—The Daily Collegian Wednesday, Feb. 28, 1996 Funding to benefit local park By TIMOTHY McLAUGHLIN Collegian Staff Writer A local community park will soon be undergoing some major improvements, thanks to govern ment funding. Orchard Park, located approxi mately 1 1 / 2 miles from campus off Bayberry Drive, will soon be receiving some renovations. The park now has a baseball field, picnic area, game field, play equipment, amphitheater and a fit ness trail. Robert Ayer, director of the Cen tre Region Parks and Recreation Department, said the final payment on a $lOO,OOO grant was received Dec. 20, 1995. The State College Borough Council applied for the grant in January 1995. Council President Tom Daubert said the grant, along with $250,000 from the borough, was used to pur chase 4.4 acres of empty field next to the park. Although the future use of the land is unclear, Daubert said some of the money will be used to improve the facilities for Little League play. "We need a few more fields. They are over-scheduled in the fall and spring," he said. Ayer said that recently a further, fully-funded grant has been applied for. The grant will be used to hire a consultant for the parks department. The consultant will assist in the development of ideas to use the land in the most effec tive manner and conduct the site planning for construction. Students face pressures of training at By VALERIE MANNS Collegian Science Writer Early mornings and long hours at the University's Hershey Medical Center can often stress nursing students. From day to day, University nursing stu dents must deal with sicknesses and deaths. They are required to spend two to three semesters at the medical center, beginning the spring of their junior year or the summer after their sophomore year, said Nadine Linendoll (senior-nursing). Some students said they experience stress with clinical work when they first go to the medical center. But this may be due to the fact that many of them have had no previous hospi- Orchard Park, off Bayberry Drive about 1 1/2 miles from campus, received a $lOO,OOO grant from the Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation (Key 93) Fund. The community park will undergo improvements to accommodate Little League play. The park is used for baseball games, picnics, community func tions, and as a recreational area for children of the community. Residents who live by the park said they appreciate its value. Donna Baum of 1107 Bayberry Drive said everybody in the area uses the park. Many of the children from the area take advantage of the park's open ground and play equipment, and older residents use the park and the adjacent empty field for barbecues and walks with their dogs, she said. But Floyd Trunzo of 1028 Amelia Ave. said he would like to see some more things added to the park. "A Roller Blading or skate boarding park would be a good idea . . . some more playing fields, soc cer and the like," he said. tal experience, said Bonnie Sally (senior nursing). Before going to the medical center, stu dents start out by practicing on man nequins at University Park. Sally said that at the center, they move right to patients who often ask difficult questions some thing which makes students nervous. "A mannequin doesn't talk and a man nequin doesn't ask you if you've ever done this before," Sally said. "I think Hershey is a very hard place to start out with." Some University nursing students said that while undergoing family problems, their instructors do not give them the ten der loving care they learn to give patients. "I told my instructor that my grandfa ther was sick and I kind of expected (he ✓ out the Collegial) Ayer said the park is already a model of land usage and that the grant and the future facilities are "a real, real big plus." The depart ment expects to hear word on the grant by April, he said. Gretchen Leslie, press secretary for the Department of Conserva tion and Natural Resources, said the money for the grants came from the Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation (Key 93) Fund. The fund came into exis tence approximately four years ago. At that time, it was nothing more than a referendum ori a statewide ballot. The referendum was approved by the voters, establish ing the Key 93 Fund. The fund was established with a $5O-million bond issue and is supported in part with may not live)," Sally said. "When I came back (after the funeral), none of them even asked me how I was. There really wasn't anybody for me to turn to." Although the medical center offers no formal counseling services for the stu dents, Sally Wangsness, associate profes sor and director of the School of Nursing, said she believes the size of the nursing program lends itself to close communica tion among students and faculty. A student going through problems can go to other students or faculty members to talk, she added. "It is a small program," Wangsness said. "Whenever students go into a clinical experience, there are no more than 10 stu dents per faculty member." Collegian Photo/Kim Garrahan the 15 percent taken yearly from realty transfer tax receipts, Leslie said. This has set a dedicated funding source for historical lands, conser vation, urban tree planting and expanding community park resources. A considerable portion of the fund goes to community parks, Leslie said. "(Community residents) know