THE DAILY COLLEGIAN
Climate
By Matt Scorzafave
COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER
Climate experts including
professor Michael Mann of the
recent - Climategate" controversy
expressed concerns about
recent environmental change in a
press conference Wednesday at
Schlow Centre Region Library.
The conference presented a
number of concerns regarding
this summer's heat waves across
the globe and how future prob
lems could negatively affect the
planet .
"We w ant to alert the public
that we are heading for a future
they're not going to be comfort
able with," said Ed Perry, the out
reach coordinator for the
National Wildlife Federation's
Global Warming Campaign.
Perry has presented across the
state for the last three years and
said he saw firsthand how people
can be negatively affected by
extreme weather.
Perry said his research shows
that 50 percent of residents in
both Pittsburgh and Philadelphia
do not have air-conditioned
homes and that people in the
State College area sometimes fail
Ragland looks to subsidize test prep books
Student body president looks to Ohio State policy for cutting grad school study costs
By Alyssa Sweeney
COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER
For students who plan on bury
ing themselves under truckloads
of MCAT or LSAT prep books, a
proposal pushed by the student
body president may bring some
good news: They won't be buried
under bills.
University Park Undergraduate
Association President Christian
Ragland will meet with university
officials in hopes that the Penn
State will adopt a contract to sub
sidize costs of standardized tests
such as the LSATs, MCATs, and
GMATs.
Ragland said Ohio State
University (OSU) officials offer
this service to their students and
Retired Captain reflects on three decades with police
State College officials
agree that retired Police
Captain Dana Leonard
will be difficult to
replace.
By Casey McDermott
COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER
Now the home of a parking lot
on the 100 block of Fraser Street,
the "station" retired State College
Police Captain Dana Leonard
reported to on his first day of work
in 1978 was a far cry from the bor
ough's current police headquar
ters, he said.
Inside of a converted house, offi
cers would suit up in an attic
turned-locker room, hold briefing
meetings in an aging cellar, and
conduct most of their business in
the building's small green kitchen,
Leonard said.
Now serving as an accreditation
coordinator with the Pennsylvania
Chiefs of Police Associatiot after
his retirement last c ‘ ring,
Leonard said the "home" of the
police department wasn't the only
thing that evolved during lc. '3l
- tenure with the bonrillg,h.
I (Th't
causes concern
to realize how the weather affects
others.
"We're in fantasy land with an
easy climate to handle, as we
leave our air-conditioned homes
and drive our air-conditioned cars
to our air-conditioned offices," he
said.
Perry said some people in
lower financial classes who can
not afford luxuries like air condi
tioning are not so lucky.
"We don't know what the future
holds if we don't take action
against the climate now," Perry
said.
Mann, a meteorology professor,
said there is a connection
between global warming and
recent climate change.
"The heat waves that have bro
ken out are taking place within a
globe that's warmer than it has
ever been," he said. "There is a
connection."
While a direct connection
between recent heat waves and
climate change cannot be made
with complete confidence, Mann
said he believes humans' actions
in harming the environment are
playing a role.
"We cannot ever look at one
event to prove that global warm-
that it considerably cuts costs for
their students.
"We're trying to mimic that,"
Ragland said.
Ragland said
Penn State has
never offered a
program like this
for students, but
he plans to contin
ue to research
similar programs
at other schools. Ragland
He said he
doesn't know if subsidies will be
given only to students furthering
their education at Penn State, but
he hopes all students will apply
regardless of where they plan to
attend graduate school.
Ryan Maerz (graduate-law)
"The physical facility high
lights the changes in the impor
tance and the development of
policing in State College,"
Leonard said, referring to the
department's new home inside
the State College Municipal
Building, 243 S. Allen St.
He said he's also seen policing
transition from days spent knock
ing on doors, making phone calls
and manually tracking down wit
nesses to an age where databases
and online resources are the new
investigative norm.
In a profession that relies upon
information gathering, Leonard
said these new technological
developments have been "a great
aid" to law enforcement.
"The basic elements of investi
gation I don't think have
changed," he said.
"But the tools used to accom
plish it have changed dramatical
ly."
And whether he was changing
his work address, keeping up with
the latest software or responding
to any number of the chaotic situ
ations he's faced over the years,
Leonard's said his motto has been
consistent: proceed in a r and
orderly manner, ay. - , ike while
the iron is hot.
ing is present, but we're tilting the
odds of these events occurring
more frequently," he said.
Sylvia Neely, a history profes
sor and speaker at the press con
ference, discussed a national
group called Interfaith Power and
Light.
The group, made up of people
from different religious affilia
tions, tackles the issues sur
rounding climate change with a
moral approach.
"This is a special response to
how climate is being destroyed
that includes the moral and ethi
cal issues involved," she said.
Neely discussed potential con
sequences that humans' actions
are having on both the Earth and
its people.
"In the U.S., we omit more
greenhouse gases per capita
than any other country in the
world, other than Australia," she
said.
Perry said this can create prob
lems for people across the planet
and urged action now.
"We still have time to get off
dirty fossil fuels, and onto renew
ables," Perry said.
To e-mail reporter: mrss429@psu.edu
took both the GMAT and the LSAT,
as well as a prep class for the
LSAT and said he'd really appreci
ate the extra financial help.
- The LSAT itself was $250, and
the class was $1,300," Maerz said.
Even for students who opt to
prepare for the LSATs, MCATs, or
GMATs without a class, study
guides can end up costing hun
dreds of dollars. There are also
fees associated with the entrance
exams and applictions associated
with graduate school.
Maerz said that though some
times Kaplan provides need
based financial assistance to stu
dents, he didn't qualify. With the
contract Ragland hopes to put
through, subsidies would be given
to all students.
"Captain Leonard was a tremendously valuable
asset to the entire organization and to the
entire borough."
"To me that really sums up
what we are to do," Leonard said.
"Our job is to restore order if order
is not there, and our job is to bring
calm to the situation."
Indeed, it was Leonard's ability
to keep his cool and avoid "tunnel
vision" in even the most stressful
situations that set him apart dur
ing his time on the State College
Police force, Chief of Police Tom
King said.
Borough Manager Tom
Fountaine praised Leonard's
collected demeanor as well, also
noting the former captain's ability
to think broadly and develop cre
ative solutions to challenging
problems.
But at this point, Fbuntaine and
King said they won't be seeking a
replacement for the veteran law
enforcer's former position, name
ly because of the borough's cur
rent budget constraints.
Instead, the officials said
THON seeks
new captains
By Vera Greene
COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER
The THON season is in full
swing with captain applications
due at 5 p.m. tomorrow.
Interfraternity Council/Pan
hellenic Dance Marathon cap
tains are the people who oversee
specific committees, organize
their group and its members, as
well as follow through with tasks
the overall committee gives, said
Overall Public Relations
Chairwoman Jony Rommel.
Rommel (senior-philosophy)
said these positions entail a lot of
responsibility and should be
taken seriously.
"We want people to understand
that they are THON captains first
in addition to their committee,"
she said. "You're applying to be a
captain of THON, not a commit
tee."
With about 315 captain posi
tions available, Rommel said hav
ing the title is coveted.
Describing it as a "privilege,"
Rommel said she ultimately
wants to see people who have a
passion for THON.
"They have to understand our
mission of conquering pediatric
cancer and be dedicated to its
cause," Rommel said.
Overall Communications
Chairwoman Elaine Tanella said
applicants don't need to be a
president of a club but should
embody the characteristics of a
leader who wants, to take initia
tive and bring new ideas to the
table.
"Definitely apply," Tanella
(senior-bioengineering) said. "It
can't hurt to apply and get your
ideas out there."
The process of becoming a
captain includes an online
cation that also needs to be
turned in as a hard copy to 210
HUB-Robeson Center by 5 p.m.
Friday.
