4 I TUESDAY, OCT. 12, 2010
Faculty joins Straight Talk
By Julia Anselmo
COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER
Four faculty members shared
their outlook on "coming out" and
the LGBTQA community at Penn
State at the first ever faculty-run
"Straight Talk" session Monday
afternoon part of the first day
of activities for Coming Out Week.
Nearly 20 students, staff and
community members gathered in
Room 321 of the HUB-Robeson
Center to hear the stories and
advice of faculty members who
are involved with the LBGTQA
community at Penn State.
The faculty members shared
their experiences both in the
workplace and personally about
being gay, transgender or an ally
in the Penn State community.
Brian Patchcoski, assistant
director for the LGBTQA Student
Resource Center, said he was
happy with the session's turnout
and the response the center got
from outside community and staff
members.
"This was the first time we had
Student leaders continue discussion
By Kathleen Loughran
COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER
Student leaders are moving for
ward with creating the
Pennsylvania
Association an organization
that hopes to increase student
voices in Harrisburg.
Last Wednesday, members of
the University Park
Undergraduate Association held
a conference call with other uni
versities about the formation of
the PSA During the call, UPUA
Governmental Affairs Director
Travis Salters said he told the
other representatives why UPUA
wants to form an association.
"The main purpose [of the
association] overall is to create a
broader, more unified voice of the
students of Pennsylvania to tack
le issues like tuition," Salters
(junior-broadcast journalism and
African and African American
Studies) said. "It will be a
resource for the future if anything
would come about."
As per the suggestion of
University of Pittsburgh student
body president Charles Shull,
Pennsylvania universities
involved in the formation of the
association will convene at Penn
State on Nov. 6.
"It will get everybody in one
place to discuss because over
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this," Patchcoski said. "I wasn't
expecting this many people. It
was really nice it was a really
intimate setting."
Patchcoski said students usual
ly run and hold "straight talks,"
but this year they wanted to try
something new to get faculty
more involved and engaged with
the students.
Beth Bradley, assistant direc
tor for the Center for Ethics and
Religious Affairs and one of the
four panelists at the event, said
it's important to hear the per
spective of faculty members
about these issues.
"The LGBT center has had
more requests recently to have
people coming from our perspec
tive to talk about these issues,"
she said. "It helps raise aware
ness of these issues."
Audience members were free
to ask any of the four panelists
questions about specific personal
experiences they have had at
Penn State with the LGBTQA
community
The faculty members each
"We need to sit down and talk about it and get
everyone on the same page."
Student
conference calls is not the best
way to do this," Salters said. "We
need to sit down and talk about it
and get everyone on the same
page."
On Nov. 14, the schools plan to
meet in Harrisburg for the Board
of Governors meeting. Salters
said this will ensure there is no
confusion between legislators in
Harrisburg and students regard
ing the PSA's purpose.
Shull said creating an associa
tion is not only feasible but also
beneficial.
"Any resource where students
can come together and bring
their resources to one front gives
students a better opportunity to
approach the officials that repre
sent us," he said.
Shull also said he has first-hand
experience at forming a student
coalition with multiple universi
ties because he helped to form
the Pittsburgh Student
Government Council, which rep
resents many universities in the
city
But Shull said forming the PSA
will definitely take a lot of work
LOCAL
emphasized that while there are
almost always difficulties for gay
and transgender students and
staff, there are outreach and sup
port groups available to both
groups on Penn State's campus.
While she often attends talks
sponsored by the LGBTQA
Student Resource Center,
Destiny Aman (graduate-geogra
phy) said she was particularly
interested in Monday's event
because it was run by faculty
"The faculty and staff are the
folks who really create the spaces
that the students occupy and use
on campus," she said. "The really
have a lot of power to determine
the climate of those spaces."
Aman said LBGTQA students
need to know the faculty supports
them.
"Undergrad students rely on
faculty, staff, and grad students to
make safe places for students,"
she said. "We shouldn't be telling
our queer students that they need
to bear this burden on their own."
To e-mail reporter: jmas349@psu.edu
Travis Salters
UPUA governemtal affairs director
"There was a lot of motivation
coming from Penn State, but I
definitely see a long road ahead of
us," he said. "We really need to
focus a lot on large schools
University of Pittsburgh, Penn
State, Temple get them to sign
on first and then go seek other
organizations."
Salters said the only criticism
he has heard about the formation
of the PSA revolves around a
misunderstanding on the purpose
and structure of the Board of
Governors.
"The Board of Governors only
has three students on the board,
which is different than us because
we're going to be created by the
students for the students," he
said. "There will be no adults rep
resented."
UPUA President Christian
Ragland said the conference call
went well. "I think we're in the
right direction to start advocating
in regards to tuition," said
Ragland (senior-political sci
ence).
To e-mail reporter: krlsio6@psu.edu
UPUA President Christian Ragland talks with Mayor Elizabeth
Goreham during her office hours last spring. She will continue to hold
office hours this semester on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Mayor to resume
HUB office hours
By Colleen Boyle
COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER
For students concerned with
local issues, there is now an out
let for discussion State College
Mayor Elizabeth Goreham will
hold office hours in the HUB-
Robeson Center to speak with
Penn State...students.
Goreham's office hours began
last spring in a makeshift pilot
program, hosted by the Off-
Campus Student Union. Students
were invited to speak with the
mayor about issues that con
cerned them. Goreham considers
this the "bridging of the gap"
between the borough and the uni
versity one of her main priori
ties and said she was pleased
to use the Off-Campus Student
Union's space to do so.
"They offered it, and I snapped
them up on it," Goreham said.
Off-Campus Student Union
President Bobby Ryan said the
group received a strong recep
tion from students who came to
discuss issues like downtown
recycling and last year's pro
posed Nuisance Gathering
Ordinance. He said he looks for
ward to continuing the dialogue
between students and the bor
ough. "We had a lot of good con
versations on topics we weren't
expecting," Ryan (senior-psy
chology) said.
People waiting in line to speak
with the mayor often joined in on
the discussions, he said. Because
of the success of the spring office
hours, the mayor will hold them
again this semester.
Despite the controversial
nature of some of the issues
THE DAILY COLLEGIAN
brought up by students, Ryan
said the conversations were very
friendly and respectful.
"The only issue was people
waiting in line because of longer
discussions," he said.
This year, Ryan said the Off-
Campus Student Union will keep
an eye on the clock so every stu
dent who attends gets a chance
to speak with the mayor.
Goreham said she hopes to
continue to improve town-and
gown relations through her office
hours. While some students
draw attention for their bad deci
sions, Goreham said she is
pleased with the actions of most
students.
University Park
Undergraduate Association
President Christian Ragland said
he hopes a variety of students
not just student leaders take
advantage of the mayor's office
hours.
"I think her taking the extra
step through her office hours is
great because it shows that she is
dedicated to working on behalf on
the students," Ragland (senior
political science) said. "I think
there are many issues she can
expand on."
To e-mail reporter: cabs3s6@psu.edu
If you go
Where: 221 HUB
When: Wedesdays 2:30 p.m. -
3:30 p.m., Thursdays 2 p.m. -
3 p.m.
Details: The mayor will not
have office hours this week.