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More on education Charter schools Schools and nutrition VOICES OF CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA
PAGE 7 PAGE 9
April 2012
A tale of two school districts the truth about Corbett’s education budget
Philipsburg Osceola Area School District
Penns Valley Area School District
PA G E 3 COMMUNITY The scoop of a lifetime: local media and the Sandusky scandal pg 10 Independent News Since 1993
ENVIRONMENT Cerro Metals deal concerns activists pg 25 ART Anna Brewer: artist pg 27 and activist
UNIVERSITY Why PSU grads leave State College pg 21 OPINION A sex abuse survivor pg 33 speaks out
Thoughtful. Fearless. Free.
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April 2012 Thoughtful. Fearless. Free. © 2012 Voices of Central Pennsylvania, Inc.
April 2012 ΄ BOARD OF EDITORS contact the managing editor at voices@voicesweb.org Managing Editor Lucy Bryan Green Politics and Economics Elizabeth Timberlake-Newell Community and Lifestyles Andrea Rochat University Open Environment Sean Flynn Arts and Entertainment Elizabeth Timberlake-Newell Opinion William Saas Webmaster Bill Eichman
ART and DESIGN Kay Shamalla, Cover Graphics Mali Campbell, Graphics
CIRCULATION Kevin Handwerk circulation@voicesweb.org
ADVERTISING INQUIRIES Marisa Eichman advertising@voicesweb.org
BOARD OF DIRECTORS president Bill Eichman 4bille@windstream.net vice president Pamela Monk pamelapolis@gmail.com secretary Elaine Meder-Wilgus elaine@webstersbookstorecafe.com treasurer Julia Hix juliahix3@gmail.com Arthur Goldschmidt Jr. axg2@psu.edu Mike McGough mikem@3wz.com
Voices: the press at its best Last month, at our annual Voices Fun!Raiser, I had the pleasure of talking to many of you about why I think this small, independent, volunteer-operated newspaper is the press at it’s best. As I continued to think about what it means to write and publish good journalism, I couldn’t resist cracking open one of my favorite essays about the American media. Much of George Saunders “The Braindead Megaphone” is a scathing indictment of the press, which he says is often “bottom-dwelling, shrill, incurious, ranting, and agenda-driven.” But Saunders also acknowledges the LETTERS POLICY Voices encourages letters and opinions commenting on local issues. Letters should be a maximum of 250 words, opinion pieces 600 to 800 words. Include phone number for verification. We reserve the right to edit letters for length and to reject those deemed beyond the limits of good taste. Due to space limitations, we cannot guarantee publication of all letters. Letters become the property of Voices of Central Pennsylvania. E-mail to oped@voicesweb.org. ADVERTISING POLICY Write to advertising@voicesweb.org for rate information. Voices reserves the right to refuse any advertising deemed incompatible with a socially responsible publication. Only publication signifies acceptance of an ad by Voices. Publication of an ad does not imply endorsement or recommendation by Voices of any product or service. Deadline to reserve space is the 15th of the month. Cancellation of an ad by the customer after the 15th incurs full charge. Voices accepts advertisements from all political candidates regardless of their party or viewpoint. Rates are standard for all ads. Inquiries to advertising@voicesweb.org. Voices of Central Pennsylvania Calder Square, P.O. Box 10066 State College, PA 16805 (814) 234-1699 voices@voicesweb.org www.voicesweb.org Voices of Central Pennsylvania is a 501(c)3 nonprofit and volunteer organization. Donations and bequests will ensure the future of the free press in Centre County. Donate at www.voicesweb.org or contact voices@voicesweb.org for details.
from the desk of managing editor
Lucy Bryan Green power of good journalism in a passage worthy of memorization by every member of the press: “The best stories proceed from a mysterious truth-seeking impulse that narrative has when revised extensively; they are complex and baffling and ambiguous; they tend to make us slower to act, rather than quicker. “They make us more humble, cause us to empathize with people we don’t know, because they help us imagine these people, and when we imagine them—if the storytelling is good enough—we imagine them as being, essentially, like us. “If the story is poor, or has an agenda, if it comes out of a paucity of imagination or is rushed, we imagine those other people as essentially unlike us: unknowable, inscrutable, inconvertible.” I hope that you have come to count on Voices for consistently good storytelling. I also hope that this month’s cover story on the challenges facing two Centre
County school Voices Advisory districts stirs Council you to compasNick Brink sion and raises Jamie Campbell your awareness Jane Childs about the comJohn Dickison plexities of Ann Glaser funding public Elizabeth Kirchner education. Bonnie Marshall Giving further Curt Marshall nuance to the Bob Potter issues covered Diane Prosser in that piece are Bonnie K. Smeltzer the article on Susan Squier charter schools Maria Sweet in Politics and Kim Tait Economics and Mary Watson Sue Werner the article on Greg Woodman nutrition in pubLakshman Yapa lic schools in Community and Lifestyles. Thank you for all you do to keep Voices thoughtful, fearless and free. And remember, there’s always more to be done. Send me an email or drop by one of our staff meetings at Irvings Bagels on Wednesday nights at 6:45 if you’d like to help.
Top Stories in This Issue POLITICS and ECONOMICS
pages 3-8
Corbett budget neglects education funding by Elizabeth Timberlake-Newell.....................3
COMMUNITY and LIFESTYLES
pages 9-14
School funding influences child nutrition by Vince D’Imperio...............................................9
ENVIRONMENT
pages 15-20
Industrial park deal worries activists by Catherine Jampel...........................................15
UNIVERSITY
pages 21-25
PSU Researchers take on stink bugs by Alaina Bradley.......................................................21
ARTS and ENTERTAINMENT
pages 26-29
Sculptor envisions nature’s unseen world by Andrea Rochet.......................................26
OPINION
pages 30-35
A sexu abuse survivor’s reflections on the Sandusky scandal by Annie-hannah Mancini...33
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April 2012
Corbett budget neglects education funding by Elizabeth Timberlake-Newell In February, every school board member and superintendent in Pennsylvania was holding his or her breath, waiting to hear the details of Governor Corbett’s budget. Some were bracing for the worst. Jeffrey Ammerman, business administrator for State College Area School District (SCASD) assumed Basic Education funding (the amount allotted by the state for student achievement) would fall by $500,000. He also assumed that the Accountability Block Grant would remain the same at $128,000. This grant was a $200 million investment offered to schools beginning in 2004-2005 to establish, maintain or expand pre-kindergarten, full day kindergarten and smaller class sizes in kindergarten through third grade. According to Corbett’s budget, only the state’s share of money paid out for district personnel pensions would increase. But Ammerman couldn’t have predicted Corbett’s proposed budget maneuvers for education. The governor combined five school district budget items—basic education funding, school employees’ social security, pupil transportation, special education transportation, nonpublic and charter school pupil transportation— into one block item called the Student Achievement Education Block Grant (SAEBG). Eliminating the Accountability Block Grant, he allocated $6,516, 087,000 towards the SAEBG. The Pennsylvania Department of Education press releases claim that in doing this, Corbett has increased the budgeted money available to school districts by $21,823,000, an increase of 0.34 percent. Graphs produced by the department of education comparing budgeted money in 2011/2012 and 2012/2013 showed increased funding to every school district. SCASD will receive a 9.68 percent increase, while the proposed increases at Philipsburg-Osceola Area School District (POASD) and Penns Valley Area School
District (PVASD) are much more modest at 2.35 and 3.47 percent, respectively. However, the governor’s budget increases do not equate to more money spent on educating students. According to the Governor’s executive budget, each district will receive the same amount of basic education funding as it had for the 2010-2011 school year, but the percentages allotted for transportation and social security for employees have changed. The portion of the state budget for schools that has increased the most is the amount put towards school employees’ retirement. Governor Corbett’s budget will have different effects on two school districts— Penns Valley (PVASD) and PhilipsburgOsceola (POASD). PVASD has the largest land area of the three and the smallest number of students and is still contending with last year’s budget cuts. POASD is a district in the midst of a difficult decision on how to consolidate the number of school buildings operated and either renovate or build while part of the community fights the change. Penns Valley Area School District At a School Board work meeting in March, Superintendent Brian Griffith presented his perspective on the effects of Governor Corbett’s budget. “When the governor says he is increasing funding for education, he is accurate, but that doesn’t tell the whole story,” said Superintendent Griffith. He went on to explain that while it looks like the school district is receiving more money from the state, that most of the increase is in the state’s portion of retirement costs and school district employees’ social security. The state and the school districts’ retirement costs have risen not just because more employees have retired, but also because the state general assembly changed the laws to give retirees more money.
Graph courtesy of Commonewealth Foundation
This graph demonstrates the expected dramatic rise in school employee pension payouts due to Pennsylvania’s Act 9 and the delay in payouts enacted in 2003 in Act 40.
In 2001, the state legislature passed Act 9, which changed the amounts paid into retirement for school district employees by reducing the number of years an employee had to vest in a system from ten to five, and changed the pension payout formula so that it is no longer based on the average lifetime earnings but would be based on the three highest salary years. The reason legislators did this was that in 2001, the pension system was 123 percent funded due to high returns in investments. As a result, employees were contributing more than the employers, whose contributions were reduced because of the surplus (See Voices July 2001 for the original report on Act 9 by Michael Brand). According to Michael Brand, an expert in nonprofit management and education organizations, these changes increased pension payouts by 25 percent. By the end of that same year, the economy had taken a downturn, and as a result, the investments that had been creating a surplus in retirement funds no longer performed at
expected levels. “Act 9 will go down in history as THE most destructive piece of legislation ever passed,” wrote Brand in an email. “It will cripple this state for decades to come.” The contributions of the school districts needed to rise sharply to meet the payout demands. To finance this, according to Brand, districts would have had to raise property tax rates by 10 to 20 percent. To prevent this near-catastrophe, the General Assembly passed Act 40 in 2003, which kept the school district and state contributions to retirement funds for school employees lower than they had been. Contributions at the expected level were postponed until the fiscal year (FY) of 2012-2013. This year, Act 40 expires, and Pennsylvanians will be forced to reckon with the costs of the pension system. In real numbers, according to a 2008 pension reform white paper,
see
School Funds, pg. 4
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School Funds, pg. 3
Pennsylvania’s contribution to the public school employees’ retirement funds will rise from $340 million in FY2011-12 to $728 million in FY2012-13. The districts’ costs will increase at the same rate, from $261 million to $662 million in those same years. According to Brand, these numbers were based on an eight percent average interest yield in the retirement investments. If average returns are lower, the amounts owed by taxpayers via the state’s and the districts’ contributions are even higher. While the money paid out to school districts to fund employee retirement packages will increase, the educational and operational money will decrease or be funneled elsewhere. “This is where the story is, on these four
items—PA accountability block grant, charter school funding, ARRA, Edujobs,” said Superintendent Griffith, pointing to a graph showing the relative amounts of money. “This changed significantly last year.” Last year, Governor Corbett took $300 million dollars of state education money and put it into a “rainy day fund,” while replacing this money with the federal funding from Edujobs, a $10 billion national initiative that was intended to help schools retain staff, increase salaries and reduce furloughs. That money is not available this year. Compounding this shortfall are other large-scale cuts. The $100 billion released to education by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) is dwindling, with no clear replacement for funds, and Corbett is cutting the $100 million used to fund full-day kindergarten from the Accountability Block Grant.
Meanwhile, the school districts are also funding the charter schools that serve their residents. In 2008-2009, charter schools cost $820,166, Philipsburg-Osceola spent $354,641 and dished out $3,226,759 for charter schools. Superintendent Griffith also pointed to the inclusion of transportation in the new SAEBG as a potentially troublesome financial point. “When we [the school district] approve a bus, it costs a fixed amount of money, and a variable amount based on fuel expenses,” he explained. “We get a portion back, based on a formula—the newer the bus, the more the miles with kids, the greater the reimbursement.” But according to him, the state’s reimbursement does not cover the actual costs in transportation, because the school district runs as few buses as possible with as many pupils on them as possible, and the school district is very large. If the school district ran more buses, it would be reimbursed more money. Because the district runs fewer buses but each bus travels more miles , the district cannot recoup the costs. On top of that, the cost of gas is rising, and while PVASD had previously locked in fuel costs for student transportation, the company through which it did so has gone bankrupt. Dropping the formula means that the amount the district is reimbursed won’t be based on current or actual expenditures. Instead, that component will be based on the state’s allocation to the school districts from the 2010/2011 school year. All these cuts and expenditures leave the district with only two options: increase taxes or make cuts. “Real estate taxes have increased 1 to 2 percent [in the past years],” said Griffith. “Right now, if we take the index plus the exclusion [the tax formula used to determine property taxes], it’s a 3.6 percent increase in taxes.” PVASD has filed for a referendum exemption to raise property taxes beyond the amount currently permitted by Act 1 allowable index—1.7 percent. The district is also considering consolidating programs, looking at staffing and limiting outside-school placements of alternative education programs. Last year, the district
April 2012 cut the activity bus, which took students home from after-school activities. But Griffith made his presentation in a charged atmosphere of disarray and discontent. Sal Nicosia, the President of the School Board, had promised some residents that there would be a discussion of the RAM Community Centre at the meeting, but just hours before the start of the work session, he tendered his resignation from the board, effective immediately. Some locals oppose the center because it is being built on school property. Still, the RAM Centre could be a source of revenue for the district in terms of lease payments, according to what some of the school district officials told the CDT in March. This could have a real impact in terms of local contribution to the district’s budget, as PVASD gathers 64 percent of its total revenue from local sources. Philipsburg-Osceola Area School District The Philipsburg-Osceola Area School District, on the other hand, is 60 percent funded by state money. According to district superintendent Dr. Steven Benson, that is more than any other district in the state. “We survived last year,” Benson said of last year’s $1.6 million budget cuts and the governor’s 2012-13 budget. “If it continues on that trajectory, it will become more difficult to continue implementing our vision for the school district.” That vision, according to Benson, includes improving the quality of education in his school district—increasing course offerings at the high school, bringing world language classes to grades 5-12 and making technology available earlier and to more students. But these enhancements to the district come at a time when the past, present and future seem consumed with financial challenges and clashes on building projects. In 2006, the school district, which owed between $2 and $5 million, went bankrupt. “[The district had] to borrow money
see
School Funds, pg. 5
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April 2012
from
School Funds, pg. 4
from the bank just to keep running,” Benson said. That year, the district furloughed 50 staff members. Some of these employees were eventually brought back, and since then, staff size has only reduced through attrition and retirement. The district, under the direction of Superintendent Benson, has also taken cost cutting measures, but it has raised taxes. One of the biggest future cost-cutting measures planned by the district is school consolidation. According to Benson, enrollment has been declining for years in the school district. “While people liked their neighborhood schools… in a rural district more schools cost more money,” said Benson. “So as finances go down, costs go up.” To deal with this issue, in 2009 the dis-
trict brought together a committee of 23 people made up of community volunteers and school personnel to study the possibility of consolidation. One sub-committee considered the possibility of maintaining the status quo, while the other two researched scaling down to four buildings or to between one and three buildings, respectively. The committee made public presentations and sent a survey to each household in the district. An external survey organization collected the results and reported that one-third of households responded. Of those that responded, 65 percent supported consolidation into four buildings. The committee recommended the four building plan to the POASD school board, and in April 2010, the board approved a four school building plan for the district. To carry out this plan, the board considered a feasibility study done by Crabtree, Rohrbaugh & Associates, Architects to
evaluate current facilities, district demographics and projections, educational facilities options and cost estimates. What the architects found was that two of the elementary schools needed renovations. North Lincoln Hills Elementary School, built in 1969 and never renovated, was out of compliance with multiple building codes, including life-safety. A $7.1 million renovation was suggested. Osceola Mills had been renovated in 1995, but the school’s roof now needs a new coating to extend its usable life and the building needs a new HVAC system and carpeting. This building would be the cheapest to renovate at $450,000. The architects deemed the junior high school (built in 1937, renovated in 1972) non-compliant with codes, including lifesafety, and they estimated the school needed $14.6 million in renovations to improve the school. The architects questioned whether it was in the school dis-
trict’s interest to renovate a building that had no athletic fields or student amenities due to highly limited space. They suggested building a new facility elsewhere. Based on the study and the building committee reports, the board determined that the best course of action was to consolidate by combining the grades K-4 elementary school populations from Philipsburg Elementary and North Lincoln Hills into one population at Philipsburg Elementary and to bring together grades 5-8 as a middle school at a heavily converted and renovated building at the North Lincoln Hills location. POASD intends to keep Osceola Mills open but to renovate it. The estimated cost of the project, comprising the Osceola Mills renovation and a conversion/re-build of North Lincoln
see
School Funds, pg. 6
6
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April 2012
School Funds, pg. 5
Hills, is between $21 and $22 million, roughly the same as the cost of renovating the two older buildings. The planned closure of the junior high school building could not come soon enough from a maintenance perspective. “Every time it rains, we have buckets all over the junior high,” said Benson, referring to the twenty-year-old roof that was supposed to be a ten-year roof. Frequent maintenance by the custodial staff has thus far extended the life of the roof, but according to POASD administrative staff, costs for roof upkeep are mounting. Other parts of the building are equally costly to maintain. As a whole, according to POASD public relations officer Dena Cipriano, the number of repairs to the junior high school is significant compared to other the other school buildings. Cipriano
lists the heating, electrical and plumbing and roof all as systems or major elements of the building in need of massive overhaul. “The heating system is so outdated that they are scouring the planet for used parts to keep it going,” remarked Benson. “There is one company in the whole country that can repair it.” Less structurally important, but telling nonetheless, is that the auditorium chairs, which are original to the structure, have broken and the straw padding that filled them is falling out, according to Cipriano. “The core message that I would like people to understand is that the community has taken care of that building,” said Benson. “If you go into it, you can see that people have taken care of it, but the electrical systems and heat systems are worn out.” Although the community generally supported the consolidation plan as a cost-
“Every time it rains, we have buckets all over the junior high.” --POASD Superintendent Steven Benson
cutting measure and two of the school district’s buildings are not up to building codes, by the time that the plans were proposed January 2010, they were already subject to controversy. Some residents did not want to close the junior high school, such as Emily GetteDoyle, manager of the Philipsburg Mainstreet Program. She told the CDT that she considers the school “a vital community asset.” Others have proposed a “work party” to complete renovations on the aging downtown school. The Borough of Philipsburg has sent a letter to the school board requesting a delay in construction plans for a year to two years. In the letter, the borough council claimed that it would fiscally irresponsible for the district to undertake any building project that requires partial reimbursement from the Pennsylvania Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) because the department’s budget will be cut by $114.3 million. The DECD assists in financing building projects in the state in its mission to help Pennsylvania businesses and communities to thrive and thereby enhance the quality of life for state residents. The DECD is expected to assist in two much needed building projects in Philipsburg—a mandatory sanitary sewer plant upgrade and the Cold Stream High Hazard Dam replacement. The borough claims that the district’s building project is in direct competition with these. Potentially stymieing efforts to recoup some of the costs of construction for POASD, Corbett has asked for a moratorium on school construction projects for one year. This moratorium could not come at a worse time for the school district, as it
deals with the high costs of maintenance of a school building past its useable years. Putting the school construction/renovation on hold does not just continue the costs of maintenance; it also prevents the district from eliminating a series of costs that would no longer be necessary if the schools were consolidated. Superintendent Benson said the district could cut costs by consolidating food services. “The junior high cafeteria is losing $19 to $20 k a year,” said Benson. “[It]is losing money every day its open.” There would be other staff savings due to consolidation. The total maintenance staff would be reduced by two through planned attrition with the junior high’s closure. The district could eliminate one school nurse position, and according to Benson it would no longer need a dean of students. Cost of utilities would drop. The planned new building would have zoned heating and cooling, which is more efficient and therefore less costly than the junior high’s system. The district’s internet services bill would, according to district staff, drop by $19,000, the cost of internet service to one school. Student transportation would become simpler and more cost-efficient. Currently, three schools are on the same bus loading schedule and share 18 buses. The buses rotate around the schools, dropping off or picking up students at the beginning or end of the day. Under the consolidation plan, these same buses would only go to two schools, saving time and fuel. According to Benson, the buses would also no longer clog downtown Philipsburg traffic, as only buses dropping off in-town students would go into town. But Benson stresses that the consolidation, building and renovation work could do more than just cut costs, it could enhance education. “When I walk through the schools and see all these kids, I think they should have every opportunity that every kid in every other school district has,” said Superintendent Benson. “I know we don’t need to pay more to do that.”
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April 2012
PA falls in ranking of charter school friendliness laws by Radesha Piles Pennsylvania has fallen from 12th most “charter school friendly” state in 2011 to 16th in 2012, according to the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools’ rankings. The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools is a national not-for-profit organization founded to support charter schools. It evaluates the charter schools laws based on a model consisting of 20 components. Not all components are equally weighted . NAPCS bases its rankings on “school laws, not necessarily the performance of the schools” said Vice President of State Advocacy and Support for the National Alliance of Public Charter Schools Todd Ziebarth. “We evaluate on the quality of the law and hold the schools accountable on how well they support the schools” Ziebarth said. According to the NAPCS model, states are ranked higher for enacting laws that support charter schools. According to Schoolfacts.co the Central Pennsylvania Public School Coalition, there is a tension between the public schools and the charter schools in Centre County. Due to the district educational budget cuts, State College Area school districts ability to fund cyber and charter school has changed. In Centre county, CEO-CAO of Young Scholars of Central Pennsylvania, Levent
Kaya says the rankings come out every year and the laws are accessed by criteria such as: “no caps for the number of charter schools in the state, multiple authorizers to authorize charter school establishment; clear process for renewal; non renewal, and revocation decisions.” Charter schools run off of money from public school system budgets. Cyber and charter schools are allocated 30 percent of the State college Area School District budget, which may not provide enough funding for the activities and programs these charter schools offer. Most public schools in Centre County fund the entire cost of student trips and extracurricular activities., such as school bus transportation and ESL courses. Charter schools usually can not afford these costs. In centre county, at the monthly Parents Advisory Council meeting for Young Scholars of Central Pennsylvania (YSCP), a charter school, parents discussed whether charter schools were mistreated by their school district and whether the drop in NAPCS friendliness rankings was justified. “Our administration and transportation are not efficiently calculated at the state level,” he added. Currently, because charter schools are not free, local tax payers are covering the educational bills while the state is cutting their costs for funding. Schoolfacts.co says the state cuts range from a low of 13 percent to a high of 24 percent of the dis-
“I’m still very proud of how our charter school runs with limited funds and resources.” --Ali Demirici, parent of a YSCP student
trict budget. “I’m still very proud of how our charter school runs with limited funds and resources,” said Ali Demirici, a parent of a YSCP student. On the other hand, parents wanted to know why the funding was distributed so unequally between the public schools in the district and the charter school when it is a part of the same district. “State College Area pubic schools summer schools were free, while charter schools were not free,” member of the Parents Association Council Anna Perederina said. “I was surprised that the buses for transportation to my sons ESL courses had to be paid for, and I did not know why.” Ziebarth says NACPS’s rankings also take into account equitable funding, autonomy and flexibility. Pennsylvania rankings dropped this year because “other states acted really aggressive towards their laws” said Ziebarth, “while Pennsylvania did not.” The Pennsylvania government has not
enacted laws that demand an equitable share of district funds for the charter schools. Perhaps just as important though is that there is no open dialogue between administrators of district and charter schools. “Charter schools and public school interaction is only done during the renewal process for the charter schools,” said Kaya. This means administrators for the district and the charter school only make contact when the charter school is in the process of renewing its charter. They do not meet to discuss the district’s budget or amount allotted to the charter school. While Pennsylvania has fallen short of supporting charter schools Kaya said “we are lucky we have teachers staying at our schools.” According to public records, teachers at YSCP take a pay cut to teach at the school. Teachers at YSCP earn on average $35,000, while teachers in the public schools of the district earned an average salary of $64,000 in 2009. “If there is more known about our schools, maybe we can begin to advocate more” says Corey Whitesell from YSCP. The tension between public and charter schools has not deterred parents from sending their children to charter schools according to the YSCP Parents Association Council. However, after the dialogue at parents association council meeting, Kaya says “maybe the 30 percent is not enough.”
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April 2012
Deutschworks: The LAGuide to fulfillment by Steve Deutsch
are a must. First, you must be present at the actual game. You must develop a state of mind that will allow you to believe that Murphy’s error on a damned, **#**###, simple ground ball to third is more important than world peace. Then behave accordingly. Obsessive hobbies We highly recommend an obsessive hobby as it will take over your entire life. In the guide, we will provide you with the nature and manner of 158 potential obsessive hobbies. Here, we will discuss only “duplicate bridge,” which is played for an imaginary currency called “Masterpoints.” The game is played with partner, given a “directional” name—-say, South, but to you, sooner or later, you will simply refer to him as “that lowlife.” Hard-up divorce attorneys recommend that troubled couples play as partners.
Steve Deutsch is a regular satire columnist for Voices At LAG, our current studies show that 43 percent of Americans feel they are in deadend unrewarding jobs. Another 54 percent are in so deeply immersed in work related comas that they were unable to fill out our questionnaires. Only 3 percent of those surveyed— mostly politicians, televangelists, and card sharps—feel fulfilled in any way. With the average work week now roughly 74.8 hours and the possibility of retirement is out of the question for 99.6 percent of us before the age of 87.6, it is important that Americans find another means of fulfillment. Sure, the lucky ones have turned to sex, drugs and rock and roll, but what is there for the rest of us? Compounding the problem is the undeniable fact that most Americans have gotten tired of people no more talented than they are, singing, dancing, gossiping, backstabbing and manufacturing crises, on ever larger and thinner screens with better than viewable definition in surround sound. As a people, growing tired of the tube We at Stevieslaw feel that reviving the tradition of engrossing hobbies may provide the answer to rewarding free time. That is the reason we are proud to announce the publication of “Beyond the Tube,” the LAG to enjoying your free time. In the guide, you will learn all about: Traditional hobbies Collecting things such as stamps, coins, butterflies, books or belly button lint can be very rewarding. Collections may be easily stratified by socio-economic class—the poor can collect string, the middle class can collect string, and the 1%-ers can collect vacation homes. Dabbling in the arts by painting provides a fine way to spend your free time. Certain graffiti techniques will allow you to combine these arts—-practicing on a bank wall will make you a new set of friends in either the local occupy movement or in jail. Learning to play a musical instrument will reward not just you but your family
On Line hobbies On-line hobbies can be practiced while at work, a huge advantage. They also have elements of tradition, obsession and activity, particularly if you are so focused on winning that each of your moves is aerobic. You can play these games on your work computers, your tablets or your smart phones. In the guide you will learn about the new, incredible Ithumb, a device so small that it is often confused with a hangnail. It will be equipped with a personalized full size virtual keyboard and 48inch virtual screen; so that no one will ever know that nearly continuous finger motions are actually keystrokes. Need we mention that collecting LAG guides is a fantastically rewarding hobby? They are sure to get rarer, so their value can only go up. For now, you need never be bored again—-just buy LAG and go play!
Photo by Steve Deutsch
Steve Deutsch in his original native habitat of New York City.
and neighbors, but will provide that dog next door with yet another reason to howl. While some guides recommend the brasses, we feel the nearly impossible to play, high pitched stringed instruments are best. Playing board games can be fun for the whole family. Moreover, a few games of Monopoly, Risk and Clue can give you the same deep insight that many of the current candidates for the Presidency have about American finance, foreign policy and justice. Active Hobbies You can’t go wrong with an active hobby, like tennis, bowling, softball, or hula hooping. Join a gym. The advantages include the enhanced ability to fall asleep during work, the medically approved sick leave for sprained, strained or broken whatever, and the ability to lord your active lifestyle over couch-potato neighbors who’ve complained about your cello playing. Try golf if you don’t like to sweat while active. Watching baseball, football, soccer, or basketball may be considered an active hobby, if you do it correctly. Bad manners
We are changing the climate on climate change. On April 30th at 7 pm noted Penn Staters will confront the climate change denial machine and call for deeper action. Join us. Questions and answer will follow the presentations by:
Dr. Donald Brown, of Climate Ethics and former Clinton Administration Diplomat Peter Buckland, Co-host of Sustainability Now Radio Dr. Janet Swim, Chair of the American Psychological Associations task force on the Psychology of Climate Change Dr. Rick Shuhmann, of Engineering Leadership Dr. Michael Mann, director of Penn State’s Earth System Science Center, Nobel-Prize co-winner for his work on the 2007 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and author of The Hockey Stick and the Climate Wars.
Confronting the climate change denial machine.
Monday April 30th at 7 pm 101 Thomas Building, University Park Sponsored by PSU Center for Sustainability, Sierra Club Moshannon, Elk County C.A.R.E.S., Voices of Central Pa, and more. Sponsorships or questions? Contact Peter Buckland: pdb118@psu.edu
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April 2012
School funding influences child nutrition by Vince D’Imperio New research conducted by Penn State sociology professors suggests that the financial situation of public schools and their nutrition programs has a much stronger impact on the health of children than family socioeconomic standing, as was previously believed. Researchers looked at data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, which contained information about 16,133 students in 132 schools. Assistant professor of sociology and demography Molly Martin said that their findings hit three main points: family influence, school influence and how they work together. “It was puzzling because there’s a lot of language in the media that says ‘Poor kids are overweight,’” said Martin. “But there’s a lot of research saying it wasn’t true. Maybe it’s not family income that matters, but the relative wealth of schools.” According to Martin, the data suggested that the level of parents’ education is a highly predictive factor in the weight of children. Additionally, children who attend poorer schools are more likely to be overweight. She claimed that the most surprising results
came with how the two factors worked together. The research indicated that children who attend poor schools and have highly educated parents are more likely to be overweight. Martin said this signifies that children’s health is more dependent on the poverty of their school than on the education of their parents—a claim that could direct more attention toward academic funding in the larger campaign against childhood obesity. However State College Area School District Food Service Director Megan Schaper disagrees. “From what I’ve seen in my work, I believe the home influence on students is the number one factor in their eating habits,” Shaper said. “By the time they enter a school environment, their taste buds and eating habits have been established for about five years.” Schaper, the 2012 Director of the Year for the School Nutrition Association, said that running a school cafeteria can be difficult because public schools need to pay their expenses independently as they are not funded by the general school district fund. “It’s all about finding a balance,” she said. “Putting out food that kids will want to eat,
Photo by Vince D’Imperio
State College Area School District offers a variety of nutritious options in their lunchline at Ferguson Township Elementary. Students are encouraged to include these options in their lunches.
yet keeping it nutritious and affordable is the key, and I think we’ve struck that balance well.” For instance, State College Area serves flavored milk in their cafeterias, despite the extra calories and sugar.
