2—The Daily Collegian Wednesday, Oct. 7, 1992 Student leader Peter Stone By KIMI EISELE Collegian Features Writer He doesn't particularly look like a "subversive." You know, someone who doesn't believe in the "system," someone fervent about changing it, someone who shrieks his sentiment into any opponent's or apathetic's face, someone who might wear, say, black clothing and their hair (if male) below their ears. On the contrary, though the sad state of the world stands him on his feet, his voice is deliberate but far from caustic. Well, his hair is a little long (chin-length), but he dresses rather conservatively a white oxford neatly tucked into tailored, grey pants. Always. Wearing that and argyle socks Peter Stone sits, knees pressing into the back of his chair, ignoring the tempest of papers, books and Post-it notes that shroud his Ath erton Hall desk. "You know you're too busy when it's the one day you only have one class and you still have no extra time," he said. Time is a necessity for people passionate about politics. Time to organize and argue and educate and change the status quo and carry 18 credits and write an honors thesis all at the same time. "Politics are the most important thing in my life, either in class or out of class," Stone says. A past president of the College Democrats, Stone (senior-political days 45, left Edward B. Bryant '63 is chief operating officer for Libbey-Owens-Ford Co.. where he heads three strategic business units. In nine years with the company, he also has served as vice president and general manager of the automotive products group and vice president of glass operations. Bryant began his engineering career with PPG Industries, where he worked in manufacturing management, sales management and strategic planning. He is a graduate of the Harvard Executive Management Program and in 1990 was named a Penn State Outstanding Engineering Alumnus. is passionate a science), is taking two graduate-level political science courses this semester and is pouring his passion for jus tice into several other groups. One is the Students' Peace Initiative, which works locally to educate and mobilize for nuclear disarmament. Another is Students and Youth Against Racism, which has helped organize the Committee to Free Mumia Amu Jamal, an African- American journalist accused of killing a Philadelphia police officer. "Twenty minutes away, there is such a miscarriage of justice going on that no one knows about," Stone said. Jamal, held in Huntingdon State Prison, has been declared a politi cal prisoner by parties that believe he is being held on the basis of his race and political convictions. It is injustice that makes Stone's blood boil. "There are privileges for anyone who is white, straight, male and from a respectable social class," Stone says, recognizing that he's never been the brunt of any great injustices. "I'm not guilty aboiit that, but it's just that I've recognized that that's not the way it is for a lot of people." Stone supports About Face, a campus group working against the Astronauts and artists, educators and executives, scientists and surgeons Alumni Fellows all. They are Penn State's greatest resource, those professionally eminent graduates whose generosity and talents are tapped year after year as Penn State bestows upon them the title of Alumni Fellow, asking only that each Fellow return to Alma Mater to share a bit of know-how with others who will follow. It's a lifetime commitment the Alumni Association and the Council of Academic Deans are proud to be a part of takes the time and initiative bout politics, Sloe University's ROTC program for not recognizing the inclusion of the sexual orientation clause to the Universi ty's non-discrimination policy. He is also secretary for Penn State Pro- Choice. "Anything Peter gets involved in, he puts a lot of time in. He doesn't take things lightly. He's involved with a lot of things, but he doesn't cheat us in any way," says Jennifer Deßow (junior-political science), co-direc tor of Penn State Pro-Choice. Stone doesn't take things lightly. In fact, he puts so much effort into his "causes" that when they fail, he feels it, physically. After President Bush visited the University, Stone was "emotionally drained." "We couldn't organize, we couldn't get enough of an opposition," he said. Stone shakes his head, but then bounces back. His face hardens and his hands tense up. "The whole thing gave me an idea of what Hitler's Nuremburg rallies must have been like. It was some thing like the