Camping
Continued from Page 1
returned to the line later that same
night.
"We figured it out that we would
spend just over 100 hours in line
for this game," said T.J. Lamphere
(freshman-math).
The patient students fill their
hours with games of Risk, listening
to music, talking about sports, try
ing to sleep and even occasionally
trying to do their homework.
The students do admit that at
times it is difficult to complete
their work. And trying to study for
tests while they are waiting is
occasionally impossible due to the
weather.
"It was so windy on Sunday that I
wouldn't even get out of my sleep
ing bag," Flinn said.
Even parents are questioning
their children's actions. Lam
phere's mother called him and
wanted to know if waiting in line is
why he has a C+ in English.
But these fans are dedicated and
classes are not a deterrent in any
way from trying to remain in the
front row for the basketball games.
"I do this for a couple reasons.
Press
Continued from Page 1. Thomas also discussed the defin
problems," Williams said. ition and role of a journalist.
Thomas agreed and said journal- "To be a journalist, you have the
ists are trying to find out what is role of getting information and
happening because the public has a transmitting it to the public as fair
right to know. Information is often ly as possible and as objective as
controlled and difficult to obtain, possible within human limits,"
she added. Thomas said. "I think it can be
"You can keep (presidents) in a
cage and you can keep them away
from the press, but you deny the
American people," she said.
Teen who helped kill Polec gets
By JEFFREY BRODEUR
Associated Press Writer
PHILADELPHIA After listen
ing stone-faced to Eddie Polec's
family say they could never for
give him, the Abington teen-ager
who struck the first blow with a
baseball bat in Polec's beating
death was sentenced yesterday to
five to 20 years in prison.
Kevin Convey, who pleaded
guilty to third-degree murder in
exchange for his testimony against
six other defendants in the Nov. 11,
1994, beating, had nothing to say
and showed no emotion as Common
Pleas Court Judge Patricia Cutler
Greenspan sentenced him to the
terms laid out in the bargain.
The 19-year-old's family and
friends sat just behind the defense
table, his mother often wiping
away tears, but Convey did not look
at them when he entered or left the
courtroom.
Lottery winner builds drug fortune
LANCASTER (AP) Jesus
Medina Tirado won as much as
$200,000 in the lottery. But he
didn't retire, he went into busi
ness instead the cocaine busi
ness.
With the sentencing Monday of
the last of three of Tirado's sup
pliers, police revealed the tale of
a lucky winner who went on to
set up an enterprise that pumped
$2.25 million worth of cocaine
into Lancaster County.
Police said the first thing the
51-year-old Tirado did after hit
ting the jackpot in 1985 was to
quit his job at a sheet metal fac-
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College basketball is my life. I love
it. And I'm not all there upstairs,"
Plummer said.
He's not alone in'his dedication.
There is even competition between
the groups to try to outwit each
other and get to the very front of
the line. Lamphere said that it is
nearly an addiction.
"There is nothing like sitting in
the front row of a Penn State
game," he said. "Once you get
there once, you can never go back."
As the regular season comes to a
close, it does not mean the end of
waiting for many students.
They are already making plans
for the upcoming NCAA tourna
ment.
"We've already been on the com
puter figuring out mileage and
times for driving," Lamphere said.
Plummer was quick to add,
"We're not driving, we're flying."
If for some reason these students
should have flight delays or should
be continually stuck in traffic
while trying to get to the tourna
ment, their hours in front of the
center will have them prepared.
These fans are ready.
done."
Some students who attended the
discussion said it was interesting
and worthwhile.
When Eddie Polec's father, John,
walked to the middle of the court
room and told Greenspan he would
like to address Convey, the teen
turned and looked directly at the
man as he stood just feet away.
Reporters and observers leaned
forward in their seats and the
courtroom grew quiet as the soft
spoken Polec addressed Convey for
the first time.
"Since Nov. 11, 1994, I have tried
to figure out why my son was mur
dered. I've realized I'm never
going to get an answer," Polec said.
"I believe your actions that night
led to my son's death. . . . We can
never forgive you for that. But
unlike the other six people, you tes
tified, and we will never forget that
either."
Teen-agers from a rival high
school in suburban Abington
jumped Eddie Polec to avenge
insults and get even for a rumored
assault on an Abington girl. She
tory. After that, he paid off his $2.25 million on the streets.
house, bought a van, several "For Lancaster he was a big
motorcycles and a mobile home drug dealer," Assistant U.S.
in rural Conroy Township on two Attorney Kim Douglas Daniel
acres of land. said yesterday. "And he was in
The mobile home became the business a long time."
headquarters for his new busi- It wasn't immediately clear
ness, dividing up the cocaine he what lottery Tirado hit.
bought from 1991 to 1994 from
three New York City men for
delivery in western Lancaster
County, police said.
In total, police estimate that
the amount of cocaine Tirado
purchased and sold before he
was arrested in April 1994 was at Either way, the case is unusu
the very least 33 pounds worth al, Kline said.
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Testimony
Continued from Page 1
$4.5 million by cutting spending on
corrections and welfare.
Spanier will testify before the
state House Appropriations Com
mittee during spring break. The
legislature will then discuss the
issue and have a budget ready by
the June 30 deadline.
Yesterday was Spanier's first
time testifying before the commit
tee and unlike former presidents,
he was the only one who spoke.
Past presidents had several top
administrators sit with them to
answer questions for the commit
tee in their areas of expertise.
Several senior administrators
made the trip to Harrisburg with
Spanier, but sat in the audience
while he testified. They included
Executive Vice President and
Provost John Brighton, Senior Vice
President for Finance Gary Schultz
and Executive Director of Univer
sity Relations Stephen MacCarthy.
Spanier said the main reason for
having one person testify was the
limited time the University has to
plead its case for more funding and
answer questions.
"It was very interesting to hear
the different perspectives," said
Ben Sweet (junior-public rela
tions). "I was surprised to hear that
every panelist thought the relation
ship between the press and the
president had gone downhill in the
past 20 years."
Powell said the relationship
between the media and politicians
seems to have soured.
"I don't suppose there's ever
later acknowledged she was never
assaulted.
Convey testified he was the first
to jump out of a car and set upon
Polec. He said he swung a baseball
bat, causing Polec to trip and fall
then stood over him and struck him
in the legs and arms as a mob
joined in.
According to witnesses, three
other teen-agers wielded bats and
left Polec bleeding from seven
skull fractures on the steps of St.
Cecilia's Roman Catholic Church in
Philadelphia, where he had served
as an altar boy.
The 'three, Nick Pinero, 18,
Anthony Rienzi, 18, and Thomas
Crook, 19, were convicted of third
degree murder on Feb. 5.
The jury convicted Dawan
Alexander, 18, of voluntary
manslaughter. Witnesses said he
kicked Polec.
Bou Khathavong, 18, and Carlo
Johnson, 20 two defendants who
Pennsylvania Lottery Director
Charles Kline said there was no
record of a large win by Tirado
in 1985. He speculated that the
date Tirado gave authorities was
off, or that he won in another
state.
SHAN YGAIFF
Spring Break
Beach Party
"I didn't feel it was necessary to
have an entourage," he said.
Another difference this year was
that no University students came
to the hearings.
Last year, former Undergradu
ate Student Government President
Mike King and three other USG
members went to Harrisburg.
After the hearings, they met with
the state secretary of education
and several state senators to tell
the representatives how they
would be personally affected by
limited state funding.
USG President Kara Annechini
was unavailable for comment about
why no one went to Harrisburg this
year.
Council of Commonwealth Stu
dent Government members had
planned to go this year, but their
plans fell through. Jason Getz,
CCSG director of government
affairs, said the members had trou
ble getting a car and had midterm
exams yesterday. Getz went to
Harrisburg last year during the
hearings.
"I was disappointed that we did
n't end up going," he said.
been a press secretary who thought
the press did well by the presi
dent," he said. "But as bad as I
thought things were then, it seems
worse (now)."
Shannon Gosnell said she has a
speech communications class in
which she heard some of the sto
ries the panelists told last night.
"I thought it was excellent," said
Gosnell (senior-speech communica
tions).
5 to 20
o witnesses said beat Polec
vere cleared of all homicide
charges.
All six were convicted of con
spiracy and are scheduled to be
sentenced on March 19.
Kathy Polec, Eddie's mother, told
Convey she'd like to think he "did
the honorable thing" by testifying
and was sorry for his actions.
"But I think human nature being
what it is, you needed to survive.
And you saw that this was first
degree murder and you saw the
chance to survive with this plea,"
she said.
Polec's 15-year-old brother,
Billy, and sister, Kristie, 20, also
spoke before the sentencing.
Convey's attorney, Joseph Kelly,
said his client was moved by the
statements and extremely
remorseful for his role in the slay
ing, but told him he could not make
a statement to the family in open
court.
Boy, 11, goes
By MATTHEW FORDAHL
Associated Press Writer
SAN DIEGO An 11-year-old
boy dressed in a friar's robe fired a
rifle at cable workers, joggers and
beauty shop patrons yesterday
before shooting a guard who held
the sixth-grader for police, authori
ties said.
The security guard was shot in
the hand, but no one else was
injured in the crime spree in San
Diego's usually quiet Clairemont
district, said police spokesman Bill
Robinson.
The 4-foot, 50-pound boy was
taken to Juvenile Hall where police
will hold him for investigation of at
least three counts of attempted
University alters
graduation dates
Ceremonies set for after finals
By LISA HAARLANDER
Collegian Staff Writer
Students and their families will
no longer have to drive back to
State College after final exams in
January and August for com
mencement ceremonies.
Beginning Fall Semester 1996, all
fall and summer commencement
ceremonies will be held immediate
ly after final exams. Spring Semes
ter commencement will not change
and will take place one week after
finals.
The change will also affect Penn
State Erie and Penn State Harris
burg because they are two Com
monwealth Campuses that regular
ly hold fall and summer com
mencement, said Christy Rambeau,
University news bureau manager.
Because grades from exams will
not be complete at the time of com
mencement, the University will
mail the actual diplomas to stu
dents a few weeks later, said John
Romano, vice provost for enroll
ment, management and administra
tion. He said he did not expect to
have a problem with students
attending the ceremony and then
not actually graduating.
Summer Session commence
ments are changed because the
University is starting Summer Ses
sion one week later so that high
school seniors can attend their own
graduation ceremonies, Romano
said. Commencement ceremonies
were held immediately after finals
during the last Summer Session,
and the change is now permanent.
Because summer session is start
ing a week later, commencement
will be held at the end of finals
week, Romano said.
"They weren't getting out of high
school in time to enroll in the Uni
versity," he said.
But the University changed the
date of Fall Semester commence
ments for a different reason,
Romano said.
"The weather patterns in Janu
ary are less favorable than the
weather patterns in December," he
said. "Students had to make an
extra trip back to the University to
participate in commencement in
January, and obviously for lots of
reasons, any number didn't do
that."
Fall Semester 1996 commence
ment will take place Dec. 15, the
Sunday after finals, in the Bryce
Jordan Center. The ceremony was
originally scheduled for Jan. 11.
Summer Session 1996 commence
ment will take place Aug. 10 in the
on shooting spree with rifle
"At first we thought it
was a BB gun or
something. When he
started firing, we
realized it was a .22."
Juan Castellanos
cable worker
murder and armed robbery. His
identity was not released because
of his age.
"We don't have an exact motive
for this spree," said Robinson,
adding the boy seemed as if he may
have been under medication.
‘‘Aclopt" A Dairy/Pori
To qua,* simply bring any combination of 5 empty Creatnety milk
cations
or Ckeamety &mom yogurt containers to the Crummy, along
sFwith thecomplete entry form below before March it 1996.
, bytne renitetato Dairy Science Clukr
end the UnWethity creornqrsi:
!Name:
I Address: I
Local Phone #: I
L . You will receive a free "adoption certificate" in the mail.
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The Daily Collegian Wednesday, Feb. 28, 1996-
Congratulations
The University has moved Fall
Semester and Summer Session
commencement so they will take place
immediately after finals. Here are the
dates and times:
Spring Semester 1996 (no change)
May 11 and 12
Ceremonies are organized by
college and take place at different
locations.
Summer Session 1996
Aug. 10
10:30 a.m. for undergraduates
Bryce Jordan Center
Fall Semester 1998
Dec. 15
Bryce Jordem Center
Caps and gowns
Penn State ; o _o,l for
March 11-16
Tables in the lobby
cost $18.95 last year
always available
costs $17.95
Source' University Relations and
individual stores
center. Commencement this spring
is still scheduled for May 10 and
11.
Final exam scheduling will not
be affected by the change, Romano
said.
Heather Kingdom (junior-film
and video) worried that having
commencement and finals in the
same week would be hectic. But
she said knowing about the change
now, she and her family have time
to adjust their travel plans.
"I guess it would be beneficial if,
after you take your exams, you
graduate," she said.
David Sabol (junior-recreation
parks management) was also wor
ried about having to deal with
exams and graduation in the same
week.
"I think it would be nice after
finals, but then you have to worry
about everything at once." he said.
"It would be nice if there were a
week. It gives you time to pre-
pare."
But Jeremy Clemens (freshman
chemistry) said having commence
ment immediately after finals
eliminates having students and
their families search for a place to
stay after apartment leases and
dorm contracts end.
"You have to pay money to stay
at the Nittany Lion Inn or some
thing," he said. "It's not really fair
to make them come back and not
have a place to stay."
The boy showed up to school yes
terday morning, although he told
school nurses he felt sick. His
mother left work to pick him up
but then left him at home after it
appeared he was not too ill, Robin
son said.
Within an hour, the boy shaved
his head, put on the robe and gray
ski mask, and found his father's .22
caliber rifle, police said. It was not
clear why he shaved his head or
wore the robe.
The boy intially approached a
group of cable workers, who
thought the gun-toting boy was
pulling a prank until he fired
two shots at them, Robinson said.
One of the shots was deflected by a
shovel.
Collegian Graphic/Jalme Alcaro