I Friday, Oct. 1,2010 £ O 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 Flennessey, 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 Stern, Katie Sullivan, Jessica Uzar, Aubrey Whelan, Alex Weisler, Somer Wiggins, Steph Witt and Chris Zook. Letters We want to hear your com ments on our coverage, editorial decisions and the Penn State community. ■ E-mail collegianletters@psu.edu ■ Online www.psucollegian.com ■ Postal mall/In person 123 S. Burrowes St. State College, PA 16801 Letters should be about 200 words. Student letters should include class year, major and campus. Letters from alumni should include year of graduation. All writers should provide their address and phone number for verification. Letters should be signed by no more than two peo ple. Members of organiza tions must include their titles if the topic they write about is connected with the aim of their groups. The Collegian reserves the right to edit letters. The Collegian cannot guaran tee publication of all let ters it receives. Letters chosen also run on The Daily Collegian Online and may be selected for publi cation in The Weekly Colle gian. All letters become property of Collegian Inc. EDITORIAL: STUDENT SECTION CONTROVERSY No matter what, we’re There have recently been many reactions to the current state of the student section in Beaver Stadium. A few alumni have voiced complaints that the student section isn’t what it used to be, and students choose to get drunk at tailgates instead of show ing up at the game and supporting their team, or are showing up drunk and become disruptive. Though there are some students that fall under this stereotype of the complacent, drunk college student, the majority of students go in and watch the game respectfully and with Penn State pride. , The tailgating legacy has been a tradition at «nrw dotecMtOQ*s co* GUEST Biden’s visit marks PSU By Rob Ghormoz During Vice President Joe Biden’s visit to campus on Tuesday, he show students concrete exam ples of how the President and Congressional Democrats have been fighting to make the bur dens on stu dents easier to bear. His speech centered on rally ing the youth to volunteer and vote in the 2010 midterms, and defining the choice that America is facing in these important elec tions. Biden’s message especially reverberated with the youth in the crowd as he established the line between the positive changes that Democrats have been able to make. The President and Vice President, as well as a number of other members of the admin istration, spoke at college cam puses nationwide to establish and define the choice voters have to make this November. It was an honor to host Vice President Biden here at Penn State. We are extremely grateful to have been given this chance, and we’re humbled by his enthu siasm. This was a historic event, one that we may never get a chance to see again. Vice President Biden was genuinely excited to be here and was determined to be able to football games fpr years and alumni are the rea son that legacy is here. Now, current students carry on that tradition before and after the game. For those students who aren’t lucky enough to hold student tickets, this is the only aspect of the home game atmosphere that they can take part in. Dedication and sports manship is a high priority at Penn State and is something that most stu dents who attend the games uphold to the greatest extent. But if students decide that having a good time with friends outside the stadium beats watching Penn State trounce a team like Youngstown meet any student who wanted to meet him, as showcased by his commitment to speak with the students in the overflow room in person. His choice to speak at our campus to our student body, one of the largest in the nation, highlighted his and the President’s commitment to our nation’s youth. Together, the President and Congressional Democrats have been able to pass a number of pieces of legislation that have direct benefits for students across the nation. Student loan reform was passed earlier this year, making sure that students can come out of college with less debt that is more manage able. Through this legislation, we will never have to pay more than 10 percent of our annual salaries for our student loans. After 20 years, or 10 years if a student enters into public service, stu dent loan debts will be forgiven. In addition to this, credit card reform passed through Congress has made it much harder for credit card compa nies to take advantage of us by arbitrarily raising rates. President Obama has been able to reform the healthcare system, a feat which has defied presidents for generations. Through this law, students can no longer be dropped from their parent’s health insurance after graduation. We are now allowed toremain on our parent’s plans until we turn 26, giving us ample time to get on our feet after graduation without having to worry about the costs of health insurance. still No. 1 State or Kent State, that is their prerogative. As for the obnoxious behavior of drunk stu dents who do enter the game, we urge alumni to stop assuming one obnox ious fans constitutes criti cism of the No. 1 student section in the nation. We are No. 1, and this is a title students are proud to uphold as we scream louder and stand longer than any other group in Beaver Stadium. Despite some claims that students haven’t been showing up to games, and therefore do not deserve a few hundred more seats in the student section next year, we still are the best student section in college football. \ WpUGHT m INTO THIS TRUST HIIAOUT/ tetri'? importance This is especially personal for me, as my brother was dropped from my parents insurance after his graduation. He remained uninsured for nine months until the President’s reform went into effect last week, when he was allowed to go back on my par ent’s plan. That is the kind of true, concrete change that the President promised and is deliv ering. That change is benefiting stu dents like us. Vice President Biden was able to highlight all of these accomplishments during his rally. He also established the choice that voters have to make this November. We can choose to keep moving forward, enact ing real change that is helping to strengthen America by investing in our youth, or we can return to the same policies that allowed our country to slip into a recession. We can choose Democrats who have committed to progress and reform, or we can choose Republicans, who have publicly vowed to halt the pace of change and return to the same failed policies of the Bush era, putting us right back into the same mess that President Obama and his allies are cur rently helping us emerge from. Tuesday at Penn State, Vice President Biden made it clear that we need to choose Democrats, because we cannot afford the alternative. Rob Ghormoz is a senior majoring in political science and is the president of the Penn State College Democrats. His e-mail is dgso97@psu.edu The Daily Collegian LETTERS Penn State meal plan Is a rip-off I’ve recently made quite a realization that I’d like to share. The Penn State meal plan is equivalent to highway robbery for most students. Here’s why, and sorry about the math, but that’s what finances are. If a student is on the meal plan, he or she has to pay a base cost of $1,265 to be eligible to get the meal plan. After that, they get about a 65 percent discount on all items prepared in the dining commons or at “On the Go” options. So, assuming a Penn State student only buys fully discounted items off the meal plan, they would have to use about $681.15 worth of dining dollars to break even with the amount they would pay with straight cash. Thing is, most students don’t spend this much on prepared food as they also don’t spend much of it on food in the HUB- Robeson Center (with a meager 10 percent discount on points or Lioncash) and on non-discounted packaged items in the con venience stores in all of the dining com mons. Plus, a student would have to upgrade to a level 4 (out of 6) meal plan (or add on funds themselves) to be able to spend the required amount of money to break even. So, point is, Penn State really needs to overhaul Flood Services, and if you can help it, I believe you should use Lioncash on campus if you don’t live in the Residence Halls unless you eat like a vacuum. FOOTBLOG Forseeing the future Audrey Snyder Penn State prediction: Outback Bowl Rose Bowl: Boise State vs. Oregon F'iesta Bowl: Texas vs. West Virginia Orange Bowl: Miami vs. TCU Sugar Bowl: Florida vs. Nebraska National Title: Alabama vs. Ohio State Champion: Alabama Andrew J. Cassavell Penn State prediction: Outback Bowl Rose Bowl: Ohio State vs. TCU Fiesta Bowl: Texas vs. lowa Orange Bowl: Virginia Tech vs. West Virginia Sugar Bowl: Auburn vs. Nebraska National Title: Alabama vs. Oregon Champion: Alabama Brendan Monahan Penn State prediction: Outback Bowl Rose: Boise State vs. Oregon Fiesta: Nebraska vs. West Virginia Orange: Miami vs. Wisconsin Sugar Bowl: Alabama vs. Oklahoma National title: Ohio State vs. Florida Champion: Ohio State SNAP, CRACKLE, POP Rock ’n wha? The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced this year’s nominees today after much anticipation. To receive a nomination is a prestigious honor. The list consists of artist from different eras and genres of music. The full list is as follows: Alice Cooper, Beastie Boys, Bon Jovi, Chic, Neil Diamond, Donovan, Dr. John, J. Geils Band, LL Cool J, Darlene Love, Laura Nyro, Donna Summer, Joe Tex, Tom Waits, Chuck Willis. I find most of the nominations ques tionable. This is the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, after all, so I’m having a hard time understanding why acts such as LL Cool J and the Beastie Boys are on this list. I like these artists, but this isn’t their genre. I can’t really see anyway that LL Cool J has influenced rock ’n roll. It would be like nominating Taylor Swift for best female rapper... CAN YOU DIG IT? The numbers game Sure, the Penn State women’s volley ball team is only two matches into its Big Ten slate. But it’s never too early to look at the stat books. Here’s a glimpse at how the Nittany Lions stack up against the rest of the conference. Team Hitting Percentage 1. Penn State .317 2. Minnesota .302 3. Illinois .287 Team Blocks (average per game) 1. Penn State 3.14 2. Ohio State 3.11 3. Minnesota 3.00 Team Service Aces (average per game) 1. Ohio State 2.02 2. Michigan 1.84 3. Penn State 1.71 Individual Hitting Percentage 1. Ashley Benson, IND .471 2. Arielle Wilson, PSU .460 3. Johannah Bangert ILL .456 Individual Kills (average per game) 1. Ariel 'lXimer PUR 4.65 2. Alex Hunt MICH 4.49 3. Colleen Ward ILL 4.22 7. Blair Brown PSU 3.6 Emily Kaplan Women’s Volleyball reporter Read more of the Daily Collegian’s blogs at psucolleglan.com/blogs Jessie Cltrln junior-general engineering Football reporters Ashley Smalls Arts candidate
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