds that sometimes appear during the approaching cold months can still join aerobics. Rostick said, “Aerobics is taught by a certified instructor, so students will get a great and safe workout.” These activities will survive only if students start to express more interest. “Today’s aerobics class had only four people in the class,” according to Rostick. Contact Barbara Rostick if you are interested or have questions at 610892- 1487, or email her at bar@psu.edu. Preying On College Women By Regis Fields Lion’s Eye Staff Writer During the weekend of October 10th, an unknown assailant attacked another Center City Philadelphia woman. This has become the seventh attack on a woman in that area in the past two. years. The attacker entered the apartment, located on Chestnut St. in the Rittenhouse area, shortly before eight p.m. while the victim was taking clothes in and out of her apartment. The attacker snuck behind the woman and grabbed her by the throat, throwing her on the floor of the third story flat. This incident has been labeled a burglary so far since no forcible sex had been reported to the police. The assailant then disappeared into the night. To many females in college, this scenario has been and continues to be getting out of hand. However, this attack has not been connected to the serial rapist who has terrorized the Center City area for two years now. A campaign that started in 1997 with a 21-year-old artist at 21st and Spruce, reached its height in 1998 with the murder of Shannon Schieber, an University of Pennsylvania graduate student living in the Center City area. Altogether some six attacks have been committed on women in the downtown area, with the common link being that most were students of some kind. The attack during the weekend of October 10th seems like another to add to the serial rapists list, but police are not sure. “There’s no evidence of any type of a rape or an attempted rape. However, she was touched, so it’s a possibility she could have been indecently assaulted,” said Lt. Kenneth Coluzzi lead investigator into these incidents. When asked if this could be the work of the serial rapist he replied, “There are some things that are not similar,” ‘meaning the method of operation. Many female students are concerned with their safety and demand results. The police in the area of downtown and surrounding neighborhoods have beefed up squad car rotations, put plain-clothed cops on street patrol, and have canvassed the neighborhoods with posters of the likeness of the rapist. That is still not enough for some female students, “I sometimes travel alone at night home from school, but lately I try to get home earlier or get a ride somehow,” said Claudibel Rodriguez a Moore School of Art student who lives in Spring Garden, about a mile away from where the rapes occurred. The art school is located on 20th and the Parkway on the outskirts of Center City. “A lot of my friends head home the other way towards Chestnut and most do that in numbers now,” Rodriguez explained. Penn students, like adult student Leona Scott, don’t even feel safe on Penn’s campus which is located across the Schuylkill River around 32nd St. “My classes and co-op’s are at night and I do have to get to my car somehow. Normally I walk but I don’t know now. For all I know this guy could live on this campus, I’m taking no chances.” With Penn State having two campuses in the Philadelphia area, and a rapist who likes college women, the whole Phila- delphia college community is holding its breath praying that this man is caught before another female student becomes a victim. He is around Center City now, but if flushed out, who knows where he could end up. Or who, like the victim of October 10~, may fall victim to a copy cat. .
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers