1.9-year decline in SAT scores College By CHRISTOPHER CONNELL Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON High school seniors scored slightly higher on the Scholastic Aptitude Test this year, snapping a 19-year decline that has been a persistent thorn in the side of the nation's schools. The College Board reported yesterday that the rise in SAT scores taken by 1 million college bound students was slight a single point in math and two points on the verbal half of the exam but consistent with other test improvements. . The scores of 467 in math and 426 in verbal remain a far cry from the 502-478 averages that prevailed in 1963 before the downward spiral began. The SAT is scored on a scale of 200 to 800. But George H. Hanford, the president of the College Board, who announced the Class of 1982 results, said: "This year's rise, however slight, combined with last year's holding steady, is a. welcome sign for educators, parents and students that serious efforts by the nation's schools and their students to improve the quality of education are taking effect." The scores had held steady at 466 in math and 424 in verbal from 1980 to 1981. The math score rose by one point in 1969, and then started downward again. This is the first year that both scores increased The College Board, a non-profit group that sponsors the college entrance exam, also found other evidence that students are hitting the books harder: • Scores on its achievement tests in 15 subjects "rose 5 points to 537, its highest level since 1976 and 10 points above 1973." • Scores improved on a Test of Standard Written English "for the first time since the introduction of the test in 1975." • "Students took more courses Shoppers picked the shelves of the two State College A&P stores yesterday. The two stores and one in Bellefonte are expected to close this month, although the exact date the stores will close is not yet known. Cheerleaders train like athletic teams By STELLA TSAI Collegian Staff Writer The word "cheerleader" used to suggest a prissy Pepsodent princess with nary a blemish and the frailty of a toothpick. But no more. The physical demands of cheering at each game are similar to those faced by athletes participating in the events, said Lee Giannone, director of the varsity cheerleading and Lion's Legion squads. "The cheerleaders have to train like any other athletic team, but of course there's no competition," Giannone said. "The practice is just as rigorous and it takes as many hours. Gone are the routine, non-physical and redundant chanted cheers. "Cheerleading is much like gymnastics. If you could, imagine standing on a boy's shoulders and doing a front flip into his arms "If the stunts are not spotted well the potential for very serious injury is great." Ron•Boxall of the Lion's Legion squad Board in mathematics and physical science in high school than ever before." • Students' grade point average remained at 3.06, or just above a B, for the third year in a row, down from a high of 3.12 in 1976. Grade inflation was suspected as a prime cause of the higher grade averages. Robert .G. Cameron, . the College ,Board's research director, said the SAT score improvements jibe with trends on other tests. "In the last two years, there have been reports of improved reading scores in urban and state assessment tests and by the National Assessment for Educational Progress (a federally sponsored testing agency)," he said. "Teachers have also been reporting greater interest among students in academic subjects and achievement." The 1 million seniors who took the SAT represent a third of their class, but two-thirds of those who go directly to college. The board, citing questionnaires filled out by most of the students, reported that their median family income was $26,800, up from $24,100 in 1981. Seventy-six percent of the seniors planned to seek financial aid for college. The board said that fewer than one in five families can pay the full $4,400 cost of an average public four-year college and only one in nine can pay the full $7,300 cost of an average private college. ' • Nearly eight percent of the students intend to major in computer sciences, a 38 percent increase. "Interest has tripled since 1978 and quintupled since 1975," the board said. Business and commerce remained the most popular field of study, favored by 19 percent, followed by health and medical, 14 percent; engineering, 13 percent; computer sciences, 8 percent; social sciences, 7 percent and education, 5 percent. • , the daily ends, says BEIM stressed the importance of spotting. "Nothing is done on the field unless everyone can do it," he said. "You must be spotted until it becomes like second nature." To further enhance the Penn State repertoire, the cheerleaders attend the Universal Cheerleading Association camp in Virginia during the summer to learn stunts and new techniques, Giannone said. The choreography of earlier partner stunts first borrowed concepts from "Adagio," a ballet form, he said. Now moves and lifts are designed specifically for cheerleading. Keeping in prime cheering condition is an ongoing process. The cheerleaders spend about 45 hours each week mastering their craft, Giannone said. Boxall said, "You're still sore even after the first few practices. Each time you go into practice'you think that you won't be sore the next day anymore, but you still are." Despite the constant repitition of stunts, the potential of injury presides over each event. oHe • lan ..• :•••,••• • -, V <~' Palestinian and Lebanese demonstrators burn an effigy of Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin in front of the Israeli Embassy in Ottawa Israel approves peacekeeping By The Associated Press The Israeli government yesterday approved the plan to send U.S., Italian and French peacekeepers back to Beirut, where the confirMed death toll from a frenzy of bloodletting in two Palestinian refugee camps climbed to 204. With support from the Moslem leaders who tried to block his brother's election, Maronite Christian Amin Gemayel was chosen president of Lebanon during a special Parliament session held one week after President-elect Bashir Gemayel was assassinated. Israel pulled more of its troops out of west Beirut, which it seized last Wednesday in what it called a peacekeeping move following Bashir Gemayel's murder in a bomb blast the day before. ~.. .''' ...l) ‘ ..