Freshmen face fear of crowded, crazy Fall Semester
By LYDIA R. POSTLEWAITE
Collegian Staff Writer
The freshman class can kiss
these quiet summer days goodbye
in a few weeks.
The relaxing and calm days will
abruptly transform into crowded
walkways and streets, a full class
loa'd, football weekends, parties
and hordes of new people.
Students who are here for Sum
mer Session will have to make the
adjustment from a small communi
ty to an expansive environment
when almost 40,000 students return
for Fall Semester.
Data from
but focus
By JASON FAGONE
Collegian Staff Writer
Mars Pathfinder, the first space
craft to land on Mars in two
decades, has gathered some useful
data that may help prove the exis
tence of ancient floods on Mars’
surface, said some University pro
fessors.
But Pathfinder is most signifi
cant for its technological accom-
plishments, astronomy professor
Louis Winkler said.
“The Mars scientists say they
are excited about the findings but I
think they’re probably more excit
ed that they achieved this great
technological feat,” Winkler said.
“The scientific findings are not
that spectacular.”
On July 4, after hitting the sur
face of Mars and bouncing 50 feet
into the air, Pathfinder came to
rest and released its roving robotic
craft, Sojourner.
The remote-controlled robot looking for geological evidence of
looks at Mars from the perspective the presence of ancient water,
of a cat, analyzing the geology of “From our orbiting vehicles and
the Martian surface and the chem- from Viking landers, we had some
istry of its rocks and soils. idea of water existence in the
Sojourner also studies Mars’ past,” Winkler said. “But these
atmospheric gases and the planet’s extensive tests that are being run
rotational dynamics. by the Pathfinder are elaborating
The mission has been a hit with on our understanding.”
the public. The Pathfinder landing site was
Since July 4, NASA’s Pathfinder chosen because it is in the middle
World Wide Web site, which offers of the largest ancient flood plain on
images and weather data gathered the planet, Kasting said,
by Sojourner, has logged tens of Sojourner is checking nearby
millions of hits per day. rocks to see if they have ever been
“I believe there are a lot of citi- exposed to large amounts of water,
zens who are fundamentally inter- he said.
ested in knowing new stuff,” “I’m still not personally con
astronomy professor Daniel Weed- vinced that they’ve found proof of
man said. floods in that valley,” said Weed
“ Mars has always been an inter- man, who used to be the director of
esting planet; it’s the most similar NASA’s astrophysics division. “But
to the Earth. It’s been a subject of I think once Sojourner analyzes
human curiosity for a long, long enough rocks, they’ll be able to say
time, but I’ve really been surprised for sure if there was water at one
at how many people have been time.”
interested,” he said. The scientists acknowledged
Coming on the heels of a spate of although the data are useful in sub-
Hollywood sci-fi movies and the stantiating existing theories, the
Animal
Continued from Page 1.
a lot of the stuff they use on the animals.”
Some other visitors such as Molly Gazda, of State
College, and her son Jake said they came to the open
house to see the two Bengal tigers visiting from
T&D’s Mountain Road Menagerie, Penns Creek.
Although Taz, who is three years old, and Tony, who
is one year old, were fairly large, six-year-old Jake
said he was not scared of them.
“I think they’re neat,” he said.
T&D’s in Snyder County is a refuge for Bengal
tigers, African lions, cougars and other species of
exotic cats, said Terry Mattive, owner.
Unwanted, abused, malnourished and exploited cats
are brought to the refuge through government agen
cies and private individuals, he said. “If we don’t take
the cats they get put to sleep,” Mattive said.
Mattive said he brought Taz and Tony to the open
house because Metzger treated Taz and probably
saved his life last year when he became ill from eat
'"“Thisls just a tribute and a thank you for what Fred
did ’’ he said. “Most vets don’t know a lot about deal-
“It is such a big campus and
every part is filled,” said Agni
Mitra (graduate student-electrical
engineering).
Adrienne Chan (senior-hotel
restaurant institutional manage
ment) said she remembers the
chaos when she arrived on move-in
day her freshman year.
She compares the University to a
trash compactor. “It packs every
one into one area,” she said.
Freshmen who have yet to expe
rience the full population of the
University have used the reduced
number of people in the summer to
adjust to college life.
Mars trip
is on future
"One thing that the
Pathfinder proved is
that we are going back
to Mars."
Daniel Weedman
professor of astronomy
50th anniversary of alleged alien
contact in Roswell, N.M., the
Pathfinder mission has added to
the hubbub surrounding the search
for alien life, geosciences profes
sor James Kasting said.
“I think the main public interest
in Mars is the question of ‘ls there
life out there?’,” Kasting said. “I
think there’s a pretty decent
chance that Mars had life early in
its history.”
Liquid water is necessary for
life, and the Sojourner robot is
Harleys
By JASON FAGONE
Collegian Staff Writer
Cheering crowds were drowned
out by the collective roar of 810
motorcycles Saturday when
Harley-Davidson enthusiasts
paraded through State College as
part of the 1997 Pennsylvania State
Harley-Davidson Owners Group
Rally festivities.
