February 6, 2006
The Lion's Eye
Page 7
Cats Beware! The Dog is in Town
By Gerry Dungan and Sharon Achilles
Lion's Eye Staff Writers
mdl38@psu.edu, saal 92@psu.edu
Cats beware, this is the year of the dog.
Penn State Delaware County's Asian Club celebrat-
ed this year's Chinese New Year in the Classroom
Building last week. The campus-wide event was hosted
by Asian Club president, Truman Nguyen and sophomore
club member Sheri Chu.
"People born in the Year of the Dog possess the best
traits of human nature," Chu said during the opening cer-
emony. They have a deep sense of loyalty, are honest and
inspire other people's confidence because they know how
to keep secrets."
The first act in the program, the Lion dance, a cus-
tomary treat, ushered in the Lunar New Year. Next, the
returning Peter Tang Ensemble played traditional Chinese
music to a crowd of students trickling in from the rain.
Students and faculty were drawn in by the warming
smell of the free Asian lunch provided by the Lion's Pit
and Chu's aunt who owns a restaurant in Chinatown, as
well as the engaging sounds of the Peter Tang Ensemble.
"It was great, Peter Tang was hype... entertaining,"
said Junior Kidesti Teklegiorgis, "he was telling the
crowd to clap."
At one point during their performance, he invited
audience members to play the traditional instruments with
the ensemble.
The quick pace of the event's program nearly missed a
proper introduction to the next act. University of
Delaware student, Minh Vu, an instructor at the American
Martial Arts Institute in Delaware, performed Kung Fu
katas. Although he was entertaining, he was also danger-
ously close to the audience.
The final leg of the program was a prize raffle that per-
Peter Tang joins Truman Nguyen and Sheri Chu
suaded the remaining audience to remain at the event.
However, the overall attendance at this year's Chinese
New Year Celebration appeared to be weak.
Dr. Seonjun Kim, Advisor of the club, noted that "last
year there were around 150-200 students in attendance,
we will continue to grow more."
Unfortunately, this year, in comparison, only 107 stu-
dents attended, according to the sign in sheet.
Although, Kim noted that "more Asian students from
the club helped this year, more non-asian club students
helped. ..like with the decorations."
Still a handful of reasons for the poor attendance were
given.
When Nguyen was asked about the low turn out, he
responded, "the rain of course," and added "there are
always those who don't sign in."
"A lot of people didn't show up," said Teklegiorgis, "I
think that it had to do with the weather... last year it was
packed."
A lack of advertising and preparation were also men-
tioned as for the low turn out.
. The Kung Fu performance and raffle were not adver-
tised. Some of the items that were given out in the raffle
were Wind Chime Pagodas, gourmet chop sticks, posters
of Jet Li, and Bruce Lee, Peter Tang's CD, a Hello Kitty
collectable, and a "lucky" bamboo shoot.
Shortly after the event the Asian Club began to make
plans for remainder of the semester and next year, Kim
said, "They plan to bring guest speakers from Chinatown
to campus, participate with multi-cultural day, and host a
campus wide poker night for their fundraising."
Despite the rain and lack of preparation, "Chinese
New Year is a very popular campus event ... as soon as
people heard it, they came in," concluded Nguyen.
Blazing Blankets Fire Up Delco Students
Rt. 352 Construction Greenlighted
For Community Service
By Kat Specht
Lions Eye Staff Writer
kvs5045@psu.edu
Usually, when people want to get
involved with community service, they
will think about going to soup kitchens,
helping out at a blood drive, giving
clothing and other items to Goodwill, or
other common activities.
Faculty, students, and community
alike are coming together to participate
in Project Linus by putting their fingers
to the test to create blankets for children
in hospitals through a club here on cam-
pus called The Knittany Lion
Needleworks Group.
The club began in the early Spring of
2002, courtesy of the brainstorming,
drive and love for needlework of Dr.
Laura Guertin, the assistant professor of
Earth Sciences here on campus. Diana
Shorter, the campus' Student Life
Specialist, joins Guertin in heading the
club.
Each blanket's design is unique and
can take anywhere from a half an hour
to a few months to make, depending on
how difficult the design and how many
people are working on it.
The Knittany Lion Needleworks
Group has kept very busy with yarn
drives to gather supplies and monthly
events. On Thursday, Feb. 16, they will
be participating in National Make A
Blanket Day on campus at 11:30 a.m.
until 1 p.m.
The event's theme is "Blankets on
FIRE," using only yellow, red, and
black yarn to honor our firefighters.
They have started to make shawls,
hats, and mittens as well, for the cold,
bitter winter weather. Mittens are very
difficult to make and more people are
needed to make them. Anyone willing
to help out should contact either
Guertin or Shorter.
"Don't be intimidated," was the
advice that Shorter had for anyone that
has an interest in becoming a new
member to the Knittany Lion
Needleworks. Don't think that you need
years of experience knitting, crocheting,
or sewing to be a member either. There
have been numerous additions to the
club that came wanting to learn how to
knit and crochet, and there are always
people ready to teach.
For more information on The
Knittany Lion Needleworks Group, you
can go to Student Life or check them
out on the web at: http://www .knit-
tanylionneedleworks.org.
After 15 Year PennDot Planning
Written by Michelle Roche
Lions Eye Staff Writer
mcer5013@psu.edu
After 15 years of planning, PennDot is
finally setting up a red light at the inter-
section of Old Middletown and Yearsley
Mill roads.
Safety, for many years, has been a
major concern for students both merging
onto Old Middletown and crossing it to
reach Yearsley Mill. With a traffic light
installment, traffic can turn and merge
with greater ease, especially around rush
hour.
The project officially began in the fall
of 2005. PennDot expects the completion
of the project by October, 2006. The
process to plan and carry out with the
project has been a long one. "We have
had to plan what construction we would
want to have done and where the con-
struction would take place," said Mike
Murphy of PennDot. After planning, the
issue needed to be discussed and agreed
upon in zoning board meetings because
the construction will affect utility lines
that the community uses."
Through the installment of the red light,
Penn State hopes that the safety of the stu-
dents, faculty, and staff, as well as resi-
dents in the community will be improved.
Lines for water and power and other
utilities are in the stage of being relocated
because of the construction. The campus
already experienced a problem with lack
of water on January 10. Students were
unable to use the bathroom facilities or
drink from the water fountains.
Construction crews usually begin their
work mid-morning and end by 6 pm at the
latest.
"In addition to doing utility work for
this project, we also have to have lines
that service the Mirmont Rehabilitation
Center down the street, which is undergo-
ing construction as well,” said Murphy,
“Telephone poles as well as other lines
need to be rearranged for the residential
community," he said.
To avoid the congestion when arriving
and departing from school, most Penn
State students are taking the back roads
instead of Route 352.
"I'm upset that they're doing this after I
leave," says sophomore Steve Kane, who
is transferring up to University Park in
Fall 2006. "They kept saying that they
would complete the project semester after
semester for a long time and nothing has
happened. :
"The reconstruction with the roads has
also caused my car to get a flat tire, and
that is the first time that I have ever had a
flat tire on the road."
Dinosaur of the Month
by Dr. Andrew Walter D.D.