There is also the potential for
an interview
Someone applying to be a cap
tain doesn't have to fit a certain
mold Tanella said it's mainly
about being eager to learn.
As a sophomore, Katie Moffitt
got involved in THON. One year
later, she's set her sights to be a
captain.
"It was the best decision I ever
made to join the communications
committee," Moffitt (junior-jour
nalism) said. "I don't think I've
"This is important because in
the in current economic situation,
there aren't as many jobs for col
lege graduates," Ragland said.
"A lot of students will be looking
to go to grad school for this rea
son, so this will have a really big
effect."
Ragland said he's looking into
working with Kaplan or Princeton
Review Prep to achieve this goal.
Kaplan did not return calls for
comment by press time
Wednesday.
Ragland first learned of Ohio
State's contract with Kaplan when
he met with other Big Ten student
leaders at the Association of Big
Ten Students conference in
January, and he decided to bring
the idea home to Penn State.
Tom Fountaine
State College Borough Manager
Leonard's old responsibilities will
be reassigned to others in the bor
ough's police force.
King, Lieutenant Chris Fishel
and State College's two other
police captains, Tom Hart and
John Gardner will all assume
some of Leonard's previous
duties.
Though Kung said the addition
of Leonard as administrative cap
tain was a valuable asset to the
police force, he said the new
structure is a return to one the
department held prior to 2005,
when there were only two cap
tains.
Even if the borough had
attempted to fill Leonard's posi
tion, Fbuntaine said the former
captain's legacy would not be for
gotten no matter who the succes
sor.
"Captain Leonard was a
tremendously valuable asset to
the entire organization and to
THURSDAY, AUG. 26, 2010 I
"This is not a
position that should
be taken for
granted."
Jony Rommel
THON overall public relations
ever felt so inspired it just
makes me want to get more
involved and do anything I can to
help expand the amazing
things that this dance marathon
does."
Moffitt said she's confident she
can take on the challenges of
being a captain and, above all, a
leader.
"It takes a lot of work, but all
good things do," she said.
Though being a THON captain
is difficult, the rewards outweigh
the difficulties, Rommel said.
"It's great knowing all your
work is ultimately giving back to
the Four Diamonds Rind and the
kids and their families," Rommel
said. "All the work is going toward
one cause and it's important for
our volunteers to keep that in
mind as they're working through
out the year"
In addition, Rommel said cap
tains grow as people and as lead
ers.
Because the time commitment
is so large, captains learn how to
efficiently budget their time and
further their leadership skills as
they dedicate the upcoming
months to establishing a working
committee and a good group
dynamic.
"This is not a position that
should be taken for granted,"
Rommel said. "And ultimately
THON wouldn't be possible with
out every one of the captains who
work so hard throughout the
year"
There's no greater feeling than
interacting with the Four
Diamonds families and hearing
them express their thanks,
Tanella said.
"That's why we're here," she
said. 'And it's so rewarding."
To e-mail reporter: vhgsoo3@psu.edu
GTo view the THON captain
application and apply,
visit us online:
ONLINE Psucollegian.com
"I'm confident in regards to get
ting this service here at Penn
State," Ragland said. "Another Big
Ten school already has it, and this
school has a very similar demo
graphic to OSU where its working
out really well."
Ragland said he will be attend
ing a meeting to discuss the con
tract with officials in the coming
weeks. "I think this is a good pro
gram, because PS U is very attrac
tive as far as the quality of its aca
demics. It produces a lot of gradu
ate students," said Ragland.
"I'm really excited to work with
administrators to get this on
campus. I think this can be a win
win."
To e-mail reporter: arss474@psu.edu
Retired Captain Dana Leonard
served the State College Police
Department for more than 30
years. Leonard said police work
used to involve manually tracking
down witnesses, knocking on doors
and making phone calls.
the entire borough," Fountain
said.
"He is going to be missed and
would be very difficult to replace
in any circumstance."
To e-mail reporter: cmms773@psu.edu
chairwoman