April 27, 2004 The Lion’s Eye Page 7 Pye on Campus By SEAN ORNER Lion’s Eye staff writer SEO125@psu.edu Theatre 100, The Art of Theatre is taught by James Symmons and meets Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. until 11:20. Professor Symmons indicates that the course is an examination of life theater through a general sur- vey of theater history and drama, plays, acting and methods of production from the beginning of mod- ern drama to the present. Here, learning is just a part of the show In line with the class’ focus on creativity, many methods of teaching are used. For example, stu- dents are exposed to the typical reading and writing of papers, but also are asked to attend a live play, complete improvisational work, and rehearse scenes in class. Symmons’ goal for this course is to help students learn more about theater and drama but also about playwrights, directors, actors and the technicians. Students learn how theater has changed over hun- dreds of years. Students also learn about how certain important social ideas were explored in theater. For example, the topic of women’s rights is reviewed through the reading of plays such as Ibsen’s “A Doll House.” The class is fine for students who like a hands-on approach and want to learn about their personal style and collaborating with others. It is also interesting to learn about how theater has changed over time and reflected society's themes. The journey of Omar Lucas: From ‘gangster,’ to student By SARAH GALLATIG Lion’s Eye Associate Editor SLG232@psu.edu One of the most challenging issues facing high school dropouts is entering college with the motiva- tion to succeed. Omar Lucas knows from firsthand experience that this task is hard to accomplish but not out of reach. After dropping out of high school Lucas took to the streets of Coatesville to earn his living. “I was a gangster,” he said. “I was arrested for drug dealing, but was lucky enough to find a great lawyer who got me off without doing time. That was a wake-up call for me. I decided I wanted to change my way of living.” Within a month Lucas had earned his GED, and enrolled in college starting his career at Penn State Delco. Tm majoring in chemistry,” he wid “Dr. (John) Tierney is a fantastic instructor. I only wish I could take him for all my chemistry classes.” As the average student struggles to fulfill all the requirements they to graduate, Lucas is taking his time. “I don’ t follow the rules so the advising staff gets really upset with me,” said Lucas. “I take the classes I want to take so that I can learn. I want to learn everything.” Traveling is among one of Lucas’ hobbies. He has been to Greece, Italy, Hungary, and Mexico. “My goal is to continue traveling because traveling has helped me want to do other things,” he said. “Leaving the Coatesville area has broadened my hori- Zons. Another goal in Lucas’ life is continuing his edu- cation and becoming an anesthesiologist, a doctor who administers the anesthesia patients may need if undergoing surgery. Lucas is a well-rounded person who is involved with many different activities outside of school. “I volunteer for two non-profit organizations, the International Institute for Theater Research,” he said, “and the Coatesville Cultural Society. He has performed in plays although he doesn’t enjoy acting, and does the bookkeeping for the organ- izations. “I like what the organizations are doing so I sup- port them in any way I can,” he said Lucas also enjoys spending time with his family and friends. “I'm a very social person, and my friends think I'm easy to talk to,” he said. “I also give great advice to those who need it, and will listen to anyone who has something to say” Lucas learns from the young and the old. He also thinks that students should take a break from school after they graduate college. “When I was in high school I hated it,” he said. “Now that the decision is mine, I love it. It’s a learn- ing process just to come and go to school and speak in a way that people can understand me.” Although Lucas has enjoys learning and plans to further his education he does admit that it isn’t always easy. Environmental groups push for curbs By SEAN ORNER Lion’s Eye staff writer SE0125@psu.edu Three major U.S. environmental groups are suing the government's Environmental Protection Agency for what they feel are policies that allow global warm- ing to go unchecked. Greenpeace, the Sierra Club and the International Center for Technology Assessment say the EPA has violated the 1977 Clean Air Act by not limiting air pol- lution and are endangering the public. £3 Global warming affects the environment and our health, environmental groups say. The earth is 5 to 9 degrees warmer than it was 10,000 years ago and global warming is occurring at a faster rate. This results in the buildup of greenhouse gases that change weather patterns, causing flooding, drought, famine, storms and agricultural disasters. There is more pollution. For example, carbon dioxide, the main global warming gas, has increased by 30 per- cent in the last 100 years. Environmentalists say we have the high-tech methods needed to solve the problem, but Capitol Hill has not shown the leadership to target global warm- ing. Auto companies have created fuel- saving tech- nologies but the government has not made them put them into use. Fuel efficiency would reduce global warming. Also, Photo by Sarah Gallatig Omar Lucas has taken his life from the mean streets of Coatesville to the arena of higher education. “I'm still working really hard,” he said. “I'm still struggling with the violence that drove me to sell drugs.” Like everyone, Lucas has life goals, which help keep him focused and organized. “I want to continue to learn,” he said. “But I also always want to be happy, and I want to smile every day all day long.” on global warming the Pentagon did commission a report to study global warming and learned that there would be a disaster if global warming continues at its present rate. There has been one strong response, the proposed McCain-Lieberman Climate Stewardship Act. It is described as a bipartisan effort to address global warming and an effort to get the Bush administration to not be indifferent to the issue. Last year, the Act failed to pass by a 55-43 vote. The bill will be submitted again this year. More infor- mation about this is available at from the National Resources Defense Council at nrdc.org/global warm- ing, or by writing a letter to President Bush or your senators.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers