The daily collegian. (University Park, Pa.) 1940-current, September 27, 2010, Image 8

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    I Monday, Sept. 27,2010
The Daily
Collegian
Elizabeth Murphy
Editor in Chief
Kelsey Thompson
Business Manager
About the Collegian: The
Daily Collegian and The
Weekly Collegian are pub
lished by Collegian Inc., an
independent, nonprofit cor
poration with a board of
directors composed of stu
dents, faculty and profes
sionals. Pennsylvania State
University students write and
edit both papers and solicit
advertising for them. During
the fall and spring semes
ters as well as the second
six-week summer session,
The Daily Collegian publish
es Monday through Friday.
Issues are distributed by
mail to other Penn State
campuses and subscribers.
Complaints: News and edi
torial complaints should be
presented to the editor.
Business and advertising
complaints should be pre
sented to the business man
ager.
Who we are
The Daily Collegian's edito
rial opinion is determined by
its Board of Opinion, with
the editor holding final
responsibility. The letters
and columns expressed on
the editorial pages are not
necessarily those of The
Daily Collegian or Collegian
Inc. Collegian Inc., publish
ers of The Daily Collegian
and related publications, is
a separate corporate institu
tion from Penn State.
Members are: Lexi Bel
culfine, Caitlin Burnham, Paul
Casella, Kevin Cirilli, Beth Ann
Downey, Amanda Elser,
Zachary Feldman, Ashley
Gold, Stephen Hennessey,
Allison Jackovitz, Kevin Kline,
Samantha Kramer, Bill Landis,
Andrew Metcalf, Nate Mink,
Elizabeth Murphy, Laura
Nichols, Michael Oplinger,
Edgar Ramirez, Heather
Schmelzlen, Caitlin Sellers,
Laurie Stem, Katie Sullivan,
Jessica Uzar, Aubrey Whelan,
Alex Weisler, Somer Wiggins,
Steph Witt and Chris Zook.
Letters
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ments on our coverage,
editorial decisions and the
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Name shouldn’t delay action
Since late last year, the
University Park Under
graduate Association and
the State College Borough
Council have been debat
ing a proposed institution
of a student voice on the
council, and now it seems
as if one major roadblock
was finally knocked down
last week.
Borough officials said
changing this student’s
title from “member” to
“representative” would
help move plans forward,
though no changes to the
cc:' <f_.
White House needs more green
By Katie Sullivan
I’d like to consider myself a
relatively “green” person. I
recycle my beer cans. I
reusable water
bottle. I now ter
rorize the
streets of State
College on my
bike rather than
taking the bus.
Most impor
tantly, I make
sure to eat
every scrape of food on my din
ner plate.
MY OPINION
I also like to think Penn State
has similar green initiatives
with water-refilling stations pop
ping up around campus, bins to
separate newspaper (which you
shouldn’t be throwing out any
way), glass, plastic and waste,
buddings that don’t have any air
conditioning in the warmer
months (though I have mixed
feelings about that) and the
dorms list many reminders to
shut off lights and water faucets
when you aren’t using them.
So I was in a slight state of
shock when, to my chagrin, I
woke up at 6 a.m. last Sunday
morning to take part in the
clean up of Beaver Stadium with
my rugby team.
That’s where I saw a huge
amount of potentially recyclable
waste simply tossed into die
Dumpster.
110,000 filthy fan’s leftover
water bottles, popcorn kernels,
napkins, nachos, lemonade
cups, bottles and tobacco spit
covered the bleachers of the
seemingly never ending stadi
um.
What had been yesterday’s
functionality of this posi
tion changed from the
original proposition.
We are glad that UPUA
and borough council are
making compromises on
the issue.
However, these nit-picky
tactics from the council
seem to just be another
way of stalling the propos
al.
Instead of embracing
these avenues of student
participation in municipal
government and improve
ment of town-and-gown
yummy football food was now lit
ter and waste scattered every
where. I grabbed a broom, a
shovel and a pair of hefty yellow
gloves and went to work, push
ing the garbage piles-into moun
tains, tiny Mt. Nittanys of dis
gusting-ness stacked through
out the massive stadium.
But the worst part wasn’t the
amount of trash that was col
lected. It was that none of the
trash was sorted through to be
recycled.
Plastic bottles, a few glass
bottles, paper napkins and food
waste were all heaped together,
stuffed into clear garbage bags,
and tossed into the Dumpster,
which was then hauled away by
a dump truck
Now, I don’t know where that
truck headed for all I know it
headed right to the recycling
plant and a bunch of smiling
sanitary engineers sorted
through thousands of bags and
hand picked all of the things that
could be recycled but I have a
nagging feeling that’s probably
not true.
I’m guessing those bags head
to the nearest landfill, and it’s
pretty sad to see all that plastic,
glass and paper trashed, without
any attempt to recycle it.
Sure, there are a few separate
cans for recyclables placed spo
radically throughout Beaver
Stadium.
But who wants to walk all the
way to one of those bins when
you can just toss your water bot
tle or your leftover nachos on
the floor for some poor sucker
like me to sweep up the next
day?
Beaver Stadium needs to be
more eco-conscious. Stadium
clean-up seems to consist of
relations, the borough
council is getting caught
up in rhetoric and minute
details and continue to
choose dialogue over
action.
The borough council
needs take students and
student leaders more seri
ously and realize that we
have a right to our opin
ions and representation.
We encourage UPUA to
keep the lines of commu
nication open, and hope
fully we will soon see tan
gible results.
.assje.
