Voices of Central Pennsylvania May 2012 by Voices of Central Pennsylvania, Inc, a 501(c)3 Non-Profit

www.voicesweb.org

Local food spotlight ‘Home Grown’ gardening PAGE 8

Local Food Forum VOICES OF CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA

PAGE 12 May 2012

Penn State’s numbers game: the shallow side of global diversit y

PA G E 1 7 ENVIRONMENT Forecast: better weather predictions coming soon to Centre County pg 17 Independent News Since 1993

POLITICS State budget neglects senior citizens pg 3 ECONOMICS Fly fishing buoys local economy pg 4

ART The art and life of pg 24 Lynd Ward OPINION The “transparency” of the Trustees pg 30 Thoughtful. Fearless. Free.

May 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

Supporting Voices through transition This time of year signals a transition for many in the Centre Region—summer break for those who attend or teach school, a move from the hearth to the garden as the days become longer and warmer, quieter nights and fewer crowds for those who live near downtown State College. Voices is going through its own time of transition, and I am pleased to announce that our board has confirmed my successor: Elizabeth Timberlake-Newell. If you read Voices, you know Elizabeth. She’s the powerhouse editor behind the Politics and Economics section and 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 Arts and Entertainment section. She’s the journalist behind some of this year’s best articles, including the February cover story on the Jerry Sandusky scandal and the March cover story on Penn State’s Board of Trustees. Elizabeth has served Voices as a writer and editor since October 2010, and she will take the helm as managing editor after the publication of the July/August issue. Expect good things. Elizabeth has a keen eye for the untold story, a strong sense of justice, and an awareness of the nuances and complexity of the events unfolding around her. I am confident that she will steer this paper with passion, skill and grace. I also know that this job is extremely demanding, especially in the first months, so I ask that you consider how you can support Voices and Elizabeth during this time of transition. We need section editors to fill the open Environment position and the soon-to-beopen Politics and Economics and Arts and

Entertainment Voices Advisory positions. We Council need writers and Nick Brink photographers. Jamie Campbell We need distribJane Childs utors—especialJohn Dickison ly people willing Ann Glaser to take the paper Elizabeth Kirchner to campus. Bonnie Marshall We also need Curt Marshall financial contriBob Potter butions. Voices is Diane Prosser a 501c3 nonprof- Bonnie K. Smeltzer it, and we can’t Susan Squier serve the comMaria Sweet munity without Kim Tait your help and Mary Watson Sue Werner your (taxGreg Woodman deductible) gifts Lakshman Yapa of money. Everything you give stays right here Centre County and helps us help everyone in the area share their voices and accomplish their missions. Please join us for one of our weekly staff meetings—now held at Webster’s Bookstore Café at 6 p.m. on Wednesdays. There’s never been a better time to add your voice to Voices.

Top Stories in This Issue POLITICS and ECONOMICS

pages 3-7

Corbett’s budget neglects senior citizens by Sean Christ..................................................3

COMMUNITY and LIFESTYLES

pages 8-11

DSCID director aims to boost local economy by Bridget Dwyer..........................................9

ENVIRONMENT

pages 12-16

Forecasters get a clearer view of the skies by David Amerman...................................12

UNIVERSITY

pages 17-23

Penn State struggles for diversity by Sierra Dole with Lucy Bryan Green..............................21

ARTS and ENTERTAINMENT

pages 24-29

Film examines art and life of Lynd Ward by Steven Herb............................................26

OPINION

pages 30-35

The “transparency” of the Trustees by Brock Fiorito and Rose Williams........................30

May 2012

Corbett’s budget neglects senior citizens by Shawn Christ Some Centre County officials and senior advocates say Governor Tom Corbett’s proposed budget neglects Pennsylvania’s rapidly growing senior population, but his administration recently began looking into changes to the Pennsylvania Lottery that it says could support programs serving older Pennsylvanians. Jane Taylor, the director of Centre County’s Office of Aging, said in an email interview that the general funding for the Department of Aging will remain the same. “While this is good news on the face of things, the older population continues to grow both in Pennsylvania and in Centre County,” she explained. She added that the governor “has proposed a cut to funding for nursing home care, which affects older and disabled residents.”

Taylor, who has worked for the Department of Aging for 34 years, said that the department won’t know about any state cuts for certain until the budget is passed. Ron Barth, president and chief executive officer of LeadingAge PA, an association of not-for-profit senior services, said Pennsylvania’s rapidly aging population needs attention. “We have an over 85 population that is growing at 10 times the rate of the rest of the population,” Barth said. “The idea that the Baby Boomers are turning 65 is a concern down the road, but it’s normally the people in their mid-80s…a large majority of them need services.” Barth, who has been with LeadingAge PA for 21 years, said that the organization’s mission is to represent “Basically, the whole continuum of services for seniors, anywhere between the doctor’s office and hospitalization.”

Providers include nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, personal care facilities, housing for seniors, housing with services for seniors and some home health care providers. Budgetary constraints pose serious problems for senior citizens seeking financial help from the state, Barth explained. “Right now, the state only essentially pays for nursing facility care, which is important, but even there it only pays about 85 percent of the cost,” Barth said. Barth said he believes that the current funding system for senior care needs to be reevaluated. “I think it would be useful every once in a while just to sit down and say, ‘Okay now we’re in the 21st century, does what we did in the 20th century actually make sense or can we simplify things?’ ” he said. Barth said that LeadingAge PA thinks that it is “important to pay adequate rates for nursing facilities” but also that money

can be saved “by allowing some of these people to go to lesser levels of care such as personal care or assisted living…but the government doesn’t help out with those.” According to LeadingAge PA’s website, assisted living/personal care “refers to specialized living arrangements for individuals who may be functionally or socially impaired but do not need 24-hour supervision.” The website also states that these facilities offer “as much or as little assistance as needed” in order to support the residents’ independence. However, nursing facilities “provide housing, personal care, nursing care and medical services for individuals who need 24-hour supervision” according to the website. These facilities “offer different kinds of

see

Senior Care, pg. 5

Errors go unaddressed on veterans memorial by David Amerman Plans have been made to fix the factual errors on the Miles Township Veterans Memorial in Rebersburg, Pa., according to Vonnie Henninger, secretary-treasurer of the Miles Township Bicentennial Committee. “We know that there are some mistakes on the monument, we plan to fix them and there will be money to fix them,” said Henninger. According to Henninger, the group of Miles Township citizens that make up the monument correction committee will raise money through fundraising and the mistakes will be fixed once the committee is certain that it has the correct information. “We have had people come in and tell us that their names are missed, and we’re working on it to make it right,” said Henninger. “We have all intentions of

making it right and [we will do] whatever we think is necessary to make corrections.” State Representative Mike Hanna said he has been to constituent meetings where people have expressed concerns about the monument and has also had conversations with the committee that put the monument together. “The information, while being generated locally, didn’t follow protocol on what the various categories of veterans are,” said Hanna. “I understand that all of this is being addressed now and I’m going to try to work towards correcting any mistakes that were made.” Hanna said that to the best of this knowledge, Miles Township is working cooperatively to get it done. He has also offered any assistance he could provide to help make the corrections happen. Despite the pledges to make progress the corrections have been a long time

coming for local veterans. One veteran in particular, Jim Hironimus, has been fighting extensively to get the corrections made for the honor of all local veterans. “I just want accuracy,” said Hironimus, an Air Force veteran who saw combat in the Vietnam War. “If it’s going to be history, make it accurate. For some people, the biggest thing in their life is to have their name on a plaque, so why should their name be up there for something they did and then have someone up there who didn’t do squat. It takes away the honor of being on a monument.” As written in the October 2011 issue of Voices, the main issue with the monument is the incorrect source data. According to Hanna and Hironimus, the committee that put the monument together used improper methods to gather information for the names on the monument. Four years ago, before the monument was erected, Vonnie Henninger asked

Hironimus to fill out a form so that he could be on the monument. Hironimus told her that that was not the proper way to go about getting the information. The proper way would be to acquire DD-214s, which are the documents issued to veterans that prove they served in the military, according to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs. Hironimus sent the monument committee a copy of his own DD-214. “I told [Vonnie] I would be glad to help if she needed help, but she told me that everything was okay,” said Hironimus. “But when they put the names on, a lot of them were wrong.” Upon noting the errors, Hironimus presented the township with a means of correcting the monument. “I showed [the township supervisors]

see

Monument, pg. 5

May 2012

Trout fishing: a pastime with a huge economic impact by Andrew Osheka April 14 marked opening day for trout fishing across Pennsylvania. With the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission’s convoy of trucks, known as the “Great White Fleet,” transporting about 3.2 million trout from hatcheries to various creeks, streams and lakes across the state, there were plenty of fish to be had by all. “Probably some of the best fishing I’ve ever seen—my dad and I reached our bag limit by 9:00,” said Frank Barbar, a self-described trout enthusiast. “The weather was nice, too. There were a lot of other people out.” Fishing license sales for the 2012 season indicated a larger turnout than in almost twenty years. The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) estimated that number of licenses sold this year exceeded the typical 850,000 by 55,000—more than 20 percent of its average. The PFBC, founded in 1866 to maintain Pennsylvania streams and other fish habitats, speculated that about a quarter of tag-holders showed up for opening day. “It was almost funny seeing how many people were getting their lines tangled up,” said Frank of the crowds that turned up on April 14. “Some people were lined up shoulder to shoulder.” The density of both fish and fishermen showed that an increasing number

“There’s not much more relaxing than a day of trout fishing. It’s just you, your flyrod, and of course, the fish.” -John Ford, President U.S. Youth Fly Fishing Team of Pennsylvanians are returning to an historical pastime—one that now has a significant impact on an ailing economy. During fishing season, which lasts until Labor Day, millions of dollars go toward licenses and fishing equipment, and local shops fill with anglers grabbing bait and a bite to eat. For many residents, fishing is simply a great way to unwind and appreciate nature. “There’s not much more relaxing than a day of trout fishing,” said John Ford, a constable at Penn State and president of the U.S. Youth Fly Fishing Team. “It’s just you, your fly-rod, and of course, the fish.” Doug Fraley, a fly-fisherman who spent the day fishing Kettle Creek, noted how mild the weather was and said, “I had a great time just being outside.” The native Americans who originally inhabited Pennsylvania, along with trap-

Photo by Lindsay Lipovich Katie Blansett tosses a line at the Conservatory Fly Fishing fundraiser. This is the first time she's ever been fly fishing, Blansett wanted to broaden her abilities so that she can take it out on her canoe.

pers, traders and white settlers, fished for trout in this region. As the state became more and more industrialized, however, and with the advent of the coal industry, many small Pennsylvania waterways became contaminated. In a few short years, Pennsylvania’s tributaries went from pristine trout havens to desolate streams, made acidic and toxic from

runoff from coal and iron mines. In addition, Pennsylvania waterways became the main route of transportation for many commodities, from lumber to specialty goods from overseas. Many small creeks and streams were dammed to allow access to more remote areas,

see

Trout, pg. 7

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May 2012

from

Monument, pg. 3

the forms they needed to give to all the families and gave them a name of a woman who works for a monument company that will give you a discount for metal plaques to put over the mistakes,” said Hironimus. And still, the errors remain unfixed while other local projects like the Gramley schoolhouse across the street from the monument are being well attended to. “My theory is that they’re scared to fix it because half the names on the monument won’t be allowed to be on there. And there’s no room on the monument for corrections. It is a mess,” said Hironimus. Other problems with the monument include the lack of any mention of the Gulf War—and the inclusion of peacetime veterans in its place—and the fact

from

Senior Care, pg. 3

therapies to assist in recovery from an illness or surgery,” and “some include memory support care for people with moderate to severe loss due to Alzheimer’s or dementia.” Taylor said that the government does give financial aid for services such as personal care and assisted living, but the aid is “not enough to cover the demand, or in the case of personal care homes, the cost of care.” “Historically, institutional care has been considered the ‘entitlement’ level of care,” she said. “In order to assure enough funding is in place for that level, funding for assisted living or personal care home services has not been the top priority.” Barth thinks that more uniformity could benefit the current system. “Well, [LeadingAge PA’s] solution is to start putting all of these funding streams together,” he said. “Make a true continuum of services and fund those services at an adequate rate… Overall, it could be less than what they’re paying now.” Barth said that an average rate for a nursing facility under the Medicaid pro-

that, even though some names have actually been taken off as incorrect, the names are still slightly visible. Hironimus recalled another township meeting where he and two other local veterans showed up to talk with township supervisors about the monument. “I explained my problems and asked who was responsible and whether or not it was going to get fixed. Nothing was said,” said Hironimus. Another veteran, Rich Swartz, was there because his son was in Operation Desert Storm and the monument lacks any mention of the Gulf War. “People don’t care about the monument and they don’t care that it’s wrong. All they know is Uncle Joe’s name is up there and he’s on a monument,” said Hironimus about the lack of community outrage regarding the mistakes. “If you’re going to do a job, do it right or don’t do it in the first place. And don’t dishonor veterans.” gram is about $185 a day, whereas personal care is about $100 - $125 a day. “It’s what people want anyway,” he said. “They want the lesser level of care. Nursing facilities are very important, but they are basically for rehab or end of life.” Barth suggested that people start planning earlier for the possibility of living alternatives for senior citizens. “It’s something that’s becoming more real to families all the time,” Barth said. “There comes a time, and that time seems to be in the mid-80s, when, for many people, the body starts breaking down,” he added. “For many people, they need some support.” He said those trying to decide among facilities can use the Senior Services Select resource on LeadingAge PA’s website. On April 2, Governor Tom Corbett and his administration announced that they were in the early stages of trying to find a new way to increase funding for senior care programs. The state is looking into private management for the Pennsylvnia Lottery, which Corbett said is “the nation’s one and only lottery that benefits older adults.”

Photo by David Amerman

Despite efforts to have errors on the monument corrected, the Veterans monument in Rebersburg still contains errors and incomplete corrections.

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Steve Deutsch is a regular satire columnist for Voices. “I’m Okay Who Cares About You,” The LAG GUIDE TO Self-Help. We were at my Cousin Myron’s house for a barbecue this Sunday. Myron, as you may recall, is the fiery red-haired, math whiz who’d made a fortune betting on the ponies. He gives back every year by doing taxes for anyone who asks and looks forward to his inevitable visits to the IRS for audits, as he has memorized the entire tax code. I’ve seen him in action at the IRS. It’s a thing of wonder. We were all enjoying the good food and the amazing weather, when Myron’s fourteen year old son, Eric, walked out on the porch to say, “Winter is coming.” That got our attention. Of course, the line is from George Martin’s wonderful saga, A Song of Fire and Ice, though perhaps Eric heard it on the HBO adaption. Although we all got a good laugh out of that, I realized as I was driving home that for many Americans, Winter is coming. It seems unlikely that Eric’s generation will live as well as his father’s, Most prominent economists predict that Eric’s children will be functionally illiterate and work as serfs on the Romney plantations. Winter is coming for many of us, and while in the past we might have banded together to sing camp songs and share the little we had, today we must add the fact that Americans no longer like one another. We don’t want to pay for road construction, public education, or health care benefits because other citizens might need and use them. The latest surveys suggest that eightyseven percent of us are broke, armed to the teeth, practicing the expression “You talking to me,” and arguing about who is the true conservative. Fortunately, when faced with hard times, Americans will resourcefully turn, as they always have, to that last great bastion of strength, “self help” through “pop

Photo by Steve Deutsch

Steve Deutsch in his native habitat of New York City.

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May 2012

from

Trout, pg. 4

destroying important trout breeding grounds. In recent years, however, trout populations have neared pre-industrial levels, largely due to conservation efforts from the Environmental Protection Agency and the PFBC. This is good news for local fishermen such as Frank Barbar, who’s been fishing opening day at his family’s cabin near Oil Creek for as long as he can remember. “It’s a family tradition, you know,” said Frank. “I’ve had some of my best memories fishing with my family, and I hope to continue the tradition for as long as I can.” Pennsylvania’s deep historical connection to trout fishing is paralleled only by its economical one. In its Annual Report Summary in 2011, the PFBC reported almost $41 million of revenue from fishing-related expenditures such as licenses and permits. The state also spent about $35 million on waterway maintenance and land procurement. That’s just a drop in the bucket compared to the total financial contributions from fishermen and boaters to the Pennsylvania economy, which the PFBC estimates to be $3.4 billion annually. PFBC’s analysis further suggested the industry supports up to 18,000 jobs statewide and contributes $120 million

“People all over the nation know Pennsylvania for its excellent trout fishing, This year I was fishing next to a guy from California. His flight had just landed ten hours earlier.” Doug Fraley, local flyfisherman

Photo by Lindsay Lipovich

Joe Humphries (shows Jim Lanning a trick of the trade at Clearwater Conservancy’s Flyfishing Workshop in March

in state and local tax revenues. According to the State Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, trout fishing alone contributes $500 million toward various state departments through licenses and fees. The sport also contributes to numerous local businesses and industries, from local bait and tackle shops to the state’s growing tourism industry. “People all over the nation know Pennsylvania for its excellent trout fishing,” said Fraley, a local fisherman. “This year I was fishing next to a guy

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from California. His flight had just landed ten hours earlier.” According to research conducted by the PFBC, Pennsylvania contains 12,824 miles of streams that are home to indigenous wild trout. Adding lakes, rivers, and portions of Lake Erie, Pennsylvania contains diverse and expansive trout habitats, 20,916 acres of which are managed by the PFBC. Of the 64,345 streams totaling approximately 86,000 miles of flowing water in Pennsylvania, the PFBC has conducted surveys and implemented management on 4,877 streams totaling 24,959 miles. In short, only 8 percent of the streams and 29 percent of the total stream miles are being actively managed. Although there is an extensive system in place to supplement trout populations

in some of the most heavily fished areas, there is still a risk to the only trout species native to Pennsylvania, the Brook Trout. During the Pennsylvania’s industrialization, many of the large Hemlock groves vital to healthy trout populations were completely destroyed. This deforestation, in addition to the rapid expansion of farmland, contributed to devastating amounts of erosion and habitat loss. In addition to habitat loss, poaching and general disregard for keeping Pennsylvania’s wild Brook Trout population genetically pure has led to the destabilization of some wild trout populations in recent years. Government agencies such as the EPA, which are charged with monitoring the health of such native species, have found these stressors to be minimal. Moreover, with such programs as the Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture, State Wildlife Grants and the DEP’s Growing Greener grant program, the population of wild Brook Trout has risen exponentially compared to pre-1950 levels. This is good news for Pennsylvania fishermen, who traditionally see themselves as dedicated conservationists. For the many Pennsylvanian citizens, businesses and agencies that view trout fishing as an economic force, a family tradition and just a way to relax, it appears that there is no need to fear the long-term sustainability of the sport.

Voices would like to correct the following errors that appeared in the article “PA falls in ranking of charter school friendliness laws” in the April 2012 issue: The article stated that “Cyber and charter schools are allocated 30 percent of the State College Area School District Budget.” In fact, Cyber and charter schools are allocated, on average, 30 percent less aid per pupil than SCASD pupils. The article also mistakenly suggested that the Parents Advisory Council of the Young Scholars of Central Pennsylvania met to discuss “whether charter schools were mistreated by their school district.” In fact, this topic was introduced by a Voices reporter.

May 2012

DSCID director aims to boost local economy by Bridget Dwyer George Arnold, newly appointed executive director of the Downtown State College Improvement District (DSCID), states that his professional background makes him the perfect man to juggle the many roles necessary to be successful in his new position. Arnold was selected in February by the DSCID’s Board of Directors to replace former Executive Director Jody Alessandrine. According to its website, the DSCID has a simple mission: “To provide a safe, clean environment in State College Borough and to enhance the image of Downtown State College to encourage people to live here, work here, play here, and visit here.” Alessandrine left in July after almost three years to lead the downtown district of Tom’s River, NJ. In July, he told StateCollege.com that unless the borough makes changes that bring in more tax revenue, he sees financial trouble in its future. Arnold agrees that now is a critical time

for the downtown area and the DSCID in particular. Since it has been serving State College for ten years, he feels it is now critical that the DSCID takes a step back to assess how well it is serving the well-being of the downtown area. Arnold asserts that he is just the man to do that because of his previous experience as a project superintendent with Berks Homes. According to Arnold, this position taught him how to balance the customers’ desires for their houses with restrictions being placed on them by the local zoning offices and the developer. Arnold claims that this experience with negotiation and communication between multiple parties will help him juggle the interests of the DSCID’s clients—downtown businesses and property owners— with the borough and the university. Indeed, Arnold’s main goal as executive director is to make sure the groups invested in the downtown are satisfied, whether this means replacing facades or sidewalks, or just listening to their concerns. In his first few months of his job, this has meant

meeting with everyone that has a vested interest in the downtown district, including retailers, business owners, CATA the T o u r i s m Bureau, and the university. Arnold’s longtime ties to Photo by Tara Arnold the area made him a logical choice for the position. He studied a fusion of management, architecture, and communications at Penn State before graduating in 1992. He stayed in the area because of the wide variety of activities the town offered while still maintaining its tightly knit, small-town feeling. “I grew up in an area that was busier, with more traffic,” Arnold said. “I love the balance of being able to drive ten or even five minutes to hike, five to the Bryce

Jordan Center, or five to the Eisenhower Auditorium.” While Arnold acknowledges some changes in the retail environment downtown since his college days, he does not think the changes have been too drastic. He claims that the area today appeals to all demographics and family sizes, not just college students. “There is still a nice atmosphere downtown,” he said. “It is still similar.” Still, downtown continues to change, and the DSCID aims to participate in its evolution. Most notably, the DSCID has invested a lot of time into the Fraser Centre which, according to the project’s website will include 25,000 square feet of retail space, a 10-screen Cineplex, two levels of office space and 28 condominiums. “If that project can be completed, it can bring more retail—more quality retail— that can make downtown a destination for people to shop and visit from out of town,”

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DSCID, pg. 11

Local entrepreneur grows gardening business by Radesha Piles For Penn State University senior and entrepreneur Woody Wilson, the passion to grow food is rooted in hands-on experience and education. Wilson, who is studying agricultural sciences with a minor in leadership development, was inspired by a business plan competition to found Woody Wilson’s Home Grown Farms, a company that installs and maintains vegetable gardens for local companies and residents. Wilson developed the project idea after interning at Tait Farms last summer, where he worked closely with the farmers and crops and learned about sustainable agriculture.

“I was really surprised at the quality of the food after working at Tait Farms,” said Wilson. “There was one instance, after picking strawberries from the grocery, I learned… that strawberries are not supposed to be white when you bite them. It turned me into a food snob.” Wilson claims he began to realize the importance of examining the development of produce rather than just picking some up from a grocery store without knowledge of where it had been farmed or how it had been processed—a learning process at the heart of Home Grown Farms. “I’m trying to close the gap between where food is produced and where people consume it,” said Wilson.

“I’m trying to close the gap between where food is produced and where people consume it.” Woody Wilson

“Everything is grown in California and South America. [It travels] 4,000 miles before we eat it.” By January, Wilson had raised enough

funds to launch his business. His experience at Penn State and with Tait Farms had also established important connections with leaders in the local agriculture food movement who would support his work. Besides his main goal of helping establish productive gardens in the local area, Wilson claims that his business is dedicated to educating people on the core issues of sustainable agriculture, and instilling in them an inclination to learn not only where food comes from but how it is grown and how it travels to the consumer. “People also don’t understand the loss

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Wilson, pg. 10

May 2012

Finding a balance, rejuvenating yourself by Matthew Hertert At one point or another, we’ve all run across the idea of how important balance is. Balance is a key skill necessary for excellence and self-mastery, and arguably for inner peace, but most of us think of it more as a self-disciplinary approach to achievement rather than a gentle daily practice. We tend to remember it when pressed or stressed rather than as a way to stay healthy and happy. There is a deep quality of life available through focusing on this simple principle. To steal a bumper sticker joke from gravity, balance is not only a fundamental law of nature, it is a good idea. Balance is present by other names

Health Talk through all the sciences, evident in nature’s systems, thermodynamics and most of our body’s processes. Even as you read this, your body is seeking homeostasis, a word that describes a system’s innate drive towards balance, to govern your blood pressure, cell metabolism, temperature, pH, blood sugar… This idea of striving toward neutral guides just about every process in the body. In practical terms we never need to think about these processes because they are innate and passive. Our modern resources can often distract us from how

Teamsters Local 8 Proudly Supports Local Youth Activities The Men and Women of Teamsters Local 8 Encourage Supporting Local Youth Activities

ubiquitous and natural this drive is. However, life is enhanced by choosing to attend to balance. We have all found ourselves, at some point, aware we’ve been spending too much time at work and that our friendships are suffering, that we’ve been socializing too much and need more time exercising, that we’ve been exercising too much and are missing family time. Balance is challenging, but it’s what keeps us functional and sane. Biographies of successful athletes and businesspeople frequently address how important whole-person rejuvenation is. Even if you’re not engaged in projects on the scope of an Olympian or Bill Gates, you have bills to pay, errands to run, hygiene, exercise, eating, cleaning, social communications, friends, family, kids, religion, pets, work, vacations and more to balance. The list varies, but for each of us it goes on and on, compounded with the mental and emotional complexities of family, work and social communications. Acknowledging those complexities helps us realize that there is more available through balance than just physical health or getting chores done on time. These are important, but what we’ve been talking about for the last few months is the opportunity to get healthy —to find balance—in our mental and emotional selves: reducing negative self-talk in balance with evaluating ourselves in service to growth; letting the ego and our “rules” help us navigate the world without letting them run our lives. Getting yourself back in balance when you realize you’re off course can be simple or it can require time and attention, depending on just how off course you’ve become. Even if you’re not feeling “off,” developing a habit of balanced self-care will give you energy, enthusiasm and a sense of productivity. There is a simple list you can use to cultivate this habit. I am not talking

about another list of stuff to do; that will get done when you feel fulfilled and balanced. I am talking about a chart with areas of your life: physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, down the left side of the page, and with days of the week across the top. Choose a commitment level – selfcare daily, three times a week, five times – then cut it in half. Over-commitment is the bane of the enthusiastic, and as New Year’s resolutions show, we fall when we aim too high. If you really want to do four days a week, but only commit to two, you set yourself up for success. If you have a good or relaxing week, you can always do more than you agreed to, and if you have a tough/stressful week, you do not have to break a promise to yourself. With whatever frequency you’ve chosen, get balanced. Do one thing in each area for yourself. No one can tell you what activities fit in which categories. For instance, running really quiets (exhausts) my mind, so with a good run I might check off physical and mental boxes. A hot bath might be as relaxing emotionally or mentally for someone as it is physically. It’s not about checking off boxes, it’s about taking care of yourself. There are beautiful byproducts of this process. We get to know ourselves better and what kinds of activities we enjoy. We end up with a larger toolbox that can now help us whether we have a

see

Health Talk, pg. 10

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May 2012

Health Talk, pg. 9

five-minute break or a five-hour break. We develop more intimacy with ourselves by exploring rejuvenating activities. We learn to take care of ourselves in healthy nurturing ways—reading, walking—versus less supportive vegging ways—video games, television. I have seen the cultivation of intentional, whole-being balance—caring for yourself on all levels—make a huge difference in people’s lives. You cannot transmit something you haven’t got; if

you’re burned out you cannot help others. This is a great time of year to experiment with this and see how it works for you because the days are longer, you can get outside more easily, and most of us have more energy. Try it for four weeks and see what you notice. Keep a journal. Focus on balance, energy and enthusiasm. Let us know what you discover inside that beautiful, creative, talented self you occupy once you’re more rested and nurtured. Be well.

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Wilson, pg. 8

that occurs because of the high aesthetic standards that we have.” Wilson said. “People may ask, why is there dirt on my carrot? Well, because it grows in the ground!” Wilson says that, so far, most clients who come to him are already interested in learning about and implementing sustainable gardens. Through dialogue, he teaches his customers about the seasonality and climate preferences of different fruits and vegetables and how that impacts the decisions a gardener must make. “My business is a fusion of landscaping and a farm”, said Wilson. “However, being able to meet people and have that connection is also important to me. Once Wilson has established communication with his clients –a point of contact he views as crucial to the process – he gets to work, determining labor and material needs such as compost, manure and fencing. He begins with a soil test to determine what the site needs in order to become a healthy base for the type of garden his clients want. He then plants seeds and returns in a couple weeks to weed the plot and oversee its general well-being. After that, Wilson makes weekly vis-

Photo by Tracy Harpster

The Voices of Central Pennsylvania Spell-Lunkers (Michael Casper, Eston Martz and John Dickison) won the 14th Annual Mid-State Literacy Council’s Community Spelling Bee held at Foxdale Village. Their victory in April marked their sixth trip to the winner’s circle.

see

Wilson, pg. 11

Photo by Lindsay Lipovich

Woody Wilson prepares the soil at Videon Central, a corporate garden.

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May 2012

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DSCID, pg. 8

Arnold said. He claims that the trend of national chains moving into downtown can bring in visitors, but that it is important to find a balance between big chains like Urban Outfitters and the smaller, locally owned stores like Sydney Macs and Flesh Décor. “The good news is – particularly for a company like Urban Outfitters – since the only other two in the state are in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, people from Williamsport and Altoona are coming here to shop,” Arnold said. While many criticize the convenience of reaching downtown due to limited parking, Arnold argues that the downtown area is accessible to out-of-towners, noting that, despite what some think, parking in the district is rarely at a hundred percent. The DSCID works especially hard to bring in tourists during the summer

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Wilson, pg. 10

its to each site because of all the labor involved in maintaining them. While he takes care of weeding and planting, his clients take care of the harvesting and consuming. With this hands-on education, Wilson says his clients are learning about the cost and labor of food. Previously, he says, clients wondered why it would cost $10 for a certain fruit or vegetable. “But when you plant it, from seed to harvest, you get to really understand why food is what it is,” said Wilson. He enjoys collaboration and has had positive experiences with clients who want to get involved, and others who are new to the idea of gardening and don’t have the time. One of his current projects includes installing a garden for the local engineering company, Videon Central, whose CEO, Todd Erdly, sees the immediate benefits of an easily-accessible garden. “My belief is, thanks to Woody, that we are doing something very cutting

months, when students are out of town. That is the goal of the 6th Annual Summer’s Best Music Fest and the Arts Bazaar on June 30 which aims to support local artists and retailers. “We’re creating a whole day of music downtown,” he said. “The idea is [to] have a variety of music, something for everyone and family-friendly.” In addition, through advertisements and financial assistance, the DSCID regularly supports downtown events that attract visitors from beyond Centre County, such as a performance on the Old Main Lawn by the cast of Beatlemania on July 31. While enhancing tourism is a major priority of the DSCID, Arnold feels the majority of his energy needs to be concentrated closer to home. “I am trying to make sure we’re serving our customers…that we are doing the right thing to make downtown State College a place that people want to bring their families.” said Arnold. edge as it applies to our team at Videon,” Erdly said. “The thought of a garden producing fresh produce that can in turn feed our staff during the day is exciting.” Social media, such as Facebook, is also contributing to the growth of Home Grown Farms, as it allows Wilson to advertise his business, stay a part of the conversation within the sustainability community and to make valuable connections with other participants like seed companies and the Buy Fresh Buy Local program. Wilson attributes his current success to Facebook, roommates, friends, and the word of mouth with local food people. As for the future of his Home Grown Farms, he says that he would like to improve his advertisement and business skills. One day, Wilson claims, he would like to see his business become a chain, with each branch uniquely molded to the needs of their local community. “I’m young, so I’m going to be learning things about everything,” he said. “Everything comes with experience.”

Webster’s grand opening

Photo by Roger Daugherty

Supporters gather in the alley outside of Webster’s Bookstore Café in downtown State College for a ribbon cutting ceremony on opening day, April 14.

Photo by Roger Daugherty

State College Mayor Elizabeth Goreham and bookstore owner Elaine Meder-Wilgus cut the ribbon.

