20—The Daily Collegian Tuesday, Sept. 6, 1983
Grad wants
will sue University
By MARCIA McGRATH
Collegian Staff Writer
Charging that a Capitol Campus
social group was involved in drug
abuse a few years ago, a graduate
of that campus plans to file a civil
suit against the University seeking
release of information under the
federal Freedom of Information
Act.
But a federal official has al
ready cleared the campus of the
accusations and called some of the
graduate's allegations "far
fetched."
Vito Valvano, 26, of Dunmore,
Lackawanna County, is asking for
release of any records the Univer
sity possesses relating to his activ
ities at the Capitol Campus and
reports pertaining to drug abuse
Valvano says occurred there from
1977-79, said Scranton attorney
Frank Muraca.
Although University lawyers
have told Valvano the University
is. exempt from the Freedom of
Information Act, it will respond to
the suit, which will be filed in U.S.
District Court, Scranton.
"There's no way the University
ever ignores any suit," said Wen
dell Courtney of McQuaide, Blas
ko, Schwartz, Fleming &
Faulkner, Inc., 811 University
Drive.
The planned defense, Courtney
said, is "that (act) applies to U.S.
agencies, and I certainly do not
consider Penn State a government
agency."
Valvano,. a 1979 business grad-.
uate, referred all questions to Mu,
raca, his lawyer.
Patricia A. Murphy, coordinator
• YOUR BSN W • HAN
OFFICER ' S co issioN
IN THE
y
• Your BSN means you're a professional. In the Army, it also
means you're an officer. You start as a full-fledged member of our
medical team. Write: Army Nurse Opportunities,
P.O. Box 7713, Burbank, CA 91510.
ARMY NURSE CORPS.
BE ALLYOU CAN BE.
HEY - PENN STATERS!!
INTERESTED IN ...
COFFEEHOUSES?
CONCERTS?
MOVIES?
PUBLICITY?
SPECIAL EVENTS?
The STUDENT UNION BOARD wants
VOW!
We're looking for people who want to get involved . . .
Come join us for our Fall Organizational Meeting
Tuesday September 6th 7:00 p.m.
room 307 HUB
EVERYONE IS WELCOME! BRING A FRIEND!
KEEP Up WiTli LION COUNTRY
info;
of residential programs and serv
ices at the Capitol Campus, said
Valvano has been making allega
tions about drug and alcohol prob
lems at the campus since spring
1980.
James D. South, acting assistant
to the provost at Capitol Campus,
said Valvano has distributed leaf
lets on campus and notified seve
ral state officials charging that
Murphy and Joint Effort, a cam
pus social group, were involved in
drug abuse on campus. South said
Valvano also claims the campus
sanctioned keg parties.
But "all allegations have been
reviewed and there's absolutely no
factual foundation" for them,
South said.
Murphy said: "Vito feels that
Capitol Campus has shafted him in
some way and it's not true."
Richard Weatherby, director of
the Bureau of Narcotics Investiga
tion in the Office of the state
Attorney General, said most of the
charges date back four to six
years.
"The allegations are unfounded,
at least in current terms," he said.
His bureau received a letter
from Valvano dated May 21 of this
year. "There were quite a few
farfetched allegations in there,"
Weatherby said.
Before clearing the campus of
all charges, Weatherby said his
bureau talked with Capitol Cam
pus administrators and its head of
security. He also spoke to students
who were members of Joint Effort
during the period in question, and
the Dauphin County district attor
ney, who also received notification
from Valvano.
.• I. i
,
Dept• of EducaLion daso.. chosen.
By CHRISTINE MURRAY Campus Student Governments for must tackle in writing the newslet- Smith plans to focus his newslet-
Collegian Staff Writer . the 1981-82 school year. ter will be cutting the red tape to get ter on what is happening in the
Kenneth Varcoe, assistant vice information from administrators in education department and why.