“I’ve never seen anything like
it,” said Mark Thatcher, a resident
of Forest Hill, Maryland.
Thatcher, who watched the
parade with his wife Annette at the
corner of Allen Street and College
Avenue, craned his neck to see the
bikers.
“I think they’re all normal peo
ple,” he said. “Except the guys with
the horns.”
The Viking-helmeted men are
the flashier motorcyclists of the
bunch, said rally coordinator
Harry Carey.
“They just like to attract a little
more attention, that’s all,” he said.
Exactly 1870 people registered
for rally activities, some of which
were closed to the public.
“I think the summer is a really
good time to see what college class
es are like, and meet people,” said
Adam Garfield (freshman-division
of undergraduate studies).
“And I haven’t paid for beer
yet,” he said.
Heidi Bertino (senior-special
education and anthropology) works
at the Pollock Commons desk
where all freshmen reside during
Summer Session.
“As a freshman coming during
the summer you have a chance to
make friends and that helps when
you’re overwhelmed by all the peo
ple in the fall,” Bertino said.
interesting,
journeys
mission has not yet produced any
new or surprising findings.
The lack of Earth-shattering
news led University students to
question Pathfinder’s value.
“I don’t know if it’s worth all our
money to be exploring things when
there’s a lot of other things we
could be spending our money on at
this time,” Scott Dell (senior-busi
ness marketing) said.
Liz Ehrstein, a State College resi
dent, agreed the nation’s money
could be better spent on domestic
problems.
“I don’t think it’s a waste, but
there are other priorities,” she
said.
Winkler disagreed, advocating
continued exploration of space.
“I don’t know how to equate
research findings and dollar values
to humans,” he said. “It’s an invest
ment. You are investing in the
future of other people.” NASA
plans to send missions to Mars
every two years, Weedman said.
Each mission will likely include a
landing craft and an orbiting craft,
he said.
“One thing that Pathfinder
proved is that we are going back to
Mars,” he said. “We are going sys
tematically.”
Scientists are also enthusiastic
about exploring the moons of some
of the outer planets, like Saturn’s
moon Titan and Jupiter’s moon
Europa, Weedman said.
Titan is interesting to scientists
primarily because it is the only
known moon with its own atmos
phere.
The Cassini mission will launch
this fall and reach Titan in 2004,
releasing a probe to measure
atmospheric gases.
Europa is particularly intriguing
because it is the only object in the
solar system besides the earth for
which there is evidence of liquid
water, Weedman said.
There will likely be a mission to
Europa within the next 10 years, he
said.
"I think they're neat."
ing with big cats.” Aside from the huge crowds gath
ered around the tiger cages, many visitors browsed
the information booths.
Robyn Graboski of Centre Wildlife Care in Lemont
was on hand to “let people know we’re available,” she
said.
The center cares for injured, orphaned, sick and
displaced wildlife and prepares the animals to be
released back into their environment, she said.
Graboski displayed caged bats, a bird and a turtle,
all of which she is caring for at the wildlife center.
“Most everyone has been interested in these bats,”
she said. “People need to see bats up close so they
know they are not as mean and vicious as everyone
thinks they are.”
Jake Gazda
about the Bengal tigers
thunder through town
"I think they're all normal people. Except the guys
with the horns."
Earlier in the day, bikers partici
pated in water-balloon games,
maintenance and safety seminars
and a bike show.
After the parade, awards were
given out and motorcyclists deco
rated their mounts with glowing
lights and rode around the parking
lot at the Penn State Convention
Center and Hotel, Carey said.
Amy McGowan, a convention
center employee, said she worked
all week with the rally participants.
“They have a really rough
image,” she said. “They’re sort of
intimidating. You look at them and
say, ‘Oh my.’ But they’re nice peo
ple.”
Carol Campbell, who is also
employed with the conference cen
ter, said the participants were
pleasant to deal with.
“It cracks me up when they first
come. They flood the desk with
questions,” she said. “In the sum
mer, they stand out. But during the
academic year it’s all one student
body.”
Upperclassmen said they know
what to expect in weeks to come.
However, summer freshmen said
they had mixed feelings and fears
about the upcoming semester.
Cathy Scott (freshman-division
of undergraduate studies) said she
feels comfortable in the small com
munity atmosphere of Pollock
Halls.
The Sojourner rover sets out on the rocky terrain of Mars’ surface. The
Mars Pathfinder, landed on the planet July 4. The photo was taken July 6.
“There’s some possibility that
there’s life on Europa,” Kasting
said.
Although we will continue to
explore our own solar system, sci
entists are anxious to seek out
Earth-like planets orbiting around
other stars, Weedman said.
To find these planets, NASA will
construct large infrared space
based observatories that will prob
ably be operational within the next
two decades, he said.
Pathfinder’s success has spurred
some scientist's to propose a
manned mission to Mars.
Usage
Continued from Page 1.
Ruskin said. Some of the water
used daily at the University goes to
the showers.
Because University dorm bath
rooms are designed for showers
rather than baths, conservation is
built in, Ruskin said.
The University is also replacing
the current shower heads with
water- restrictive shower heads, he
said. With the old shower heads, 10
gallons of water are used on aver
age. The new shower heads cut this
number in half.
But some students don’t think
new shower heads will solve the
problem.
“People can take multiple show
ers because there are no restric
tions . . ~” said Steve Thomas, who
graduated in May 1997 with a
degree in sports medicine.
Mark Thatcher
Harley-Davidson parade watcher
“These people are great,” she
said. “They’re just not the typical
group. They’re so relaxed and
down-to-earth.”
Motorcyclists have been strug
gling to improve their image,
Carey said.
“I think two years ago, people
were apprehensive,” he said.
“Because of movies and such, I
think people had different pictures
of us then. But everybody was
well-behaved, and everybody paid
their bills, and everyone acted like
ladies and gentlemen and I think
it’s working. We were treated quite
well every place we went.”
For the most part, the Harley
enthusiasts are family-oriented rid
ers, Carey said.
“It’s husband and wife, and cou
ples of all ages, and quite often
She might feel overwhelmed by
the increase in numbers of stu
dents, she said.
“I did expect that coming to Penn
State it would be a big school. This
summer will make it easier (to
adjust),” she said.
Other freshmen have concerns
about access to facilities.
“I’m nervous because the com
puter labs are already full and peo
ple are only taking a couple of
classes,” said Jennifer Loos (fresh
man-secondary education). “It’s
going to be rough.”
However, more people brings
more options.
“We may have to go there if we
overpopulate or overpollute our
own planet,” Winkler said. “There
are so many ways of creating irre
versible chegiical reactions with
the water and the air and the soil
that it’s a good investment if you
want to preserve the human
species.’ 4
Weedman disagreed, citing the
high cost associated with a manned
flight.
“We could do it, but it would cost
just far, far more money than any
one about in the NASA
budget,” he said. “Human space
Conserve
Continued from Page 1.
much more than the occasional
thundershowers we were receiv
ing,” he said.
Because the recent rainfall fell
at a moderate rate, it allowed the
ground to absorb it and alleviate
the problem of run-off, Kosek said.
Run-off occurs with hard, short
rainfalls that quickly saturate the
top layer of the ground, preventing
the rest of the rain from being
absorbed.
“That type of heavy rainfall just
causes erosion and doesn’t help as
much as a lighter, steady rainfall,”
he said.
The normal rainfall in State Col
lege for this time of year is 2.34
inches and until last week the area
had received less than a half an
inch, said Paul Yeager, senior fore
caster for AccuWeather.
parents and their offspring riding
together,” he said.
“They all go to rallies together
and do various things. We have pic
nics when kids can come, get
togethers where you can bring the
kids, like a big family reunion,” he
said.
All along Park Avenue, families
lined the road to the convention
center, welcoming and cheering
the motorcyclists. State College res
ident Roy Walk and his family sat
in lawnchairs as they watched the
start of the parade.
“It’s kind of adrenaline-pump
ing,” Walk said. “I want to go out
and buy a Harley now. They have a
nice sound.”
Keith McMonagle, from Julian,
said he appreciates the aesthetic
qualities of the motorcycles.
“It was a nice way to see a lot of
bikes,” he said. “They’re nice to
look at.” -
The motorcyclists spent hours
each day washing and polishing
their Harleys in the convention
center parking lot, McGowan said.
“They love their bikes,” she said.
“In fall and spring there’s more
activity and more choices to make
on how to spend your time,” said
Marilyn Scott (senior-architectural
engineering).
“Frat parties every night are not
so happening when you have 17
credits,” she said.
However, Sean McCullough
(freshman-division of undergradu
ate studies) said he dreads his walk
to class from East Halls where
many freshmen reside during the
year, to those classes and activi
ties.
“It’s a hike,” he said.
rover, which traveled aboard the
flight is just so incredibly expen
sive.” The risk factors involved
also make a manned mission
unlikely, Weedman said.
“I don’t see any willingness to
take a real risk,” he said.
“You just can’t put humans at
risk like that. My feeling is that to
do the sort of missions that we can
afford, there would be too many
risks and untested gadgets,” said
Weedman.
He added, “Humans will never
go to Mars, but we’re going to learn
a huge amount from the robots that
do go to Mars.”
But after last week’s rain the
amount of rainfall has greatly
increased. On Tuesday, the Univer
sity received 1.02 inches, Kosek
said.
Although this rain has helped, he
said, residents should still use their
water in moderation because tem
peratures are expected to rise
again and more dry weather could
be on the way.
Nevel agreed with Kosek and
asked that customers of the State
College Borough Water Authority
continue to voluntarily conserve
water at least until the state
decides a draught warning is no
longer necessary.
Residents can do their part by
repairing leaks, bathing for shorter
amounts of time and not running
water unnecessarily, according to a
news release.