Photo by Roger Daugherty

Customers browse the book selection at Webster’s new, larger location.

May 2012

Forecasters get a clearer view of the skies by David Amerman Meteorologists in State College are getting a clearer picture of the skies thanks to a significant upgrade to the local weather radar. The new “dual polarization” upgrade will give meteorologists a better idea of what is inside a storm, according to Peter Jung, the warning coordination meteorologist at the State College Weather Forecast Office (WFO). “Normally, our Doppler radar can’t really differentiate between whether it’s hitting a thunderstorm or if it’s hitting a flock or birds or bats or bugs,” said Jung. “The dual polarization upgrade allows us to differentiate what the radar is actually picking up. We can tell what type of precipitation is falling in the storm,” he said. The upgrade is part of a $50 million National Weather Service project to upgrade all 165 WSR-88D NEXRAD weather radars by the middle of 2013,

according to documents on the NWS Radar Operations Center’s website. Two other benefits of the dual polarization upgrade are its improved capabilities to determine what type of storm can be expected and to make estimations of various precipitation levels, according to Jung. Watching severe weather “In the wintertime, [the dual polarization radar] helps us differentiate between snow and rain areas,” said Jung, “especially when the temperatures are at critical levels. It should help us to see what areas have switched over to a freezing rain or all rain or which areas are getting snow.” In the summertime, when the primary target of forecasting is thunderstorms, the National Weather Service will be able to make better determinations as to where Photo courtesy of the National Weather Service

see

Radar, pg. 16

The WSR-88D NEXRAD radar keeps a watchful eye on the sunny skies around the NWS Weather Forecast Office in Miami, Fla. The State College, Pa. Weather Forecast Office operates an identical model of radar, located in the Black Moshannon State Forest.

Local Food Forum inspires Centre residents by Lucy Bryan Green Nearly 40 Centre County residents gathered for a Local Food Forum on April 3, during which Transition Towns State College (TTSC) unveiled a new project: “A Guide for the First Year of Local Food.” Bill Sharp, co-founder of TTSC, said that providing resources that will allow people to start using more local food is part of building a more sustainable and secure community. “With gas prices going up this year, I think there’s going to be an awful lot more people looking at sustainable ways to live,” said Sharp. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, direct-to-consumer sales account for only .4 percent of total agricul-

Holly D’Angelo’s “seven stages of conversion” • Learn to cook. • Work with seasonal vegetables. • Use a diversity of meat. • Make a strategy for food storage. • Start sourcing meat and dairy locally. • Explore do-it-yourself methods. • Try living off of stored food in the winter. tural sales every year. In essence, very few Americans buy their food directly from producers through farmers’ markets, community supported agriculture (CSA) subscriptions or farm stands. “We could get 70 percent or more of our food from local resources based on the land we’ve got,” Sharp said. “If we had

[just] 10 percent of our food coming from Centre County, do you think we would have any unemployment?” Holly D’Angelo, the nursery manager at Foxhill Gardens and a new member of TTSC, is spearheading a project to make buying local food easier and more accessible to Centre County residents.

She is in the process of creating “A Guide for the First Year of Local Food,” a resource for Centre County residents that will help them “convert from the grocery story lifestyle to [one] more focused on local foods.” According to D’Angelo, the guide will include a catalogue of farmers markets, CSAs and local farms that sell directly to consumers. It will list the seasonality of various fruits and vegetables. It will also provide directions for storing and preserving foods—such as freezing, canning and dehydrating. D’Angelo said the guide is inspired by her own local food journey. She said that about a year ago, she and her husband

see

Local Food, pg. 15

May 2012

EPA: Drillers must disclose emissions data by Justin Stillwell In response to pressure from environmental advocacy groups and demands from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has taken steps to hold natural gas companies accountable for air pollution that occurs at drilling and compression sites throughout the state. On Nov. 28, 2011, the nonprofit organization Clean Air Council (CAC) petitioned Lisa Jackson, the EPA Administrator, to address the DEP’s lack of emissions regulations governing natural gas drilling. In response to the petition, the EPA is requiring the DEP to file a statewide emissions report for the natural gas industry. As a result, all companies drilling for natural gas in Pennsylvania’s Marcellus Shale will be required to report emissions inventories to the DEP. These reports will catalog any toxic gas emissions resulting from natural gas drilling. A representative from the DEP contacted Marcellus Shale owners and operators on Dec. 6, 2011 and told them they were required to submit emission inventories by March 1, 2012. The DEP also posted a detailed instruction manual for the companies on their website so that they could create the inventories correctly. “We wanted to have the emissions accounted for,” said Mike Rudawski, a member of the Air Information Section of the DEP. “Several companies requested extensions because of the short notice,” said Rudawkski, who added that most were granted extensions as far into the future as June 1. As a result of the extensions, Rudawski said that the data will be available to the public “probably late summer, or early fall.” The report contains a section for each piece of drilling equipment that releases toxic gas into the air. Each section accounts for 13 different types of gases, including benzene, ethylbenzene, toluene,

and xylene among others. Methane is not included in the report. Jay Duffy, a staff attorney for the CAC, said that the emission reports for 2011 are being estimated using a metric that the DEP and drilling companies agreed upon. The companies don’t have records of their emissions because they didn’t know they had to file reports until after the year ended. “Unless there is a leak somewhere, there are very few emissions from established wells,” said Rudawski. “Compression stations have the most significant emissions.” He explained that natural gas needs to be compressed to a certain level in order for it to be safely shipped. “All drilling companies need to apply for air permits every year,” said Rudawski. Rudawski said the DEP is comfortable with having the companies self-report their emissions. The DEP sends people to check the machines to make sure that they are running the way that they are supposed to and that they are staying under the emissions limits that the air permits require, he said. “All companies have equipment that must meet certain standards,” said Rudawski. He said that if they were to find new machines that decreased the emissions, they would require the companies to use those machines. A study done by researchers from Carnegie Mellon University found that electricity produced from Marcellus Shale gas is 25-50 percent cleaner than energy produced from coal. “Even though methane emissions from gas are higher than from coal, the combustion emissions from coal really overwhelm them,” said Paulina Jaramillo, an assistant research professor in CMU’s Engineering and Public Policy Department, in an interview with Don Hopey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Combustion emissions come from the burning of coal, while the methane emissions are a result of the natural gas drilling process.

Travis Windle, a spokesman for the Marcellus Shale Commission, said natural gas production “is occurring in [a] way that is safe and responsible, ensuring that our air, water and environment [are] protected.” He said he doesn’t have a problem with the emission inventories because “workable state-based inventories are important.” “Natural gas is the cleanest burning fossil fuel,” he added. “Natural gas is revitalizing Pennsylvania’s economy, generating much needed tax revenues [and] driving down and stabilizing energy costs for struggling consumers.” Windle said that for these reasons, consumers should be willing to accept the emissions that occur in the drilling process.

Peter Buckland disagrees with that notion. Buckland, a Penn State graduate student in the Department of Educational Theory and Policy and environmental activist, said, “I personally think that they don’t go far enough because they do not regulate methane [emissions].” “To me, it’s really very obvious that there is a higher amount of volatile organic compounds around drilling sites and compression stations,” said Buckland. However, not all environmental advocacy groups oppose drilling completely. “[The CAC is] not opposed to the drilling for natural gas,” said Duffy. “We just want to make sure that they are doing it in a way that is safe for the environ-

see

Emissions, pg. 16

May 2012

Eurasian Collared Doves invade Centre County by Joe Verica A few weeks ago, I was sifting through emails about bird sightings in Central Pennsylvania when a message from a friend caught my attention. He said that he had a Eurasian Collared Dove at a bird bath in his yard. Until last year, when one was spotted near Harner Farms in State College, there was never a report of a Collared Dove in Centre County. Now, in less than a year, here was a second report. I quickly jumped in my car and drove over to investigate. When I arrived, the dove was nowhere to be found. My friend was telling me where he saw the dove when we both heard it begin calling. The call was a distinctive and repetitive “coo-COO coop.” There was no doubt: this was a Eurasian Collared Dove. Before I was able to get a look, it flew off with a small group of Mourning Doves. I spent the better part of the next hour wandering around the neighborhood looking for the bird. Just as I was about to throw in the towel, I spotted the bird on the roof of a nearby house, where it was perched with a handful of Mourning Doves. What a handsome bird! Origins Eurasian Collared Doves originated in the Indian peninsula and neighboring Myanmar (Burma). The Collared Dove’s journey to America started in 1974, when about 50 Collared Doves were accidentally released during a pet shop robbery in the Bahamas. The escaped doves subsequently colonized Nassau and the neighboring islands. At some point in the late 1970’s or early 1980’s, the birds made their way to Florida. By 1982, a breeding population had been established near Miami. In a little