C-HfiffA
IhH HeraU TWkuhe
lumping all of the football waste
together in one bag, when it
should be sorted and sent to be
recycled.
There also need to be more
recycling bins placed in conven
ient places so students and reg
ular game-goers alike will be
more inclined to place their
trash in the proper receptacle
rather than on die floor to be
trashed with the rest of the pop
corn and smashed chicken fin
gers.
I am by no means an extreme
peace and love, meat-hating,
tree-hugging eco-activist. I love
my leather jacket and a nice
juicy steak and I understand in
this day and age, not everybody
has the money to save the envi
ronment and drive and electric
car. But I am a person with com
mon sense, enough to know that
a lot can be done with just a few
adjustments to Beaver
Stadium’s clean-up plan.
Penn State, a school that is
already relatively “green,” could
improve its recycling initiatives,
as well as make the tree-hug
gers and me happy.
And it’s not just the adminis
tration and stadium crew that
can improve things. Students
and fans recycle your crap.
It’s not that hard. Find a bin
with the right label. Then be
mature and put your stuff there,
not on the floor of the place we
celebrate the greatest show in
college football.
I’m calling you out, Beaver
Stadium and fans. Let’s see if
you can step up to the challenge.
Katie Sullivan is a senior majoring in
journalism and is the Daily Collegian's
Monday columnist. Her e-mail is
kmss424@psu.edu.
The Daily Collegian
Philanthropy squandered on sport
A wealthy family like that of Terrence M.
and Kim Pegula certainly has the right to
be philanthropic to virtually any organiza
tion or cause that it chooses, but what a
putrid example it has set by donating $BB
million of its riches to build a new hockey
arena at Penn State University.
What a glorious day it would have been if
Pennsylvanians had been able to read one
of the following headlines: “Philanthropists
donate $BB million to ensure sound footing
for Pennsylvania public libraries for years
to come” or “Philanthropists establish $BB
million fund to ensure that all qualified stu
dents will be able to attend a university.”
By endorsing and devoting such a mam
moth amount of money to a violent sport,
which contributes nothing to society, some
would consider the donation being made to
have been squandered. It is sad that a fami
ly like the Pegulas is contributing to a soci
ety in decline.
It might as well have contributed $BB mil
lion to opening bars throughout the com
monwealth.
PSU football not worth the price
It is becoming painful to watch Penn
State football. The coaching decisions,
especially the play selection, reflects a pro
gram that is out of touch with mainstream
college football. The thought that prices are
about to go through the roof for such an
inferior product is pure arrogance.
MAKE PLAYS
Third round of picks
We’re up and running for Week 3 of
the Collegian’s Beat the Editors compe
tition. Nittany Lion Fluid president Jim
Regan is still leading the way heading
into this week.
D.J. Jackson, a forward on the Penn
State basketball team, is.the athlete
representative this week. He’ll have
some big shoes to fill, with Talor Battle
having a solid nine to four showing last
week.
Christian Ragland - UPUA president
D.J. Jackson - Penn State forward
(This spot will rotate among Penn State
athletes. Talor Battle and Brad Pataky
were our athletes for the past two
weeks.)
Alex Cohen - Patemoville president
Zack Krieger - Executive director of
the Student Programming Association
Mickey Boylan - student (This spot
will rotate among Penn State students).
Boylan is a student in the division of
undergraduate studies and won this
week’s spot in the Collegian Pick ’Em
contest by answering the sports daily
trivia question and being the first to e
mail the answer to Casella on Thursday.
Jim Regan - Nittany Lion Rind presi
dent
Steve Hennessey - Daily Collegian
sports editor
Bill Landis - Daily Collegian night
editor
Paul Casella - Daily Collegian assis
tant sports editor
49ers vs. Chiefs
D.J. Jackson: 49ers
Christian Ragland: 49ers, 27-13
Alex Cohen: 49ers
Zack Kriegen Chiefs
Mickey Boylan: 49ers
Jim Regan: 49ers, 30-20
I like San Francisco on the road.,
their performance last week was
admirable and the Chiefs have gotten a
heaping portion of luck so far this sea
son to be 2-0. We spoke about this pend
ing Chiefs loss last week and my fore
cast comes true here.
Steve Hennessey: 49ers, 21-14
San Francisco showed its potential on
Monday night against New Orleans.
Let’s see if that translates to today.
Bill Landis: 49ers
Paul Casella: Chiefs...
FOOTBLOG
Hurt and defenseless
Joe Paterno wasn’t sure at his
postgame press conference just how
severe Lou Eliades’ knee injury was.
With the Lions facing arguably the
best defensive line in the nation in lowa
next week Patemo’s worst fears were
confirmed Sunday as Eliades, who
started all 17 games during the last two
years, will miss the remainder of the
season with a torn ACL, according to a
statement from the team’s website.
Junior Chima Okoli replaced Eliades
when he went down in the third quarter
of Saturday’s win over Temple. Okoli
will likely start next week.
“It’s gut wrenching,” Okoli said after
the game. “Because Lou’s been here
for five years, and this is his last shot,
and it’s every football player’s night
mare to have that happen.”
But Okoli said he’s excited to fill in
and help try and stop lowa’s Adrian
Clayborn, one of the best defensive
ends in the nation.
“I worked very hard,” Okoli said. “I
want this spot and I’m gonna make
sure it’s mine.”
Read more of The Daily Collegian’s blogs at
psucollegian.com/blogs.
Oren M. Spiegler
Upper Saint Clair, Pa.
Joseph C. Korsak
Class of 1971
Andrew J. Cassavell
Football reporter