how important a park is," she said. The Key 93 funds are handled through the DCNR's Community Conservation Partnership Initia tive. The DCNR approves the appli cations from communities and the money is drawn from the Key 93 Fund. Gov. Tom Ridge's adminis tration has already provided $75 million in grants through the bene fit of the partnership. University's on't let this spring leave you broke and left out of all the fun. Go anywhere Greyhound® goes for a maximum round trip fare of $129. For a limited time only, from February 26th until April 15th, students who show a valid student ID can travel to any of our 2,400 destinations. So this spring, take your break on Greyhound. Students childrens' lives By BRIDGETTE BLAIR Collegian Staff Writer T.J. Compagnone has found out what life is like outside of Penn State. Compagnone volunteers with the Big Brotherßig Sister Program of Centre County and has the unique opportunity to interact with chil dren and families in the area. "I think Penn State . .. college in general . . . is a warped sense of reality," said Compagnone (sopho more-finance and international business). Volunteers in the program visit local children ages 5 to 17 to pro vide them with strong role models. Students can experience the sat isfaction of impacting a young child's life by "hanging out" with them and by being a good friend. Lance Early, Compagnone's 12- year-old "little brother," and Lisa Solt, "little sister" of another vol unteer, Roseanne Thornton, look at the volunteers as their friends and peers. "(Thornton's) not like an adult at all. She's like a kid," said Solt, Thornton's 12-year-old little sister. The volunteers encourage the children to be their best in school and out of school. Often, the children are from low-income or single-parent families, so their par ents are busy working and raising other children. The volunteers help the parents by taking the time to have fun or address any difficulties the child may be having in school or other wise. "A lot of times, Roseanne helps me with problems. She has a lot of cool ideas. She's fun to hang Hershey Medical Center Students who are experiencing exces sive amounts of stress when working at the medical center sometimes may feel like they have no where to turn. But instructors and faculty members are there to help, Wangsness said. "Their first point of reference is to go to their clinical faculty member," Wangsness said. "We work very closely with our stu dents." But Wangsness said she also believes the nursing program is challenging. "I think we have a difficult curriculum," Wangsness said. "Our students are respon sible for the welfare of all the patients they care for." Many students believe that the high responsibility level at the medical center sit ,iipootAutA 040 % Goiscso- For more information call 1.800.231.2222. ALLENTOWN, PA ERIE, PA HARRISBURG, PA KING OF PRUSSIA, PA '•27 JOHNSTOWN, PA PHILADELPHIA, PA 4, Go Greyhound. and kmte embus http.//www.greyhound.com 0996 Greyhound Lines. Inc Some restnctions and hmdahons may apply Pnces subject to change without notice Eadlet blackout ambes from Apra dth - AprilBth may make it more difficult to adjust. "Hershey is more stressful just because Hershey Medical Center is more acute care," Linendoll said. "It's a better facility and therefore the people there are sicker." Linendoll said another reason nursing is stressful is because students must work early in the morning and deal with patients who are dying, are very sick or are having children. Those are all very emotional things to cope with, she said. Students are able to prepare for the fol lowing day's patients the night before, which helps to alleviate some stress, Linendoll said. They are then required to check in with their instructors before they do any procedures and are able to ask last minute questions. RGH PA T ONE WAYROUND TRIP impact around. She's just a neat person," Solt said. However rewarding it is, work ing with the children does require a definite time commitment. Nada Ottenstein, director of the Big Brotherßig Sister Program of Centre County Youth Service Bureau, said that after students complete a 45-minute orientation session, they are interviewed to match them up with a child. Then they are required to make a com mitment to be involved in the pro gram for at least nine months, although a longer commitment is encouraged. Students must also have their own transportation source, because the children are often not close enough to walk. "Volunteers do have choices as to the age group and how far they're willing to drive," Otten stein said. Both students spend as much time with the children as possible. If they are having a busy week, the hours are flexible so they can change the time when they get together with the children. "I put (being a Big Brother) almost as a priority," Compagnone said about the difficulty of balanc ing school, extra-curricular activi ties and volunteering. Thornton (senior-accounting) also said she knows how to balance her duties as a Big Sister with the responsibilities of being a student graduating this semester. And volunteers not only get a lot out of volunteering, but they also give the children incentive to strive to be their best. "(Compagnone) teaches me right and wrong and how to have fun," Early said.
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