The Eurasian Collared Dove’s journey to America started in 1974, when about 50 doves were accidentally released during a pet shop robbery in the Bahamas. over a decade, the Collared Doves spread north to the Carolinas and westward to the Pacific coast. Collared Doves have now been reported in 48 states and several Canadian provinces, though they are more abundant in the southern half of the US. The first recorded sighting of a Eurasian Collared Dove in Pennsylvania was in 1996, when the bird was spotted in northwestern Crawford County. There have been a handful of Collared Doves sightings subsequently, mostly in southeastern Pennsylvania. Additionally, a small breeding population has been established in Franklin County. Appearance The Eurasian Collared Dove appears similar to the familiar Mourning Dove, except that it is slightly larger and noticeably bulkier. The Collared Dove is mostly gray, but paler than a Mourning Dove. The breast and belly are imbued with a pinkish bloom. In contrast with the narrow, pointed tail of the Mourning Dove, the Collared Dove has a broad squared tail, the underside of which is black at the base and white at the tip. One of the Collared Dove’s most distinctive features is the black half-collar on the back of its neck for which it is named. Collared Doves in their native range are typically found in dry open areas with scattered scrub.

Photo by Frank Vessen / Creative Commons

A Eurasian Collared Dove (Streptopelia decaocto) looks out on the world from its perch in the Canary Islands.

Outside their native range, they seem to have a preference for man-altered habitats, such as agricultural areas, parks and suburban gardens. They feed primarily on seeds, fruits and cultivated grains. The rapid American expansion of the Eurasian Collared Dove is quite remarkable since the birds do not migrate. Instead, these doves spread by a method called “jump dispersal” in which young birds fly considerable distances away from their established breeding area to start new colonies.

As these new populations continue to grow, they gradually fill in the gaps between each other. While many non-native species have negative effects on their new habitats, it is unclear whether Collared Doves are having any effects on Pennsylvania native doves. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for these exotic doves in your neighborhood. Questions or Comments? Joe Verica can be reached at joeverica101@gmail.com

May 2012

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Local Food, pg. 12

heard a talk about “peak oil” and the insecurity of petroleum-dependent food systems. Since then, she said, she’s been “trying to bring back the skills and the knowledge of how to organize my life to bring more local foods into my diet.” D’Angelo said she wants to help Centre County residents like herself who aren’t sure how to “convert.” During the meeting, she solicited the advice of those in the audience about what to include in her Guide and how to make local food more user-friendly. Participants—who included college students, local businesspeople, Penn State faculty and staff, representatives of State College nonprofits and a Centre County farmer—offered up several ideas. One attendee suggested including recipes for in-season vegetables. Another proposed creating a price-comparison chart for locally grown products and their grocery store counterparts. Several participants advocated making the Guide available online. The conversation then moved to a more general discussion of how to improve the availability of local foods in State College. “Every time you go to a restaurant, ask them how much local food they’re buying,” said James Eisenstein, a retired Penn State professor and “unpaid farmhand” at Jade Family Farm, which is owned and

Photo by Lucy Green

Local food enthusiasts attended Transition Towns State College’s Local Food Forum on April 3, where they discussed ways to improve the availability of local foods in Centre County.

operated by his son. Mark Maloney, owner of Greenmoore Gardens, said that this year he would offer the first CSA subscription for Penn State students. The subscription would run from August to December (the typical CSA subscription begins in early summer, excluding most students). Jeremy Bean of the Penn State Campus Sustainability Office talked about upcoming collaborations between Penn State Food Services and local farmers. A number of participants expressed

TTry r y tthe he new BETTER and FASTER way to

view VOICES online in a fast flip page graphic format.

www.voicesweb.org www.voicesweb.org

interest in a community center or food cooperative where local foods could be distributed on a daily basis. The group Spring Creek Homesteading is currently exploring this possibility. Forum participants scheduled a time to meet again and committed to bringing friends along. After the forum, Sharp said he was excited about the “energy and spontaneity” that came out of the meeting. He said one of the benefits of such a citizens group is that it’s not forced to work within a framework.

He added that he was hopeful that this group, exercising its “collective genius,” would be able to organize itself, create a plan and make it happen. “What this group of people knows is incredible,” he said. “I’m confident that talent is going to make our community one of the most sustainable in the country.” According to its website, TTSC “is a movement by several members in the local community to transition toward a resilient community that thrives on local resources.”

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Radar, pg. 12

there is large hail forming. “One of the things we also do is rainfall predictions, stream predictions and things like that,” said Jung. “When we have a large thunderstorm move over and the thunderstorm is mainly holding up big hailstones, we have a tendency to overestimate how much rain is falling out of the storms. But with the dual polarization upgrade, we should be able to better tell if there’s big hail in a storm and get a better estimation of how much rain is falling down,” Jung said. Better tornado detection According to a report on the radar by Wesley Hicks of Firsthand Weather, the dual polarization radar can more accurately detect when a tornado hits the ground.

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ment.” Several studies released on air pollution in the natural gas drilling process may have spurred activists’ petitions and the EPA and DEP’s actions. A study conducted in Garfield County, Colorado by the Colorado School of Public Health was published on Feb. 11, 2012. That study found elevated levels of benzene, ethylbenzene, toluene and xylene in the air surrounding established wells. These chemicals are all known to cause neurological and respiratory problems. “We also calculated higher cancer risks for residents living nearer to the wells as compared to those residing further [away],” the report concluded. “Benzene is the major contributor to lifetime excess cancer risk from both scenarios.” “Emissions from the engines, tanks and the fugitive and intermittent sources [that are used in the drilling process] will be approximately 624 tons per day, greater than the estimated emissions of many other source categories in North Central Texas, including the major airports or on-road motor vehicles,” said Al Armendariz, an

“This would be the first time in history that a meteorologist will be able to tell when a tornado is on the ground just by looking at the radar,” wrote Hicks. While radar can often detect the formation of suspected tornadoes, the NWS frequently requests the assistance of trained volunteer storm spotters to determine whether a tornado has actually touched down. “The problem is that it is not guaranteed that a storm spotter will be in the vicinity of that possible tornado to relay that information. Also, during very intense weather conditions, a storm spotter may not be able to safely track that tornado. Storm spotters will still be needed with this new technology, but dualpolarization does make a meteorologist’s job easier during severe weather events,” Hicks wrote. Training and simulations associate professor at Southern Methodist University, in a study done by The League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania. Armendariz formerly served as EPA regional administrator, supervising EPA activities in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and 66 tribal nations, according to the EPA website. Armendariz has proposed several solutions to the emission problems at drilling sites, including equipment upgrades. His report states that emissions can be reduced by 88 percent in the drilling stage and 98 percent in the compression stage if companies switch from high-bleed pneumatic devices used to regulate the pressure, temperature and flow of the machines to low or no-bleed devices. However, Armendariz wrote that 20 percent of the high-bleed devices can’t be replaced at this time because the low-bleed devices are not able to handle the responsibilities of the larger high-bleed devices. Duffy said that next year, emissions reporting by drilling companies should be a smoother and more accurate process. “We expect going forward that companies will know at the beginning of the year, so they won’t have to estimate their emissions,” he said.

“This would be the first time in history that a meteorologist will be able to tell when a tornado is on the ground just by looking at the radar.” Wesley Hicks Firsthand Weather The radar upgrade has also required National Weather Service forecasters nationwide to undergo new training, so that they will be able to properly utilize the new technology. “Part of the dual polarization radar upgrade required all our forecasters to take 18 training modules to come up to speed and we also did some hands-on

simulations that were developed for us to play back in a delayed real time mode to test it out,” said Jung. “We just got the dual polarization upgrade three weeks ago, so we haven’t had a real big event to test it out yet. That’s why we have these simulations that we can run through and get familiar with operating it,” he said. Want to know more? The NWS dual-polarization presentation for non-meteorologists can be found at http://bit.ly/IahNhw, and an NWS YouTube video outlining the basics of dual-polarization technology can be viewed at http://bit.ly/enkujP. The National Weather Service in State College conducts periodic SKYWARN spotter training. To learn more about becoming a SKYWARN spotter, visit skywarn.org and http://erh.noaa.gov/ctp/safety/skywarn.

May 2012

Penn State’s struggle for diversity by Sierra Dole with Lucy Bryan Green It’s no secret that the number of nonPennsylvania admissions at Penn State University Park campus has been increasing for years. In fact, the number of outof-state and international admissions has increased every year for the past ten years, according to Jill Shockey of the Penn State Public Information Office. In the past year alone, the number of non-Pennsylvania students increased from 11,799 (30.6 percent of the student body) to 13,115 (33.7 percent of the student body). According to the Penn State Undergraduate Admissions website, 4,621 of those students are international students coming from 131 countries. The increasing number of international students at Penn State is an important component of the university’s “commitment to diversity,” as outlined by its “Framework to Foster Diversity,” initially implemented in 1998. However, many students, both international and American, express concern that the university is too distracted by the numbers to focus on integrating these students

inside and outside of the classroom. A global university Shockey explained Penn State’s goal of becoming a “global university.” “By bringing diversity and culture to our university, it makes us a ‘marketplace of ideas,’ ” she said. “We don’t all think alike, and so international students give us cultural variation and new ways of looking at things.” According to Penn State’s Strategic Plan website, working with students from other countries is crucial for students in the sciences but is also encouraged for all students as a way to discover new ideas, resources and opportunities. The Plan emphasizes that prospective employers want to hire students who have experience working across cultural and lingual barriers. Masume Assaf, Director of International Programs, couldn’t agree more. “Every situation in the work force these days involves people working with different cultures,” Assaf explained. “The more experience a student has with diversity, the easier this transition into the work-

Photo provided by Changchang Wu

Changchang Wu, an international student and English major, took a wilderness literature course this semester that sent her backpacking in West Virginia with 23 American students.

force will be for them.” While the strategic plan recognizes that Penn State is bound to a specific location and that serving both local and state needs will always be important, it also states that “the local is now heavily influenced by the

global” and that this trend towards globalization will continue. Penn State has plenty of opportunities

see

Diversity, pg. 18

Plans for student housing complex move ahead by Brent Pickell This month Landmark Properties, a construction company from Georgia, will submit its final design for The Retreat, a student housing complex it plans to build on Waupelani Drive near the Westerly Parkway Plaza Shopping Center. Although the complex initially faced resistance from nearby residents, efforts to halt the project have died down, and neighbors have resigned themselves to the changes to come. The College Township Council approved Landmark’s preliminary development plan 3-2 in February. According to Jason Doornbos, Landmark’s Vice

President of Acquisitions and Development, the company expects final approval in early May. The Landmark Properties website states that the housing complex will be completed by fall of 2013. Situated on 24 acres, the Retreat will contain 129 cottages that will house as many as 587 students. Longtime resident Sally Lenker, President of Tusseyview Neighborhood Association, has been living next to the empty lot where The Retreat will be built for 40 years. She said she isn’t ready for 587 students to be living next door to her. “My neighbors have had yard furniture stolen before,” Lenker said. “The pro-

posed student houses will add partying and traffic into that equation. We have enough trouble backing out of our driveways now!” However, Doornbos said that the neighbors will like some of the proposal. For instance, the complex will have a barrier to shield the neighbors from the students, located far from the property line to put more space between current residents and the complex. “The retaining wall will have trees surrounding it, and the residents will have a bigger property after the project,” he explained. According to the College Township public meeting on November 17, the walls

will be made out of recycled water bottles that are designed to keep their granite color over years of wear and tear. Lenker said she isn’t impressed. “Thirty-eight years ago I planted a flower patch 20 feet into the lot,” she said. “In the first plan the walls went right up to my yard, but my neighbors and I opposed. Now Landmark is just letting me keep that. They are leaving my patch undisturbed. They are good talkers… but I’d still much rather have the empty field.” Doornbos said the complex will span three acres in the Borough of State

see

The Retreat, pg. 21

from

May 2012

Diversity, pg. 17

for students to study abroad, but according to Janet Haner, the Public Relations Coordinator for the Office of Global Programs, studying abroad isn’t the only option for a diverse learning experience. “We all know that we live in a world with a global society,” Haner said. “[Diversity on campus] is a wonderful sharing opportunity, especially for students who don’t have the time or will to study abroad… They get an international perspective here. Sometimes bringing international students here is American students’ only way of gaining an international perspective.” But Ruth Sauder, an English composition instructor for international students at Penn State, said she is concerned that depending on international students for

diversity as a substitute for studying abroad may be cheating the system. “I’d caution against viewing international students as a way for U.S. students to save money on studying abroad,” Sauder said. “Getting to know these students as whole people and not just as tokens of the culture they are often called upon to represent might be a healthier and more respectful way to approach the situation.” The shallow side of diversity Although Penn State admits thousands of international students each year, some suggest that the university’s approach at establishing diversity is flawed. Doyoun Kim, an international undergraduate student, said that while Penn State has the right intentions, its plan is more of a shortcut. “Diversity is not a number,” Kim said.

“You can’t just throw a bunch of different people into one place and call it diverse.” Kim, whose parents live in Japan and Australia and who went to a British high school, has experience integrating into other cultures. However, she also realizes that not everyone is comfortable doing the same. “I think Penn State wants us to be like a melting pot for all these different groups of people, but really we’re more like a salad bowl,” Kim said. “You can throw Asian people in, you can throw Indian people in, Russian people in, but in the end you’ll still be able to pick them out. They’re still going to be different, and they’re going to separate themselves.” Aaron Speagle, an undergraduate student from Connecticut, said he enjoys making international friendships but that he rarely finds himself in a position to do so.

“Beyond the two international friends I have made, I cannot say I have really managed to develop any sort of deep or meaningful relationship with any international students,” Speagle said. “They… tend to keep to themselves. This as a result contributes to the shallow side of diversity, the one that Penn State is not aiming for, but accepts simply because the numbers make the university look better.” Speagle said that he would like to see more international students step out of their comfort zones, but that he can sympathize with those who don’t. “I know that if I attended a University in another country, I would definitely look to find some students from the U.S. to spend time with so as to avoid going into complete culture shock,” Speagle said. “I think

see

Diversity, pg. 19

May 2012

from

Diversity, pg. 18

that this is the case with many of the international students here. Only many of them never venture out of these comfort groups to explore and learn about the culture, which as a result causes the system to fail.” According to John Hurst, Assistant Director of Residence Life, many international students find communication to be the biggest roadblock to branching out. “Sometimes it’s cultural not to speak up,” Hurst said. “It’s hard for a lot of kids to deal with… They don’t understand the culture. There are space boundaries, too. That’s why we spend so much time training Resident Assistants on diversity, because it’s really hard for different cultures to understand one another and openly interact.”

