African rhythm Myma Munchus-Bullock expands cultural views through dance Page 2 Parking plan still opposed Council rejects petition attempt By ANTHONY J. DeGOL Collegian Staff Writer Efforts to abolish the contro versial rollback parking pro gram ignited tempers last night when the State College Borough Council ruled that an opposition group did not provide enough signatures required to recon sider the plan Many borough residents and employees, frustrated because they now have to pay to park on the streets, signed a petition calling for the council to reconsider the program. Two previously submitted petitions were rejected last month by the council because only a few of the over 700 names were legible enough to confirm as registered voters. Seventy-seven regis tered voters are required for council to reconsider an issue. In a final effort to secure the additional petitioners, Lester Penino, a representative at Metropol itan Life Insurance Company, 458 E. College Ave., and spokesper son for the petitioners, yester day submitted a list of additional signatures. But the council ruled last night that the group again fell short of the required number. The rollback parking program which began Aug. 1 and is {timed at reducing commuter traffic in downtown neighborhoods includes charging commuters $3O a month to park in designated commuter zones on weekdays. Residents who live in the com muter zone must pay $7.50 a year to park in their area. Borough Secretary Barbara Natalie told the council that only 27 signatures from the latest petition were registered voters in the borough, bringing the total number of acceptable signa- PSU presidents, past and present, reflect on Former University President Bryce Jordan Jordan keeps busy pace By AMINAH FRANKLIN Collegian Staff Writer Although he no longer serves as Uni versity president, Bryce Jordan, who retired from the position last September, remains a die-hard Penn State fan in every way. “There’s no other place on Earth like this place. It’s very important to me and I’m just so pleased to see it moving ahead so beautifully,” he said, adding that he can’t wait to sit in the stands at Beaver Stadium to cheer on Penn State in its game against Brigham Young. These days, although he no longer has to meet the rigorous demands of a university president, Jordan does not have much leisure time on his hands. He has managed to cut down his 12- to the daily tures from all three petitions to 59. Council members then tabled action on the plan until next week’s work session. Despite suspension of public comment on the issue, Penino told the council he did not believe the signatures were illegible, ignit ing tensions among himself, Natalie and State College Borough Mayor Arnold Addison. “I don’t buy it,” Penino said. He added that Natalie, who checked the signatures for reg istration, should not be the only person to review the list. To prove that many of the petitioners were not borough residents, Natalie read the list of names, also noting that many of the signatures were not clear. However, Addison interrupted her, saying he resented comments against her work. “Barb is one of the most capable public servants we’ve had,” Addison said, adding that neither Penino nor the council members should question her weak and halted debate on the matter. After the meeting, Penino said he did not intend to discredit Natalie and added that council should be doing more to address the issue instead of dismissing the signa tures as illegible. “l believe borough council did not do their job well,” he said. Natalie said Penino can only submit a new petition if he gathers another 77 signatures from registered voters, rather than just adding to the 59 signatures he has. But Councilman Jerry Wettstone said the council needs to eval uate the success of the rollback program before amending or reversing it. “I think it is very much a success,” he added. 15-hour days to a normal eight-hour day spent serving on corporate boards, researching, writing books, chairing an opera company and moving into a new house in Austin, Texas. “The transition was very gradual,” Jor dan said. “There was no dramatic, trau matic moment for me. It was just time for me to do something else.” Jordan said he does not miss the demands of being president, including long days crammed with back-to-back meetings. “One of the most challenging parts of the job was shifting gears five or six times a day to be able to represent the University to different constituencies,” Jordan said. “That’s wearing and I don’t miss that, but it’s absolutely essential and absolutely part of the job.” What he misses most are the people he Please see JORDAN, Page 8. Soviet gov't urges fast changes By BRIAN FRIEDMAN Associated Press Writer MOSCOW Mikhail S. Gorba chev and Boris Yeltsin yesterday urged lawmakers to approve sweeping changes in the Soviet government, and Gorbachev warned Congress that it might cease to exist if it failed to accept radical change. Meanwhile, Yeltsin called for an end to underground nuclear tests and sought to reassure die world that Soviet nuclear weapons would all be moved inside the huge borders of his Russian republic, controlled centrally and kept from the hands of “hawks” and “terrorists.” Even as Gorbachev and the Congress of People’s Deputies wrestled with the question of what would replace the old Soviet Union, ethnic ten sions flared along its southwestern fringe. Clashes between demon strators and police were reported in Georgia, a strike was called in Dressed in the Ukrainian national army’s World War 11-era uniforms, men rally for independence Monday in front of the Ukrainian Parliament in Kiev. Thomas marks By AMINAH FRANKLIN Collegian Staff Writer There were no streamers, ticker tape, banners or confetti to acknowledge the arrival of University President Joab Thomas last September, and in like manner, no fanfare marks the one-year anniversary of his service at Penn State. Thomas moved in