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www.collegian.psu.edu
Vol. 100, No. 70 22 Pages g 1999 Collegian Inc
Even though Pennsylvania's drought began this spring and officially ended this fall, the effects will likely be felt for the rest of the year
Drought coming to slow end
Most of Pennsylvania remains under drought warnings
By ALLISON KESSLER
Collegian Staff Writer
A long, hot bath may be just
what the doctor ordered after a
long, stressful day of classes.
However, the environment may
not appreciate this therapeutic
nerve relaxer.
The drought emergency is offi
cially over, but all of Pennsylva
nia remains under at least a
drought watch or a drought warn
ing, according to a press release
from the Penn State Ag Sciences
Newsline. The public is suggested
to voluntarily conserve about 10
percent of their water because of
the watch or warning.
In the fall, groundwater levels
are usually at their lowest, said
Bryan Swistock, extension associ-
USG adds
By NICK FALSONE
and CINDY KOONS
Collegian Staff Writers
In last night's Undergraduate
Student Government Senate meet
ing, senators debated allocating
funds to send an additional repre
sentative to their tri-annual Big
Ten student government confer
ence.
Although funding was approved
last night, the Senate argued exten
sively about their financial respon
sibilities for the trip.
The additional spot will allow Mul
ticultural Affairs Director Melissa
Young to attend the conference,
USG President Desha Girod said.
Cary Hughes, a visiting professor of management and
information systems, holds a freshman seminar Monday
afternoon. The seminar is designed to help incoming
freshman
ate in the school of forest
I=l
"When the leaves fall, the trees
are not actively growing so water
can actually get past the roots (of
the trees)," Swistock said.
"The system goes through a
natural seasonal cycle. We have a
reduction of groundwater in the
summertime and reach a low in
October. Once we start getting
snow the soil freezes and it levels
off."
Susan Rickens, associate press
secretary for the Pennsylvania
Department of Environmental
Protection, said the slow melting
trickle of snow in the spring is
the key to recharging groundwa
ter levels.
"Think of a giant underground
tank that is low in October and
representative to conference list
Traditionally, USG sends four
members on the trip, Girod said,
this year six representatives will
go. Two Commonwealth Campus
Student Government leaders will
also attend the conference.
USG Vice President Garrett
Fitzgerald, who attended the con
ference last summer, said the
weekend will involve 12 different
workshops dealing with issues such
as recycling on campus and stu
dent safety.
Along with the workshops, there
is one special focus session at each
conference that is mandatory for
all representatives to attend.
This conference's session will
deal with diversity, Fitzgerald said.
Collegian Photo/Tara Liddell
fills up in the spring. It gets you
through the summer," Pickens
said. "This year, the tank didn't
get filled up in the spring. The
wells literally went dry."
Underground water wells go
down in the summer because both
people and vegetation are tapping
the groundwater supply. Compe
tition for water is high between
people and nature, Rick-ens said.
The solution to the low ground
water level is not entirely up to
the natural cycle. There are mea
sures citizens can take to help
out.
"We need to do the common
sense things to conserve," Rick
ens said. "Don't let the water run
while you're brushing your
teeth."
Garrett Fitzgerald, student
Town Senator James Hornick
said it is important for the Senate
to send Young.
- It would be wrong to say only
senators could go, it's not our (Sen
ate's) money, it's USG's money,"
Town Senator Man Roan said. "I
think it's despicable that USG isn't
willing to fund another person to
go."
USG also debated postponing the
bill to look into another way to fund
the additional representative to the
conference.
However, not all senators agreed
this was the appropriate course of
action.
"If this bill doesn't pass, the rnes
sage USG is sending to its adviser
First-year seminars facilitate freshman adjustment
By KATE DAVIS
Collegian Staff Writer
Navigating a big campus and being
surrounded by new faces can be a
challenge for freshmen, especially
since they also have to deal with
choosing some sort of career path.
To make the transition easier, Penn
State has made first-year seminars a
requirement this year.
All freshmen are required to take
at least one freshman seminar within
their college or another college. Each
seminar has only 20 students.
The seminars vary in content from
college to college, but most address
basic study skills, campus resources
available to students and different
Wednesday, Oct. 20, 1999
coordinator of the Penn State
Indicators Report and member of
Eco-Action, said the study done
last year found that students on
campus use 60 gallons of water
per person per day. The figure
includes water used during show
ers and toilet flushings.
"We are pulling water out at a
rate faster than it is being replen
ished," Fitzgerald said.
The Penn State Indicators
Report was conducted by a team
of 30 students and several faculty
mentors. The report, however, is
not commissioned by Penn State.
Penn State has taken measures
toward conserving its water. In
the dorms, there are restrictions
on supply lines feeding into the
showerheads behind the walls to
conserve water on campus.
is that we aren't willing to pay foi
ourselves," Roan said.
USG President Christian ,Jones,
who is attending the conference,
said it would reflect well on USG if
its own money is used for the fund
ing.
East Halls Senator Brian McKin
ney opposed the funding because
he said he thought six representa
tives from each branch of USG
should attend the conference
two from each of the executive,
judicial and legislative branches.
"One of the problems of the USG
would be the animosity towards
other branches, there's no team
work, I think this would help bring
things together," McKinney said.
"The seminars help the students to become acclimated
to university life ..."
disciplines offered within the col
leges.
John Lowe, professor of chemistry,
began teaching a freshman seminar
before it became a university-wide
requirement.
As a result of the classes, Lowe said
more students have become involved
with undergraduate research and are
more acquainted with faculty because
AP and Collegian File Photos
assistant professor of communication and law
Weather
Board allows
observers at
vote count
By STEPHENIE STEITZER
Collegian Staff Writer
It was unofficially announced
yesterday that the Centre County
Board of Elections will allow the
Libertarian Party to watch the vote
count on Election Day.
Until now, only vote counters
usually Republicans or Democrats
were allowed to be present as
the votes were tallied.
Julian Heicklen, Libertarian
party candidate for county com
missioner and Patton Township
supervisor, said the reason he is
pushing this issue is because he is
afraid of voter fraud.
"They are never going to let us
win this election fairly," he said
After the hoard denied a request
of the party to have watchers pre
sent for the vote count several
months ago, the libertarians filed
a petition with the Centre Count%
Court of Common Pleas.
A public hearing for the case is
set for 1:30 p.m. Oct. 28 at the ( en
tre County Courthouse.
County tiolicitor ,James Ravilad:
said the hoard recent;v decided
permit one representative from
each party Democratic, Republi
can and Libertarian to he
sent when all of the final votes are
Grand Destiny plan
accumulates funds
By TRACY WILSON
Collegian Staff Writer
Scholarship relief is already on
the \vav for an increased number
of students as a result of Penn
State's Grand Destiny Campaign, a
seven-year fund-raising effort.
Launched in July 1996, the cam
paign reaches the mid-point of its
timeline this January.
More than 5600 million in gifts
has been raised toward the Sl bil
lion goal of the campaign, which
has already created 62S new schol
arship funds, said Michael Rezilla,
University Relations spokesman.
We're not in the home stretch
yet; it's sort of a given, or a maxim.
that the earliest gifts are the easi
est to get," Bezilla said. "It doesn't
mean we're over the hump. We're
in a phase where we really have to
work hard to secure gifts."
Before the campaign, S-127 mil
lion was available in student
endowments. As of .July 1999, that
number jumped to 51725 million,
Bezilla said. University invest
ments are also responsible for the
jump, he added.
Depending on the amount, the
funds can benefit multiple stu
dents. Recipients are already bene
fiting from the scholarships
already activated, said Peter Weil
er, associate vice president for
development and alumni relations.
"We're about right on track
Clay Calvert
they have been working with them
"It is a motivational course," Lowe
said.
One of his assignments involved
freshmen observing past upperclass
men's resumes and then creating
their own
The College of Communications
started offering a freshman seminar
when it became a requirement.
Morning showers
' Partly cloudy tonight
Extended forecast: Page 2
Published independently by students at Penn State
\\ here we thought we'd be with the
money raised," Weiler said. "Deci
sions are being made quicker by
donors. The economy has helped
tremendously."
Private individuals have made up
more than 50 percent of the donors
to the Grand Destiny cause, Weiler
said. Corporations comprise anoth
er large portion of the donors and
foundations account for the bal
ance, he added.
Seventy-five percent of the dona
tions so far are in the form of cash,
Weiler said. Future donations are
accounted for through estate plans
and wills.
"It's not all cash-in-hand. There
are pledges and multi-year com
mitments," Bezilla said. "It's not
5600 to take to the bank today.
Some is not spendable for years to
come."
"The seminars help the students to
become acclimated to university life;
it tries to expose students to the
library, LIAS system and academic
advising," said Clay Calvert, assistant
professor of communications and
law and director of the first-year Col
lege of Communications seminar pro
gram.
Barbara Welshofer, director of the
undergraduate advising center in the
College of the Liberal Arts, said the
college has been offering a freshman
seminar since 1994 and has found that
many students either stay in the same
discipline as their freshman seminar
or minor in it.
received, sorted and counted
- Nothing has been finalized yet
because we have to go in front of
the judge," Rayback said. "The
election hoard wants the process to
be as open as possible. We will con
tact the court and have them issue
an order that parties will be
allowed to have a representative in
the room."
Heicklen, when contacted, was
unaware of the decision to allow a
party member to be present during
the vote count, but said he was
very delighted to hear the news.
"This is a big first step," he said.
Lhat's terrific."
Rayback said in the past it has
been policy that candidates and
representatives were not allowed
to watch the count simply because
of the lack of space available in the
counting rooms. However, because
Heicklen has raised the issue, the
Board of Elections will change its
puhcy.
"He ••11 - nply pushed the issue and
i:, correct," Rayback said.
To cut down on confusion and to
e space. Rayback said three
chairs will he put in the room and
representatives will be asked to sit,
watch, listen and - stay out of the
Please see BOARD, Page 2
Anticipated distribution of
Grand Destiny Campaign
MlPrograms
S5lO million
Undergraduate SUPPO
1 1 II $250 million
NFaculty Support
5177 million
IGraduate Support
$63 million
Source - Penn State Development
and Alumni Relations
Collegian Graphic Ryan Naragon
We encourage students to take any
Please see SEMINAR, Page 2.