“I would like to serve only white milk, but I’m not confident students would drink it,” said Schaper. “In my opinion, it’s better they
see
Nutrition, pg. 14
New CATARide contract upsets riders, drivers by Alanna Pawlowski For many of the senior and disabled riders on the Centre Area Transportation Authority’s CATARide service, which offers curb-to-curb shuttles for individuals who cannot use the CATA buses, the personal interaction with their drivers is all they might have in a day. That relationship, however, may be changing. On April 1, Missouri-based company Ride Right LLC is taking over the operation of CATARide, which local firm Handy Delivery Inc. has operated for over 30 years. The change will bring with it new drivers, uniforms and an on-bus policy restricting drivers’ conversations with passengers. “I’ve gotten to know the [old] drivers really well,” said Josie Smith, 61, a
CATARide customer for 14 years. “I sort of think of it as a family and I regret CATA’s decision to go out-of-state. We will break [Ride Rite] in, but [Handy Delivery] will be missed…it’s a company with a heart.” Michelle McManus, 37, who has been using CATARide for 12 years, shared similar sentiments. McManus lives alone and is dependent upon CATARide when she needs to commute. She expressed surprise and disappointment that riders such as herself only learned about the change in providers a week before the March 3 CATA public hearing and meet-and-greet with Ride Right. Smith, who uses the service about 15 to 20 times each week, said she is also concerned about the Handy Delivery drivers’ jobs. Of the nine current drivers, two are transferring from Handy Delivery to Ride Right to stay CATARide drivers. According to
Handy Delivery co-owner Norrine Byers, all of her drivers applied for the new positions. Some of the drivers were denied employment or not contacted after applying; three or four were offered a position but decided to stay with Handy. Dennis Stamm, a CATARide driver of two years, stated that Handy Delivery treated him well and that he turned down a job with Ride Right due to concerns with their new policies. “On this bus, you can carry on a conversation, that’s how you get people to trust you,” said Stamm. “According to the paper I signed [for Ride Right], they didn’t want you carrying on a conversation or accepting gratitude.” Ride Right’s policy to restrict on-bus interactions stems from safety concerns related to distracted driving. In discussion
of this policy, Byers claimed that in the past 30 years, Handy Delivery has had around ten accidents—none of which were severe and none of which were caused by a distracted driver. For CATA, the decision to switch providers resulted from a proposal process for contracts. According to Louwana Oliva, CATA’s assistant general manager, CATA informed Handy Delivery in July 2011 that, due to a price increase and contract changes that Handy Delivery had asked for, CATA would issue a nationwide request for proposals in nine months. During those last nine months of Handy Delivery’s contract, the company decreased its cost per passenger twice, first from $18.50
see
CATARide, pg. 12
10
April 2012
Scooping the scandal: a local media analysis by Sean Flynn Before the national media descended upon State College and long after they left, local reporters and media organizations have been at the forefront of unraveling the Jerry Sandusky scandal at Penn State. Breaking the story Two years before the grand jury presentment against Sandusky was made public, a young Centre Daily Times reporter named Sara Ganim got her first tip. According to her February 2012 interview with Glamour, an unnamed source told Ganim a victim alleged that Sandusky had committed sex crimes. But Ganim’s story would not see print until she left Happy Valley in January 2011 to join the Harrisburg Patriot-News. Nine weeks later, the Patriot-News broke the story: a grand jury was investigating Sandusky. Patriot-News reporter Sara Ganim declined requests for an interview for this story.
As for the CDT, its coverage won it the McClatchy’s President’s Award, an annual award given to McClatchy newspapers for journalistic excellence. “It’s hard to overstate what it took for a paper and staff this size to deliver the kind of big-city coverage they did day after day,” McClatchy judges said in a press release.
Summer news drought. Between March 31, 2011, the day of the original Patriot-News article, and Nov. 3, the day before the grand jury handed down its presentment, coverage was scarce. The CDT and The Daily Collegian published one story each during that summer. Onward State, a student-run news blog, did not publish anything until November 4th. Anna Orso, The Collegian’s metro desk editor, suggested that its staff initially underestimated the importance of Ganim’s March 31 article. “I don’t know if we realized what a big deal it was when it first came out that Sandusky was being investigated,” said Orso. “I didn’t realize the gravity of the situation until he was charged.” The Collegian’s editor in chief, Lexi Belculfine, said she wished the newspaper had identified the story earlier, but because The Collegian was operating on a crew “of about twelve people” during the summer of 2011, the story was difficult to pursue. Russell Frank, a professor in Penn State’s College of Communications and specialist in journalism ethics, has closely watched local media coverage evolve. “It’s the easiest thing to sit on the sidelines and criticize local papers for not doing more,” he said. “Unless you know specifically: What are people doing?... How many people do you have to cover news?... How are you using those people?” Frank was reluctant to criticize specific portions of the CDT coverage without knowing the internal editorial decisions made by the CDT but said he was curious about the
CDT’s reliance on wire content for stories. “I’ve been baffled at times by how few staff-written stories there have been in the paper sometimes” he said. “I worked at a very small paper for my first newspaper job and everybody was expected to have a least one bylined story every day—usually multiple ones.” A local paper’s value mainly lies in reporting local news, not national content, Frank said. “When I get the paper and see only three bylined stories, I think ‘What’s everyone else doing?’” he said. “Some big investigative project? I don’t think so! Your entire value is that local news.” CDT reporter Mike Dawson, who is credited with nearly 200 scandal-related stories on centredaily.com declined to be interviewed, writing in an email that “it’s not appropriate for [the CDT] to be a newsmaker in a story.”
see
Media, pg. 11
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April 2012
from
Media, pg. 10
Current CDT news editor Steven Smith did not return telephone messages requesting an interview. Former CDT executive editor Bob Heisse who left the CDT on Feb 24, 2012, for the same position at the Springfield, Ill. State Journal-Register also declined an interview request, but wrote in his email that his former staff had done a “fine job.” Penn State’s lack of transparency Penn State has been criticized from all sides for lack of transparency, especially in the aftermath of the grand jury presentments. Belculfine said The Collegian’s newsroom and readers felt Penn State’s silence acutely during the first week after the presentments when “demand for information was so high.” “That silence, I think, was incredibly aggravating to a lot of people—to our readers, to our journalists, to our editors,” Belculfine said. Orso agreed that Penn State became less responsive to media requests during and after the most heated part of the scandal--an issue that she felt affected every media outlet that attempted to work with Penn State. Horne voiced a similar opinion. “[Penn State] didn’t give us any information all week,” Horne said. “It led to a lot of hearsay. The Board of Trustees meetings were supposed to be open, but they had a secret one when they fired Paterno and Spanier…That was just chaos.” When Penn State refused to release information sought by The Collegian, the university’s student paper resorted to filing legal demands known as “Right-To-Know requests” for public records. “We’ve filed I think more Right-To-Knows than I’ve ever seen filed here,” said Belculfine. “We had very few that were returned with information…Anything big we wanted to get, we couldn’t get.” She pointed specifically to The Collegian’s requests for salary and contract information, which was in high demand during the early days of the scandal. Belculfine added that The Collegian’s requests were typically denied with email statements claiming that the information would not be processed or did not fall under the right to know act. “The feedback that I’ve gotten is that Penn State needs to be public and open and comply
with Right-To-Know,” Belculfine said. “That information needs to be out there. The view, the perception, is that [this scandal] was caused by a level of secrecy.” Horne feels that Penn State president Rodney Erickson, who will hold town hall meetings each semester until his retirement in 2014, has improved the university’s transparency and responsiveness to student voices. In hindsight Orso feels The Collegian has only improved in its trial-by-fire and become “one of the premiere trustworthy sources.” “Many, many students have come to me and said ‘I trust you, I trust what you’re writing ... I don’t trust anything else,’” Orso said. Belculfine said The Collegian earned its readers’ trust through its reliance on only running information they could verify. “We really implored [our reporters] to use the same reporting methods that we always did,” Belculfine said. “If you can’t verify it, we’re not running it. After a lot of reflection and a couple months’ space, I can say that I’m proud of the work The Collegian produced.” Frank called it an “incredible learning experience” for student journalists. “I think they should be proud of [their work],” he said. Onward State’s Horne chose a different route, directly contrasting his feelings against remarks Belculfine made on CNN. “Another newspaper said it was ‘a great time to be a journalist at Penn State,’” Horne said. “It was not a great time to be a journalist at Penn State, but it was an opportunity. I’m hesitant to use the word ‘proud,’ because it was awful. Everything was awful. Writing those things was awful. I would use the word powerful, as opposed to proud. It was just an awful, awful time.”
Looking forward According to current court documents, Sandusky’s trial is scheduled to begin on May 14, 2012. Although The Collegian had staff shortages in the summer of 2011, Belfculfine said she isn’t worried about staffing this summer, adding that The Collgian has become a more attractive summer option for staff. Horne said that Onward State would continue to produce the same work that brought them to prominence at the beginning of the scandal. “Onward State is unique in that we say we’re a ‘blog that commits an occasional act of journalism,’” Horne said. “Our readers... come to us to read the student voice...I think we’re the only media around that shows what students are actually thinking” Frank said he’s interested in what the coming days will bring to light and suggested that there are still more unanswered and unposed questions about Penn State’s role in the scandal.
“Specifically the people who knew about that 1998 investigation and the people who Mike McQueary spoke to in 2002—what did they do with that information?” Frank asked. “And that’s still unclear…Who else besides the people whose names we know knew that information? Are there things [the media] could have reported or should have reported that they haven’t done? That’s a more interesting question.”
12
April 2012
from
CATARide, pg. 9
to $18, then to $17 for the last three months. Oliva said that before the initial price increase in July, Handy Delivery’s price was low compared to the rest of the state. CATA’s proposal request process differs from a traditional bid process in that CATA releases a list of the services it seeks and interested companies return proposals describing how they could fit CATA’s needs, along with a cost estimate. “With proposals it’s more of what can they do, and then price is secondary, because someone could come in with a really good price but not meet your contract stipulations,” Oliva said. When the due date for the proposals arrived, CATA received only one, from Ride Right who is based out of St. Louis. In accordance with the proposal process, CATA contacted the companies that had registered for the proposal, but did not sub-
mit by the due date, Oliva said. Handy had not registered and CATA representatives next met with Jeff Byers, marketing director of Handy Delivery, at a regularly scheduled meeting. “When our staff person talked to [Jeff], he said they just forgot,” Oliva said. According to Norrine Byers, the request for proposal was sent to Handy Delivery via email to her son Jeff, who had recently become the company’s contact. “The big thing was that every single one of the contracts we had done in the past 30 years had come in a hard copy,” Byers said. “This past year…they just emailed him the new request for proposal. No copies to me, the president, my general manager—just one email. We have never gotten it in email form before.” According to Byers, when her son informed her about the missed due date, she immediately called CATA and offered to have the proposal ready in two weeks. “They said the date had come and gone,”
Black Walnut
Byers said. “They said, ‘There’s nothing we could do, we did everything by the book.’ Louwana…did it exactly by the book, but the fact that you have 30 years history should change the book a little.” Byers said the loss of the approximately $400,000 contract will greatly affect her company. “You’re talking probably a third of our business,” Byers said. “I’ve had to let go about a third of our employees. It will demand a major restructuring within our facility.” Many riders are disappointed by the decision to use an out-of-state provider. “The Pennsylvania Lottery dollars subsidize the program. Now that money is in Missouri,” said Tyler Bennington, whose elderly mother-in-law has been using CATARide for two years. “That should stay local.” CATA receives an annual reimbursement of about $170,000 from the state for CATARide. That money, however, covers only senior citizen passenger and not those who ride due to disabilities, which leaves the service running at a big deficit, said Judith Minor, director of administration for CATA. CATA’s new contract with Ride Right runs for two years and three months, after
which CATA will have the option to renew the contract for two years. The contract cost is just over $20 per passenger for the first year, Oliva said. While passengers may have their concerns, Oliva is looking forward to some of the technological advances the new firm will bring. She said everything from Ride Right will be computerized; CATA previously had to type in some of Handy Delivery’s forms. CATA will also be able to track the vehicles more effectively and to run spot checks. “The hardest thing will be when we first switch,” Oliva said. “It will be the new drivers getting to know the passengers like Handy did over the last 30 years.” For Byers and Handy Delivery, the loss of the contract is about more than just business. “I feel very strongly that we did the best we possibly could by the community and by CATA, and I hope Ride Right serves the community half as well, because [this service] is an essential,” Byers said. “I’m not sure we would take [the contract] back. We were treated extremely poorly. Nobody contacted any of the passengers to get input from them…The world is changing. And whether we like it or not, technology is trumping humanity.”
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Photo by Alanna Pawlowski
Former CATARide driver Dennis Stamm helps passenger Joel Solkoff onto a van for one of Solkoff’s two weekly CATARide trips to physical therapy. Stamm is one of seven drivers who will not be making the switch from Handy Delivery to Ride Right.