The recently selected student liai- president for Student Affairs, said Washington. "It will keep us out of political hot
son officer in the U.S. Department Smith did an excellent job both as "That is a very difficult thing to water, I hope,: ' Smith said.
of Education hopes his fellow Penn student government president at do around here, as I've discov- In addition to writing a monthly
State students will take advantage the Dußois Campus and as COBCSG ered," he said. newsletter, the position of student
of their voice in Washington. chairman. Smith intends to initiate his own liaison also includes communicat-
Mark Smith (senior-general arts Varcoe said he believes Smith is a ideas as far as the newsletter is ing students' views to the underse
and sciences) is the 11th liaison good listener and "will do a good job concerned. cretary.
officer, said Stephen Dougherty, expressing the views of the students "Being involved, in student gov- "It doesn't mean the administra
special assistant to the Deputy Un- to the powers that be in the Depart- erriment, I've never been afraid to tion is going to change their policy,"
dersecretary of Education for inter- • ment of Education." come up with new ideas." Smith said: .
governmental and inter-agency af- Smith will receive a salary of $875 Input from students is scarce, One of the biggest problems that
fairs. a month and will hold the position Smith said, and he hopes the news- students face, he said, is adjusting
"The position was created to get until Jan. 16, when he will return to letter will inform more students to their new economic conditions
student input within the Depart- the 'University to finish his senior that the liaison position exists. after graduation.
ment of Education," Dougherty year, he said. The newsletter coming out of "Colleges and universities , and
said. Smith has been on the job for a Smith's office will be different from even individual departments have
Smith said he was chosen from little more than a week and has just the one published by the previous to make students more aware of
among 75 applicants, more than begun work on his first newsletter liaison, Mary E. Hayter. what's out there," Smith said.
twice as many students who applied that will be sent to more than 3,000 Controversy arose when Hayter He said Hayter did a good job
for the position last year. colleges and universities across the published some editorials about the while she held the position by ex-
Smith was the chairman of the country. nuclear freeze and school prayer in panding the mailing list and making
University's Council of - Branch One of the tasks Smith said he the newsletter, Smith said. more people aware of the position.
Local phone service offers friendly ear to children
By LORI•MARIE VAIL
Collegian Staff Writer
Phone Friend, a telephone help line for children
alone at home after school hours, will resume its
service today.
The service, which is available to children in the
Bellefonte and State College area school districts,
is sponsored by the State College Branch of the
American Association of University Women and is
housed at the Women's Resource Center, 111 Sow
ers St. •
Marilyn Keat, chairwoman of the Phone Friend
committee, said about 65 percent of last year's
calls came from children who were lonely or
frightened or just curious about Phone Friend.
Other calls concerned care of pets, minor cuts and
scrapes, sibling disagreements, and household
maintenance. Adolescents call the line for informa
tion concerning pregnancy, sexuality and dating.
The program, targeted at 4,500 children, received
about 45 calls per week last year.
Keat said volunteers have answered nearly 3,000
calls and have never had to handle a major medical
question.
Volunteers act as supportive listeners for the
children who call. They encourage the children to
follow established family procedures when dealing
with problems.
The pilot program for Phone Friend began in
January of 1982 and continued through June, when
it closed for the summer. The service was then
reopened in September and continued through the
end of the school year.
"It is our feeling that parents are more likely to
leave their children alone for a couple of hours
rather than leave them unattended all day long,
three months a year," Keat said.
However, one possible direction for the program
would be to extend hours and to remain open
through the summer because phone calls do come
•••••••••••••6•••••••••••••••••• •••
li)S141. 0
0
#----
.
)
V •
•
•
•
-----: ' 4l •
fa :
•
IC I'ICKEY •
Sign ups start immediately following meeting Limited number •
$85.00/jersey, t-shirt, 32 games ' must be paid to sign up 0
Season begins Oct. 10th Call p 65-7057 for info e
AMAUS Referee Clinic 9:00 am Sunday . Sept. 11 at the rink
TIME TO COOL OFF
I.M. ICE HOCKEY CLUB
Organizational Meeting
Wednesday Sept. 7th 7:00 pm 73 Willard
All interested players should attend
•
•
•
•
•
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
in during hours when Phone Friend is closed, she
said.
But Keat said the program does not have ad
equate funds or volunteers to do so.
The idea for Phone Friend was conceived in 1979
by AAUW members involved in a Family Facing
Change study group that Keat chaired. The group
studied the increasing number of two-career fami
lies. Phone Friend evolved from this study.
"We know children are out there. We want to
provide a service to the children to the family,"
Keat said. "If talking,to Phone Friend can reduce
stress children feel in their lives and perhaps then
reduce the stress that parents feel, than that can
enhance the community."
The AAUW has published a Phone Friend Repli
cation Packet containing a volunteer training man
ual and a public awareness program to' be
implemented in setting up a service similar to that
of Phone Friend. Keat said about 25 agencies have
ordered the packet.