me 8111110 . 111 " ismissiriffligni 0 1181101111 111:1•111•1 lIIIIIIIMMI 1111111110111111 Ma ® OMEN UMW= 11111111111•1 MON lIIIIIIMINI IMIIIMII = 1 •11 1 aallaa. AMIN MINNS= . . . - - COLLEGIAN 100 YEARS April 1887•Apri1 1987 Soldiers in Cameroon bury victims of volcano By ARTHUR MAX Associated Press Writer SOUBOUM, Cameroon Soldiers, their faces covered with bandanas to mask the stench. of death, worked yesterday to com plete the grim task of burying more than 1,500 victims of a volcanic eruption of lethal gases. Most survivors fled this mountain village five miles from the Nios volacano, leaving herds of long-horned cattle bloated and rot ting in the fields of this west African nation. In Nios, which had a population of 1,200 people, only one woman and her child sur vived, authorities said. When the first group of reporters reached the stricken area in northwestern Cameroon, army units had buried most of the victims in shallow graves that pockmarked the country side. "If you had come two or three days ago, you would see corpses in the same way you B.J. and the [icon Key alcohol regulations not By DAMON CHAPPIE Collegian Staff Writer The University's new alcohol regulations seem certain to affect student drinking, student leaders say, but three months after the policy was announced, some key issues remain un clear. The administration is preparing a handbook for students explaining the changes, which largely remove the University's liability by cutting back on enforcement of rules the Uni versity says "couldn't be enforced." The hand book is expected to be available within the next few weeks. The most visible sign of the revisions will come at the first home football game Sept. 6, as Greek tailgates, long an event as popular as the game itself, cease to officially exist. Because fraternities and sororities are regis tered as undergraduate student organizations, the daily see the cattle now," said Lt. Gen. James Tataw, the chief of Cameroon's ground forces. On Thursday, at about 9 p.m., a volcanic tremor unleashed a huge bubble of gas that burst through the surface of Lake Nios with a thunderous clap, sending deadly gases over a 10-square-mile area where 5,000 people lived. "The smell was like cooking with kitchen gas," said Chia David Wambong, a farmer in. his 30s. "Everyone started coughing and spitting up blood." In Geneva, the United Nations Disaster Relief Organizatiopn reported 1,543 bodies had been counted and others still were being discovered. It said it had obtained that figure from the government and it was cross checked with reports from private relief agencies. On Monday the government placed the death toll at more than 1,200. Israeli army medical teams said the fumes also killed more than 7,000 cattle. University President Bryce Jordan and cheerleaders display mounting enthu siasm at Rec Hall during Monday's pep rally for Penn State's incoming class. they are now prohibited from serving alcohol on University property. "We can't hold tailgates," said Pat Conway, president of the Interfraternity Council. "But a group of guys who are all 21 going up there and drinking would still be OK. They can't fly the fraternity flag though," he said. Conway said that consensus developed after meetings with administrators this summer. At the time University President Bryce Jordan announced the new policy, the last day of Spring Semester, it was unclear as to what would constitute a formal gathering of an undergraduate organization. Administrators then said this question would be worked out as the policy was put into effect. The policy also calls for "stricter enforce ment" of alcohol use in the residence halls. But an Association of Residence Hall Students official said that means RAs will "start enforc ing the rules they never enforced before." °lle • ian Tataw said relatives had buried many of the victims before his army units arrived Sunday, making an accurate count impossi ble. A major concern was preventing an epide mic that could be bolstered by the decaying carcasses of cattle and other livestock. Ta taw said bulldozers were en route to dispose of them, but added, "The cows have no relatives. Their burial will be the last. Priori ties are for people." Viewed from a helicopter, lemon-shaped Lake Nios had the reddish-brown color of the clay that had been churned up from the bottom. A few yards away was a small pond of brilliant blue water. The lush green mountains and tropical forests appeared untouched. Tataw took reporters to a two-room shack with a mound of freshly turned earth near the door and a single chicken strutting through the house. John Dalrymple, executive vice president of ARHS, said a letter was distributed to all on campus students explaining the new policy. But he said ARHS hasn't heard of any new developments on how the policy will be en forced in the residence hall rooms. Underage students are prohibited from possessing alco hol in their rooms, but students 21 and older may still consume liquor in their rooms, but can't serve it to minors. The new policy, according to administrators, incorporates two elements: bringing policies and practices together, and removing Univer sity liability by removing ties to the Greek system and shedding responsibility for alcohol violations that occur off-campus. "We can't have rules we can't enforce," is the rationale for the changes, according to a briefing prepared by Jordan's staff. If an underage student is caught drinking by local police the student will not face discipli- all clear after "In this grave, I buried eight people yester day," he said. "All the people, the goats, the pigs and the cows died. What surprises me is how that chicken survived." Gideon Taka of the Ministry of Information and Culture in the provincial capital of Ba menda said word of the catastrophe did not reach Bamenda until Friday. He said the tragic delay was because "nearly everyone was affected" and the isolated region near the Nigerian border had no telephones and only dirt tracks for roads. He said local authorities first learned of the disaster from a government official who was going to his home in Nios for the weekend. The official saw bodies along the road and when he became dizzy he turned back, Taka said. He said that when he first visited the area Saturday, "some people were still dying. They suffered from burns and . . . were coughing up blood." Response to IDs picture perfect By ANGELA BRADLEY and MARIA QUICI Collegian Staff Writers Although the majority of students were slow to respond to the new ID cards last spring, almost every stu dent has completed the process, according to the University's asso ciate registar. Richard T. Sodergren said yester day that an estimated 90 to 95 percent of students have now had pictures taken for the new ID cards. And, he added, about 65 percent of the stu dents photographed in the spring or summer have picked up their ID cards in the past few days. Sodergren said that long lines in 301 HUB probably deterred other 'stu dents from picking up their cards. "(Monday) it was wall to wall . . . I think it'll be steady over the next three days," Sodergren said. Students must carry either a per manent or temporary identification card issued this fall, he said, because the old ones are no longer valid. In addition, bursar's receipts which replaced the semester validation stickers last year are still nec essary to complete University trans actions. Students can pick up ID cards from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. till Friday in 301 HUB, Sodergren said, urging stu dents to pick up their permanent ID cards as soon as possible. Students who need photos taken can be accom modated at 316 HUB. Students who had pictures taken at branch campuses may experience a Personal drop/add restricted to a.m. By LAURA JENNINGS Collegian Staff Writer University Park students will only be able to drop and add courses at college departments from 8 a.m. until noon for the first four days of the semester, the director of registration and scheduling said. Jim Wager said students at the Commonwealth campuses will be us ing the drop/add system from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. However, University Park students can use the phone-in drop/add system from 3 to 10 p.m. by calling 863-9000. "The next four days are typically the busiest, and the new restriction is an effort to improve the computer response time," he said. Unless students use the phone-in drop/add system, they must meet months nary actions by the University under the new policy. But if the student violates another law while under the influence, such as fighting, the Uni versity could discipline the student for those offenses. Among the other policies: • Alcohol shall not be served to minors at University-sponsored functions, which is any event at any location that is sponsored by an officer, employee or agent of the University. • Minor undergraduate students and under graduate-registered student organizations shall not serve alcoholic beverages at any function on University premises. • Undergraduate-registered student organi zations cannot use University student activity funds for the purchase of alcoholic beverages whether such beverages are possessed or con sumed on or off University property. Continued on Page 8 Wednesday, August 27, 1986 Vol. 87, No. 32 40 pages University Park, Pa. 16802 Published by students of The Pennsylvania State University ©1986 Collegian Inc. In Nios, Taka said he found / °dies in the yards. The victims "came out Of their rooms and tore their dresses off becaUse of the heat. They were mostly naked or half-naked. I opened one of the rooms and saw there was food in the dishes, which meant that, at the time, they were eating." A U.S.-made C-130 Hercules of the Camer oon army that flew reporters to Bamenda also carried 16 tons of rations for survivors evacuated to the town of Nkaba. Michael Wiener, a colonel in the Israeli medical corps, said local authorities told him there was a "one-time explosion" followed by volcanic activity "that occurred for two or three hours at the most." Israeli medical teams flew to Cameron Monday with Prime Minister Shimon Peres who went to Yaounde, the capital, for a ceremony restoring diplomatic relations be tween the two countries. delay in receiving their cards be cause their pictures have not yet arrived at University Park, Soder gren said. Tim Ennis (junior-psychology), who has a temporary card, was one of those students. "I just came from a branch cam pus. I think issuing the cards at•the branch campuses would have been more efficient," he said. Beginning next Tuesday, the entire operation will be moved to the lobby of Shields Building, he said. Temporary cards which can be used until the permanent ones are issued in late September will be given to those who have had pictures taken this week. No late charge will be issued for temporary or permanent . ID cards but lost ID cards will cost $lO and can be replaced throughout the year at Shields. Although similiar to last year's card, the new ID is distinguished by a magnetic strip identifying students for library and dining hall use. The ID cards are also needed for admission to sporting events like football games. with their advisers, complete the drop/add form and turn it in at their department today, tomorrow and Fri day, he said. Students will be able to drop and add courses at any department on campus, but are encouraged to do so at their own department, Wager said. The other option is to drop and add courses over the phone during those days between the designated hours. From Sept. 3 to Sept. 5, students can add only at the department offices, he said. Regular drop period extends until Sept. 16 and will require a $6 charge. Late drop ends Nov. 4. Commonwealth campus students do not have the option of phone-in drop/add and must go to their regis trar's office to complete their sched ules. `Monday) it was wall to wall ... I think it'll be steady over the next three days.' Richard T. Sodergren index opinion sports state/nation/world weather This afternoon, there 1 , , a possi- bility of a thundersh'..,• r early. It will be quite windy wit': breaks in the cloud cover by evening and a high of 73. Tonight, cool and breezy and a iow going down to 48. Tomorrow, possible showers or drizzle early on, -fol lowed by clearing. High of 68. Heidi Sonen
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