2 I FRIDAY, March 18, 2005 NEWS IN BRIEF Man arrested after assault last night A Bellefonte man was arrested last night following an assault at about 8:30 p.m. yesterday on the 100 block of West College Avenue, State College Police said. Michael Gingrich, 25, of Bellefonte was arrested following an assault in which he allegedly punched an unidentified male until he fell to the ground and kicked him in the head, State College Police Sgt. Keith Robb said. The victim suffered a head laceration and was transported to Mount Nittany Medical Center for treatment, Robb said. The severity of the injury was not immediately known, Robb said, and police did not identify the victim. Robb said Gingrich would be arraigned before District Justice Daniel Hoffman later that night. Gingrich will be chatged with aggravated assault, simple assault and harassment, Robb said. The incident appeared to be alcohol related, Robb said. Missing local woman contacts family The investigation into the disappearance of a local woman has been concluded after the woman contacted her family over the phone, Ferguson Township Police Chief Diane Conrad said. Bernadette Melville, 36 had been missing since March 9 and was reported missing by her family on Saturday. She was removed from the missing persons list yesterday after leaving messages with family in the last few days, Conrad said. Melville has not returned to the area, but police do not consid er her missing or endangered, Conrad said. Police did not give anymore details about why Melville disap peared. LUNCH Findlay, McElwain, Pollock and Wamock: chicken vegetable soup, broccoli and cheddar soup, quarter-pound hamburger, quarter pound cheeseburger, Bocaßurgerim, fish sandwich, macaroni and cheese, stewed tomatoes, spinach and artichoke with arugula wrap, curly fries, French-cut green beans. Simmons: white chicken chili, cream of tomato soup, pizza, chicken tender wrap, grilled cheese sandwich, grilled tomato and cheese sandwich, fish sandwich, turkey joe, southwestern pasta, french fries, baby carrots with dill. Redifer: cheese pizza, pepperoni pizza, fried chicken, roast beef and cheddar wrap, whipped potatoes, Kyoto blend, coleslaw. Waring beef noodle soup, cream of broccoli and cheddar soup, fish sandwich, chicken and broccoli, spinach lasagna, BLT pizza, orzo with eggplant and zucchini, mixed vegetables. DINNER Findlay, McElwain, Pollock and Warnock: chicken vegetable soup, broccoli and cheddar soup, popcorn shrimp, chicken enchilada, veg etable lo mein, french fries, red beans and rice, peas and carrots, nacho bar. Simmons: white chicken chili, cream of tomato soup, pizza, samstix, beef gordita, gordita bread, chicken taco salad, shrimp parmesan, vegetable egg roll, create your own pizza pie, rice, steak fries, broc coli, sweet corn cake. Redifer: closed. Waring: beef noodle soup, cream of broccoli and cheddar soup, Italian wedge, crabcakes, wild rice, burrito bar, pasta bar, meat galore pizza, seitan with vegetables, mozzarella sticks, Milano sauce, broccoli with toasted almonds. The Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology will host "Mechanisms that Underlie the Endoplasmic-Reticulum-Associated Protein-Degradation Pathway" by Woong Kim at 9 a.m. in 101 Althouse Lab. The Department of Entomology will host "Biological Control of Invasive Plants and Insects" by Doug Landis of Michigan State University at 11:15 a.m. in 118 ASI Building. The Department of Crop and Soil Sciences will host "Genetics and Biosynthesis of Antifungal Compounds in Sorghum" by Surinder Chopra at 12:20 p.m. in 101 ASI Building. NOTES The Muslim Student Association will host a prayer session at 12:30 p.m. at the Pasquerilla Spiritual Center. Eastern Catholic Student Ministry Organization will hold a Byzantine Catholic Liturgy at 7 p.m. Sunday in 122 Pasquerilla Spiritual Center. Spread the word If any group or organization has information it would like print ed about an upcoming event, please deliver it to The Daily Colle gian by 2 p.m. at least two days before the event. Our address is listed below. Because of space constraints, publication is not guaranteed. Notes will not be taken over the phone. CONTACT NFORMATION Address Collegian Inc. James Building 123 S. Burrowes St. University Park, PA 16801-3882 On the World Wide Web The Digital Collegian, which can be found at www.colleglan.psu.edu, is updated daily with the information published in the print edition. It also contains expanded coverage, longer versions of some stories and letters, Web-only features and previous stories from our archives. The site also features full News and Business division listings and e-mail addresses. News Division Phone: (814) 865-1828 Fax: (814) 863-1126 News, Opinions, Arts