4 I Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2010
Facu
By Sarah Peters
COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER
The University Faculty Senate
reviewed the success of initiatives
to address excessive alcohol con
sumption and online Student
Ratings of Teaching Effectiveness
yesterday and adopted a revised
academic freedom policy.
Vice President for Student
Affairs Damon Sims presented a
report on student alcohol con
sumption and a review of Penn
State’s initiatives to curb exces
sive alcohol consumption.
"Few topics we deal with in
higher education are more sober
ing than alcohol abuse,” Sims said.
By the beginning of November,
there were 275 alcohol-related vis-
Associated Press file photo
This Dec. 7, 1941 file photo provided by the Department of Defense shows the USS California, right, after being struck by a torpedo and a 500-
pound bomb during a Japanese sneak attack on Pearl Harbor. The attack triggered the U.S.’s involvement in World War II 69 years ago. On
Tuesday, about 50 people gathered at the Pennsylvania Military Museum in Boalsburg to commemorate the attacks and the soldiers who died.
Museum remembers Pearl Harbor
By Eddie Lau
COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER
Sixty-nine years ago Tuesday',
aircraft from the Imperial
.Japanese Navy attacked the U S.
Pacific Fleet at Hawaii.
America was at war.
And despite the cold weather,
about 50 people gathered
Tuesday at the Pennsylvania
Military Museum in Boalsburg to
honor the soldiers who died dur
ing the attack on Pearl Harbor on
Dec. 7.1941. Nearly 2,400 service
men died on the day of the attack,
with more than 1.500 killed in the
first 15 minutes of Japanese
bombings on the USS Oklahoma.
USS Utah and USS Arizona.
The day after the attack, the
United States declared war on
Japan, a declaration that brought
the U S. into World War 11.
The small tribute started at
12:15 p.m. and lasted about 20
minutes. Joe Harvath, the muse
um's educator, and David
Rhoades, a member of the
Friends of the Pennsylvania
Students hold candlelight vigil in support of legislation
By Matt Scorzafave
COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER
More than 40 students and com
munity members gathered on Old
Main’s steps Tuesday night to
show support for the
Development, Relief and
Education for Alien Minors Act
with a candlelight vigil.
The event, sponsored by the
Penn State Latino Caucus and
Penn State College Democrats,
allowed students to unite and
reflect on why they support the
DREAM Act.
If passed, the act will allow
undocumented minors in the U.S.
an opportunity to seek higher edu
cation.
“This has been something in the
works for a few years now,”
Dahiana Tejada said.
Tejada, the president of the
Penn State Latino Caucus, said
that as legislation currently
stands, nearly two million minors
who, as young children, illegally
immigrated with their parents to
the U.S. will not be able to go to
college or join the military.
Senate addresses alcohol issues
Ity
its to Mt. Nittany Medical Center
and 699 referrals to the BASICS
program, Sims said.
But Sims said National Public
Radio’s representation of Penn
State students in an episode of
“This American Life” last year
which portrayed Penn State stu
dents as heavy drinkers and
partiers was inaccurate.
“The typical experience offered
at University Park is not dripping
with alcohol,” Sims said.
“Half of the undergraduate pop
ulation falls between parameters
of light consumption to absti
nence.”
The expanded prohibition of
alcohol in on-campus student res
idences next fall, alcohol-free
recruitment periods for fraterni
Military Museum, delivered short
speeches.
"The significance of Pearl
Harbor is that it threw America
to the war and forever changed
the case of the globe.” Harvath
said.
Harvath and Rhoades both
emphasized the Pennsylvania cit
izens' contribution to the war
effort during World War 11.
Many participants said the trib
ute was meaningful since Pearl
Harbor was a painful day that
Americans should not forget.
“We had a great service, one
that everyone should come to."
said Linda Cook, a resident of
South Philipsburg. "We must
always remember Pearl Harbor.
When I was young there was
much remembrance. Now, not so
much.”
Cook said it is a shame that
people are forgetting the past and
those who gave their lives so
Americans today can live free.
"Our history books contain less
and less about the important
moments in Americas history”
“We will not accept no as an answer.”
Under current legislation,
undocumented minors are
required to provide proof of citi
zenship in order to apply to col
lege, join the military, or apply for
most jobs.
“This is a way of peacefully
protesting,” Tejada (senior-geog
raphy and Latin American stud
ies) said.
“A lot of these kids had no will
when they were brought to
America and they are being
denied human rights.”
Some political analysts expect
the act to be voted on in Congress
today, during the organization’s
lame duck session.
Tejada said it is extremely
important for the act to be passed,
and students in attendance said
they support the act.
Sandra Juarez (sophomore-
Spanish) said the DREAM Act hits
home for her.
LOCAL
ties and sororities and an expan
sion of the offenses that result in
referrals to BASICS and judicial
affairs are some of the university’s
initiatives to curb excessive alco
hol use, Sims said.
He encouraged faculty mem
bers to provide students with a
“robust, five-day week,” to hold
classes the Friday before State
Patty’s Day, and to assign home
work due the Monday following
State Patty’s Day.
Faculty senators also discussed
the decrease in responses for
online SRTEs compared to those
given in the classroom.
Professors on the tenure track
need to submit SRTEs with a two
thirds response rate in their
dociers, and the senators voiced
“It was like a big black eye to America when
that happened. You know, a lot of lives were
lost, a lot of families were torn apart. ”
she said.
We can’t let that happen.
