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University funding still in limbo
The Pa. House of
Representatives failed
to vote through the
appropriations bill.
By Katie Sullivan
COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER
For more than two months,
Penn State administrators have
waited for the state-related uni
versity allocations and
LIGHTING THE WAY
Chloe Elmer/Coliegian
A group of students and community members enter the Sigma Pi fraternity house during the fourth annual Holiday Light Tour on Wednesday.
The house, which won the exterior light competition, was one of 15 involved in the event The eventa was hosted by the Intrafraternity Council
and the Off-Campus Student Union. All 15 houses were judged on outside decorations. For a full story on the event. | LOCAL, Page 5
Benedict A. Samuel/Collegian
Lecturer Jose Texidor discusses legal case studies
with students in one of his law courses in Wartik Lab
in November. Texidor's contact was not renewed.
Students want
lecturer to stay
By Lexi Belculfine
COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER
Before each class he teaches, Jose Texidor says
a prayer.
“Just something short and sweet," Texidor said.
“ ‘Give me the strength that they learn something
today or come out with something different today.’
But as soon as July, his 14-year teaching career
at Penn State could come to an end, even as stu
dents pull together to help save his job.
On Oct. 22, Texidor, a senior lecturer in crime,
law and justice, received a letter from John
McCarthy, head of the department of sociology and
crime, law and justice, informing Texidor that his
three-year contract wouldn’t be renewed June 30.
The department’s grievance was that Texidor
had engaged in more than four days of consulting,
a violation of policy. The exact definition of consult
ing is open to interpretation and his understanding
of the term is a part of his defense, Texidor said.
“Anyone teaching an online course not at Penn
State is in violation of the consulting order,”
See LECTURER, Page 2.
Wednesday night was no different.
The Pennsylvania House of
Representatives failed to vote
through the state funding for
state-related schools during its
session by a vote of 95-97.
Penn State, along with the
University of Pittsburgh, Temple
University and Lincoln Univers
ity, is still waiting to receive fund
ing.
Penn State is expected to collect
$333.8 million from the state,
which makes up about 12 percent
Frats sent to trial
in furnishing case
A Centre County judge ruled
Wednesday that the actions of a few are a
reflection of the whole, as he sent two fra
ternities’ criminal charges to trial for
their involvement in the events leading
up to the death of Penn State freshman
Joseph Dado.
But Phi Gamma Delta (Fiji) attorney
Ronald McGlaughlin said the common
wealth must now let a jury decide
whether the Fiji and Alpha Tau Omega
fraternity organizations are guilty of fur
nishing alcohol to Dado, 18. and others on
Sept. 19.
“They are being drug through the mud
7/8 of the affidavit of probable cause
talks about them,” McGlaughlin said in
Abby Drey/CoHegian
Penn State football center Stefen Wisniewski teaches a 10th
grade English class at State College Area High School.
of the university’s $3.7 billion 2009-
2010 budget.
Rep. Kerry Benninghoff, R-
Centre, said he was “very frustrat
ed” with the process, saying he
cast a vote in favor of releasing the
funds.
“It’s an abomination that the
floor majority leader thinks gam
bling should be a priority over allo
cations to state-related universi
ties,” Benninghoff said.
After the release of university
See FUNDING, Page 2.
By Kevin Clrilli
COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER
Awaiting approval
Penn State has been waiting for state funding since Oct. 9.
July 1: Pennsylvania
enters the new fiscal
year without a
budget
Source: House of Rei
his closing arguments, waving the court
documents. "If five brothers go out and
buy beer to watch a football game, is the
fraternity responsible for that? I would
suggest to you that they're not."
Before announcing his ruling, Centre
County Judge David E. Grine said he
changed his mind about whether to drop
Fiji's charges after Centre County
Assistant District Attorney Carolyn
Larrabee questioned Penn State junior
Michelle Rotella, 20.
"It was a regular college party,” Rotella
testified, describing Fiji's apparent Sept.
19 social function, which she said includ
ed a bar and beer.
In her closing arguments, Alpha Tau
Omega attorney Kathleen Yurchak said
that ultimately the young adults
See CASE. Page 2.
Star football player
embraces teaching
By Matt Fortuna For an audio slideshow
COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER . 7.
Wisniewski teaching
A sophomore student anc * on
sauntered into a classroom, ONLINE psucollegian.com
taking his seat three rows
from the front of the black- T-shirt suggested he probably
board. knew the name of the day’s
He wore a black Adidas teacher before the school
windbreaker unzipped so year.
the words “Penn State He may have even paid at
Football' on his white T-shirt some point to watch his
underneath were available teacher play football at
for all to see and he began Beaver Stadium and
to go over some lines of cheer his name: Stefen
writer William Shakespeare Wisniewski,
with classmates seated near- But today, in Room 106 of
by. the school’s South building,
The words on the student’s See PLAYER, Page 2.
Oct. 9: Rendell signs the
2009-2010 state budget of $27.7
billion after it is approved by both
the Senate and the House
Nov. 6: Graham Spanier
announces tuition may increase
for the spring semester because
of the delayed appropriations
iresentatives, Collei
ian archives
CUMATEGATE
Issue
may
affect
funds
Some legislators want
the state to withhold
PSU appropriations until
action is taken against
professor Michael Mann.
The controversy over
“Climategate” continues to
heighten as some Pennsylvania
legislators ques
tion the continua
tion of Penn
State’s current
research grants
and possibly
even the appropri
ations the univer
sity has been wait
ing on since July. Piccola
State Sen
Jeffrey E. Piccola, R-Halifax, said
last week in a letter to Penn State
President Graham Spanier that
many Pennsylvania legislators
have been contacted by con
stituents about the ongoing inter
national fracas involving meteor
ology associate professor Michael
Mann.
Piccola wrote that some of
those in contact with legislators
“have requested the
Commonwealth further withhold
Penn State’s funding until appro
priate action is taken by the uni
versity against associate profes
sor Michael E. Mann.”
Climategate surfaced Nov. 21
when hundreds of illegally
obtained e-mails were leaked from
a private server in the climate
research unit at the University of
East Anglia in England.
Global warming skeptics scruti
nized word usage in the e-mails
that the scientists said was
See ISSUE, Page 2.
Nov. 1 7: Tution bills are
sent out without an
increase in tuition
Dee. 9: The House of
Representatives votes
down the appropriations
bill, 95-97
Billy Wellock/Collegian
By Laura Nichols
COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER