Coile State workers may get wages By Peter Panepinto COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER I pppsol7@psu.edu A month after Pennsylvania's deadline to pass the state budget, Gov. Ed Rendell could sign a bill that would authorize wage payments to state employees, which have not come in full during the budget impasse. Tor Michaels, chief of staff for Rep. Scott Conklin, D-Centre, said a portion of the state budget could be passed within the next week in an effort to get state employees paid. STUDYING AMONG NATIONS Michael Felletter/Collegian Patrick Greer (senior-health policy and administration) works in the Malloy Diversity Studies Room with the photo exhibit "Scattered Among Nations: Jewish Communities of India, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Peru and Uzbekistan" Wednesday inside Pattee Library. Alumna writes PSU-set novel By Paige Mlnemyer FOR THE COLLEGIAN For S. J. Foster, writing started as just a hobby. She was a columnist for a local paper and developed a fan base, but she did not want to pursue writing as a career. Her friends and family, including younger sister Alisa Mason (senior-health policy administration), pushed her to give it a shot. "I told her, 'You have a gift,' Mason said. Fbster, Class of 2001, is now a pro fessional novelist. Her second and most recent book, Champagne & Butterflies, was released this sum mer and revisits Penn State. It's an opportunity Foster relished. The school is described in a very fun light, she said. "My overall Penn State experience was so positive," she said. "I enjoyed the opportunity to show that in my writing." The book tells the story of two well to-do sisters who attend the universi ty and their struggles with love, par ties and completing their degrees. "People say it's like Paris and Nicky Hilton," said Teresa Hale, pro- AILY Carolyn Kaster/Associated Press State employee Renee Jones protests in the Capital rotunda Tuesday in Harrisburg. "The governor is requesting that the leader ship in the caucus run one of the existing bills," Michaels said. "We anticipate he is going to blue line it, which is to accept the portion that gets state employees paid, and reject the rest." In the past month, state workers have been protesting to receive pay for working. Rendell has yet to pass a state budget, and some legis motions coordinator for publisher iUniverse. The book features powerful conflict between the sisters and addresses racial issues, Hale said. Outside of her emotional connec tion to the university, Foster said Penn State's size makes it a great set ting for a book. Because the campus is like a small city, she found it to be the perfect place for her young, rich protagonists The book's main characters, Kimari and Kyla Fontaine, visit many locations that Penn State Foster students will rec ognize but getting them right was n't easy. "The campus has changed a lot since I was here," Foster said. But she had some help from her little sis ter. Mason made sure that she got the locales correct. For instance, Foster referenced the sisters meeting up at the downtown Gap, a site that no longer exists. See NOVE L , Page 2. 1. Published independently by students at Penn State lators say he could sign a portion of Senate Bill 1850. Michaels said Senate Bill 1850 is the "clean est" version of the budget, and it was already passed through the Pennsylvania Senate and was sent to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. If it gets to Rendell's desk See WAGES, Page 2. Left Courtesy of Gay Lynn Holt I Right Meagan Kanagy/Collegian Left: Brock Holt holds Linlee Oyler, a member of his host family. Right: Holt bats for the State College Spikes. Families bond over Spikes player By Audrey Snyder COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER I aass22o@psu.edu While Spikes infielder Brock Holt did a post game interview July 24 at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park, a group of seven people looked on with excitement. Laughing and conversing as if they knew each other for years, they snapped photos of him in his Spikes uniform and cheered as he answered questions. To an outsider, it may seem like the seven people are part of one big fami- www.psucollegian.com EMIII2 w . ` ly, when in reality, they had only Coming out of Rice University, the known each other for four days. 21-year-old Holt moved to State What makes these seven people College and had to spend his first few from two families so close is the rela- nights alone in a hotel. tionship they have with Holt. Holt's Once the Spikes were able to pair mother, father and sister made the him up with a host family, Holt imme trip from Stephenville, Texas, to watch diately discovered some of the perks him play baseball, and the second of living in a family environment group of people has been his host fam- home cooked meals, children running ily for the last month and a half. around the house and people to talk to Holt is just one of the many players after games. on the Spikes' roster who is living with "It's a lot of fun," Holt said of living a host family. It's an experience Holt with his host family, the Oylers. "That said he wanted to do to help ease the family is awesome. They are so great transition of moving to a new area. See SPIKES, Page 2. Student charged in attack at urinal A Penn State student was arrested after he threatened to kill a man in an alley early Friday, police said. By Kevin CMIII COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER I kncso63@psu.edu A Penn State student was arrested Friday, just hours after police say he threatened to kill the student he is charged with assaulting July 15 in a McDonald's bathroom. Police say Collin Rowe, 24, told them Collin A. Flood, also 24, threatened to kill him at about 1 a.m. Friday in Calder Alley because he went to authorities about the McDonald's incident, according to court docu ments, Rowe told police that Flood said to him, "I'm gonna kill you," according to court docu- ments Eleven minutes later along the 100 block of West College Avenue, Flood was taken into police custody, according to court documents. Flood, 913 Old Boalsburg Flood Road, is in the Centre County Correctional Facility in lieu of $50,000 bail and now faces one count each of felony aggravated assault, felony retaliation against a party, terror istic threats and simple assault, according to court documents. At about 1:30 a.m. July 15, Flood turned around from a bathroom urinal in McDonald's, 442 E. College Ave., and struck Rowe in the face, caus ing him to black out, according to court docu ments. Rowe awoke and realized he was bleeding on the bathroom floor, according to court docu ments. He was treated at Mount Nittany Medical Center for multiple facial injuries, including frac tures in both of his orbital bones and a broken nose that required surgery, he told police. Flood and Rowe knew each other before the McDonald's incident, and they did not get along, according to court documents. Security video footage recorded the night of the McDonald's incident shows Flood exiting the bathroom and approaching his two friends while rolling up his shirtsleeves, according to court documents. Sometime after Flood exited the bathroom, the video shows Rowe leaving the bathroom with paper towels or toilet paper pressed to his face, according to court documents. Monday, Aug. 3, 2009
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