Maggie Kwok, president of
Penn State Veterans
Organization, agreed. She said
Pearl Harbor was one of the most
important events in 20th centuiy.
"It w r as like a big black eye to
America when that happened."
she said. “You know, a lot of lives
were lost, a lot of families were
torn apart."
As a veteran who served in the
Navy for five and half years,
Kwok said people should focus on
healing instead of blaming those
who carried out the Pearl Harbor
attack.
“We shouldn't focus on the
attack,” she said. “We should
focus on people who lost their
Dahiana Tejada
Latino Caucus president
“I have friends and family who
want the experience of a college
education,” Jaurez said.
“These families came to
America to provide better oppor
tunities for their family, and
they’re being denied that.”
The vigil began with opening
remarks from student leaders,
and followed with students shar
ing stories of how the DREAM Act
affects them.
Tejada said the candles used
represent students’ fire and pas
sion in supporting the cause.
“It’s symbolic of keeping our
light and showing that we will con
tinue to support the act,” she said.
Rob Ghormoz, the president of
Penn State College Democrats,
said his organization was glad to
work with the Latino Caucus.
“This is really about the perse
cution of people who didn’t do any
thing wrong,” Ghormoz (senior-
concerns that the online SRTEs
make that more difficult. For the
fall 2008 semester at Penn State
Dußois, the mean response rate
for paper SRTEs was 84 percent,
compared to a 69 percent mean
response rate for online SRTEs in
spring 2009, according to a report
by the Senate Committee on
Faculty Affairs.
After a lengthy discussion and
review of several proposed
amendments, the Senate passed a
revision to Policy HR64 on aca
demic freedom which deals
with what professors can say in a
classroom setting, among other
things.
The amendment clarified lan
guage in the policy regarding the
definition of academic freedom
Maggie Kwok
Penn State Veterans Organization president
lives at the attack and the subse
quent lives we lost during the
war.”
This is the second year for the
Military Museum, located three
miles east of State College, to
host the tribute.
“The reason we do it here is
because we have the guns from
the USS Pennsylvania, which was
at Pearl Harbor during the
attacks," said Chuck Smith, the
museum's administrator. The
USS Pennsylvania, in dry-dock at
Pearl Harbor, was among the first
ships to return fire on Japanese
warplanes. Smith said it is impor
tant to remember those who
ser v ed and defended the country.
To e-mail reporter: tolslos@psu.edu
Courtesy of Everardo Tapia
Students supporting the Development, Relief and Education for Alien
Minors Act participate in a candlelight vigil Tuesday night.
political science) said.
“They really brought the pas
sion and we brought the political
know-how.”
Student leaders encouraged chanting “iPor el sueno!” which
students to call their representa- translates to “For the dream.”
tive and senators today to encour
age the passing of DREAM
The Daily Collegian
and the responsibilities of instruc
tors. The revised policy also
grants librarians access to aca
demic freedom.
Penn State President Graham
Spanier also addressed a ques
tion about the upcoming fiscal
year.
Spanier said he doesn’t “think
we’re going to have any difficulty
in being listened to,” but he antici
pates difficulty in getting financial
help because of the state’s multi
billion dollar deficit and Governor-
Elect Tom Corbett’s pledge to not
raise taxes.
“What we're trying to guard
against is a massive cut in new
appropriations,” Spanier said.
To e-mail reporter: svpso7l@psu.edu
Volunteers
speak on
experience
By Jessica Wabara
COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER
Tuesday night. Penn State stu
dents welcomed back local volun
teers who left the comforts of their
homes to help others in need
around the world.
Penn State Career Services'
Returned Peace Corps Volunteer
Panel event featured former
Peace Corps volunteers who came
to speak on their experiences with
the Corps, a federal agency that
promotes development around
the world.
“It’s about giving back and help
ing developing countries through
service. " said Mel Lawson (sen
ior-crime law and justice).
Nellie Bhattarai, Penn State's
Peace Corps recruiter, said the
Peace Corps program is signifi
cant because it allows people to go
abroad and learn about different
cultures and people.
"We are often very self
absorbed and forget that every
thing we do here in the States
impacts people around the world,"
said Bhattarai.
The panel included five gradu
ate students Trevor Ammons.
Lindsay Usher. Brianna Buehler.
Kristal Jones and Elbe Andrews
and a former Penn State facul
ty member. Art Heim.
The panel members shared
their experiences to students
about the countries where they
volunteered.
Carolyn Higgins (junior-nurs
ing) said she hopes to travel to
South Africa where she sees her
self using the degree she receive
from Penn State to help make a
difference.
“The Peace Corps has people
bring their different skills to the
table to help others." Higgins said.
After sharing their experiences
the panel answered questions
from the audience members.
The panel agreed their volun
teering experiences were life
changing and taught them about
the simplicity' of life.
“You learn to fit your life into a
backpack." Ammons (graduate
international affairs) said.
Usher. who served in
Guatemala, said she learned the
importance of family and commu
nity.
"The people you meet there
help you more than you will help
them," Usher (graduate
recreation, park and tourism)
said.
Bhattarai, who was a volunteer
in Nepal, said her experience was
“life-changing."
“If you see something you don’t
like, it creates a drive in you to
make a change," she said.
To e-mail reporter: jdws2B4@psu.edu
“We will not accept no as an
answer,” Tejada said.
The vigil concluded with a
moment of silence and students
To e-mail reporter: mrss429@psu.edu