and Entertainment, Sports, Photo, Graphics, The Digital Collegian and The Weekly Collegian ■ noon to midnight Sunday ■ 10 a.m. to midnight Monday to Thursday Business Division Phone: (814) 865-2531 Fax: (814) 865-3848 Advertising, circulation, accounting and classifieds ■ 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays Board of Editors Editor In Chief James S. Young Managing Editor (news) Bridget Smith Managing Editor (design)Beth Allison Opinion Page Editor . . . Brent Burkey Arts Editor Ann Doyle Arts Chief Dan O'Connell Campus Editor . . . Allison Busacca Campus Chief . . . . Krystle Kopacz Investigations and Projects Editor Alison Herget Metro Editor . . . . Jennette Hannah Metro Chief Claudia Vargas Science & Health Editor Kristen Neufeld Copy Desk Chief Laura Michalski Asst. Copy Desk Chief . Daniel Bal Copy Editors . . Joanna Citrinbaum, Meaghan Haugh, Kathleen Haughney, Josh Pontrelli Page Designers Julee Jarrett, Megan McKenna, Kayur Patel, Melinda Reidenbach, Kathleen Sullivan Sports Editor Steve Swart Asst. Sports Editor . . . J.W. Palmer Night Sports Editor . . Sean Smyth Asst. Night Sports Editors Derek Levarse, Wade Malcolm Photo Editor Kristen Perkins Photo Chief Matt Sowers Graphics Editor Jeremy Drey Board of Managers Business Manager . Julie Columbus Advertising Manager . . . Beth Horn Accounting Manager Adam Mizrahi Customer Service Manager Gregory Rubin Asst. Customer Service Manager Laura Newth Layout Manager . . . Liana Tallarico Creative Director . . . Kristen Boise Promotions Director Joanna Lehnert Sales Managers . . . Brenda Chang Ted Jun, Jen Sponsler Weather AT A GLANCE FORECAST Today: Mostly cloudy skies, becoming partly cloudy by sunset. High 44. Tonight: Becoming partly cloudy. Low 30. Tomorrow: Increasing clouds with a chance of rain showers toward evening. High 40. Tomorrow night: Light rain mixing with wet snow at times. Low 34. Sunday: Chance of rain or snow showers, other wise mostly cloudy. High 40. Sunday night: Mostly cloudy. Low 31. Monday: Partly sunny and seasonable. High 45 LIFE IN DEATH VALLEY In an area where life is rarely found, an unusual floral arrangement is blanketing the desert floor. Recent storm systems brought a half foot of rain to Death Valley, Ca., the hottest and driest locale in the United States The heavy rain triggered the sprouting of wildflowers in the desert sand, an event that last occurred half a century ago. The resilient seeds can stay dormant for decades before blooming after a prolonged period of heavy rain. The flowers should remain until July. ADDITIONAL WEATHER Visit the Campus Weather Service at: http://cws.metpsu.edu Comments? E-mail mxg9lo@psu.edu Forecasters: Matthew Porcelli, Greg Seroka, Jonathan Walters. Irish From Page 1 Brad Moehler (senior-media studies) was also one of the first customers to brave the cold tem peratures and darkness. "I was too excited to sleep," Moehler said. "I only got like two hours of sleep." Moehler said he wanted to come early because the first cus tomers received special VIP passes, allowing them to come in and out of the bar throughout the day. Geary Kochersperger (nonde gree) said he arrived at the Phyrst at 5:30 a.m. Kochersperg er and his friend Tom Patton (senior-aerospace engineering) decided to celebrate by wearing kilts. "We got them in Scotland," Patton said, "but Irish people wear kilts, too." Patton said he was mainly Scottish but that didn't deter him from celebrating St. Patrick's Day. "It's any good excuse to wear a kilt," Patton said. Kochersperger said that although he wasn't Irish, he still wanted to participate in the mer riment. "That's the beauty of being an American, you can be whatever nationality you need," he said. "Tbday I'm Irish." Missi Lau (senior-public rela tions) said she had beelwaiting since 6:30 a.m. "There's nothing like [an Irish] Car Bomb for breakfast," she said. Lau said she was busy last year and did not go out to cele brate for the holiday. She added that she is not Irish, but she started to celebrate once she got to college. Wendy Flynn (senior-advertis ing) said her family always cele- Eastview From Page 1. students another option to live on campus, in a single room," Harpster said. Ryan Kupstas (senior-adver tising) said that if he did not live in Eastview, he would probably live in an apartment near cam pus. "The apartments on Beaver Avenue and College Avenue are relatively close to campus, but I like living in Eastview because I can still take part in campus activities," Kupstas said. Laurie Smith Northamer, property manager for Falk Realty, said while it is difficult for her business to compete with university housing, she does not feel she will have to cut rental prices. "We will probably have to spend