The Daily Collegian
G.l.s to benefit from bill
Veteran students could see changes
By Brendan McNally
COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER
Penn State officials and stu
dents said a bill moving through
Congress that would expand
scholarship money for student
veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan
would give veteran students at
Penn State the benefits they
deserve.
The bill. Senate Bill 3447, was
passed by the Senate Veterans'
Affairs Committee Thursday and
is on its way to the full Senate for
a vote.
That vote has not yet been
scheduled. The law would expand
the number of veterans eligible
for scholarship money under the
post-9/11 “G.I. Bill" a program
meant to provide educational
benefits for returning veterans
and would broaden the number of
career paths they could take
under the program.
“I think it's a positive. “ said
Brian Clark, director of the Penn
State Office of Veterans
Programs. "It's going to allow for
students to be able to pursue a
greater range of academic oppor
tunities."
The bill would allow veterans to
Diversity plan stays the same
Council opts not to expand HR commission
By Casey McDermott
COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER
The State College Borough
Council's Human Relations
Commission has gone three
years without
receiving any
complaints of dis
crimination, and
council members
at Monday
night's meeting
opted not to
expand the com
mission’s role to Dumas
address issues of
diversity in other ways.
The borough council estab
lished the Human Relations
Commission in 2007 as part of its
Anti-Discrimination Ordinance.
Borough Manager Tom
Fountaine said. The commis
sion's director. Penn State profes
sor Charles Dumas, told council
he would like to expand the com
mission to include opportunities
for discussions on diversity and
meetings with the public.
Council member Don Hahn
said the borough was reluctant to
expand the commissions role
because it might detract from its
original purpose.
"We were concerned about the
perceived objectivity of a eommis-
Penn Stater
By Mike Hricik
FOR THE COUEGIAN
The Penn Stater Conference
Center Hotel held its annua!
National Autism Conference last
week a showcase lor autism pro
fessionals to learn about current
research and earn continuing
education credits.
During the week, more than
2,000 conference participants
attended more than ! 00 presenta
tions, Penn State Outreach
Conference Planner Katie
Friedman said.
"The aim is to get the latest, evi
dence-based information to edu
cators, providers and families so
that those people can effectively
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“It’s going to allow for students to be able to
pursue a greater range of academic
opportunities.”
take classes at institutions other
than accredited universities,
which Clark said would open up
new educational opportunities for
veterans, like vocational or pro
fessional schools.
Clark said about 2,500 Penn
State students are veterans. But
only students who have served in
the military post-9/11 would be eli
gible for the benefits included in
the bill, he said.
About 80 percent of the
Pennsylvania National Guard has
been activated for duty in Iraq or
Afghanistan, Clark said, and the
majority of those guardsmen will
be eligible for some benefits
under the post-9/11 G.I. Bill.
Clark said veterans must serve
three years of active duty to
receive the full benefits under the
law. John Hench, Class of 2010, is
an Iraq War veteran and said any
expansion of veterans' benefits is
a step in the right direction.
“... that does not mean that discrimination has
not occured it just means the cases have
not been filed either way.”
sion that is charged with adjudi
cating a violation of the ordinance
also taking a more proactive role
in terms of trying to find cases of
discrimination,'' Hahn said.
•Up-
According to the Pennsylvania
Human Relations Commission
(PHRC) Annual Report for 2007-
2008. Centre County' had 25 filed
cases of discrimination during
that year' 23 employment-relat
ed claims, 1 education-related
claim and 1 housing-related
claim. That report was the most
recent one on file on the PHRC
website, and the report did not
specify whether any of the claims
were filed within the State
College Borough.
Though the State College Anti-
Discrimination Ordinance
includes provisions for discrimi
nation based on a range of fac
tors, the legislation specifically
aimed to include sexual orienta
tion and gender expression
among protected classes,
Fountaine said, as neither are
covered in state laws.
sees presentations at National Autism Conference
educate their students and chil
dren," Friedman said.
Presentations on the spectrum
of autism disorders w'ere intro
duced from 9 a.m. until 4:15 p.m.
with exhibits on display through
out the day. Presenters were
selected by the Pennsylvania
Training and Technical Assistance
Network (PaTTAN). Topics
ranged from girls growing up with
autism to sex education for autis
tic children. Friedman said.
Dr. Janet Graetz, assistant pr o
fessor of human development and
child studies at Oakland
University in Michigan, presented
a session on her study that fol
lowed 19 college students with
Asperger's syndrome.
Penn State Office of Veterans Programs
“If someone’s willing to give
that much for the country, it’s def
initely nice when the country
turns around and gives you that
favor back,’’ Hench said.
Hench said it would be an extra
benefit under the bill if veterans
could get training outside of uni
versities in careers as electri
cians or pilots.
“There are career paths that
you can take that aren’t necessar
ily through college,” he said.
The bill would also allow veter
ans to transfer their benefits to
other family members and allow
the veterans to spend tuition
money on distance learning,
according to the bill’s text. Sen.