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April 2012
Upsets, misunderstandings and emotional health by Matthew Hertert It is difficult to separate mental and emotional experiences because they are so deeply intertwined in both our consciousness and biochemistry. Few people, for example, can make themselves feel “love” on command without first thinking of a loved one or a moving experience. The thought helps us generate the feeling. From a physical standpoint, thoughts trigger hormone and neurotransmitter release in the brain, which then effect and affect our feelings. Emotions can drive thoughts, too. Most of us have had the experience of being upset with a person or situation and being unable to stop thinking about it. Those negative feelings persist after the thought and often drag us back into an emotional loop. Additionally chemical or hormonal imbalances, as with diabetes or menopause, may lead to an emotional state that can accentuate depressive thinking. Ultimately, these imbalances affect our physical health. While there is nothing objectively wrong with negative thinking—and while it is also harmful to deny or ignore authentic feelings—studies have shown repeatedly that people who are depressive or tend toward negative thinking have more health problems and shorter lifespans. Negative thoughts and feelings cause toxic biochemistry, which hurts the body’s entire system. These circumstances are why it’s important to consider unhealthy patterns in thought and feeling, as we’ve been doing in this column, and to examine ways of working with these patterns in service of pursuing better balance. When it comes to the emotional realm, the most common problematic pattern that we all engage in is what Drs. Ron and Mary Hulnick refer to as “I’m upset because….” What this phrase describes is our tendency, when upset, to blame others. We do this for many reasons, some of the most common and human having to do with our desire to defend ourselves, to prove our innocence, to soothe our fear that we did do something wrong or to mollify our insecurity by building a case that “we’re better than they are.” It’s not fun to feel upset, and our culture isn’t forgiving of mistakes. This tendency to blame our upsets on others is normal and it’s human, yet it
Health Talk decreases our efficiency and limits our personal freedom. As a pragmatist, this very human reaction irks me. When a mistake has been made that has caused hurt feelings, damage to belongings or loss of time or money, what is really important is avoiding a repetition of the error. When we let ourselves move into a place of upset and surrender control to our emotions, we frequently end up wasting our energy on manufacturing a story to make ourselves feel better, often never even getting around to identifying the error! Blame is never beneficial. Blame, which is an act of judgment aimed at labeling someone or something wrong instead of identifying a misstep for the purposes of course-correction, doesn’t do anything except inject negative emotion into a situation and imbue the accuser with a sense of self-righteousness. Imagine a situation where you saw an error but weren’t threatened by it—you simply looked for a solution and even took joy in helping to solve it! Just as we hate to be wrong, we love to help. This is in stark comparison to being in a state of upset. This connects with how blame, or accusatory “I’m upset because” statements limit our personal freedom. If we were truly free inside, we would react to any situation with the joy of helping correct it—even if our feelings had also been hurt! As soon as we become upset, we let the hurt, irrational part of ourselves control our consciousness by making up a story to treat the symptom of being upset. More importantly, we turn our focus away from our self and, in doing this, miss a powerful opportunity to ask why we were so upset, which could lead us to the cause. Finding the cause—the part of our self that is hurt—and addressing it is the key to more freedom. These hurts usually come from a misunderstanding. At some point in our lifetime we experience something that is hurtful and we make a decision inside. When I was eight and my first girlfriend and I were chasing each other around our classroom during a Christmas party with cups of water, she splashed me a few times. We were laughing
like crazy, and finally I got her in a corner and splashed some on her, at which point she started crying and never spoke to me again. I made a decision somewhere inside that I couldn’t trust “the rules of the game” in relationships. In college, as I began to have challenges with trust in relationships, I went back and corrected my misinterpretation that just because this one girl was a wacky meant that no woman could be trusted. All I did was change my mind about the conclusion I’d made. This is a great example to demonstrate that these things don’t have to be traumatic or melodramatic (or even interesting). Every day situations occur around us that we make little conclusions about. “I’ll never eat there again,” “I should know not to ask him for a favor,” and so forth. While our conclusions often help us navigate the world and anticipate problems, many times they are wrong or
are only specific to one person even though we apply them globally. This leads to living outside of reality and limiting our freedom. Moving forward, watch yourself. When an upset or hurt arises, or when you find yourself blaming someone for something, pause and take note. You can always go back and evaluate later, when you’re calmer. Look for misinterpretations you’ve made, and change your mind. These upsets are precious feedback from you, to you, trying to lead you to mental healing, emotional balance, more peace and better physical health. Be well (and free) until next time.
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April 2012
Downtown prices depress students’ pockets by Rachel Camaerei
For many Penn State students, the convenience of walking to College Avenue for a box of Cheez-its, a bottle of Mountain Dew or a pack of toilet paper outweighs the anxiety of having to get a ride to Giant, Weis, Wegmans or Wal-Mart. But students who shop at downtown grocery and convenience stores, such as McLanahan’s and CVS, often pay as much as 58% more for toiletries and 33% more on average for food. Some students, like junior Raquel-Alexa Brizzi find it frustrating to know that, down the road, groceries are much cheaper. “Just because I don’t have the time or resources doesn’t mean I should have to pay more,” Brizzi said. Allen Vickers, a senior majoring in broadcast journalism, claimed that the pricing in downtown stores seemed unfair because many students lack access to cars for easier transportation to stores outside of downtown.
from
Nutrition, pg. 9
drink a serving of milk with 40 or so extra calories than not at all.” Nutrition posters, encouragement from cafeteria staff and a wide selection of fruits and vegetables also contribute to promoting the nutrition of the district’s students. Each district also participates in the Free/Reduced Lunch program provided by the National School Lunch Association.
“That other 40 cents I can put to something else,” Vickers said. “It most definitely adds up.” Downtown resident Kayla Getz echoed this sentiment, saying that businesses take advantage of the fact that many students don’t have regular access to vehicles. Locally owned and operated, McLanahan’s Penn State Room on both College Ave. and South Allen St. share nearly all prices on goods. Here, a student will pay $5.30 more for Trojan Bareskin condoms and 86 cents more for San Giorgio pasta than at Giant. Josh Wirtz, manager of the McLanahan’s on South Allen St., said there is a 50 percent markup on dry products, but that the store tries to keep drinks and sandwiches cheap. “We do our own thing,” Wirtz said about how the store determines its prices. Wirtz added that the new CATABUS rules that limit how many bags a student can bring on the bus make it harder for students to travel off-campus to shop. CVS stores on both College Ave. and
Beaver Ave. provide food in addition to home goods, toiletries and medicine. Students can expect a $3.20 increase in Hefty trash bags and 30 cents more for a gallon of Schneider’s milk compared to Giant. Store manager Rick Foster declined comment on how CVS determines its prices. Christy Glidden, a junior who lives next to a downtown CVS, said she does her shopping elsewhere to avoid the high prices and that she’s not concerned about the gas required to drive to other grocery stores. “It is easier to drive to an off campus store than to walk around downtown carrying bags,” she said, adding that outlets further from campus provide her with more choices. Even CVS and McLanahan’s vary in cost of goods. The same bottle of Tide detergent for $7.99 at CVS is $10.99 at McLahanan’s. A loaf of D’italiano bread sells for $1.84 less at McLanahan’s compared to CVS. Senior Jonathan Maysonet said he prefers to shop at Giant, Wegmans and Wal-Mart due to their prices and variety. He added that he
trusted meat products at grocery stores over downtown shops. One former McLanahan’s employee, Toby Okonkwo, said that his employee discount wasn’t enough to convince him to do all of his shopping downtown. Okonkwo splits his grocery shopping between stores, only purchasing occasional necessities downtown. However some students are undeterred by the high prices at downtown outlets. Downtown dweller and Penn State senior Mike Pendleton does his shopping at McLanahan’s, saying it doesn’t matter that he lacks a car, because the store usually has what he needs. “I shop at McLanahan’s because it is convenient,” said Pendleton. For many students, especially those without easy access to transportation, it is exactly that—convenience—that will keep them paying the higher prices at the more accessible downtown stores. Others must find the balance between convenience and cost.
Students in families who earn income at or below 130 percent of the poverty level are eligible for a free lunch, while students in families whose income is between 130 and 185 percent will not be charged more than 40 cents for a school lunch. Only 15 percent of students at State College Area qualify for a Free/Reduced Lunch versus 48 percent at Philipsburg-Osceola. In spite of varying economic standings, each district must follow distinct guidelines set forth by their food service departments that
allocate minimum calorie ranges and percentages of calories from fat for each grade level. Where nutrition seems to lack more, however, is in the secondary schools. Schaper said that less than half of the students at State College Area High School schedule a lunch break each day. In addition, less nutritious a la carte items are available to students here. “I don’t believe schools should be selling so much a la carte items,” Schaper said. “But it’s a big source of revenue for us and without it, we wouldn’t be able to offer the nutritious choices that come with lunches.” This need for schools to balance financial strain with nutrition was highlighted in the research of Martin and her colleagues. When it comes to battling issues of poor health in public schools, Martin suggested looking into the future of extracurricular programs, many of which are threatened in tight economic times. “These activities, possibly not even sports related, keep kids busy and engaged, thus less overweight,” Martin said. She added that poorer schools have had more budget cuts in extracurricular activities. That, compounded with the increased risk of stress and disorganization in poorer schools, contribute to weight gain in students.
“Poorer schools and wealthier schools both have vending machines with soda and bad food in them,” Martin said. “However...rich schools are able to offer more nutritional choices and alternatives.” In addition to these suggestions, the USDA is setting forth new guidelines for school lunches, including a dramatic increase in daily fruit, vegetables and whole grain requirements. By July 1, at least half of the grains served in cafeterias must be whole grain-rich. By 2014, all cafeteria grains must be whole grain. There are also more specific changes to nutrition being made, such as limitations on the amount trans fat in cafeteria food. The new standards allow zero grams of trans fat per serving. In spite of federal regulation and school involvement, Martin believes that parents still greatly affect the direction a school nutrition takes, regardless of its relative wealth. “If parents in poor communities banded together, they could make small shifts in these issues,” she said. “By recognizing the risks of poor nutrition in schools, there’s a potential for change. Oftentimes the key asset is access to knowledge and information.”
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15
April 2012
Industrial park deal worries activists by Catherine Jampel
Concerned citizens are monitoring the development of Titan Energy Park, an industrial complex at the former Bolton Metal (formerly Cerro) site on Axemann Road in Spring Township. A local group of citizens concerned about drilling fluids near Bellefonte and Spring Township’s water supply held a meeting on Sunday, March 18 on Penn State’s campus. “I wanted us to be able to come together and have a passionate but reasonable discussion about the kinds of things that we may do,” said Peter Buckland, one of the meeting organizers and host of Sustainability Now Radio. The site was purchased in early February by Navitus LLC, an investment group comprising Bellefonte-based construction firm G.M. McCrossin, State College-based Shaner Capital, and British equity firm Hadleigh Assets. Shaner Capital is no stranger to the drilling industry. The company formed a business partnership with Hydro
Recovery LP last October. Hydro Recovery processes drilling fluids from hydraulic fracturing. “Hydro Recovery is clearly one of the pioneering water treatment companies operating in the exciting Marcellus Shale, and Shaner Capital is pleased to be a part of this fast growing, high quality company,” said Shaner Capital and Hydro Recovery CEO Eddie Lauth in an October 18, 2011 Business Week press release. Activity at the facility will pertain to the natural gas industry said Gary Hoover, executive director of the Bellefonte Chamber of Commerce. “It’s a really good industrial site and has a lot of great equipment like overhead cranes,” he said. “Those types of facilities would be very difficult and costly to build from scratch today. It will be an extremely good deal for folks that end up locating there.” Hoover said he isn’t expecting any drilling in the Borough because “Most of the Marcellus Shale activity is up in the northern part of the county.”
Photo by Sean Flynn
Pipes and an aging industrial building overlook the Logan Branch of Spring Creek. Logan Branch follows Axemann Road through Spring Township, and eventually meets Spring Creek in Bellefonte.
Regardless, citizens are expressing concern about bringing that Marcellus Shale activity to the Bellefonte area. “From what I understand, they want to
refine [hydraulic fracturing water] there,
see
Cerro, pg. 17
Snow Shoe industrial projects hit roadblocks by Bridget Dwyer Plagued by falling gas prices, bogged down by regulatory process and opposed by environmental groups, Resource Recovery’s efforts to open a landfill and industrial park in Centre County have largely ground to a halt. The company’s project land comprises 5,758 acres in Snow Shoe Township and Rush Township, according to their website. That website lists six distinct projects planned for the property: a waste-toethanol project, a landfill, a natural gas drilling project, a water treatment plant, a quarry and the reactivation of railways to bring waste to the site. Each project has separate issues which
have stalled the overall plan for more than eight years. The landfill, the waste-to-ethanol plant and the water treatment plant all depend on the reactivation of old railroad lines which are currently part of the Snow Shoe Rail Trail. Currently, government approval for reactivation has been under “environmental review” for some time. “We filed with the Surface Transportation Board in May of 2008 to obtain the authority to reactivate the lines,” said Noel Rush, Vice President of Finance and Administration for RJ Corman Railroad Group, LLC, which is in charge of the railroad project. “It has been in environmental review since. We do not know when they may act or what they will
state.” The Final Environmental Impact Statement, issued by the Board’s Office of Environmental Analysis in November 2011, is available online. In its letter of introduction, written by director Victoria Ruston, it states that this is the end of the review process. Still, no decision has been made. The reactivation of the rail lines would interfere with a popular segment of the Snow Shoe Rail Trail, which is maintained by the 3,122 member Snow Shoe Rails to Trails Association. “Lots of people use that way to go up to different businesses,” said Larry Mayes, Snow Shoe Rails To Trails Association secretary. “We have a couple corporate sponsors in that area, like Casanova
Nostalgia and Jackson Bar and Grille. Riders go there to eat.” While Resource Recovery has not reached out to the Snow Shoe Rails to Trails Association, Mayes says he is hopeful that an alternative route that would not interfere with the trail could be developed. “Snow Shoe Rails to Trails has committed 5,000 dollars towards that project, for a feasibility study to get around the 9.2 miles,” said Mayes. “We are hoping the railroad or landfill company would make a new trail. We are hoping political people will help with that, like [Senator Jake] Corman or [Representative] Mike Hanna.”
see
Landfill, pg. 18
16
April 2012
State of the Shale: Marcellus activity expands by Shawn Christ Approximately 5,000 to 8,000 feet below most of Pennsylvania is a natural gas resource called the Marcellus Shale. Below the Marcellus lies a formation known as the Utica Shale. The two shales hold abundant reserves of natural gas. Improvements in drilling technology, specifically hydraulic fracturing, have allowed companies to reach the formations more efficiently in recent years, resulting in an economic boom. But controversial environmental, economic and political issues surround the Marcellus and Utica gas plays. Impact Fee In February 2012 Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett signed impact fee legislation, now designated Act 13, which compensates counties and municipalities for the impacts drilling has on their communities. Under the new legislation, a county is able to impose an “unconventional gas well fee” on hydraulically fractured wells drilled within its county lines. To receive funding under the act, each county must pass an ordinance implementing the fee by April 14. “It represents a stream of revenue that otherwise wouldn’t be coming through the county,” said David Yoxtheimer, an Extension Associate at the Marcellus Shale Outreach Center.
Yoxtheimer said that smaller municipalities such as townships that have wells could benefit due to the “additional revenue stream” the fee would bring. “It could hopefully be put to good use at the lower levels,” he said. But Peter Buckland, a member of environmental activism group Groundswell, said he’s concerned about the implications of accepting the revenue. “To get any revenue from the impact fee, we have to give up local control,” he said. “Part of the purpose of Act 13 is to gut a local municipality’s ability to regulate or ban unconventional shale gas drilling, which is exactly what we did in State College.” Groundswell played a key role in passing a Community Bill of Rights and Natural Gas Fracking Ban by voter referendum last November in State College. Moving to Ohio Pennsylvania is not the only state affected by natural gas drilling. Its neighboring state to the west, Ohio, has emerged as a prime location for drilling. Jeff Daniels, co-director of Ohio State University’s Subsurface Energy Resource Center, explained the advantages to drilling in the Buckeye State. “It’s mostly Utica Shale in Ohio,” Daniels said. “The Utica play in Ohio contains wet gas in addition to the dry gas…so there’s more value overall to the hydrocarbons in Ohio.”
