The Daily Collegian
Pulitzer
winner
speaks
By Sarah Peters
COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER
As a journalist, Pulitzer Prize
winning journalist Ken
Armstrong is used to being called
a lot of names but “distin
guished,” he said, is usually not
one of them.
Armstrong spoke at the 23rd
Foster Conference of
Distinguished Writers last night
at the HUB Auditorium, address
ing a crowd of more than four
hundred students, professors and
faculty.
Visiting Professor and
Coordinator of the Foster
Conference Gene Foreman intro
duced Armstrong and his work.
Some of his biggest stories includ
ed pieces on the University of
Washington’s protection of foot
ball players accused of serious
crimes and the wrongful convic
tions of prisoners sentenced for
execution in Illinois, which led the
governor to later pardon them.
Armstrong was part of a report
ing team that covered the search
for a man accused of killing four
police officers and whose prison
sentence for a prior crime had
been commuted by Arkansas
Governor Mike Huckabee. The
team won a Pulitzer Prize for the
story this past year.
“This is an example of how
journalism, at its best, can inter-
9-12 Project discusses Constitution and government
By Nick Manella
COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER
For the last time before the
looming Nov. 2 elections, the 9-12
Project of Central Pennsylvania
held a general meeting Tuesday
night.
The focus of the meeting was to
discuss ways to remind the feder
al government of the Constitution
and what it entails. The group had
absentee ballots readily available
at the meeting.
Member Greg Fasolt, of
Mingoville, spoke about how to get
elected officials to act according to
Stepn Witt/Collegian
Award-winning journalist Ken Armstrong, left, and John Curley laugh
during the Foster Conference in the HUB Auditorium Tuesday night.
vene when the system fails,”
Foreman, the inaugural Foster
Professor, said.
Armstrong said the tip parents
and coaches give to their children
about always keeping their eye on
a ball, whether a golf ball or a
baseball, doesn’t apply to
reporters.
“For reporters, the opposite
holds true. If 15 reporters are
looking this way, and you’re the
sixteenth reporter, try looking
that way," Armstrong said. “You'll
be surprised what you’ll see.”
After Armstrong’s speech,
Distinguished Professional in
Residence John Curley moderat
ed a question and answer session.
When Curley asked how
Armstrong began his story about
the University of Washington foot
ball team. Armstrong empha
sized the preparation that went
into the story. Armstrong said the
the will of the people.
“What we need to do is follow
proven techniques to get these
people to act appropriately and
accordingly,” said Fasolt. “We
need to inject thoughts about the
Constitution."
The meeting also featured an
extensive video on the economic
downturn of Detroit. The video
detailed the relationship between
unions and legislative decisions,
which the 9-12 Project feels is
responsible for much of the eco
nomic crisis in the United States
today.
‘The reason the unions have
LOC A L
story required 96 public disclo
sure requests from more than 20
agencies.
“There's no good writing with
out good reporting,” Armstrong
said. “The best reporting is done
with depth and transparency.”
Mike Dusak (junior-journalism)
said he really enjoyed what
Armstrong said and especially
liked the excerpt from his book.
“It was a nice way to give us a
feel for his writing style." Dusak
said. “It’s very in depth. It s very
descriptive. Like John Curley
said, it’s more like a novel than a
story."
Pulitzer Prize-winning former
Baltimore Sun medical reporter
Diana Sugg will speak Wednesday
at 10:10 a.m. in the HUB
Auditorium as part of the Foster
Conference.
To e-mail reporter: svpso7l@psu.edu.
controlled the automotive indus
try is because of government
laws," said president Peter
Trippett. “If the government
would pass laws to limit the pow
ers of these unions, we wouldn’t be
in this situation."
The progress of the group’s
Sheriffs Project was also dis
cussed. Earlier this month, sher
iffs from all over Pennsylvania met
with the 9-12 Project to voice
mutual support.
Trippett enthusiastically voiced
the need for sheriffs to confront
federal agents who enter their
jurisdiction to, as he put it, uncon
Faculty approves
new minor policy
By Alaina Gallagher
COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER
Students seeking to obtain a
minor from a particular campus
are now able to earn that minor
at any campus university-wide,
thanks to a revision to Penn
State’s current policy that was
approved yesterday.
Penn State’s Faculty Senate
met Tuesday afternoon in Kern
building for its second meeting of
the 2010-2011 academic year to
vote on the revision to the minor
policy and to discuss other
issues.
Because of the overlap of so
many courses offered at campus
es across the commonwealth,
many students can earn credits
toward minors that are offered at
Penn State campuses other than
the one they attend. Although
they are capable of filling all the
requirements, students are cur
rently unable to actually earn
that minor unless it is offered by
the campus at which they are
enrolled.
The new legislation would
allow those students who fulfill
the requirements to earn their
minors, but would not allow stu
dents to transfer campuses for
the purpose of completing a
minor, said Faculty Senator
Robert Shannon, who presented
the legislation.
The new limitation on students
transferring for minors raised
concern among some senators,
who proposed an amendment to
that part of the legislation.
stitutionallv enforce laws. Patricia
Walsh, the leader of the Sheriff
Project, enforced the importance
of sheriffs and citizens standing up
against the federal government.
“If we find a few particular
things that will give us a ground to
stand on, we need to take advan
tage," said Walsh. “Putting out lit
tle fires here and there doesn’t
really do anything. The Sheriff's
Brigade gives us real ground to
stand on.”
While the overall movement
remains the Sheriffs Project, she
stressed the creation of a
"Sheriff's Brigade" in each county
Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2010 I
The amendment was ultimate
ly rejected and the legislation
was approved, despite some
mixed feelings.
“I'm disap
pointed the
report regarding
the minors
passed with the
stipulation that
couldn’t
change campus
es for the pri
mary purpose of
pursuing a minor,” said Blake
Bonnewell, a student senator
from the College of Engineering.
"I think it’s limiting that students
can't control their own educa
tion.”
At the beginning of the meet
ing, Penn State President
Graham Spanier took questions
from the Senate. Senators raised
concerns about two stabbing inci
dents over Homecoming week
end and security for students liv
ing off campus especially with
the Penn State-Michigan game
and Halloween falling on the
same weekend.
Spanier said he was pleased
with the response of student
leaders to the situation and that
security at on-campus events has
discouraged incidences of vio
lence on campus. He added that
the university is •■mindful" about
security for the weekend of the
Michigan game.
"... We hope well be on top of
it." he said.
To e-mail reporter: aqgsoB7@psu.edu
to support and protect their local
sheriff.
The group also detailed their
plans to hold a rally on the steps of
the Pennsylvania State Capitol in
Harrisburg.
"We need to show America that
we do have a voice, we do know
when our government has gone
awry, and we will not be silenced."
said Fasolt.
Attendees of the meetings were
invited to join a Tea Party Rally on
the stairs of the capital building in
Harrisburg on Oct. 23.
To e-mail reporter nwmso7o@psu.edu
Spanier