Daniel Akaka. D-Hawaii, spon
sored the bill.
His office did not return calls
for comment by press time
Tuesday.
To e-mail reporter: bwmsl47@psu.edu
Tom Fountaine
State College Borough Manager
“Generally, there have not been
a large number of cases,”
Fountaine said. “But that does not
mean that discrimination has not
occurred it just means that the
cases have not been filed either
way.” Hahn also said some
instances of discrimination proba
bly go unreported, and if they are
reported it’s usually with a higher
level of government. “Certainly
the state commission probably
has broader jurisdiction, as well
as broader enforcement powers
than our local board,” he said.
Another meeting will be organ
ized to discuss some of the con
cerns Dumas voiced regarding
the commission, Hahn said.
Fountaine said the borough will
also try to better coordinate its
efforts with other groups in the
area like the Centre County
Advisory' Committee to the
Pennsylvania Human Relations
Commission and the Community
Diversity Group.
To e-mail reporter: cmms773@psu.edu
Graetz found that students liv
ing with Asperger’s exercised
less, had high anxiety levels and
failed to take advantage of campus
disability resources as the school
year went on. She stressed the
importance of teaching independ
ence in high school to students
with disorders like Asperger’s
syndrome.
"Students in high school must
be taught self-advocacy,” Graetz
said.
"The best thing you can do for
your student who is younger is
to teach them about self-advoca
cy"
Graetz said she enjoyed learn
ing about what Pennsylvania
schools are doing to improve the
More than
3/4
of all students
have used a
coupon or
special offer!
Brian Clark
A student applies pressure to his arm after donatating blood
Blood drive will
take place in BJC
For people used to seeing
sporting events at the Bryce
Jordan Center, today might be a
change of pace.
Today’s Leap for Life blood
drive is the result of a team up
between the American Red Cross
and the Forever Broadcasting
Company, the operators of the
Froggy 98 and FYoggy 101 radio
stations, according to the event's
press release.
Blood inventories reach an
annual low during the summer
and need replenishing to keep up
with demands, said Wendi Keeler,
the donor resources field repre
sentative for Penn State.
“It’s really difficult to keep our
blood inventories up in the sum
mer," Keeler said.
About 30 percent of donated
blood comes from high school and
college donors, but during the
summer those two groups are typ
ically not in session, Keeler said.
Blood is being taken for the
Greater Alleghenies Region,
which extends from Kentucky
and Virginia up to Pennsylvania,
according to the Leap for Life
press release.
Everyone who donates will be
entered into a donor appreciation
drawing to win prizes. Keeler
said. Prizes include tickets to
upcoming shows at the BJC and
magazines, photographs and
CDs signed by various country'
music artists. Gift cards will also
be given aw'ay as prizes.
Although all types of blood are
needed, there is a critical need for
educational experiences of stu
dents with autism.
This year's keynote speakers
were both autistic, Friedman said.
The opening speaker, Brian
Adams, discovered he was autistic
when his son was diagnosed with
the same disease. *
The closing speaker, Deborah
Lipsky, delivered a humorous
speech intended to motivate with
her stories from her life,
Friedman said.
Sessions offered could be used
for four types of continuing educa
tion credit. Participants paid a fee
to earn these credits from the
Penn State College of Education,
Friedman said, and people inter
ested in gaining credit from a dis
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blood types A negative, B nega
tive and O negative. Keeler said.
Donors must be at least 17
years old. in good health and
weigh more than 110 pounds to be
eligible.
“About 50 percent of our nation
is eligible to donate," said Keeler.
"But only 5 percent do."
Those with questions about eli
gibility should visit redcross
blood.org. Keeler said.
Keeler recommends all
prospective donors eat well and
drink plenty of fluids before
donating. "If you're w’ell hydrated
and have eaten well, it makes the
donation go much better." Keeler
said.
The goal for the drive is about
45 productive units of blood, said
Marianne Spampinato, regional
communications manager for the
Red Cross.
"We normally have to get at
least 10 or 20 percent above the
goal," Spampinato said. About 13
to 14 percent of people will be
unable to donate due to various,
mostly temporary, reasons. Flu
and cold symptoms are h com
mon reason for being unable to
donate, said Spampinato.
The drive is set to be held today
at the BJC from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.,
at Gate B.
If you go
What: Leap for Life bloon drive
When: today, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: Gate B BJC
Details: walk-ins welcome
tance were able to do so online.
The Penn Stater offered
Children's Institute jlaycare serv
ices to about 100 children attend
ing the conference, both autistic
and not. A play was performed by
the older children for the younger
ones on Thursday, Friedman said.
Some speakers were taped for
live webcasts from the Penn
Stater. Viewers had to pay a fee to
receive credit for watching, but
the webcasts are free for others.
Some school districts played the
videos for staff members for con
tinuing education credit,
Friedman said.
"If people can watch [the web
castsl at home in their pajamas,
then great," Friedman said.
Co'legian file photo