State College Peace Center www.scpeacecenter.org
Hum a n R i g
s ht
Fi l m
S eri es F RE E
Thursday, April 5, 7:30 PM
State College Municipal Building, 243 S. Allen Street, Room 201
Liberty. Racial tension and threats of violence erupt when Prince
William County, Virginia adopts a law requiring the police to question people who appear to be undocumented immigrants. Many reconsider when the local economy feels the impact of a sudden exodus of workers, consumers, and business owners. Despite fears of reprisal, a group of concerned citizens launches a “virtual resistance” using social media, setting up a final showdown with the law’s ferocious advocates. (2010, 78 minutes)
“It’s not just fracking, it’s the whole thing. I don’t want pipelines going across this beautiful place.” --Peter Buckland, activist
Wet gas is natural gas that contains some amount of liquid that can be recovered, processed and sold, unlike dry gas. Yoxtheimer said drilling in the Utica Shale will likely produce a “significant amount of liquids and oil.” “So companies are starting to shift some of their resources that might have been dedicated for the Marcellus now over into the Utica because it’s more profitable in today’s pricing environment,” he explained. Daniels said he doesn’t think that companies are moving out of Pennsylvania and into Ohio, but rather expanding westward. “I’m not sure if it’s been as much of a migration as it has been just an increase [in drilling] in Ohio,” he said. Environmental Issues While natural gas drilling is very profitable, activists are concerned about the potential environmental impact. “We talk about how people in the
DIVORCE
Amazon or in Africa or Malaysia or wherever need to preserve their forests because they’re just messing everything up,” said Buckland. “Well, you can’t say that with a straight face to someone else and then not do it yourself,” he said. “It’s not just fracking, it’s the whole thing. I don’t want pipelines going across this beautiful place,” he said. Buckland called for “a comprehensive, ecological impact assessment” and said that all future gas operations should be subject to the Clean Air, Clean Water and National Environmental Policy Acts. Buckland said he is concerned about how the entire process of drilling for natural gas is affecting air quality, both from the construction and operation of well sites and the increased truck traffic at wells. These potential issues could add to an already established problem. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, Pennsylvania has the second worst air quality in the United States due to “coal- and oil-fired power plants.” “Methane is a climate forcing greenhouse gas that is more potent than carbon dioxide,” said Buckland. “Releasing it on the scale that we already are and people say we’re going to continue to do is crazy.” Yoxtheimer said he believes that many
see
Shale, pg. 17
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April 2012
from
Cerro, pg. 15
and after they refine it, they are going to dump it into the streams,” said Julian resident Bobbie Segal. “It’s terrible. There’s always the danger of this residue getting into the well water of some beautiful people who have lived there for several hundred years. It’s so unfair to risk the health of people who will be living in that vicinity.” Before any discharge activity could take place, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection would have to issue a permit. “If what they’re going to be doing at that site is discharging in ‘flowback water’ into Logan Branch, this is a high quality Class A trout stream that likely has layers of [legal] protection built into it,” said Gary Thornbloom, group chair for the Sierra Club’s Moshannon Group. Accidental spills may still present a threat should hydraulic fracturing-related water be trucked into the area, according to local activists. “If there were a spill of any significance, it would be so devastating,” said Braden Crooks, Groundswell founder. Activists say a plant could also bring heavy road traffic to the area. “This would mean that Bellefonte is going to have hundreds and hundreds of trucks coming there to handle wastewater. That town is not built for that kind of traffic,” said Buckland. Activists said they find the lack of information most troubling.
from
Photo by Sean Flynn
The Bolton Metals office at 2022 Axemann Road sits idle on a Sunday afternoon.
“I need to know more about how they plan on recycling it and not dumping it,” said Segal. “No one is being very clear yet.” The Sierra Club is seeking to fill that gap. “People in the Sierra Club organization beyond the local level are aware of this and they’re concerned,” Thornbloom said. But Hoover said that concern was unnecessary. “There’s nothing else you should be aware of other than that the development of the industry is undergoing scrutiny. We have confidence that all of the i’s will be dotted and t’s crossed in terms of safety,” he said.
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That hasn’t instilled confidence in area activists. “I think that right now we, the concerned people, feel like we don’t know as much as we would like to know but we still feel like we have to act because the incursion in Pennsylvania is so grave,” said Buckland. Wayne Hansen, another meeting organizer, suggested forming a “watchdog group.” “These guys, they’ve bought up most of our lawmakers, so I don’t know how far they’re going to take things,” said Hansen. “All I can do is make as much noise as possible and hope that they know that someone is watching their tail.”
Shale, pg. 16
people are just misinformed when it comes to certain environmental impacts and have associated environmental problems caused by poor construction with the entire hydraulic fracturing process. “I think probably the biggest misnomer out there is that the process of hydraulic fracturing is going to cause methane to leak up or cause fracturing fluids to leak up into people’s water supplies,” he said. “Really what it goes back to is whether the well was constructed properly. Where there hasn’t been adequate well construction is where you have methane migration issues,” he said. Yoxtheimer agrees that natural gas drilling is not “by any means a perfect energy source,” but he also thinks that some people simply aren’t sure how to feel about the whole process. “You have people very for [drilling]. You have people very against it. Then you have this relatively quiet middle, and it’s that quiet middle where people aren’t really sure what to make of it.” He said the MSOC strives to provide neutral information, which is difficult to find amongst highly charged opinions. “We’ve got this pretty amazing natural resource [Marcellus and Utica Shale], but we have pretty amazing natural resources in that we have beautiful forests and high quality streams,” Yoxtheimer said. “There has to be some sort of balance between the two.”
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April 2012
from
Landfill, pg. 15
It appears unlikely that these hopes will come to fruition. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Maybe 5 or 6 years ago, there was an alternative route proposed by Resource Recovery, a loop route, that was not looked on favorably by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources or our office, so I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know since then,â&#x20AC;? said Robert B. Jacobs from the Centre County Planning and Community Development Office. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have not made any plans for an alternate route,â&#x20AC;? said Eugene Bonfilio, president of Resource Recovery. Meanwhile, the landfill has encountered opposition from a group called People Protecting Communities, which runs StopLandfill.com. WPX Energy is in charge of the drilling project. According to an email from Susan Oliver, WPX Energyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Community
Relations Representative, four wells have been drilled and they are all currently producing natural gas. But Oliver says they have halted further drilling at the site due to low gas prices. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are pausing right now in Centre County as we need to make sure we operate in a deliberate, planned way and maintain our disciplined approach to business,â&#x20AC;? Oliver said. Resource Recoveryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s water treatment plant is stalled until the other projects get underway. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have a water treatment plant permit, but that plan would be for the bioethanol plant, so [when] that permit process gets going, that will then move forward,â&#x20AC;? explained Bonfilio. For those opposed to the reactivation of rail lines, Mayes has this recommendation: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Go the political route. Go through politicians and so forth, like Mike Hanna or Jake Cormanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s office.â&#x20AC;?
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Photo by Bridget Dwyer
The Black Bear Bridge is part of the Snow Shoe Rail Trail, which would be affected by the proposed reactivation of rail lines for a number of industrial projects headed up by Resource Recovery.
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April 2012
Fly fishing legends host clinic in Spring Creek Clearwater Conservancy hosted their second annual fly fishing clinic in Bellefonte’s Spring Creek on Saturday, March 17. According to a press release from Chris Hennessey, Clearwater Conservancy’s outreach and volunteer coordinator, four “Penn State fly fishing legends” spent the day teaching thirty participants the tricks of the trade. The event sold out, with proceeds benefiting Clearwater Conservancy. According to their website, Clearwater Conservancy is a “land trust and natural resource conservation organization,” whose mission is to promote conservation throughout Central Pennsylvania. Voices photographer Lindsay Lipovich attended the event, and provided the photos at right.
Halal Meat
Photo by Lindsay Lipovich
Photo by Lindsay Lipovich
Joe Humphries, considered to be the "Joe Pa" of the Fly Fishing world, tosses out a line at a Flyfishing Workshop to benefit the Conservation Society. “He is the reason that these students are here, they want to learn from the master,” said attendee Don Keber.
Joe Humphries (right) shows Jim Lanning a trick of the trade at the Flyfishing Workshop Saturday March 17.
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April 2012
Keeping the beat: Hairy Woodpeckers by Joe Verica As spring approaches, many birds make the return journey from their wintering quarters back to their breeding grounds. But some birds, like the Hairy Woodpecker have evolved strategies for obtaining food throughout the winter, and remain on their breeding grounds all year round. The Hairy Woodpecker is a fairly common boldly patterned woodpecker that is a little over nine inches in length. Both the breast and back are white. The wings are black with heavy white barring. The tail is black with white feathers at the outer margins. The head is black with broad white stripes both above and below the eye. The male has a scarlet patch on the nape which distinguishes him from the female.
The Hairy is frequently confused with the more familiar Downy Woodpecker. Although they are superficially similar, distinguishing them is fairly straightforward. The Hairy, which is about the size of a Cardinal, is significantly larger than the Titmouse-sized Downy Woodpecker. The Hairy also has a much larger bill. A careful examination shows that the outer tail feathers of the Hairy are completely white, whereas those of the Downy are white with regularly spaced black spots. There are also noticeable differences in the drumming pattern and vocalizations. The breeding season for Hairy Woodpeckers begins in late January, when males start to defend territories and attract mates. For many birds, singing plays a central role in the courtship process. Photo by Carla Kishinami / Creative Commons
A female Hairy Woodpecker drums against a tree on Kohl’s Ranch in Tonto National Forest, Ariz.
Managing Editor Voices of Central Pennsylvania invites applications for a Managing Editor to begin in or before June 2012. This is a part-time compensated opportunity to lead community volunteers and student interns in producing the State College area’s monthly alternative publication. Voices is a 501c3 non-profit organization entering its third decade of excellence in community journalism. The Managing Editor position requires an understanding of journalistic principles, publication production, organizational leadership, and basic fiscal management. Editorial experience is appreciated.
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But you won’t see Hairies doing this because woodpeckers can’t sing. They have evolved a different strategy: they drum. Drumming occurs when the woodpecker uses its bill to rapidly strike a resonant object, like a hollow log or dead branch. The sounds can be heard for quite a distance. In many cases, the cadence of the drumming can be used to distinguish between woodpecker species. For example, the Downy drums at a cadence of about 15 beats per seconds. The Hairy is significantly faster, at 25 beats per second. Like singing, drumming alerts rivals to the fact that a territory has been claimed and a mate is being sought. When conflict arises, male Hairies engage in a variety of aggressive behaviors. One such display is the bill-waving dance where the embroiled males crane their heads back and point their bills in the air. The bill is then waved back and forth while the wings are fluttered.
The female may settle the dispute by means of a fluttering courtship flight where she alights closer to her chosen suitor and assumes a posture inviting coition. The pair then flies off. Once conflicts have been resolved, the resulting pair will begin to select a site for a nest cavity. During this time, there is a surge in the frequency of drumming by both partners. This drumming serves as a form of communication between the couple that keeps them updated to each other’s whereabouts. Mating occurs in early April before the nest cavity is excavated. Cavity excavation is completed by early May, coinciding with the time of egg laying. The pair will take turns incubating the eggs. Upon hatching, both parents feed the nestlings until they fledge in late July. Following fledging, the parents largely lead independent lives until the following January, when the whole courtship process is renewed. Questions or comments? Joe Verica can be reached at joeverica101@gmail.com
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April 2012
PSU researchers take on stink bugs by Alaina Bradley The stink bug epidemic has affected farmer’s crops in Centre County and proved a nuisance in college dormitories and houses. Last October, a team of eight Penn State scientists was awarded roughly $900,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture to study the life and behavior of the pest and to find a way to control it. Stink bugs came to America as stowaways on container ships from Southeast Asia. According to the Penn State Department of Entomology website, brown marmorated stink bugs were first seen in Allentown, Pennsylvania in 1998. Since then, they have become a serious threat to crops across the Mid-Atlantic region. According to the Department of Entomology, stink bugs get under the skin of the crop and suck out the juice, drying out the crop. This causes scarring and distortion, also known as cat-facing. Unfortunately, this insect resists most
pesticides, making it hard to control. Greg Krawczyk, an entomologist at Penn State’s Fruit Research and Extension Center, is the project director of the stink bug study and is currently conducting research on how farmers can limit crop damage caused by the bugs. “The brown marmorated stink bugs are big, slow and easy to see in their native habitats, but a lot of our research is done in our laboratory, as we have a fairly big colony of stink bugs in my lab,” said Krawczyk. Although Penn State has not received the $900,000 yet, Krawczyk has been doing research in Biglerville, Pa. “As much money as it sounds, when you take out the Penn State administrative share from these funds, divide the rest by 3 (years) and again divide by 8 (people), this grant will simply let us work on the problem, but in reality, it will provide very minimal annual support,” Krawczyk said in an email. Krawczyk works very closely with fruit growers, so the majority of his direct work
Photo by Jason Smith
A brown marmorated stink bug crawls on cut flowers in a State College home in March 2012.
with the stink bugs started when fruit experienced severe damage from the pest. “Brown marmorated stink bugs are feeding on fruit, vegetables, field crops and many ornamental plants causing cosmetic
injury and lowering the economic value of the crop,” he said. “I am not sure about their specific preference [of food], but we
see
Stink Bugs, pg. 23
Brain drain: why PSU graduates leave State College by David Martino A majority of the Penn State undergraduates leave after graduating without hesitation. Many describe State College as a college town with limited job and housing opportunities. The town of State College developed in 1855 to serve the needs of the Farmers’ High School of Pennsylvania, which would later become Penn State University; it has literally always been a college town. Many students say they see State College as a fun place to be while getting an education, not a place to plant permanent roots. “I love living in State College,” said Chicago suburbanite Shivam Vadek, a sophomore in Biology. “In fact, the small town university-centered feel is
one of the reasons I chose Penn State— everything in the town caters to the needs of college students… However, this is the exact same reason I wouldn’t want to live here after graduating… I would feel uncomfortable raising a family in a town where there are hundreds to thousands of drunk and irresponsible 17 to 22 year olds stumbling around any given night of the week.” Still, a slow economy has some looking for employment wherever they can get it. As of February 2012, the national unemployment rate was at 8.3 percent , according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner report. This is far greater than the 5.6-5.7 percent unemployment rate indicative of a healthy economy according to the Federal Reserve.