quietly and took over in the midst of what he calls “a very dif ficult year for higher education institu tions.” “I came at a difficult point, but it would have been as difficult, or almost as diffi cult for a continuing president,” Thomas said. One problem Thomas faced immediately upon entering office was determining whether the University would revise its non-dis crimination policy to include the words “sexual orientation.” Under Thomas, the University Board of Trustees approved this addition to the policy but not before Thomas was criticized for a proposal he drafted in October that did not specifically address sexual orienta tion. “My initial move was simply to have a broader statement that covered everyone, but there were many groups on campus that felt that the broader statement wasn’t sufficient,” Thomas said, adding that the controversy is what caused him to put the matter before the University Faculty Senate for further review. Tony D’Augelli, faculty adviser to the Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Student Alli ance, said in retrospect he can sympathize with the position Thomas was in. “I think he was dealing with a very difficult situation. He was on the job for less than a month before he proposed his clause,” D’Augelli said, adding that although he was disappointed with Thomas’ clause he was pleased with the outcome. “Initially he misread the sentiments of a large segment of the University by trying "If we are able to coordinate, unite within the new forms, find new structures, new people, the West will support us." Azerbaijan to protest Sept. 8 elec tions there, and ethnic Russians and Ukrainians demonstrated in Mold avia. The Soviet president, seeking to sweep away hard-line opponents of reform, seemed intent on getting rid of the Communist-dominated Con gress as part of his plan to reshape the country and its governmental structures. Gorbachev, Yeltsin and the leaders of nine other republics on Monday had put before the Congress a broad proposal to strip the Kremlin of most powers and transfer them to the Mikhail S. Gorbachev Soviet President republics, while first concentrat ing power in a State Council made up of the Soviet president and leaders of the republics. Emerging from the second day of the three-day session, Gorbachev issued a stern warning, telling reporters that if lawmakers didn’t approve his proposal, then “the people will reject this Congress. ... The Congress will have exhausted its usefulness.” But Gorbachev also gave a sop to the lawmakers, withdrawing a proposal for a new, smaller legislature with 20 representatives from each republic one-year to be a compromiser,” D’Augelli, associate professor of human development, said. Once he re-examined the issue, he responded by putting the matter before the senate and from what I understand, was instrumental in getting it passed eventually.” Thomas was also thrust into presidency in the throes of financial difficulties. This year has proven to be one of the tightest years financially for higher education institutions, he said, referring to deficient state appropriations for the University that fell short by about $3.3 million. Despite deficient funding, Thomas said the University has progressed in several areas, namely in correcting the problem of a lack of space at the University. Wednesday, Sept. 4, 1991 Vol. 92, No. 41 18 pages University Park, Pa. 16801 Published independently by students at Penn State ©1991 Collegian Inc. year's anniversary at PSU University President Joab Thomas Weather Typical State College weather returns. Today and tonight, mostly cloudy with showers and a few thunderstorms. Today’s high 76; tonight’s low 60. Partly sunny tomorrow, high 78. which would have given the six predominantly Muslim republics more representatives than Russia, Bye lorussia and the Ukraine. Instead, he suggested reforming the Supreme Soviet the 542-member standing legislature elected by the Congress from its membership. Gorbachev also put off a vote on independence for the Baltics, which he originally said might occur at the session. Russian Vice President Alexan der Rutskoi told reporters that he doubted there were enough votes in Congress to support Baltic inde pendence There was speculation Gorbachev might simply decree independence, avoiding the possi bility of an internationally damag ing defeat. Some lawmakers complained that there would be no role fa-the Congress in the new union. “The designs that are being proposed now are not fit for building a country, a state,” said Byelorussian legis lator Alexander Zhuravlev. “You will Please see CHANGES, Page 8. Baker travel U.S.S.R. By BARRY SCHWEID AP Diplomatic Writer WASHINGTON Secretary of State James A. Baker 111 will fly to Moscow next week to gauge the dramatic changes sweeping the Soviet Union and Mikhail S. Gorbachev’s chances of holding the turbulent country together, U.S. officials said yesterday. He also is pondering a visit to one or all of the three newly indepen dent Baltic Republics with which the United States is re-establishing ties after more than a half-century, the officials told The Associated Press. Baker also is likely to go to the Middle East to try to advance preparations for an Arab-Israeli peace Please see BAKER, Page 8. changes “When I first arrived on campus, the issue that was brought to my attention repeat edly and most often by students, faculty and staff was the terrible space shortage,” Thomas said. Since then the University has moved to address this problem by funding the con struction and renovation of several facili ties including a new music building, an engineering facility and the Mateer Building for the College of Health and Human Development, he said. Several other construction projects, including additions to the HUB, the Paul Robeson Cultural Center and Pattee, are currently being planned, he added. Please see THOMAS, Page 8. Greg OeVoir
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