Page 2 The Lion's Eye October 27, 2003 Pye on Campus Night of fright ... right up the road By LAUREN JENDRASIAK Lion’s Eye staff writer LJJ123@psu.edu I am a big fan of Halloween. What's not to love? Dressing up, candy every- where you look, pumpkins, ghosts. It's the most festive and fun holiday on the calendar, and it's my absolute favorite. Perhaps you don't share my love of Halloween and won't be donning an elaborate costume, anxiously awaiting for It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown to air, or binging on junk food, but one Halloween tradition in which you must participate is the haunted hayride at Arasapha Farm, just a few miles north of campus on Route 352. It's quite obvious that the people at Arasapha take Halloween pretty serious- ly, because they offer three different ways to scare the living daylights out of people: By hayride, Bates Motel, or Children of the Corn Maze. I opted for the hayride and it did not disappoint. Arasapha's scare tactics feature dra- matic audio and visual effects. A mas- sive John Deere tractor pulls you IN THE FIRST PERSON ON AND AROUND CAMPUS through the dark, dense woods to the accompaniment of eerie music and vari- ous creepy noises. Mutilated creatures, daunting figures, and “Jason” look-alikes with chainsaws pop out of strategically placed structures, lunging at the wagon and its passengers. Crazed lunatics — well, they are, aren’t they? — hurl large objects at the wagon from high above, barely missing. From www.thebatesmotel.com These young ladies don’t look frightened here, but Arasapha Farms’ Haunted Hayride and other attractions really does deliver on a fun Hallwoeen attraction. I'm not very easily frightened, but the element of surprise left me feeling like I was having an anxiety attack. The only drawback to the experience was the hour and a half wait. Feelings of impatience were quickly replaced by those of sheer fright; it's hard to be annoyed when you're paralyzed with fear. Arasapha Farm is open nightly through Nov. 1 from dusk till 10:30. You can’t miss it on Route 352; just drive a few miles north from campus. For additional information, call (610) 459-0647 or visit www.thebatesmotel.com. Learning Center reminds: Don’t wait to seek help By SEAN ORNER Lion’s Eye staff writer SEO125@psu.edu The Learning Center once again this year is providing many programs designed to help students. According to Norma Notzold of the Learning Center, staff members have been visiting classes to invite students to take advantage of the center's services. All services are individualized to meet the specific learning needs of the student in any subject identified, Notzold said. "Right now the Learning Center is set- ting up study groups for many of the general-education courses," Notzold said. The center is also hiring peer tutors to work in the Learning Center. Many stu- dents find it helpful to be able to work with a fellow student in particular sub- ject areas, Notzold said. The peer tutor must meet certain crite- ria to be able to provide the tutoring services. The center is especially looking - for tutors in Math 110, 140 and above. Math seems to be an area in which many students can use a little extra support from a tutor. The Learning Center tries to accommo- date many needs of the students. According to Notzold, students can either schedule help in advance or "just drop in." Students, though, should not wait and then panic. But even if they do, they will find help available, often from a student who has himself or herself taken the same class recently. Fun for all, and free food, at Fall Fest By CHRISTINE GREENAN Lion’s Eye staff writer CMG196@psu.edu It was a beautiful day for Penn State Delco’s Fall Fest Oct. 18. The three-hour fest consisted of activities for all ages, music, and free food. Aside from all the entertainment, there were also opportunities to learn about the campus as well. : “I learned more about what the cam- pus has to offer in regards to activities and : clubs,” said student Elizabeth Kline. Whether you were getting your pic- ture taken with the Nittany Lion, paint- ing a pumpkin, informing about a club, or touring Cumberland Cemetery for a “Tombstones & Spirits” exhibit put on by students, you were enjoying it. “I was really pleased with the (“Tombstones & Spirits”) event,” said Dr. Laura Guerton, professor of geologi- cal science. “It was great how students interacted and learned from one anoth- er.” There also was a lot to learn from Fall Fest. Many student clubs were sell- ing chances or simply handing out infor- mation. The highlight of the day had to be the contests. There was the apple-bake off contest, won by Donald Sorin, and the best-dressed Penn Stater contest in which Delco Freshman Katrin Petka was awarded first place for her ingenious Nittany lion outfit. The best contest had to have been the pie-eating contest. Eight contestants were lined up with their choice of pie. Some took the slow-and-steady approach, while others just dug right in. After giving it his all, and managing to keep it down, Jim Morgan from computer services finished his pie first, repeating as champion. “It was a beautiful day and a good chance for students to see what the campus had to offer,” said student Courtney Devine. “And free food is the best.” SGA plans participation in appropriation rally at Capitol By RENEE BLISARD Lion’s Eye staff writer REB202@psu.edu This month marked the inauguration of the first open discussion Student Government Association meeting. Students, faculty, and SGA officers gathered to debate controversial issues about Penn State Delco and to vote on them. In years past, SGA meetings were closed to everyone except SGA officers. Now, teachers and students in the audi- ence voice their opinions. There were two major topics brought up for discussion by SGA officers: Teacher evaluations and a rally in Harrisburg. Shawn Manderson, SGA senator of governmental affairs, suggest ed the PSU Delco's SGA attend a rally and picket in Harrisburg for increased state appropriation organized by the Council of Commonwealth Student Governments. His proposal brought immediate praise and approval from SGA members. "CCSG (Council of Commonwealth Student Government) and USG (Undergraduate Student Government) will hold this event sometime in January,” Manderson said. “This will be a peaceful rally designed to protest not having enough state appropriations and remind them that Penn State University counts too. "If we had gotten $347.1 million pro- posed by the state for the 2003/2004 fis- cal year, we would have made our budget but the state will fall short by an. esti mated $24.5 million because they have proposed $306.5 million.” Ardalan Fassih, senator of academics, proposed allowing students to view teachers' SRTE evaluations online. "Students can pick their teachers bet- ter if they see their evaluations," said Fassih. "English majors, HDFS (Human Development and Family studies) majors, all of the students of four-year majors at Penn State Delco can benefit." SGA put the issue on hold for further discussion. Many goals for the improvement of the campus were introduced by SGA offi- cers. Anya Takos, senator of adult stu- dents, outlined her aspirations. "I am in the midst of designing a series of adult student 'meet and greets’ open to the entire population, to make the population feel that they are part of the university experience,” said Takos. "Additionally, I am working to create a physical-education alternative to fulfill the GHS requirement because fitness classes are offered at inopportune times for adults, and the idea of creating a cooperative with an outside fitness facili- ty has been mentioned." Plan on voicing your opinions at the next SGA open discussion meeting Tuesday, Nov. 4 during common hour in the Classroom Building lounge.
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