“If I got a job I liked in State College, I’d live here for a stint of my life, ” said Kate Ortbal, a sophomore intending to double major in Community, Environment and Development and Earth and Science Policy. Penn State Students, whether they want to work in State College after graduating or not, have an easier time getting jobs than students from other universities. The university is a magnet for job recruiters. Last year, it had the number one college career services in the country, according to Princeton Review. “At any point in time, there are between 2,000 and 3,000 [job] postings,” said career counselor, Mike Ishler via email. “I would estimate that at any given time, between four and eight percent of positions advertised through
Nittany Lion Career Network (NLCN) are in central Pennsylvania.” Despite those job listings in the area, some students still say they wouldn’t live here. “I haven’t thought of [living in State College], and I don’t want to,” said New Jersey native Shawn Stern, a sophomore in political science. Many find State College’s rural location to be isolating. “I couldn’t see myself living in State College after graduation… I love ‘the big city life,’” said sophomore John Hanna, a native of Pittsburgh double majoring in Information, Sciences and Technology and Economics.
see
Brain Drain, pg. 24
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April 2012
Spring: a time of renewal and pandering by Jamie Campbell Here we are, another Easter, another Spring and yet another primary. So what do we know about these three things? Easter is a major religious holiday for many of our friends and neighbors. Spring for many symbolizes rebirth, a time to get back to nature and outdoor activity. Primaries, well I am not sure what primaries mean anymore. I once was taught that primaries are the first step in an important process, the election of the President of these United States. Now it seems primaries are just a continual process to see who presents the best pandering platform. Have you heard any (and I mean ANY) realistic
ideas from our candidates? To vote for a candidate is one of the most important things we can do as citizens. Yet with all this innate, incorrect and just plain outrageous information, how could we possibly elect any one of these persons to the highest office in the land? One candidate told us that we should turn our back on one of the founding principles of this country: the separation of church and state. That candidate said
a speech given by a former president caused him to “throw up” because it stated that one could govern without infringing on or giving in to one’s religious faith. A certain book states that one should “give unto Caesar what is Caesar’s.” Loosely translated, this simply means follow the law of man and obey the law of God. If any other faith were to say it should be the law of the land, I am totally convinced that this same candidate would say that would be an infringement on one’s constitutional rights. He would urge us to fight against even thought of allowing a Theocratic society to exist anywhere in this country. Despite his apparent issue with the Constitution and Bill of Rights, we should vote for him. When Spring arrives, most folks are filled with a brighter disposition because, well I really can’t say why, but folks just seem more easy going this time of year. But not these candidates. No, it seems someone put fertilizer on their ice cream cones. One stands behind the fact that he strongly opposed supporting the car industry when it was about to collapse. Never mind that this collapse would have had a domino effect of hundreds of thousands of people losing their jobs and many small businesses going bankrupt. This candidate has yet to say he was wrong and that the idea of leaving people by the wayside is/was a hard decision to make. He felt that it was cost of the doing business, to lose one of the greatest industries that this country has created. Still, he wanted everyone to
know he has s e v e r a l American made cars when he was in that state. This pandering to voters is often (to me) the first sign of an idealess person— when your only point about liking a state is that the “trees are the right height” or that you enjoy a hot plate of “Cheesy grits.” (For the record, it’s cheese grits, never under any circumstances ask, order or inquire about “cheesy” grits in the south.) My mother uses an expression from time to time, and in my youth I heard it quite often: “You think you are so smart ‘till you sound silly.” Translation: speaking and acting without any true thought makes you seem ignorant. No one should say anything just it sounds good at the time. Words, and deeds, have consequences. Just speaking them existence can cause all types of unintended chaos. Winning an election should never come at the expense of integrity. However it seems these candidates are willing to sell their souls to appear powerful. I take my vote seriously. I know what had to be sacrificed by so many to afford me the privilege and right to vote. I have read several articles that say the African-American vote in recent primaries is below one percent in many of states. The voters in total are not coming out at the same pace they did in the last primary. The reason is simple. There is nothing redeeming about these candidates. When they show their own ideas and true sentiments for this country, maybe then they will be worthy of our votes.
23
April 2012
from
Stink Bugs, pg. 21
are looking into this as part of our research effort.” Stink bugs have few natural predators in North America, since they are originally from Asia. The population continues to grow, making it hard to control the bug. As of last fall, the pest was spotted in thirtythree states including California, Vermont and Florida, according to the Maryland Department of Agriculture website. “If our native predators or parasitoids would be effective, we would not have such a huge stink bug problem right now in the first place,” Krawczyk said. Krawczyk said the goal of the study is to not only find a way to control the pest short-term but also long-term. “Stink bugs are very easy to kill by insecticides if they are present in the orchard (or any other crop) at the time of application, but since they can move so easily in and out of the orchard, constantly occurring re-infestation is the main challenge,” Krawczyk said. Because the brown marmorated stink bugs are hard to control on the farm, they are damaging crops and ruining the farmer’s harvests. Barry Moser, a farmer for Moser’s Garden Produce, has been farming in Centre County since 1992. During his most recent season, he experienced problems with stink bugs. “I saw only a few stink bugs on my farm last year and didn’t notice any crop dam-
age at all,” he said. “But, toward the end of this season, I did notice more showing up.” According to the Department of Entomology, in 2010, farmers lost many apple and peach orchards due to stink bugs damaging their crops. The pest was also found eating blackberries, sweet corn, field corn and soybeans. “I noticed some damage on my apples, but it wasn’t anything too significant,” Moser said. “We use 95 percent of our apples to make our famous Apple Cider so we were very fortunate that our apples were not harmed too badly by the stink bugs. I did notice significant damage from stink bugs on my raspberries though. This affected our harvest and we were not able to make much Raspberry Apple Cider because of it.” Moser said he attempted to use a pesticide to keep the stink bugs away on two different occasions. “After you apply the pesticide, you have to wait 4-5 days before you can pick the fruit,” he explained. “The pesticide didn’t really work because the bugs were back within a few days.” Sharon Way, a farmer for Way Fruit Farm for 30 years, said the farm has not suffered from the stink bug infestation. “I have heard that the stink bugs have been a huge problem on other farms around the area, but they haven’t caused any damage on my farm,” she said. Krawczyk estimated that in 2010, about $37 million were lost in the apple industry due to the invasion of the brown marmorated bugs.
Pennsylvania produces about 440 million pounds of apples every year, making Pennsylvania the fourth largest apple producer in the country, according to PennsylvaniaApples.org. In 2010, the apple crop in Pennsylvania and Maryland decreased by approximately ten percent due to the stink bugs, according to StinkBugControl.org. “Until we identify other control options (maybe something to influence or modify the behavior of the insect), we have to help farmers survive,” Krawczyk said. “Even though I do not like this statement, at this moment, pesticides are our only effective management tool. [Also], there is only one good long-term strategy: to develop a system in which stink bugs will be controlled, more or less, naturally, without using multiple applications of pesticides.” Penn State researchers are studying other aspects of these pests as well.
“We are still learning and trying to understand the possible effect of weather on the stink bug populations,” Krawczyk said. “Unfortunately, this kind of observation cannot be done in the lab, and we need more seasons to get some verifiable information.” Steve Jacobs, a senior extension associate in entomology at Penn State, is also participating in Krawczyk’s project. Jacobs has not started his part of the investigation in State College yet because he has not received money to begin the study. Jacobs’ role in the investigation is to look at the stimuli that causes the brown marmorated stink bugs to fly to a particular area over the winter. “My hypothesis is that the stink bugs are attracted to the heat emanating from build-
see
Stink Bugs, pg. 24
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Photo by Jason Smith
Stink bugs lack natural predators in Pennsylvania, but this grasshopper seizes an opportunity to make a meal out of a dead stink bug.
from
Stink Bugs, pg. 23
ings,” Jacobs said. “When the light from the sun hits the building, the stink bugs fly there. The bugs also do this in houses. They fly to the light.” Stink bugs do not produce heat, so they must rely on hot weather to keep warm. This is why they will hibernate in cold seasons, usually somewhere warm, such as a building or wall of a house. Jacobs said he believes that the climate may have decreased the population of stink bugs last season. “The cool and wet spring last year may have put the stink bugs reproducing on hold,” he said. Although some believe the number of stink bugs decreased, Krawczyk disagreed. “Less [stink bugs] survived the fall
migration into houses mostly due to more effective control activities, but at locations without adequate control, the number of stink bugs is as huge as it was during the 2010 season,” he said. “Just walking around my house during one weekend in September we collected over 400 adults, without even trying to collect some that were out of reach.” Krawczyk said he is hopeful that a way to control stink bugs long term will be discovered within a few years. “Despite working with laboratory colonies of stink bugs, we can only learn so much when the insect is in the diapausing stage (winter),” said Krawczyk. “We do not know enough about this particular species’ biology to predict how the [mild winter] will affect the survival or abundance during the new season. [For now,] speculations are only speculations.”
Brain Drain, pg. 21
Ishler said career services does not keep statistics on student’s geographic preferences within a given state. “Anecdotally I can share that the desire to remain in State College is often impacted by the relationships that develop while a student is in school, a desire to continue to work that was initiated while a student or the desire to continue to build experience in a field that is in demand within State College or Centre County,” said Ishler. “Again, from my perspective this is not a high percentage.” Eric Sauder, who earned a bachelors degree in mechanical engineering and a masters in architectural engineering at Penn State, is one graduate who stumbled upon full-time work in the State College area because of a relationship established as a student. “Through my masters, I had done a fair amount of work with the company I currently work for,” he explained. “My work [with Envinity] was connected through the center for Sustainability at Penn State. I worked as an energy engineer for [Envinity] while completing my masters.” While maintaining a full time job, Eric also runs a not-for-profit “incubator” he co-founded called New Leaf Initiative. Located downtown, New Leaf is a group of collaborators that works on growing and helping implement sustainably driv-
Photo by Jessica Rommelt
Nate Kling, 2010 Penn State graduate and State College native, returned to town after a summer away.
en ideas. “[Mayor Goreham] is excited because [New Leaf] is a group that would keep young professionals in the area,” said Sauder. Mayor Elizabeth Goreham stressed that what this town needs are young and fresh college graduates, particularly with environmentally focused ideas that they can then grow and develop into local
see
Brain Drain, pg. 25
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April 2012
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Brain Drain, pg. 24
businesses. “Maybe we are a different kind of a job market,” said Goreham. “There are a lot of students who have these ideas that they want to implement, so we need to employ these students so they stay here. New Leaf has the right idea to start companies that keep us on the right path.” Despite the success of former students like Sauder and a mayor who is supportive of young professionals settling down in State College, many students perceive the job market in State College area as flat. “State College is a nice place to live as a college student, but after that, I believe it lacks opportunities to expand in the corporate workplace,” said Rachel Saslav, a sophomore in marketing. “Many corporate offices are located in big cities.” This reality holds true for Eric Sauder’s wife, Ruth Sauder, who received an undergraduate degree in French and a masters in teaching English as a second language from Penn State. “I still don’t have a full time job,” she explained. “I have had a lot of adjunct teaching positions. Even [teaching English as a second language for Penn State] is a full time load, but they pay me by the class. It’s hard for those who aren’t engineers and science related to find full time stuff here in State College. [But] there is plenty of part time work.”
Photo by Andrew McLean
Eric and Ruth Sauder, both of whom hold undergraduate and graduate degrees from Penn State, chose to remain in State College after graduating, despite housing and employment challenges.
Sauder said she is not alone in her struggle to find full-time employment. “I have a couple of friends who have similar stories,” she said. “When their jobs, contracts or grants are up, it’s hard to find a new one… It seems like young professionals are the hardest [positions] to fill.” Nate Kling, a 2010 Penn State graduate of new media and State College native, recently returned to State College. He left a job working for a Penn State research group called Studio Lab to
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take a summer position teaching video game designing to kids. The move back was a result of not finding a new location to settle down after his summer employment came to an end. He returned to State College and is again employed by Studio lab. For now, he is here enjoying his time and saving up money, but expressed a similar outlook on finding jobs in State College as a young professional. “I do feel like there is a lack of opportunities here especially for artists,” he
said. “So I feel like it is difficult to pursue many careers in State College.” Young professionals also express frustration with State College’s pricey single family homes. “My wife and I just bought a house in Houserville,” said Eric Sauder, who explained that they live with another couple in the house and split the mortgage. “We could not afford to buy downtown.” Some students also claim that they would feel out of place after graduating. “There is a widespread sense of community amongst students at Penn State,” Vadek said. “When you become an alumni you are still part of the Penn State network, but you are not in the fold of State College…You become an outsider after graduating.” When Kling decided to rent an apartment downtown, he came across this problem. Kling said that most people thought he was a student, and this not only annoyed him, but made him feel like he did not belong. Eventually though, he felt more comfortable, he said. For many, the idea of living in State College has never crossed their minds because they do not see State College as a community beyond the school. Unless job and housing opportunities or student perceptions of State College change, many students will continue to share junior Ryan Repoff’s point of view: “I think State College is a quaint little college town.”
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April 2012
Sculptor envisions nature’s unseen world by Andrea Rochat Working in the loft of a barn that has been transformed into a spacious, welllit studio overlooking the quiet hillside of a former dairy farm in Spring Mills, Pa., installation sculptor Stacy Levy seeks to make the invisible visible. Her studio—strewn with piles of sketches for upcoming projects, sandblasted glasses bursting with colored pencils, stacks of books on the structure of diatoms and other microorganisms and huge sheets of paper filled with maps, river routes and the magnified silhouettes of algae—evinces the artist’s captivation with the subtler, slower and less obvious processes of the natural world. For over 20 years, Levy has shared this fascination through installation sculptures across the world. In 2009, she mounted 600 tall bamboo rods topped with red Styrofoam balls on the banks of the Agano River in Japan in order to make visible the movement of wind on the floodplain. “I try to figure out what I want to express about nature,” Levy said. “What the sensibility is that I want to get at. Like rustling leaves. Or recently with this beautiful breeze and the daffodils out. The way they move forward and back on this one axis that I think is really interesting…That kind of subtle, micro-movement of the landscape.” After receiving her B.A. in sculpture with a minor in forestry from Yale University, Levy co-founded an urban forestry firm, Sere Ltd., and began working with landscape architects to bring an element of design to create “windows,” “rooms,” and “passages” of nature in wooded spaces within city environments. In this role as a self-titled “sylvan sculptor,” Levy stated that she learned more about that place where “the architecture of the forest meets the architecture of need and beauty.”
Photo by Andrea Rochat On the floor of her studio in Spring Mills, PA, sculptor Stacy Levy works on sketches for her newest installation piece alongside her dog Louie.
