--The Daily Collegian Friday, Oct. 20, 1995
Women's groups worry about
By PAULA K. KNUDSEN
Collegian Staff Writer
A lack of new leads on a suspect
who police believe is responsible
for attacks on women in May has
area rape activists worried about
the safety of unsuspecting stu
dents.
Pam Shea, community education
coordinator for the Women's Re
source Center, 140 W. Nittany Ave.,
said many students are unaware of
the attacks that occurred last
spring when two women were
attacked in separate incidents.
Patty Johnstone, assistant direc
tor of the Center for Women Stu
dents, agreed that first-year stu
dents at the University are espe
cially prone to feeling nothing can
happen to them.
"New students come here feeling
very safe," Johnstone said. "I think
University, borough working to rid areas of inaccessibility
By MICHELLE ROACH
Collegian Staff Writer
Donald Smitley was immediately
attracted by a Center for Performing Arts
advertisement for "South of the Moun
tain," a performance to be held in the base
ment at the Veterans of Foreign Wars post,
139 N. Barnard St., last month.
The ad read "free and open to the pub
lic," so Smitley, who is an avid patron of
the arts, figured he had nothing to lose.
But when he got to the performance, Smit
ley discovered he did have something to
lose his dignity.
Smitley is disabled and must use a
wheelchair. The VFW building is not
wheelchair-accessible.
"They could have carried me in, but
there's no dignity in that," he said. "Open
to the public they shouldn't have put
that in (the ad)."
Peter Zimmerman, audience services
director for the Center for Performing
Arts, said the incident was the center's
mistake.
it's the feeling always that this is
Happy Valley and crime doesn't
happen here."
Tom Jordan, criminal investiga
tor for the State College Police
Department, said police suspect
the two attacks were made by the
same man a tall, thin, white man
in his 20s with dark hair. Jordan
said the belief that there is only
one suspect is based on the location
of the attacks and similar things
that were said and done in each
case.
Police do not know if the man
responsible for the attacks was just
passing through town or if he is an
area resident or possibly a student,
Jordan said.
The first attack occurred some
time after 11 p.m. on May 5 at Fair
mount Avenue Park, when a
woman was walking alone and
attacked from behind by a white
The Center for Performing Arts is not
the only organization admitting that there
is a problem. Both the University and the
State College Borough are trying to elimi
nate inaccessibility in the area. Officials
are working to get the environment up to
the standards dictated in the Americans
with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990.
Although the incident at the VFW has
since been resolved, Smitley said he does
have some problems with a few areas on
campus. He particularly dislikes sitting in
the back during shows at Eisenhower
Auditorium and sitting in the immediate
front at shows at Schwab Auditorium, he
said.
Zimmerman said he agrees with Smit
ley's grievances, but said the buildings'
designs make it difficult to allow for more
comfortable seating without violating fire
codes. And creating additional disabled
seating would require money from the
University, he said.
"If the Center for Performing Arts had
the money at their disposal, we would take
care of the inconveniences right away," he
man. The assault was interrupted
by a State College police officer
who shined a light into the park,
noticed feet and got out of her
cruiser to investigate, Jordan said.
As the officer walked toward the
scene, she saw a man running
away. Then she found a woman
lying on the ground, gasping for air
because she had been choked.
The second attack took place
eight days later on the 900 block of
South Pugh Street around 2:25 a.m.
Once again, a woman was walking
alone, and was grabbed from
behind and assaulted. She crawled
across the street after the attack
and was found badly injured by
two students who called the police,
Jordan said.
The police, after working with
the second victim, were able to cre
ate a sketch of the suspect. But
even after various names were
"If the Center for Performing Arts had the money at their
disposal, we would take care of the inconveniences right
away."
said. "Anyone who wants to get in to see a made several improvements concerning
performance should be able to do it com- disabled accessibility including making
fortably."
But not all disabled members in the making rest rooms accessible and widen
community think front-row seating is bad. ing doors. But Lettiere said OPP still has a
Tom Kleban (graduate-business) said he lot of work to do anywhere from five to
once attended a performance at the Play- seven years worth —to label the Universi
house Theatre and was glad he got to sit in ty completely accessible
the front .
Improved accessibility on campus has versity for nine years, said the changes
been a priority of the University's Office have been helpful. However, he said, when
of Physical Plant. accessibility was not as good, he did not
Jim Lettiere, manager of space, plan- really notice because he would find his
ning and management for OPP, said during way around things. Kleban still takes the
the past couple of years the University has same attitude today.
lack of assault leads
supplied to the police and several
photo lineups were run, police
were unable to identify a suspect.
The investigation is still continu
ing but police have no new leads,
Jordan said.
While the police continue their
investigation, area activists are
encouraging students to be aware
of the possible danger and to
change their nighttime walking
patterns.
Students feel safe walking alone
at night, Johnstone said, because
they assume there are always other
students out late. But that assump
tion can lead to a dangerous situa
tion, she said.
"They need to follow common
sense safety rules," she said.
Safety rules include someone
who is walking informing friends
what route she is taking so they
know where she will be, walking
audience services director for the Center for Performing Arts
fbilma & MKGY9B
Present...
n,Monster l 3 - 1931h, 0 ow„„<,
See The @,®ll:lU
Flatten and Jump Everything in its Path
A Family Event
Mountain.
VMILCALLIEILd NLI Lill 2'J `2.f)'6,:1..t,!).;1.ci.)4k61P...1),:J1,9
with groups of people, appearing
confident and walking in well-lit
areas.
But many students, even though
they do not know much about the
attacks, are still not afraid to walk
alone.
Chrissy Frederick, who runs by
herself, admitted she does not
know much about the attacks.
"I've heard a little bit about it,"
said Frederick (sophomore-biolo
gy). "But I don't know exactly what
happened."
But Frederick said she is not
afraid. "I've never felt. threatened."
Even students who have heard of
the attacks, such as Karen Cza
jkowski, said freshmen probably
do not know about them.
"I bet new freshmen don't know
about it," said Czajkowski (sopho
more-business).
Peter Zimmerman
curb cuts, adding elevators, posting signs,
Kieban, who has been attending the Uni-
Rib Feast
$3 Adults
6 & rids ME
This is a sketch of the man police
believe committed two assaults
last May. An investigation by State ,
College police is continuing.
"If there's not one way to do it, there's
always another," he said.
Some of the remodeling over the last
two years has been a direct result of a law
suit filed by University students in the
summer of 1993. The lawsuit, settled earli
er this year out of court, alleged the Uni
versity was not complying with standards
laid out in the ADA, Lettiere said. Since
then, OPP has been focusing on getting the
buildings that were listed in the settlement
up to standards, he said.
The University has requested $2O mil
lion from the state and has set aside $2O
million of its annual budget solely for
accessibility remodeling, Lettiere said.
The State College Borough is also work
ing toward improving accessibility.
Lu Hoover, ADA issues committee
chairwoman for the State College Planning
Commission, said renovations of the Bor
ough's Municipal Building and the Pugh
Street Parking Garage have a combined
cost of more than $90,000. The committee
has also budgeted $85,000 in 1996 for reno
vations at area parks.
And
of a
monster
1:!i/13 Show
Sat, October 21"
1 OAM to 6PM
See the Areas Largest Collection
of 4X4's From Area Dealers'
Trucks, Utility Vehicles & Cars.
tp lag State College's Best Deals on 4X4 Vehicles
ODLLEGE
O 613A
,0 96 ROL ET SUBARU
1.511542REM1
Courtesy of State College Police
JOEL CONF