‹... IMMU Photo by David Garrett Because cheerleading physically taxes squad members and increases their risk of injury, cheerleaders must be covered by the University's athletic insurance policy. Each cheerleader must also be examined by a physician. "At this time, we have not had any serious injuries," Jones, assistant athletic director. "The most serious was a cheerleader who sustained a sprained ankle." When a stunt inflicts back strain or pulled muscles, the cheerleader is sent to the same physicians that care for the varsity sport players The risk multiplies when cheerleaders develop and perform the popular pyramids, Giannone said. The concentration of weight may require a cheerleader to hold more than 300 pounds at one time. "Pyramids three to four people high, that the students see can get quite dangerous," Giannone said. "To hold that steady and make that look sharp is quite challenging. But the Israelis kept an overnight curfew in force in predominantly Moslem west Beirut for a third night. Prime Minister Menachem Begin's Cabinet, after a 5 1 / 2 -hour meeting in Jerusalem, announced that it endorsed reconstitution of the' U.S.-French-Italian force that left Beirut earlier this month after evacuation of the main body of PLO guerrillas. Italy announced it will increase its contribution this time from 500 to 1,000 troopers, with the United States expected to send 800 Marines and France, 950 paratroopers, for a combined force of 2,750. U.S. Defense Secretary Caspar W. Weinberger said the Marines of the 32nd Amphibious Unit, who had been on liberty in Naples, Italy, would be back in Beirut by as early as tomorrow. The Shoppers ravage A&Ps Closing date of stores still uncertain By MARY STEPHENS Collegian Staff Writer As the last-minute bargain hunters search the near empty shelves of A&P food stores, the local managers are still unsure of their stores specific closing dates. • Not much remained on the shelves of the North Atherton Street A&P store yesterday as it continued a 50 percent-off sale along with other area A&P stores. No fresh produce or meat products are being sold. In fact, little was left besides medicine, toiletries, canned goods and bug killers. Both State College A&P stores and one in Bellefonte are expected to close this month with 40 other stores and a warehouse in its Altoona division. However A&P officials in the main office were unavailable for comment for specific closing dates. A North Atherton store employee, who did not want his name printed said, "We are working on a day-to day basis until the merchandise is sold." A spokesman from the Bellefonte store who also did not want to be identified, said he would know when A&P would close the store when, "They tell me to lock the fc• . • 1.• • yesterday. About 200 of the marchers protested last week's massacre of Palestinian refugees. "People need to realize the time and difficulty that goes into putting on the program that they see." Another Penn State football sideline tradition, the blanket toss, expends more energy and effort than its frolicking appearance could imply, Giannone said. The cheerleaders who toss the Nittany Lion mascot with the navy blue blanket must rely soley on hand strength. Each practice session includes 150 practice throws. And high temperatures pose a special danger for Dave Dailey, the fur-clad Nittany Lion mascot. "The potential for overheating is there," Dailey said. "I just have to be in good condition and I drink plenty of fluids." Boxall said, "(Cheerleading) is really physical and requires a lot of conditioning. You've got to be in shape. "Most everybody on either squad played • football or were gymnasts exceptional athletes. It seems they played all-star sports." Wednesday, Sept. 22, 1982 • Vol. 83, No. 43 16 pages University Park, Pa. 16802 Published by students of The Pennsylvania State University t/ ;4.~. s., ~~_ French Defense Ministry said an advance contingent of 350 paratroopers would arrive in Beirut by sea from Cyprus tomorrow. The Italians gave no timetable, but said their troops would be airlifted to Lebanon. Weinberger said the Marines, who had been in Beirut from Aug. 25 to Sept. 10, would have a "very limited" mission. He said they would not act as a police force or patrol Beirut, and he expected they would be withdrawn if there was any combat. Israeli Cabinet Secretary Dan Meridor said the government also called for a committee of five nations Israel, Lebanon, the United States, Italy and France "to ensure that in the new circumstance, the bloody terror will not be renewed." Also, please see LEBANESE, Page 6 door." Yesterday afternoon sales were mild compared to what it had been earlier, said North Atherton A&P store manager Donna Goss. "There's not much left." Customers said they were sorry to see the stores close. - Cynthia Page (graduate-geochemistry) said although she did not shop the A&P regularly, she will miss its convenient hours. Darla McCauley of Howard said she shops the Bellefonte store and will miss having two grocery stores in Bellefonte. Lois Gillepsie of Howard said she shopped the A&P because she liked the fruit department. "Everything with the A&P has been fine," she said McCauley said she has a friend who works at the Westerly Parkway store who will lose her job. "I'm sorry to see them go from that aspect," she said. The decision to close the stores followed a 305-270 vote defeating acceptance of concessions by union members of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 590 on Aug. 18. . . **wow , . • .• "gt '4""OggeNNMMIII "14 vSyre*.f.npavw AP Laserpholo plan inside • Nominations for four exec utive positions of the Graduate Student Association opened at last'night's GSA meeting.. Page 4 • On-campus preaching is tolerated as long as it doesn't disturb class • Page 16 weather Continued cloudy with occasion al showers today, tonight and tomorrow. Today's high will be 61, tonights low 49. Partial clear ing tomorrow with a high near 60. —by Craig Wagner index Arts Comics/crossword News briefs Opinions Sports State/nation/world.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers