2—The Daily Collegian Tuesday, Nov. 8, 1983 l'rofs receive grants to teach deaf with computers ' By MARK DiANTONIO Collegian Staff Writer Two University professors were awarded grants totaling more than $450,000 to contin ue research in using microcomputers to teach deaf children reading, writing and communication skills. ' Philip M. Prinz, assistant professor of communication disorders, and- Keith E. Nelson, professor of psychology, received the two technology-effectiveness research grants from the U.S. Department of Educa tion to continue their research for at least two more years Prinz said the research, operating' for almost a year in the Philadelphia public schools and at the Pennsylvania School for the Deaf in Philadelphia, uses microcom puters to assist deaf children between the ages of 2 and 10 to develop their communica tion skills to the levels of hearing students. The children involved in the program Iced Tea Night Everyday Happy Hours 4.8 PM TI 5315C0N) 101 HIESTER ST serving Pepst•Cola Flavored Popcorn I; 2 bucks a bag!! Chbcolate Malt Nocho Cheese Onion & Chives Cinnamon • and many more Great Flovors The Candy Shop 352 .0 College Ave. Wednesday November 9, 1983 10 am -2 am 1-4 Terry Whitlock 4.30-5:45 Cartoon John Cunningham 8-9.30 Tom Casey 9:30.1:30 Bookends `By giving (the deaf children) a head start...we can provide them with early language input that will speed up the development of communication skills.' have normal intelligence and are capable of acquiring the skills, Prinz said, but they ordinarily would be denied the opportunity because of a lack of equipment or because teachers cannot provide individual atten tion. "By giving (the deaf children) a head start . . . we can provide them with early language input that will speed up the devel opment of communication skills," Prinz said. The program included about 60 children and Nelson said children using the micro- ********************* VOTE FOR : • • •. • ..• . • • . • .• .• ..e.„!r:•"< • • • • . . • %Pt 1 • I •kt ,wite,. 2. • • • . , 41' / • I Anna Lose Prothonotary VOTE FOR QUALITY in Count VOTE FOR THE REPUBLICAN TEAM! Of FOR MUNICIPAL OFFICES & SCHOOL BOARDS • • ‘(1111**' James Bartoo for Boro Council State College John Auman (or Supervisor Spring Township •Bellefonte Borough + Boro Council South & Southeast Wards Jack P. Houser Robert E. Kepler North & Northeast Wards William J. Musser +Assessor Dorothy C. Novosel •Centra Hall Borough -0- Boro Council Glenn W. Fetterolf Bonnie Fohringer Earl Stover Ronald R. Sweitzer + Assessor Arthur R. Marshall + Auditor Gale S. Marshall •Howard Borough +Boro Council George Kane + Assessor Karen R. Phoenlx +Auditor Jeffrey George Weight •,Mllosburg Borough +Boro Council Paul J. Bartley Sara E. Lohr Robert Park Josephine Rimmey • Bellefonte Area Region 2 Tom Musser David G. Witherite Dennis Taylor • (2 yrs) *********** * * * * * * * * * * Paid 10 by the Penn State College Republicans—Bernard Hughes, Chairman **** * * * Philip M: Prinz, University professor To have good government you must elect well qualified people who will work as a team. We proudly present this 1983 Republican Team of capable, experienced, honest individuals who are committed to work for you if they are elected on November Bth. VOTE FOR THEM on NOV. 8. Garry Kunes Sheriff Government! k . , N. ....„..., ! , . Thomas Berner (or Boro Council State College for School Board State College Area Assessor Kathryn F. Leathers *Mlllhelm Borough +Boro Council Karen L. Kramer William Loesch Wayne C. Smith Assessor Helen M. Loesch + Auditor Betty S. Neff • Philipsburg Borough +Boro Council Steven Garner • Ist Ward . Walter Parada • Ist Ward Charles E. Vaughn - 3rd Ward + Assessor Wayde L. Fink • Port Matilda Borough 4- Boro Council Edith Johnson •Snow Shoe Borough + Boro Council James B Cramer Eleanor M. Koski McClelland W. Shaw Assessor' Anne Houck •South Philipsburg Borough Boro Council Michael A. Wood (2 yrs) • •Phillpsburg•Osceola Arna Region 3 , Region 4 Sharon L. Brumbaugh William E. Abbott Mary Anna Miles Theodore E Kolbe VOTE NOV. 8 • VOTE NOV. 8 • VOTE NOV. 8 • VOTE computers significantly increased commu nication skill development. Because deaf children rely on their sight as a major information gatherer, Prinz said, the use of microcomputers can bring together words and pictures to•aid children where speech is left out. Using microcomputers incorporates pic torial. input, the printed word and graphic representation, he said. He said the computer screen shows a picture of an object, the name of the object and may show the object in action. ************************************* 1983 REPUBLICAN TEAM the —for continued good government in. Centre County— •EXPERIENCE •TEAMWORK •INTEGRITY *HONESTY • DEDICATION •EFFICIENCY Gino Fornicola Treasurer Jeff Bower Commissioner —Representative of the fine team presented by County Republicans are the individuals whose faces are highlighted here in pictures— Mary Ann Haas for Boro Council State College Joseph Filko for School Board State College Area MUNICIPAL OFFICES +Auditor Peggy J. Eyerly •State College Borough -+• Boro Council James B. Bartoo R. Thomas Berner Mary Ann Haas Joseph Wakeley, Jr. •Unionvlllo Borough +Boro Council Ned E. Burkett John C. Steer Ralph Waite •Boggs Township +Supervisor Carl B. Richner --Auditor Daniel F. Fisher •Benner Township +Supervisor R. Gordon Cain •College Township -0-Council Max E. Hartswick Fred E. Smith Herbert W. Stewart SCHOOL DIRECTORS Joyce Kerr Walter Arthstrong Donald Asendorf W. Robert Neff Register of Wills Recorder of Deeds Controller Coroner Martin Horn Commissioner •Bald Eagle Area Region 2 Region I • . Region 2 Elizabeth Brown •(2 yrs) Harlan E. Abbott -(2 yrs) Kenneth C. Clouser Jr William Williams Harlan E. Abbott Paul A. Mark Region 3 Region 3 Robert B. Montgomery Barry Kuppel Roger D. Yorks • For example, if the child presses the buttons marked "Man," "Throw" and "Ball," the screen would illustrate a picture of a man with a ball in his hand with the objects identified by printed words. The man would then throw the ball and the sentence; "Man throws ball," would appear under the activity. Another feature of the microcomputer lessons is sign language graphics where a picture of a hand demonstrating the sign for a word appears on the screen. . "As far as we know, no one has used sign language graphics. We have been successful with this since many younger deaf children understand sign language," Prinz said. Nelson said the program has been effec tive because it catches the attention of the children. He stressed the major emphasis in the program is communication and the activity requires a student, a microcomputer and a teacher at all times. VOTE REPUBLICAN NOV. Bth —Centre County is Republican Country Kee • the GOOD GOVERNMENT in for Boro Council State College Mary Anna Miles for School Board Bellefonte Area •Curtin Township +Auditor Kathleen R. Woomer •Ferguson Township +Supervisor Aileen Y. Homan • Ist Ward Dennis L. Morrison • 3rd Ward •Qregg Township +Supervisor • James A. Smith +Auditor Schenley W. Johnson *Haines Township +Supervisor Orren S. Orndorg +Auditor William Spackman •Halfmoon Township +Supervisor Daniel G. Frank + Assessor Elwood Way + Auditor Libby Boyd Kerstetter •Harris Township +Supervisor Donald W. Johnson entre Count I : ': " "" Max Hartswick for Council College Township Sharon Brumbaugh for School Board Bellefonte Area Auditor - William R. Rininger •Howard Township +Supervisor Lester E. Packer +Auditor Bonnie J. Bartley •Huston Township +Supervisor John M. Wagner •Mlles Township +Supervisor Lester M. Guisewite +Auditor Albert T. Henry • •Patton Township +Supervisor Philip Park •Psnn Township +Supervisor • Zane G. Gordon Ronald K. Boob +Auditor Mary J. Wertz •Potts Township +Supervisor Monty R. Stroud • +Auditor Willard B. Muthersbaugh •Penns Valley Area "Communication between the teacher and student is a major part of developing com munication skills. The microcomputers are an important supplement to that devel opment," Nelson said. The children use the microcomputers for a short time everyday under the supervision of a teacher. The lessons the children work on become progressively more difficult, Prinz said: • "Many schools are interested in our pro grams and we could possibly have some of our lessons out on the market within a year," he said. Prinz said microcomputers could be used for other purposes such as acquiring a second language, overcoming communica tion disorders and teaching illiterate adults to read. Prinz said that while the research grant pays fOr the microcomputers, a large por tion is also used to pay the teachers and programmers. F. 9 „ •:p:Ai4'.. i, • ' '4i . ..il ''s 7.• ' ' •• • • :'•.;;; -4, ahead! mown for Supervisor Snow Shoe• Township Vote for DON NOLAN Donald Nolan for Supervisor Walker Township •Rush Township +Supervisor Melvin Peck Wilkinson Dilbert L. Moore •Snow Shoe Township +Supervispr ' David G. Gillette •Spring Township +Supervisor John H. Auman •Taylor Township +Supervisor Donhld L. Stewart +Auditor Teresa J. Merryman •Union Township +Supervisor Walter E. Flick +Auditor Paul S. Fisher •Walkor Township +Supervisor Donald R. Nolan +Auditor Kenneth G. McMullen Benjamin F. Haagen •Worth Township +Supervisor Stephen R. Crestam •State College Area Four Year Term Two Year Term Richard M. Bunnell Duane J. Doty Kay Rossi Two Year (Unexpired George J. McMurtry Term of Pauline Eddy) Charles Rider II Joseph Filko • NOV. 8 *************l f lsl=l t = , , & .. m , . v....._ .....- Student entrepreneurs: There's no business like your own business By JEANNE ANN CURRY Collegian Staff Writer When Michael Edwards was 12 years old he operated a skateboard shop out of hig family's garage. Now, seven years later, he is the owner of Rent-A-Student, a lawn care and residential maintenance service in State College that employs nine other students two of them full-time. Edwards (sophomore-business administration), whose business venture netted him enough over the summer to pay for his tuition this year, is just one of several Penn State students and recent graduates running their own companies in this area in their spare time. While their services differ they range from delivering singing telegrams to exterminating bugs to developing and marketing computer software most of these entrepreneurs agree on one thing. The independence they gain by being their own boss is their greatest reward. "I think the ideal situation in anyone's life is to own your own business and have it be profitable it's to be able to survive and not have to work for someone else," says Brian Slawin, owner of the disc jockey service, Party With Professionals. But Slawin, who graduated last fall with a major in psychology, says the independence is often difficult to deal with. "You have to be more serious. First you have to be a professional, and to be able to come off as one requires maturity and the ability to schedule your time," he says. "But anybody can make it if their product is sound and they're working hard to promote it." Joe Englert, owner of the Lamore Family Singers telegram delivery company, which employs 10 students, says: "Days when I'm busy from 8 in the morning till 10 at night I tell myself, 'lt's my business, and nobody tells me to do anything.' If I can do all this on my own, I'll never work for anybody else." But even though independence is important to these young business people, other factors like working with their hobbies, gaining business experience or simply making some quick cash were significant reasons for starting businesses of their own. Englert, who graduated in the spring with a major in English and history, sees his w. ' 1 : cf , 7 44Vk 4 5 A v q, A ,;"s4 *J." - `l • •;:'„ ) • ' zr , '113; "Dorothy Lamore" (obviously not her real name) delivers a stripper•gram to Dave Morehead (senior•accounting) on his birthday while his friends cheer on. The Lamore Family Singers singing telegram company is owned by Joe Englert, who graduated from the University last ••• • • business as a means to write the novel he has always dreamed of writing. "In due time, I know I'll be independent, and I'll be able to write my novel. I'm investing my time now so I'll have a lot of time in the future. And who knows," he laughs, "in a long while from now maybe I'll have my own publishing company!" Michael Allen (senior-mechanical engineering) is another entrepreneur using his business as a way to work at his hobby. He has applied his interest in computers to the creation of Artemation, a company that develops and markets programs for the Sinclair computer. Although Allen plans to get a job in his major, he says his company will always be a part-time interest. "It now only takes my spare time it's like an extracurricular activity that allows me to work in almost all of my areas of interest," he says. `lf nothing else, it's been an educational experience. If you fail in a business, it's not that bad —business failures are common. The tragedy is if you fail to learn something from it.' With a smile, Allen adds that he hopes to sometime use his business to create what he calls "a truly intelligent version of the game `Mastermind.' " Chris Casciato (junior-industrial engineering) started his own business to work as a "hired killer." What he kills are bugs he is as an exterminator in his spare time. "My business doesn't take a whole lot of time, and the extra cash helps a whole hell of a lot," he says. Another Penn Stater, however, started his company, he says, for altruistic not monetary gain. In the summer of 1982 Thomas R. Dahlberg (graduate-community systems planning and —Thomas R. Dahlberg, student entrepreneur •• • •• • • development) with another student created the American Institute for Diversionary Studies, which has since changed from a partnership to a corporation. By consulting with attorneys from across the country, the company shows criminal justice officers including district attorneys and police chiefs ways in which better'results can be achieved with limited resources. Dahlberg, who is 21 years old and a member of Mensa (the association made up of people whose intelligence test scores are higher than 98 percent of the population,) says he has received much support from the federal government. "A couple of Supreme Court justices and even the Executive Office of the President have said they're behind what we're doing," he says. However, the future of his company is questionable. He says that while his profits have been marginal compared to his investment of time, the real problem is that many of the people he deals with are elected officials who fear that by consulting his firm, it will look as if someone else could do their job better. Dahlberg adds that his company's unfortunate choice of a name has not helped business it is known as AIDS, for short. Nevertheless, Dahlberg looks at his business venture philosophically. "If nothing else, it's been an educational experience," he says. "If you fail in a business, it's not that bad,—business failures are common. The tragedy is if you fail to learn something from it." Although Dahlberg says he now sees that State College was the wrong location for his kind of business, most of the young entrepreneurs think the area is a good place to begin. Greg Woodman is one such entrepreneur. Five years ago Woodman started a business that developed into Happy Valley Promotions, a company that produces posters, books and sportswear promoting what he calls "the Happy Valley experience." Woodman, who graduated this summer with a major in general arts and sciences, says he has learned much about the area as a member of its business community. - "The way I look at it, Happy Valley is an incubator for small businesses," he says. "It has an artificial economy, so that no matter ~~ ~:• Sri ." , 74 C ; j 4. 51 :4: 1 •-•••• ;7 ;~ ,~ %yV ~.~\ .~ .~:"' .... risiff;:i' e 6,,,,,:„: 0 0 ev , vil ..,, • 'tl 1' University graduate Greg Woodman (right), owner of Happy Valley• Promotions, talks shop with Tom Mosser, another graduate, and Pam Howells (senior -accounting). Woodman says he expects his company's sales to gross more than $lOO,OOO this year. where there is a recession, Happy Valley is almost recession-proof." Virgil Christian, owner of Pro String, agrees. This semester Christian started his own racket by stringing rackets at first for his fellow members of the tennis team and then by branching out. Christian (junior- `The way I look at it, Happy Valley 'is an incubator for small businesses. It has an artificial economy, so that no matter where there is a recession, Happy Valley is almost recession-proof.' —Greg Woodman, owner of Happy Valley Promotions marketing) says he spends a great deal of time thinking of stategies to try to capture part of the area's healthy. market. "The State College area is an excellent place to start a business because there's so many people," he says. "There are 40,000 people here and there are ways to get in touch with them." Others, however, find the area profitable not because of its marketplace but rather for its educational opportunities. Allen, of Artemation, credits his success to the Central Pa. Timex/Sinclair Computer Users Group, which is made up of local people interested in business and the computer industry. "Back at home I couldn't have done this," he says. "It was the contact with people I met in this area that helped." Edwards, of Rent-A-Student, views his company as an extension of his education. "I'm getting an education I couldn't possibly pay for, and it's helped out immensely. Never would I be able to get this experience anywhere else, and there's no substitute for doing the real thing," he says. Edwards says he plans to use his business as the basis for his thesis. Likewise, Christian says he hopes to use his company, Pro String, as a project in marketing class since he is applying what he learns in class to his business and what he learns in his business to class. "The business keeps me interested in my classes," he explains. "I tell myself each morning, 'I have to go to class today because the professor may say something that could help my business.' " Christian says he thinks his company is helping to prepare him for a future in the business world. "I'll have abetter understanding of the other side of business I'll be a better worker and communicator and, hopefully, more productive," he says. "But right now, I have a good idea, and I'm working for myself." Nevertheless, several of these businesses are not yet out of the red. The initial The Daily Collegian Tuesday, Nov. 8, 1983 investment needed to start a company is often very great, and it takes a while for the entrepreneurs to recover that money. While Allen, of Artemation, explains that it cost him only $7O to register the name of his company and $2O to copyright each of his programs, Christian, of Pro String, says he has $BOO invested in machinery and $3OO in inventory. To invest this much money to start a business requires a lot of confidence in the product and its ability to sell. Slawin, of Party With Professionals, says that although the initial fear of failure is one of the hardest things to overcome, the fear lessens once the investment is made. "I found the first major purchase ,I made, a $250 pair of speakers, was a really scary experience," he says. "But once I plunked down the money, the apprehension died because I knew I was very serious and going full force ahead." . And for some, the investment is paying off. Woodman, of Happy Valley Promotions, says he expects his business to gross more than $lOO,OOO this year. However, most of the others say that their young companies have been slower to show a profit. Slawin is philosophical about the financial aspect of self-employment. "Greed will sometimes blind you blur your goal —and lead you to some other practices, like overcharging, that can give you a bad name," he says. "You have to be looking at the picture two years down the road, and make sure there's a reason for starting your business . . . not just because it can get you $5OO before Christmas." `l'm getting an education I couldn't possibly pay for, and it's helped out immensely. Never would I be able to get this experience anywhere else, and there's no substitute for doing the real thing.' —Michael Edwards, owner of Rent-A-Student And beyond having reasons for starting their own businesses, the student entrepreneurs also had very definite plans for making them work. Before considering starting their businesses, in one way or another all of these entrepreneurs conducted a study for the demand of their services. After finding that they would have a market; they worked to find the most effective and profitable way to meet that demand. "But there's no tricks to it," says Englert, of the Lamore Family Singers. "You've just got to work very hard. It really sounds like a cliche, but it's true." Christian puts it a little differently: "There's no big secret to starting a company you just say you're a company and then you prove it." <`l; ~~:`....... $~~~``........v. Photo by Eric C. Hegedus •.%; `.• •~ '• •
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers