THURSDAY April 27, 2000 Vol. 100 No. 178 26 pages Court looks at sides of scout case Former Eagle Scout James Dale talks to the press at the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. Students to share films at CAN fest By Jena Heinold COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER The Student Film Organization will present the 2000 CAN Film Festival at 7:30 tonight in Schwab Auditorium. The festival will include the highest ranked 150 minutes of film from the more than 40 student films submitted. Films entered in the festival range from 20 seconds to 25 minutes in length, and included individual, as well as group, film projects from students in their sopho more, junior and senior years, said Brad Robinson, director of CAN. Judging for the festival took place Sat urday and Sunday. The films from four categories narra tive, documentary, animation and experi mental were judged by a panel of pro fessionals outside of the College of Com munications. In this year's festival, there is a wide range of films from all four categories. "From a spectator's standpoint, it is a really good program," Robinson said. "There are three documentaries, three narratives, a computer animation and more. I'm looking forward to it." One of the films featured in CAN 2000 is a documentary titled On-On. The docu mentary, which follows a group of social runners, known as the Hash House Harri ers, took two semesters to film. The filmmakers followed the Harriers on seven different runs, which not only serve as exercise but also as a social event. Along the running trail, the runners stop at stations that have beer, and at the end of the run there is a party. Through out the run, the runners chant, "On-On" thus the name of the documentary. Michael Krapf (senior-film and video communications), director and producer of On-On, said CAN is a great opportunity for filmmakers to gain exposure. "When you work really hard doing a project, and you make something you're proud of, you want to show it." Krapf said. "It (the festival) is a good opportunity to show your work to a large audience." The SFO will also have After CAN at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow in the Carnegie Cine ma. After CAN is free, and will include some of the films that were not featured in the CAN Film F e stival. The festival is sponsored by SFO, Uni versity Park Allocations Committee and The Revolution 101.1. Tickets for CAN are available at the Eisenhower box office. A maximum of two tickets will be hand ed out per person. Inside Running wild Penn State's career-hits leader Michael Campo stands a modest 5-foot-10, similar to the small yet mighty Pete Rose and Lenny Dykstra. And the way he plays con jures up images of when the two legends were in their prime. I SPORTS, Page 15 Columbine tapes released To the horror of the Columbine victims' families, law enforcement authorities released a video yesterday of the dead and the dying within the school, with some of the footage set eerily to a pop music soundtrack 1 NAIIONAL, Page 5 Hostages still In custody A Philippine rebel commander is sus pected of kidnapping 21 people from a pop ular Malaysian diving resort and is holding the hostages on unknown islands at the Minims' southern tip, officials said yes terday. I 114113 NATIONAL, Page 10 By Laurie Asseo ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER WASHINGTON, D.C. Supreme Court justices struggled yesterday over whether to let the Boy Scouts bar homosexuals from serving as troop leaders, role models in an organization that teaches its members to be "morally straight." Without saying how they will ultimately vote, several justices voiced skepticism about how far the court could go to force open admissions upon private organizations. "In your view, a Catholic organization has to admit Jews" and "a Jewish organization has to admit Catholics," Justice Stephen G. Breyer told Evan Wolfson, the lawyer for James Dale of New Jersey, a former assis tant scoutmaster ousted when the organiza tion learned he is gay. Dale subsequently filed suit against the Scouts. Justices Sandra Day O'Connor and David H. Souter followed Breyer's line of question Independent bookstore closes ■ After 17 years of business, Svoboda's Books prepares to close its doors due to competition from chain bookstores and other financial difficulties. By Amy Leaking COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER After Svoboda's Books, a State College downtown fixture for almost 17 years, closes its doors next month, professors like Nan Woodruff will be forced to send their stu dents elsewhere for textbooks. Nan Woodruff, associate professor of his tory, said she told her graduate and honors students to purchase books for their semi nar classes at Svoboda's Books, 227 W. Beaver Ave. "Svoboda's was an independent book store, and they have different goals than a big corporation like Barnes & Noble," Woodruff said. "It gave me a chance to sup port Svoboda's." Woodruff said she also liked the bookstore because students could browse and stimu late themselves intellectually through the store's different types of books. Jaime Martinez (junior-history), who pur chased books at Svoboda's Books for a class, said while she likes Svoboda's Books, she also buys books at large chain bookstores. However, Martinez is not alone in her shopping trips to larger bookstores. In fact, Brian Zimmerman, assistant man ager of Svoboda's Books, said the downfall of Svoboda's Books stems from competition from other book dealers. Because most downtown stores exclusive ly sell textbooks, they did not pose much of a threat. But large bookstore chains, like Barnes & Noble, 365 Benner Pike, and online busi nesses such as Amazon.com affected Svobo da's Books' sales, he said. "I think it's more competition with Ama zon," said Zimmerman, adding the business had been difficult because it has become very unpredictable. 'When Barnes & Noble moved in, we had a 10 percent loss of book sales." Despite the bigger selection offered by other book companies, Martinez said she enjoys the atmosphere of a smaller, inde pendent bookstore. She added one of the main reasons she likes the store is because of its employees. "The people who worked there were help ful and friendly,"Martinez said. "They (larg er stores) generally have more, but the own ers of Svoboda's are usually there." While Svoboda's Books has not set an offi cial closing date, the tentative date is May 10, Zimmerman said. Because the business has several debts to pay off, Zimmerman said the store needs to sell more books before it doses for good. This week, Svoboda's Books is offering a 40 percent discount on its books, and next TABLE OF CONTENTS 2 Scoreboard Police Log 2 Tennis ....3 ChmaNkWi 21,22 4,5,6 Horoscope 22 ... .8 TVUstlmp 24 Calendar . . National . . International 12,13 Oinks . ..15 Crossword thAnNois Sports . CONTACT US Newsroom: 865-1828 Ads/Business: 865-2531 ON THE WEB www.collegan.psu.edu 1 4 \ ing, asking Wolfson whether his argument meant the Scouts could be required to admit Justice Antonin Scalia voiced his reserva tions another way. "They think that homosexuality is immoral," he said, asking why the Scouts must accept as a leader "someone who embodies a contradiction of their message?" Fbunded in 1910, the Scouts have an oath and law that long have required members to promise to be "clean" and "morally straight." But no written rule specifically addresses homosexuality. Wolfson said the Scouts are not primarily an "anti-gay organization" and therefore Dale's presence did not burden the group's message. Dale did not seek to use his leadership position to advocate homosexuality Wolfson added. New Jersey's highest court ruled that the Boy Scouts' ban on gay troop leaders violat- Robin Brumbaugh of State College shops in Svoboda's Books, 227 W. Beaver Ave., last month week it plans to sell its books at 50 percent off the normal prices. Svoboda's Books first opened downtown in 1983. Penn State alumnus Michael Svoboda launched the store exclusively as a scholarly bookstore, Zimmerman said. "There was a huge demand for scholarly type books," he said. Since it opened its doors, Svoboda's Books has grown in size and selection some Warehouse attracts students, community Among abandoned bikes, old dressers, chairs and computers, employees of the Sal vage and Surplus Warehouse, located past the flower gardens, spent yesterday sorting through items that will be auctioned starting at 9 a.m. today. By Heather Cook COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER The yearly auction will be held to clean out merchandise the store has been gather ing since last spring's sale, including all the items donated from various university departments. "We've got just about everything in here," said Willard Gallaher, who operates the store. "We take dressers, old nightstands and wardrobes. We have lots of old comput ers too." The store sells items the university can no longer use or has replaced at prices that give students, or anybody else who shops at Salvage and Surplus, a chance to pick up useable items at bargain prices, Gallaher said. PENN STATE ed a state prohibition on discrimination in public accommodations. But the Scouts say the state law violates the organization's rights of free speech and free association under the Constitution's First Amendment. Some justices also had pointed questions for the Scouts' lawyer, George Davidson. Justice John Paul Stevens asked whether a homosexual could be excluded if he did not publicly declare his sexual orientation but it was discovered against his wishes. Yes, said Davidson, arguing that the organization had a right "to choose the moral leaders for the children in the pro gram." "Boy Scouting is so closely identified with traditional moral values that the phrase `He's a real Boy Scout' has entered the lan guage," Davidson said. The Scouts believe homosexuality does not fit that moral code, he said. Souter told Davidson, "Mr. Dale is not ask- See SCOUT, Page 14. thing Zimmerman has appreciated. Working at Svoboda's Books has been an educating experience for Zimmerman, but the best part about working there, he said, has been the people at the store both co workers and customers. "How can you beat working in a place where there's stimulating conversation, and everyone knows the value of a book?" Zim merman said. Though the spring auction attracts a crowd, plenty of students and community members frequent the store year round, searching for just the right chair to put in their apartments, or a good bike that some one left locked to a rack on campus. "I personally have bought a couple of things there," said Sandra Harpster, assis tant director for housing services. "Chairs, coat trees, little odds and ends like that" They even accept university vehicles that have been replaced, including those from Penn State Police Services. Housing typically gives the warehouse a lot of furniture, Harpster said. There is no specific time for them to send the items, but they give the warehouse a lot during the summer and after they have cleaned, he said The policy on donating items is to call Sal vage and Surplus and list the items that can be donated, and the warehouse will decide what, if anything, they cannot accept. The university must call the warehouse before they send anything to the landfill so \ , i_ 30 cents off campus ©2OOO Collegian Inc Coalition addresses Initiatives on alcohol ■ The PLCB and PACU have joined together to combat the dangerous effects of drinking at universities and their surrounding communities. The meeting between the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board and the Pennsylva nia Association of Colleges and Universi ties yesterday marked the new partner ship's first effort to battle dangerous drinking in college communities across the state. The meeting at the Penn Stater Confer ence Center Hotel was the first for the new coalition, which aims to change attitudes and environment in colleges and universi- ties that lead to under- age and dangerous drinking, said Ken Healy, alcohol education specialist for the PLCB. The PLCB started working with local colleges several years ago to start local campus-community coalitions for the same purpose, Healy said. From the success of those coalitions. Healy said a need arose for an organiza tion at the statewide level in order to sup port the local effort. Penn State President Graham Spanier spoke to the partnership yesterday about affecting change with leadership. "This is an area where I believe leader ship makes a difference," Spanier said, adding he believes the efforts made at Penn State to control dangerous drinking have made a difference. Spanier said people who might be inclined to give up on the issue should go back in time and look at how social norms have changed. The way society views tobacco products and drunken driving has changed consid erably over the years, he said. Spanier ended his comments by thank ing the partnership for taking an active role in the battle against dangerous drink ing. "What you are doing is part of that lead ership," he said. Healy said the Higher Education Cen ter for Alcohol and Other Drug Preven tion developed the following five areas of strategic intervention to change the cam pus-community environment: ■ Providing alcohol-free options; ■ Creating a health-promoting social academic and residential normative envi ronment; ■ Limiting the availability of alcohol on and off campus; ■ Restricting marketing and promotion of alcohol on and off campus; ■ Developing increased enforcement of campus policies, federal, state, and local laws. Peter Balcziunas, executive director of PACU, said the partnership's initiative is different from others' because of the direction it wants to take to fight under age drinking. "The initiative is exemplary in its understanding that alcohol use and abuse are determined by greater social and regional contexts," he said. Balcziunas said the partnership under stands change will not occur overnight and added the purpose of the group is not to stop the consumption of alcohol, but to make it safer. nothing that can be reused will be wasted., About 500 to 600 people register for the sale event each year, Gallaher said, though the average going price for each piece of merchandise varies from year to year. "It depends on the crowd size and the weather," he said. A percentage of the money each item earns goes back to the university depart ment or office that donated it. The store will accept just about anything, except old beds, Gallaher said, but only if the items come from the university. Students and faculty cannot make person al donations. And the policy on abandoned bicycles leaves students time after they're contacted about the bike to pick it up if they still want it, said Thomas Harmon, director of Penn State Police. The biggest problem with the bicycles, he added, is many students leave them on cam pus during the summer without a renewed registration, and then Penn State police has to pick them up. WEATHER Page 2 TODAY: Mostly cloudy; drizzle By Stephenie Steitzer COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER
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