Nazi's used to stage," he said. Harsh? Perhaps. But Stone's words alone, though stated calmly, can be as belliger- THE SYMBOL OF PRIDE THE COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING IS PROUD TO PRESENT activism and change Collegian Graphic/Jessica Hartshom PM Penn State 5 Alumni Association ent as a loaded gun. And he is convinced "The Republican mind-set scares me," he said. "They don't even pretend to believe in freedom and democracy." Stone said he will vote for Clin ton in November, reluctantly. "(Clinton) is trying hard to vilify everything I stand for. I'll vote for him, but I expect to be demon strating against him in a few years," he said. Leaning back on his desk, Stone slurps his Coke like a child might. But out of his mouth, come opin ions as well-researched as those of doctoral scholar. "I was taught to be responsible for what I say," Stone said, adding that he reads "every moment I'm not doing something else." The words of Plato, Karl Marx, Noam Chomsky and writing by anyone who has ever said anything about labor and empowerment under Chile's Salvador Allende —the topic of his honors thesis —have gained a place on Stone's never-dusty bookshelf. Though the written word strengthens Stone's arguments, it is actions he considers unjust that mobilize him. The country's involvement in the Gulf War in 1991 and a prospective draft made Stone raise his voice in college. But he said he has been drawn to politics since high school. "Before I could vote, I manned telephones for Dukakis," he said. Raised in Georgia, Stone said he •OM •OM•OM • OM • (DM • OM , OM • (DM• OM •OM • (I)M• (DM •OM • (1)M• OM 2 The Sisters of Phi Mu would like to Welcome their 1992 Pledge Class: Susan Anderson Helene Bachman Sonia Buss Nicole Charlton Stephanie Cilo Shannon Cook Amy Dowell •OM •OM• OM •OM •OM “:1)M• OM •OM • (I . )M •OM • 4:1)M• OM •OM •OM• OM Collegian Photo/James Molony Peter Stone vividly remembers the Atlanta suburbs, stocked with "ultra right wing, rock-solid Reagan-ites." And in 1980, when his parents supported presidential candidate John Anderson, Stone said, "I was amazingly embarrassed about it. Of course, I really knew nothing about what a lunatic Reagan was at the time." But the political views of Stone's parents shaped his later views. "Peter and I often took long walks, and talked about philosophy, the theory of government and a num ber of things. We just enjoyed it," said Stone's father, Frank Stone of Bethlehem. At the University, Stone said there is a sampling of "intellectual wan nabes." But, for the most part, he is dissatisfied by the lack of activism on campus. Every student should at least protest the recent state budget cuts on education, Stone said. Michele Hrivnak Donna Huber Diane Innes Chris Gerberich Melissa Kauffman Sue Klein Laura Mcgaughey Michael A. Brunner '55 is retired president of AT&T Federal Systems, where he directed the acquisition and management of multimillion-dollar contracts with governmental agencies. At the time of Brunner's retirement, the Federal Systems division generated $2 billion of AT&T's annual revenues. Brunner joined the corporation as a student engineer and rose through various assignments in plant, sales, engineering, accounting and personnel. He was named Industry Executive of the Year by Government Computer News in 1989 and an Outstanding Engineering Alumnus by Penn State in 1990. Juniata sends students to mountains By KELLY P. KISSEL Associated Press Writer ENTRIKEN, Pa. The president of Juniata College called off classes, declared yesterday "Mountain Day," then sent each of the school's 1,100 students to a state park for a day of fun. Even the library closed at the liberal arts college in Hunt ingdon. The librarian was on President Bob Neff's faculty staff flag football team. "It's nice to get everybody together at the same place," said BeLinda Weaver, a senior from Everett. "It's something to look forward to." Every autumn, Juniata Col lege administrators declare "Mountain Day" to mark the anniversary of a smallpox epidemic that hit Huntingdon in 1878. The college was spared during the outbreak because the fac ulty took students to a cabin in the central Pennsylvania woods away from populated areas so they would not get the disease. The trek to the woods, however, became an annual event. It's been held every year since 1879. The college was founded in 1876. Amy McManus Kristen Myers Kristi Myers Amy Nachimson Nikki Reba Kim Rosen Julie Vanduyne
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