Levy attributes her developing interest in expressing through her artwork the inherent dynamism of natural processes to this time in her life. “I was getting really bored with objects,” she said. “Once I had a big hound dog who came into my studio. I used to make all these little burr-like objects that were made out of Sculpey and plastic tubes and they were on low tables. As he walked past them, they all stuck onto him. And I thought ‘What’s really interesting about these is what they’re doing, not what they look like.’ That was a big switch—to think my art needs to be about what it does, or talking about the doing of things.” Levy stated that her work then began to shift away from the more conventional sense of art as something fixed and permanent. “[Art], particularly at that time, was incredibly static,” she said. “You made these objects and people moved them with white gloves and they sat on
pedestals and you put vitrines over them…But I was really interested in [art] talking about the verb of a thing, and not just sitting there and being an adjective or a noun. It seemed really important that it show how things moved.” Levy returned to school, “to figure out how to make art,” and received her MFA in Sculpture from Tyler School of Art in 1991. Since then, her work has continued to follow the trajectory of activating art by embracing the malleable, everchanging subject of nature. Indicative of this is Levy’s regular return to the subject of water and her attempts to express its fluidity and visualize its transparent, minute parts. “[Water] is just so gorgeous,” Levy said. “It’s just the most compelling material…I think it’s because we’re so made of water that we find ourselves in it somehow. You look at that stuff and you go, ‘That’s somehow the essence of what I am.’ It is so changeable. Certainly it
makes the best metaphors for our lives.” The H.O. Smith Botanic Gardens in the Arboretum at Penn State features Levy’s installation, “Ridge and Valley,” a gigantic, walk-able floor map made of Pennsylvania bluestone that is carved with the local Spring Creek watershed. Viewers can walk a miniaturized version of their landscape, orienting themselves among ridges and mountains and streams, tracing water paths and discovering the geological patterns that produced them. On rainy days, a roof runoff from Overlook Pavilion pours onto the map and through the runnels, creating a living, moving, interactive chart of the watershed—a four dimensional system in flux. Indeed this tendency of Levy’s artwork to encourage the audience to engage the piece both mentally and physically leads many to call her an environmentalist—a label she is sometimes uncomfortable with. “For years I thought I should be out doing something,” Levy said. “That’s always been a conflict…But I have finally come to peace with the idea that you have to do what you are truly good at. Because if you try and do something that you can’t sustain or that you’re not really that into, it doesn’t work… I am doing what I am able to do. And if you do that, I think it comes out over time to be just as effective as doing it more actively.” Nevertheless, much of Levy’s installation sculpture draws attention to humanity’s relationship with nature. Her 2008 project, “Melting Point,” at The Icebox in Philadelphia, consists of an indoor and outdoor exhibit. Outside, a hanging column is filled with small glass orbs containing vegetable oils whose physical responses to temperature fluctuations not only express shifts in the seasons but also more permanent transformations in the
see
Levy, pg. 28
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April 2012
CRUX reveals the refiguring of artist-activist by Jessie Rommelt “After a year abroad, a semester away and countless conceptual mutations, CRUX is a combination of works that illustrate the key ideas in the work of Anna Brewer. Issues of Gender, Power, and Memory bind together to set the stage for the many characters who populate this show,” states the exhibition card for Penn State student, artist, and activist Anna Brewer’s latest artistic endeavor. CRUX is an exhibition of mixed media work by artist, Anna Brewer, but it’s more than that, it’s the artistic child of Brewer’s global experience. The show is on display at the Patterson Gallery on University Park Campus from April 8 14 with a public reception scheduled Friday April 13 from 7-10pm. The show includes a variety of media including painted works on paper, large scale paintings and sculptural works. Anna Brewer is a graduating senior at Penn State studying Fine Arts, Spanish and Labor Studies. Brewer’s diverse academic background is reflective of her time spent as a leader of United Students Against Sweatshops, a national student organization that fights to end sweatshop exploitation in factories where collegiate apparel is produced. Anna Brewer’s background in labor studies and activism is related to both the political and tactile
Photo by Anna Brewer
Brewer’s time abroad and as an artist in Pittburgh led to an exploration of figures. Brewer said a stint in Buenos Aires inspired her to consider the theme of regurgitation.
aspects of her work. Brewer spent a full year in 2010 studying fine arts and film at The National Institute of Arts in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She identified her time spent abroad as a major influence on the technique and style of her work. “The crash of culture, language, and space, overwhelmed me and I had a constant longing to expel unwanted ele-
ments. Naturally, I began making work that explored the role of regurgitation and vomit,” said Brewer. Living in a new country began to shape the way she thought not only about her art but about her personal and cultural identity. She began to phase out figurative elements of her previous work replacing them with atmospheric abstractions. This was in part due to her
new state of anonymity and displacement in the city of Buenos Aires. “I didn’t want to represent figure anymore, I wanted to act as the figure, maneuvering in a chaotic and lush atmosphere. My process began to parallel a bodily interpretation of my new
see
Brewer, pg. 28
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habitat,” said Brewer. Since returning to the States, Brewer spent a semester focusing on performance art at Penn State, and she then took a semester off to work at the Mattress Factory Museum in Pittsburgh, PA. While in Pittsburgh she was also a resident artist of the Brew House Association, which is a converted brewery turned artist residency program which has been operating since the 1970’s. The body of work included in her exhibition, “Crux,” includes work she completed during her time in Pittsburgh in conjunction with new work produced throughout her last two semesters at Penn State. New ways of representing the figure have re-emerged within Brewer’s work.
“The crash of culture, language, and space, overwhelmed me and I had a constant longing to expel unwanted elements. Naturally, I began making work that explored the role of regurgitation and vomit.” -- Anna Brewer
Brewer depicts figures as top heavy, voluminous eruptions on stilt legs. Still other figures take the form of bald-headed, fleshy humans, often bearing their exposed genitals. The exhibit features works that give insight into the mind of the artist, a visual representation of her mental-emotional journey. Paintings are a combination of large unstretched canvas paintings and smaller intimate works on paper. CRUX also features several sculptural
works that may be considered “soft sculpture.” Soft sculpture is a term coined in the 1960’s that refers to art made of non-rigid materials like the plush, cloth sculptures featured in this exhibition. Although Brewer identifies strongly with painting (and sculpting) as a medium, she also utilizes video, dance, costume, and audio elements to arrive at finished pieces. “I think and visualize as a painter but I am an eclectic maker. I use many different mediums to arrive at a final idea. Usually the work is a culmination of various experiments. I don’t like to know where it will end, which is why I think I gravitate towards new materials, like sewing, my newest endeavor,” said Brewer. This spring saw the fruition of not just Brewer’s artistic endeavors, but some of her activist efforts as well. During March 2012 Brewer traveled to The Dominican Republic to lead student activists through garment factories that have been positively changed by student campaigns in the United States. “I got to see a garment factory in full production, probably has something to do with why I have become so drawn to the sewing machine,” said Brewer. “Meeting people, and learning about the process of making clothes totally changed how I see the fight to end sweatshops.” The local community is invited to join Anna Brewer for the exhibition reception Friday April 13th in the Patterson Gallery on campus across from the Palmer Museum of Art on Curtain Road. CRUX will be open to view the entire week of April 8th-14th.
from
Levy, pg. 26
climate. In the indoor exhibit, glass teardrops filled with the same oils under climate-controlled conditions highlight the contrast between a changing world and a constrained one. One of her many current projects involves designing a water-run off system for the Frick Environmental Center in Pittsburgh, that will not only trace the route of water but help educate visitors about its source, its destination, and the transformative life forms—like diatoms—it contains. Regardless of her opinions of her own activism, Levy, who must regularly consult with scientists, engineers, horticulturalists and architects for her projects, contends that art is experiencing a paradigm shift from a solo, static and permanent act to a much more dynamic and collaborative form of expression. She predicts that art will become less reliant on the view of one than on the combined vision of many. “All these disciplines will come together. The separation of art is going to seem absurd in time. It just can’t be this other thing that happens in a whitewalled space that is open between 10 o’clock and 6 o’clock. It will happen much more interactively…Art is going to function more. It’s going to do a job…and I want it to work because I think it needs to do a little more than just sit there. It needs to make small changes and show what those changes are.” For now, though, Levy states that her main interest is to notice small moments in the environment and capture them for others to observe. “Sharing nature matters to me. Introducing you to your watershed, so it stirs your curiosity. It just gives you that first moment of understanding—the preliminary connection. It’s taken me a long time to realize that that is a kind of slow-drip activism. I’m working like water—that slow erosion.” For more information on Levy’s work visit: www.stacylevy.com
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Fritchman paints the mosaic of natural world by Veronica Winters
In the studio Holly Fritchman considers herself a botanical artist. She creates natureinspired pieces that pay close attention to patterns and detail, zooming into simple things in her compositions to discover complex arrangements. Fritchman’s most recent show at the Bellefonte Art Museum features her original, meticulously painted butterfly watercolor paintings that range in size from 24x30 inches to 5x7 inches. “I LOVE painting detail,” she said. Fritchman creates thorough art. She showed a large print done from her original 5x7-ich painting that took a month to complete. The image, titled “Painted Lady,” had various beautiful patterns intertwined in the butterfly’s wings. Most visitors wouldn’t even guess it was done in watercolor, looking at such controlled and deliberate strokes of color. “I do multiple tracings before I even start painting the piece,” she said. As part of her creative process the artist completes a rough drawing that gets refined in stages. She places a sheet of tracing paper on each rough draft and transfers it onto paper. When a finished drawing is complete, another piece of tracing paper traces the last draft and– and she then transfers it to her final watercolor paper. “Then, I gently lift the image as much as possible off with a kneaded eraser, leaving only a very light outline showing,” she said. Watercolor paintings are created in layers painting from light to dark to build luminosity and preserve color purity. Graphite lines must be very light and thin so as not to grease the paper. The artist doesn’t deviate from this rule and begins her painting process working in the lightest tonality first,
pre-planning where to leave the lightest areas free of any color. Fritchman then carefully adds hues in layers (called glazing), finalizing her work in fine detail with tiny brushes. Such a process takes weeks to complete one small watercolor painting. Influenced by the UK’s botanical artists with whom she took workshops, the artist arranged a special display in her art show for people to see her process and draw the connection between natural objects and her artwork. One of her central display items features the collection of butterflies. “I got inspired by the butterflies shared with me by a life-long butterfly collector Jordan Finkelstein who lives in State College,” the artist said. Fritchman met with the collector through Pat House, director of the museum. He let the artist see the cases of butterflies; each butterfly has a unique design on its wings. Fritchman saw a number 88 was “written” on wings of a Mexican butterfly, while others had the image of an owl face or a dog face captured on their colorful wings. The artist became fascinated with these various patterns and colors; they preoccupied her painting for a year. Fritchman considers herself to be a self-taught artist in the mediums of pencil, watercolor and oil although she has studied botanical art painting at Humboldt Institute in Maine and took a landscape oil painting workshop at the Hameau Art Studio, in Belleville, PA. The artist also took oil painting classes at the Art Alliance and C Barton McCann School of Art. Fritchman is a member of the Farm Land Preservation Artists of Central Pennsylvania and gives a portion of some of her art sales to the farms conservation cause. One of Fritchman’s pieces – a drawing of wetland sedges, grass, and a Marsh Wren and Peeper— was used as cover for the National Wetlands Plant book.
“I was then contacted by the coordinator of the US Army Corp of Engineers CRREL for a possible commission for the cover of their Wetlands P l a n t Identification book,” said Fritchman. “I sent them the ‘Wetlands’ image and they purchased the rights for use on the cover of the book. Money received for the book cover was donated to Humboldt Institute in Eagle Hill, Maine to help with a buildPhoto by Veronica Winters ing project.” Holly Fritchman with her piece “Painted Lady.” this work is on display at the The same Bellefonte Art Museum. drawing also helped to financially support the Millbrook Marsh studio. Her current exhibit at the Nature Center, which received a per- Bellefonte Art Museum runs through the end of May. centage of sales of prints. To contact the artist directly, write to The artist lives and works in Bellefonte and paints in her son’s for- holly.fritchman@gmail.com or visit the mer bedroom that she converted into a museum at: bellefontemuseum.org/.
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ASK Cosmo
Dear Cosmo, You liberals are sure having a field day with Rush Limbaugh again, just because you think the rest of us taxpayers should endorse the use of birth control and then also pay for it. Every time he says something controversial, the elite media pile on to discredit him. However, regardless of what you pinheads say, he can still effectively lead the Republican Party and solidify its conservative base. You won’t be laughing so hard come November! Although I believe you deserve what’s coming to you, I just thought I’d give you fair warning, that he who laughs last, laughs best. Signed, Rush Is The Life Of The Party Dear Get a Life, It’s also said that he who laughs last didn’t get the joke at first. These so-called “liberals,” who you seem to think march in perfect lock-step on every single issue, do not leap at every controversial nugget Mr. Limbaugh says. Our schedules, needs, and thresholds to ignore asininities vary greatly. Most of us don’t have that kind of time or interest on our hands. If we quibbled over every controversial thing uttered by that zeppelin, we’d never get anything else done. However, now and then, he
Campus and Culture from the Canine Perspective
says something REALLY DUMB that’s worth a shot across the bow. Most of what he says I can file under “ignore.” But when he launched into the nasty personal attacks against Sandra Fluke, and then embellished and belabored the point for several more days, I think he really showed his true colors. In his eventual apology, under duress and threat of losing more advertisers, he did concede that in the heat of entertaining his audience, he chose two wrong words: slut and prostitute. But he didn’t utter a peep discussing how he conflated receiving medical benefits with being paid to do something. If they covered my rabies shot, would that make me a professional biter? Would my flea and tick repellent make me a professional exterminator? Would my distemper boosters make me a conservative pundit? He did not apologize for any of the other seedy things he said, and fanned the flames with the First Amendment. So, in the same vein, I’d like to make the following claim in print. In light of Limbaugh’s request to see online videos of law student Sandra Fluke having sex, so that he could “see what we were paying for,” I offer the following headline: “Limbaugh solicits sexually explicit videos of schoolgirls.” Bring on the Truth Patrol! He can be the next feature on “Caught on Tape,” or at least “To Catch a Provocateur.” A recent copy of Newsweek had a cover story with the title, “Can Huckabee
see
Cosmo, pg. 31
Trustees untrustworthy by Elizabeth May The latest disclaimer by Penn State’s board of trustees, in regards to the firing of Coach Joe Paterno, reveals the board hiding behind a guise of responsibility to our university and community. The justification for their decision demonstrates a legal infraction, a paradox, as well as undermines their defense. Legally speaking, if Coach Paterno notified Athletic Director Tim Curley, under the Clery Act, he fulfilled his duty. As the board writes, “While Coach Paterno did his legal duty by reporting that information the next day, Sunday, March 3, to his immediate superior, the then Penn State Athletic Director Tim Curley.” Clause b of The Clery Act states: “Licensees who are staff members of a medical or other public or private institution, school, facility or agency,
and who, in the course of their employment, occupation or practice of their profession, come into contact with children shall immediately notify the person in charge of the institution, school facility or agency or the designated agent of the person in charge when they have reasonable cause to suspect on the basis of their professional or other training experience, that a child coming before them in their professional or official capacity is a victim of child abuse. Upon notification by the licensee, the person in charge or the designated agent shall assume the responsibility and have the legal obligation to report or cause a report to be made” (049 Pa. Code 42.42) According to our state law on suspected child abuse cases Coach Paterno as defined by the “licensee” met his responsibility by reporting the incident to Tim Curley, “the person in charge or
see
Trustees, pg. 31
Tom Baker
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Cosmo, pg. 30
Crush Limbaugh?” Now I’d pay money to see that. And bring popcorn. I think if they dropped ol’ Governor Mike from a tall enough building, and he landed smack dead center on Rush, it might crush him, barring any unexpected “trampoline effect,” or either’s tendency to spin to the right. But I think EVERYONE, friend or foe, conservative or liberal, Republican or Democrat, human or more intelligent being, owes it to himself or herself to see the most perfect analysis of this entire situation. It’s the tightest, most cogent summary of complex issues I’ve ever seen. Make sure you visit www.DefendRush.org. Do it NOW, and tell your friends. The life you get may be your own. Dear Cosmo, A friend of mine wrote this on her Facebook page: “Charity ain’t charity if you brag about it. It is public masturbation.” I’m not sure I’m comfortable with that description. Does everything always have to something to do with sex? Won’t spreading attitudes like this actually deter charitable contributions? Signed, Give the Givers A Break Dear Not Hard On Donors, To answer your questions: yes, no. Everything potentially DOES have something to do with sex, whether it’s animal, vegetable or mineral. The animal parts are obvious (except on immature cats), and the vegetable kingdom is gender oriented – it has a king – and veggie tails can even be moderately pornographic in certain O’Keefe motifs. Even minerals figure prominently in human romance, in terms of gold, silver and diamonds. “Intimate piercings” are not all that romantic, and I suspect most wearers skimp on the precious metals in their precious parts. The word “cheap” comes to mind. That metal’s not turning green with envy; it’s just another form of
tarnish on one’s image. And no, I don’t think this attitude would deter philanthropic giving, because is neither p) a widely held view, nor q) an accurate one. Recall your basic math, and the use of logic truth tables. If you have an implication in the form, if p then q, there are various arrangements of these arguments – inverse, converse, and contrapositive - whose truth solutions follow a pattern. Basically, the inverse switches the order: if q then p. The converse negates both arguments: if not p then not q. Then there’s the contrapositive, which both negates (converse) and switches the order (inverse) the arguments into the form: if not q then not p. The truth of the inverse and converse are conditional, but the answers in the truth table for the original implication and the contrapositive are identical. It’s a quick way to check the logical validity of a statement. Basically, if the contrapositive is ridiculous, chances are the original implication is also flawed. So, let’s subject your friend’s statement to logical scrutiny. The original implication is “If you brag about charitable giving, then it is public masturbation.” Questionable. The inverse:”If it’s public masturbation, then it’s boasting about charitable giving.” Yikes. Converse: “If it’s not bragging about charitable giving, then it’s not public masturbation.” Probably not, but no guarantees there. But the contrapositive clearly points out the error: “If it’s not public masturbation, then it’s not bragging about charitable giving.” That’s likely true, but while there are millions of things which are not public masturbation, which are also not boasts about charitable giving, they are rarely equivalent to one another. Substituting other terms to check the truth of the equation often points to the flaw in the initial implication. For example, if you’re shuffling cards (not public wanking) then you are performing brain surgery (not bragging about charity
see
Cosmo, pg. 34
from
Trustees, pg. 30
designated agent.” Thus, Tim Curley and Gary Schultz are “the agents” responsible for extending the “legal obligation to report or cause a report to be made.” However, the Board’s decision to fire Paterno, whether motivated by symbolism or political corrections, is an insinuation of guilt, is contradictory to the correct action Paterno took, is unjust, and is a misrepresentation of our university. We could argue the board of trustees took the law into their own hands at the expense of the university reputation and the Paterno family, legacy, and millions of dollars that have enabled the growth and success of this university and the Commonwealth.
Instead of repeating poor justification and defense of their decisions, the board of trustees needs to step up for this university and honor the Paterno family’s contributions. It is essential justice be served in this case. The law makes it clear who is guilty. Rather than scapegoat Coach Paterno, what most haunts me is the realization that the board could have used this legislation to support Coach Paterno, emphasize his responsible reporting of the incident, and promote the honorable and selfless values his son Jay Paterno so eloquently reminded us his father lived by. Elizabeth May is a Senior Lecturer in the English Department at the Pennsylvania State University.
32
April 2012
Letters Send letters to William Saas at oped@voicesweb.org Dear Voices, In response to Mr. Carlson's reply to me in the March Voices all I can say is WOW! In this day of the internet any research concerning voting habits of the individual, urban vs. rural must be taken with the knowledge that the margin of error is very high. People as a whole are much more in tune and informed than even 20 years ago. Election signs can hardly be a monitor of how a populace votes. Those are shear advertisments paid for by the canidate. And Pennsylvania only has 33 counties, not 50, as Mr. Carlson suggested. The United States of America is the shiny city on the hill. The country that the rest of the world has always looked to
when they are in need. Now we borrow 43 cents of every dollar we spend. Who will be the ones repaying that loan? Instead of borrowing, how about we balance our budget by limiting spending on useless entitlements. putting money where it will create jobs and stimulate small business. Mr. Carlson brings up some social issues in his response all of which are important in our history. They have all contributed to the growth of our country. This is something that most left leaning people tend to do, however: see the event without the cause and effect. What caused each event and how did that event effect the country? All of the events he listed have had a positive effect on the country, with the exception of possibly Social Security and Medicare. Both are good in theory but both are mandates which violates the Constitution and both are going broke from mismanagement.
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Mr. Obama's health care (i.e. Obamacare) is nothing to do about health care and everything to do with taxing the populace and more about government control of every aspect of the individuals' life. We the people are not the former speaker of the house. We have actually read the bill and health care is at best terciary as it's premise. If he was really concerned about health care, he would let the free market take care of it. Let the government regulate to a degree, such at tort reform. Make it harder to sue a doctor for malpractice. Take the trial attorney out of the equation. Open up state lines so you can buy insurance anywhere you choose in the country. Create that competition in the market and watch insurance premiums drop drastically. It is good that Mr. Carlson has read the Oxford Dictionary. No the United States is not socialist. YET! It is heading that way
and it must be headed off. Maybe reading the Constitution and understanding how it works. The checks and balances in it. How the Founders and Framers forsaw events and wrote into the document how to handle these as they came up. Along with the Constitution, read the Aritcles of Confederation, The Federalist Papers, The Declaration of Independence. These are not just words written over 200 years ago. These are ideals to live by. To keep a free country from succumbing to a European style of government. The United States is a country OF the poeple, not a government FOR the people. No sir, big government doesn't work as each attempt at it has failed. Only our limited government and a vigilant society has been successful and yes a shining city on the hill. John L. Flickinger State College
33
April 2012
A sex abuse survivor’s reflections on the Sandusky scandal by Annie-hannah E. Mancini, MFA, D.Sci. On February 15th, I read the headline of one in the endless stream of distracting articles that have been published in the wake of the Sandusky scandal: “Paterno's Death Could Clear Officials. Penn State's former athletic director says the death of former coach Joe Paterno is grounds for dismissal of the case against him. Outrageous reason he could walk.” The media frenzy surrounding the Jerry Sandusky scandal serves as a stark reminder of my own past. May I offer my story as an alternative posture to the shambled articles that relate to “The Scandal”? It’s about women who stood up and spoke out as “witnesses” and “victims” of the sexual misconduct of an Episcopal priest. I should know. I’m one of the women. My story is about the process of staying on task and seeking to accomplish a justified closure. In 1988, I joined a spiritually alive and intellectually grounded Episcopal Church in Amherst, Mass. Immediately I became engaged in the studies that were offered. As I finished a four-year study program, I inquired about being ordained as a Deacon. By 1991, I was working toward ordination. One requirement was to meet regularly with my Rector, James Clark, and quarterly with my Bishop, who I will call Bishop Robert Wister. I loved my church family. But along the way, something just didn’t feel right to me. “That’s just Jim.” People told me. “He means nothing of it.” This was the mantra of many at my church. But I experienced something different. Was it really nothing that, after some of my meetings with Jim, I experienced long, full body hugs, feeling his groin as he pressed his hands on my buttocks? Similar encounters continued to happen to me in different places and times in the church building over the months, but I didn’t know what to say or to whom. Who would listen, let alone believe me?
My breaking point came one morning in the bright, sunny sitting room in the church lobby. Jim showed up that morning wearing loose, gray sweat pants with matching pullover and sneakers which was unusually casual for him. Whether by chance or knowledge that I was there, I don’t know. We exchanged small talk, but I felt threatened the moment he arrived. I remained seated, and when I looked up from my book, I saw Jim standing about 20 feet away, displaying a fully erected penis under his sweat pants. He continued to talk to me as if nothing unusual was happening. My heart was beating. I looked down again at my reading hoping he would go away. He eventually did. I never returned to that sunny place again. Shortly after that incident, I shared my experiences with my dearest and most trusted friends at Grace Church. Micah and Julie Gillins listened in silence. They agreed that I should tell Bishop Wister. Gaining confidence, I also told Liz Rice. Liz was a woman priest I trusted, and I asked her to accompany me as my advocate when I met with the Bishop. Within the month, a meeting was arranged in Bishop Wister’s office in Springfield, Mass. Jim, his wife, Liz, the Bishop and I sat in a circle. As I related my stories, I recall feeling powerless and crazy as Jim reduced my stories to “misunderstandings.” We left the meeting in silence. No follow-up. No acknowledgment except that a letter would be placed in my file. In the parking lot, Liz berated me. In the parking lot, Liz berated me. “How dare you?” I remember her saying. “Do you want to have Jim dismissed? This could cost him!” I later found out that she and Jim were very close friends. As a result of that meeting, my process toward ordination ended. Bishop Wister retired soon afterward, and a new Bishop came into office. As a result of that meeting, my process toward ordination ended. Bishop Wister retired soon afterward and a new Bishop came into office. In fall 1994, Ken Maya, a Diocesan
Official, sought me out, wanting more information concerning my experiences with Jim. Ken assured me that the new Bishop was listening and wanted to know more. It turned out I wasn’t alone in my experiences. I became connected with 16 other women who also dared to speak up in spite of more than three decades of being silenced. My story was only the tip of the iceberg, and my experiences were slight compared to the stories which were unfolding. Our new Bishop heard us, started the process of church investigations and spoke to each of us individually and as a group to corroborate our stories. Sadly, he died half way through the process of melanoma cancer at the age of 48 in May 1995. Bishop John Stevens was assigned to our case. He didn’t reside in Massachusetts
and had no personal history with Clark. In early summer of 1995, a meeting was held at the diocesan office in Springfield, Mass. Those present at this meeting were Jim and his wife, Jim’s lawyer, Liz Rice (who’d since made it clear how “disgusted” she was learning of Clark’s behavior), Bishop Stevens, lawyers representing the Diocese and the 17 Witnesses (we refused to be called “victims”). We all retold our stories without shame, fear or feeling crazy. As a result, Jim was immediately dismissed from his office as Rector of Grace Church, Amherst, and permanently and publicly deposed from the priesthood. Grace Church was bitterly split over this
see
Scandal, pg. 34
34
from
April 2012
Scandal, pg. 33
decision. The Witnesses from Grace who could leave the area did. By the fall of 1995, I left Massachusetts altogether. In mid-winter 2012, I opened my Anthology of the Saints and notice an entry about Bishop Victricius. I read, â&#x20AC;&#x153;He was a man of importance in his era, who â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;did all that he could, even if he could not do all that needed doing.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? Why didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t I go to the police? Why didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t I do or say something in 1989 when I started experiencing Clarkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sexual misconduct. Why didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t I do something more? Why didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t I.....Why didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t I...Why didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t I....? Do these type of questions sound familiar? They should, because such questions have become the standard mantras throughout the Sandusky ordeal. I would argue that those who pose such question have not experience or witnessed unwanted, predatory sexual encounters, nor will they EVER rightly comprehend the issue. Period. The point of my story is this: we Witnesses made a very important decision through this long process. We wanted to bring to a close the years that we, and dozens of other women, were silenced and shamed because Jimâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sexual misconduct. We focused on him alone. We were not interested in merely seeing heads roll to satisfy our fear and anger or to feed the hungry press with more spicy
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morsels to nibble on by going after the Bishops or anyone else. We recognized that the Bishops were, like us, â&#x20AC;&#x153;victimsâ&#x20AC;? of Clarkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s deception and lies. Bishop Wister was one of Clarkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best friends, and I saw how very devastated he was that his â&#x20AC;&#x153;friendâ&#x20AC;? could deceive him for so many years. When I left Massachusetts, Bishop Wister and I parted as friends. In the light of my firsthand encounter through a horrendous experience and a redeeming process, it is my very frank opinion that firing Coach Joe Paterno and President Graham Spanier by the board of trustees of Penn State was wrong-headed and unjustified. The trustees decided focus on the wrong men (more so with Coach Paterno than with Mr. Spanier). As a result, both men were not only victims of Sanduskyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s deception and lies, but also became victims of a foolish and feckless decision. It is my hope that the board will hear me along with many others who are asking the trustees to acknowledge that their decision was irresponsible and off task, to openly apologize to Mrs. Paterno and Mr. and Mrs. Spanier and to refocus their attention on solely one man: Jerry Sandusky. But, then again, I know what itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like not to be heard. Note: I have changed the names of those involved, except for the man who breached the trust of what should have been a holy and safe place to worship: James H. Clark.
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from
Cosmo, pg. 30
gifts). Or, if you are cleaning up dog doo (not spankinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; it) then you are chopping down a tree (not yodeling your generosity). Well, both of those have to do with logs, so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not as clear an example. A friend who grew up in Altoona swears this is true, and her sister confirmed it. There used to be a mentally unbalanced person in Altoona, who routinely would go up to the picture window of a local bank on a major intersection, and pleasure himself to the point of climax, in plain view of both those on the street, and those working inside the bank. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d call the cops, but heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d just return another day and do the same thing. It was such a regular occurrence that the folks in the bank finally just got used to it, and would just say, â&#x20AC;&#x153;There he is again.â&#x20AC;? Or maybe it was â&#x20AC;&#x153;Here he comes
again.â&#x20AC;? Anyway, that was obviously a case of public masturbation, but I shudder to think that his bedecking the storefront windows was a â&#x20AC;&#x153;charitableâ&#x20AC;? contribution, and I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know that he actually bragged about it, although actions do indeed speak louder than words. I think if one had to ascribe a sexual description to bragging about generosity, it would run more along the lines of exhibitionism than autoeroticism. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s more like crowing than chicken choking, and more like simian chestthumping than adolescent monkeyspanking. The original quote had to do with people on Twitter tweeting about their charitable acts. I think thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the appropriate verb. They donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t roar and they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t howl; they tweet. Their grand gesture ends in a whimper. #Fools'Names appear in #PublicPlaces.
Whitey Blue on mild winters by David M. Silverman I was talking the other day to Whitey Blue, longtime Centre Region resident and hard-nose. Whitey, any thoughts about the very mild winter weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re having? â&#x20AC;&#x153;I sure do! Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s taking away all the thrills of winter.â&#x20AC;? What do you mean? We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to
shovel as much snow or have as many snow-plow trucks running through our neighborhoods! â&#x20AC;&#x153;Câ&#x20AC;&#x2122;mon, those are the activities that separate the men from the boys. Winters are meant to be brutal and challenging. In the past, those â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;softiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; that couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t handle those chores fled South. Now we have to put up with â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;em year round.â&#x20AC;?
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35
April 2012
Primary doggerel blues
Sudoku
by David M. Silverman “The G.O.P (Gross Old Party)” I've lived through Coolidge, Hoover, Nixon, Reagan, too, Plus the George Bushs, two. They all favored the well-to-do, Ignoring the needs of me and you. Now, again, we hear the Right-wing spew Their beliefs- "Help The Wealthy Few." -Dave Silverman (Survivor of the Depression and vet of WWII)
“The G.O.P. Hopefuls” Newt, Matt, Ron or Rick, You can take your pick Of what kinda G.O.P. trick Will make the poor and middle class more sick.
Instructions: Fill in the grid so every row, every column and every three-by-three box contains the digits 1 through 9. There is no math involved. You solve the puzzle with reason and logic. The solution to this month’s puzzle can be found on page 35 of this issue. By Peter Morris
Our th Yea r
28
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Congratulations to Braden Crooks, who received the Voices Progressive of the Year Award 2012 for his work with Groundswell, to bring the nation's first Community Bill of Rights law to the State College Boro, which among other things helps protect boro residents from unregulated Fracking.
Thanks Sohan and the India Pavilion Staff!!!
www.affinityconnection.com Special thanks to Affinity Connection for donating their mailing and fundraising services.
http://voicesweb.org/2012program
Mayor Elizabeth Goreham presents Barb Brownlee with a Special Voices Lifetime Acheivemnet Award given to her husband Bob Brownlee, for his work fighting for Voters Rights and a guaranteed paper trail for Pennsylvania voting machines.