The Daily Collegian Thursday, Aug. 28, 1997
Students register
in Centre
to vote
County
By DAVID EDELSON
Collegian Staff Writer
The first day of classes officially
marked the beginning of a new
semester, and what could be a new
attitude that is developing on cam
pus.
Political issues such as student
housing in the State College Bor
ough rallied the student body to
speak its mind last year.
Also, student voter turnout in
last November's general elections
was more than 10 times that of the
previous year, according to figures
reported by polling places at the
HUB.
Yet, within the University, some
continued to speculate that the
campus was filled with apathetic
students after a low voter turnout
in the Undergraduate Student Gov
ernment elections last Spring
Semester.
But this year, before any contro
versies such as borough hqusing
have jump-started student
activism, 259 students have regis
tered to vote in general elections,
according to USG President Jaime
Desmond.
Sydell Payne (sophomore-liberal
arts), who just turned 18 years old,
said she felt it was her civic duty to
get involved with local issues.
"If you don't take responsibility
Magazine ranks University fourth most efficient in country
The University has been
ranked as the fourth most
efficient university and the 45th
best national university in the
country by U.S. News & World
Report
By STACEY CONFER
Collegian Staff Writer
While the Penn State football team is
ranked No. 1, the University as a whole has
captured some rankings of its own.
U.S. News & World Report ranked the
University as the fourth most efficient uni-
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"If you don't go out
and vote then you
have no say on the
issue."
for choices, then you can't com
plain when things don't happen
the way you want them to," Payne
said. "If you don't go out and vote
then you have no say on the
issue."
The USG-sponsored voter regis
tration drive lasted from Saturday
until Tuesday. USG will continue
to sponsor drives through October
6.
Although the drive was declared
a success by the organizers, some
realize it is only one step in the
process of increasing student vot
ing participation.
Being involved with govern
mental issues is a personal
choice, and the decision to vote
ultimately rests with the individ
ual, USG Town Senator Will
O'Keefe said.
"You can't force someone to
learn and care about an issue,"
O'Keefe said. "It is a choice that
each individual makes alone."
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Sydell Payne
sophomore-liberal arts
versity in the country in its 1998 America's
Best Colleges issue, released Monday.
Rankings published by an organization
such as U.S. News & World Report often
positively affect the application and
admission process, said Administrative
Representative Mike Phillips, because peo
ple see the University as having an "acade
mic reputation."
In addition, rankings by other organiza
tions help to reinforce the University's
own publicity, Phillips said. Even so, he
said, these types of rankings do not pro
duce significant changes in the number of
applications received.
Last year, the University was ranked
ninth in the same category, according to a
University news release.
VT7^l
NURSERY •
Daniel Mayer (freshman-architecture) ponders while filling out his voter Saturday through Tuesday in the HUB in a voter registration drive
registration card. Two hundred fifty-nine students registered to vote sponsored by the Undergraduate Student Government.
However, Kristen Strokes
(freshman-finance) said register
ing to vote is necessary for democ
racy.
"It is an important step in the
governmental process," Stokes
"Although the tuition, room and board are over $16,000 for out
of-state students, they still know they're getting a quality
education."
According to the college ranking guide,
operating efficiency is determined with
"an equation that relates a school's quality
ranking to its cost covering tuition,
room and board, fees and personal expens
es
— once financial aid is taken into
account . . . the higher the quality and the
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said. "Democracy is a good thing. Students should be able to unite months," Bell said. "I want to be a
The type of government should and have an impact on the issues part of everything, including vot
reflect the values of the people; that concern them, said Jay Bell ing here. (Students) could be a
when people can vote freely, their (sophomore-biology). majority of the population here.
values will be reflected every- "I signed a year-long lease, and They should be involved it is
where." will be here for at least the next 12 where they live their lives."
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lower the cost, the better the value."
Even without consulting a college guide
such as this, one student said the Universi
ty has a good reputation as an academic
institution.
"The Penn State reputation is pretty
well-known," said Tom Ojala (freshman-
Mike Phillips
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division of undergraduate studies).
For out-of-state students, Phillips said a
national efficiency ranking may help to
justify the cost of out-of-state tuition.
"Although the tuition, room and board
are over $16,000 for out-of-state students,"
he said, "they still know they're getting a
quality education."
In addition to ranking the University
near the top of its operating efficiency list,
the publication also ranked Penn State 45th
in its Best National Universities category.
To determine this overall ranking, acad
emic reputation, graduation rates, faculty
resources, student selectivity, financial
resources and alumni giving were consid
ered, according to the guide.