more money on market ing to students, but I don't think we will be lowering prices," she said. Harpster added that while Eastview Terrace increases the number of single rooms avail able on campus, the university is getting rid of some single rooms in other residence halls to keep the total number of on campus residents balanced. LOCAL Students form a line outside the Phyrst dressed in their St. Patrick's Day finest early yesterday morning brated its Irish background, but this is the first year she is legally allowed to drink "Everybody would be toasting, green kegs in here," Onofrey and there lam with my grape said. "This is the place to be if juice," she said. "I think it's great you're Irish." that I can go out and celebrate Gary McGough (senior-labor my heritage." industrial relations) said he and Ryan Onofrey (senior-econom- his friend decided to stay up all ics), who arrived at the Phyrst at night. A student runs by Eastview Terrace yesterday afternoon John Hanna, property man ager for Continental Real Estate Management, does not see Eastview Terrace having any effect on downtown hous ing. "Our units farther away from CWS UNIVERSITY PARKFORECAST FOR FRIDAY, MARCH 18, 2005 Jamestown ,----''' N Y '1,... , Binghamton lIP P. " Pl igsF I ' PARTiayourolf ~ .44 ' I OPWCIPII/ 4 1 4 - , 4 ' ' k i F ' 1 4 I • 3 A " '- ', ''' ''''"-..M Ivzyr, ~. - ~.. I 4 . , / - iffitini 4 1 1- - ,-;.,, • i l ,. - - r i tl•' IS ilk / - - " ' ' ' , • Jo : 11 . ' Any TAIC 07 ), s. r - --‘, 14.--- eve N col ye ~ ---,... bli k imar mo w : .delphia i 11 PY SUNNY -: ..., t o • ---,111----- , „.. .agerstown ~ ~ . WV ...,, MorMorgantown/ EurcdAriand , Frederick 1m D as ALMANAC 1.r:.-10NAL CrrY FORECASTS Today Allentown: 48/29 PS Normal high 46' Atlantic City: 51/30 PS LEGEND: Record high 72° in 1989 Baltimore: 55/34 PS SU (Sunny) Normal low 27° Bradford:3B/24 SN SH Record low 0' in 1993 Buffalo:36/25 CL MS (Mostly Sunny) Monthly climate summary Cleveland:44/33 CL PS (Partly Sunny) (Data valid through 7 a m yesterday) March precipitation 0.86" Erie 40/28 PS MC (Mostly Cloudy) Normal March precip 3.37" Harrisburg: 48/30 PS Johnstown 44/34 PS CL (Cloudy) March temp. departure -6.40° Morgantown,W Va. 54/34 PS RN (Rain) Sun data New York City: 48/31 PS SN (Snow) Sunset today 6:20 p .m. Philadelphia: 52/32 SU Sunrise tomorrow 6 16 a.m. Pittsburgh: 49/31 PS TS (Thunderstorms) Previous day summary Scranton: 41/26 PS MX (Mix) Wednesday Washington, D.C.: 56/33 PS SH (Showers) High: 40 Low: 24 Temp. departure: -4.23° Williamsport: 41/26 PS Rain or Liquid Equivalent: None REGIONAL fiIF;F:L ; After having pleasant weather for the festivities on St. Patrick's Day, an approaching storm system will bring an abrupt end to our comfortable condi tions. Expect some peeks of sunshine for today along with seasonable temper atures. Unfortunately, clouds will be on the increase for tomorrow as spotty rain showers approach from the west. Cold air aloft will allow some wet snow to mix in with the rain showers, but no accumulation is expected: As the low moves off the coast, precipitation will slacken off for Sunday, and seasonable condi tions will return to the commonwealth by the beginning of next week. 6:45 a.m., said he is 25 percent Irish. 'lt's green eggs at home and campus have been affected by competition from Eastview, but our downtown units are still attractive to students," he said. "In the long term, there will be no effect on the downtown mar ket" Megan Fingleton/Collegian 7;f COLLEGIAN "It's one day a year. Why not?" McGough said. "Last year I went to Café 210 [West] but this year, this is the place to be." Patton said he planned on coming back next year to par take in the festivities. "We need to get here earlier so we can get here first," he said. "That's our goal." Gas From Page 1 "Every little penny hurts in this day and age," he said. "Stu dents are now more apt to take the bus." Prices at Graham's Exxon have increased by 25 cents from last spring but are expect ed to level off at $2.25 or $2.50 a gallon in the middle of the sum mer, Johnsonbaugh said. James Curtis, supervisor of Penn's Mobil, 705 S. Atherton St., said his prices have also increased by 12 cents since last year. He added that his busi ness has not been negatively affected by the price increase but he hopes prices will decrease in the next few months. Cogan said crude oil has risen to $54.90 per barrel from last year's $36.53 per barrel. As a result, gas now costs about $2.05 per gallon, 33.2 cents higher than one year ago. Leonard said that although high gas prices are a burden, there are several ways that drivers can save money includ ing carpooling, using mass transportation, riding a bike and maintaining adequate tire pressure. Id/Collegian