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Hurst said that he’s found international students crying in the stairwell on the Saturday before Thanksgiving break. “It’s hard to communicate to them because they’re international and their interpreter or their friend left for break already,” he said. “So we ask them if they knew they had to leave and they tell us, ‘No, I didn’t know.’ ” Hurst said he respects such students for taking on the challenge of life in another country, which sometimes means being lost and confused. Struggles in the classroom Communication problems can also affect international students within the classroom. According to the Penn State Admissions office, international students must pass an English exam to show they are proficient in the language. However, many interna-

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tional students are finding that speaking and understanding English are more difficult than reading it. Changchang Wu, an international student majoring in English, said her first year of classes at Penn State was challenging. “The first semester was the toughest time for me,” Wu said. “The professors talked really fast and used big words that… frustrated me because I couldn’t understand. Thus my note taking wasn’t good because I didn’t get the main points and couldn’t spell the words.” Wu said listening to spoken English was the most difficult part of her classes. “The speed of the speech, the unfamiliar vocabularies in the speech and picking up the main point in a long speech can be really difficult for English as a Second Language students to cope with,” Wu said. “I realized that I needed to train my

listening skills. So, I watched more TV, made friends with Americans instead of only Chinese friends, listened more carefully in class and took notes when other students took notes.” Wu said her poor communication skills made her self conscious enough to affect her grades. “In some smaller classes, the instructors not only take attendance, but also participation points,” Wu said. “I was really quiet at that time because sometimes I was self-conscious about my poor grammar and accent.” International students also may face the difficulty of adapting to unfamiliar academic standards and expectations. Nicolette Hylan, a Ph.D. student in English and a composition instructor, said

see

Diversity, pg. 22

May 2012

A challenge to this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s graduates by Jamie Campbell Normally at this time of year I write something that defines the graduation season. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the usual graduation opinion piece: suggestions for what to do next, how to recognize all those persons that got you to where you are. You know, the basic feel good stuff. The problem is that these are not normal times. However to keep some things normal, I will give some advice, and we can see if we are all happy when I am done. So here it is: Stop taking things for granted, and go beyond face value. In recent weeks, several media outlets have reported on the conversation that African-American/Latino fathers have with their sons when they enter into the world at

large. This conversation explains that no matter how smart you are or how much money you have, people are to judge you on how you look. As one who had this conversation twice (the first time before I left for college, and the second time after I graduated), I can tell you that it is not a conversation that any parent wants to have. Think about it for a moment: we live in a society that claims to â&#x20AC;&#x153;judge on the content of the character not color of their skin.â&#x20AC;?

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Again, I said we claim. For the last few months, not going beyond face value has caused a young man to lose his life. It caused several very seasoned â&#x20AC;&#x153;adultsâ&#x20AC;? to give advice on how young men of color should dress, how they should fit in to make others feel comfortable, be a shadow of what they were meant to be just to make others feel safe because of their own insecurities. To live in fear of simply being an African-American man is a struggleâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; almost an impossible one to overcome in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s society, when what you look like helps stack things against you. It is maddening, trust me. To be raised to be smart, well spoken and proud, only to be forced to be cowed at a momentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s notice because someone, somewhere cannot get past his or her personal issues. I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t tell you how that hurts or explain what it makes you think of the people who hold these opinions. These types of attitudes make no sense in 2012. When a perception of evil becomes reality, does it take a big push to go over the edge? A hooded sweater does not make a man a villain; his actions do. The problem

is, it seems that people do not have the strength to separate fact from fiction. I am hoping you have that strength. You are our future, our last best hope to get things right, or at least to get us on the right path. Your generation can be the one to truly end racism, profiling and all this other nonsense that puts skin color and perception to rest. You have earned that parchment you are about to hold in your hand. You have sat through countless hours of classes and lectures that teach you how to see beyond the simple, obvious facts, to see to the real truth. You have been given the tools to know what to say and how to say it. The question is, are you going to use what you have learned, or are you going to just go along with the perceptions that everyone wants you to have? I implore you not to take your gifts for granted. I urge you to have say in the shaping of this society. Make a better place for all of us. Enjoy your graduation, you earned it. When Monday comes, you have got work to do. We are depending on you.

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May 2012

from

The Retreat, pg. 17

College and 21 acres in College Township. “We needed acreage for our large number of houses,” said Doornbos. He added that the location’s proximity to downtown and campus—.7 and 1.2 miles, respectively—will draw students. Every year, approximately 22,000 students seek off-campus housing. “Penn State has one of the best student markets in the country, and it is growing,” Doornbos said. “Along with that, not many projects are being built to accommodate student needs from the University’s dorms to downtown housing.” Doornbos said Landmark considered the Penn State region for three or four years because of the high student population. The high demand for off-campus housing stems from the lack of on-campus housing options offered by Penn State. The University only guarantees housing for incoming freshman. After freshman year, students who want to live on campus must enter into a lottery system. Non-freshman are picked at random for on campus living. If they are not selected during the first round of drawings, then they enter more rounds until all rooms are filled. In 2010, 11.5 percent of students who applied for on-campus housing were turned away. In 2011, that percentage climbed to 28.4, and in 2012, 24.8 percent of those applicants had to find off-campus housing. Many of these students turn to downtown housing complexes. Stanley Latta, the Assistant Vice President of Housing, Food Services and Residence Life at Penn State, said he thinks that the university has done enough to house its students. “Residence hall living has proven to be significant in transitioning students to college and help ensure their eventual success,” Latta said. “Penn State houses a higher percentage of students than any other Big Ten University. Ohio State University houses approximately 10,000 students, University Park houses approximately 14,000 students and [Penn State]

Photo by Patrick Oneill

Nearly four decades ago, Sally Lenker planted this flower garden 20 feet into the property that is now slated to become “The Retreat.”

Altoona houses approximately 900 students.” He said that both students and downtown businesses benefit from off-campus living. The students mature and grow from living downtown, while the businesses profit from it, he explained. However, residents who live near the planned complex have said the new complex will lead to new and more property damage. Carol Stewart, a 42-year resident of Oneida Street, said that property damage scares her, along with college students in her neighborhood. “I have had things stolen from my yard before,” she said. “Putting students in a quiet residential neighborhood is not a good idea, especially with the small police force in State College.” Stewart said she is not only worried about the vandalism, but also the complex’s policies. “The Retreat is allowing students to have one guest each,” she said. “That means the complex could have over 1000 people in it. A registered party allows 15 people per unit.” Doornbos painted a different picture. “We will have property managers on

site, and community rules will still be in effect,” Doornbos said. He also pointed out that the eight-foot wall surrounding the complex will protect neighbors. Some students who are looking for housing in the upcoming years expressed excitement about the new proposal. “The housing fair is so competitive and early in the fall semester that I missed out on apartments downtown,” said Alwin Paul, a freshman at Penn State. “The Retreat would be a great way to find housing, assuming that prices are reasonable.”

The rental prices at Retreat aren’t “set in stone” yet according to Doornbos. He said that there is still a lot more that needs to be done until the new complex gets completely passed and price set for the cottages. Landmark’s proposal uses cottage houses instead of typical rooms of an apartment. “We found that college students prefer a house over an apartment” Doornbos said. The complex will be less dense than apartment complexes, with only five students per house. “The Retreat should be quieter than large apartments” Doornbos said, adding that the housing community will provide a good learning environment for students. He also listed the complex’s many amenities. Each cottage will have access to a clubhouse, large pool, study room, spa, hot tub, indoor basketball court, PGA golf simulator, fitness center, tanning booth and free coffee. The complex will provide a bus to and from the Penn State campus. Stewart says she is still weary of the idea, but hopes for the best. “I just don’t have a good feeling,” she said. “I hope everything turns out fine.” Lenker echoed this sentiment, but said she isn’t losing sleep over the soon-to-be new neighbor. She said that the new complex has done at least one good thing for the community. “The Retreat brought the neighborhood together to form a unique bond” she said. “I just wish it was farther away.”

from

May 2012

Diversity, pg. 18

she has come to understand some of “the unique challenges many international students face as they struggle to acculturate themselves to the conventions of the American university.” She said her first classroom encounter with an international student occurred during her second semester of teaching English 015, Penn State’s first-year writing course. “Throughout the semester, the student (from Korea) struggled to avoid plagiarism, so I met with him several times to review citation conventions,” Hylan wrote in an email. “I understood at some level that his plagiarism was unintentional, but I still found myself getting frustrated with what I saw as his carelessness.” Hylan explained that the training she received during her first year of teaching “did not address how the writing skills we’re asked to impart to our students reflect Western cultural values of individualism, linear thinking and intellectual property rights.” The university does offer a version of English 015 specifically for students whose native tongue is not English, ESL 015. Brooke Ricker, a graduate student in applied linguistics, has taught multiple semesters of this course and said she’s noticed some of her students’ struggles to adjust to the American classroom. In addition to learning a “huge amount”

Photo provided by Doyoun Kim

Doyoun Kim and her boyfriend, Josh Miller, whom she met at Penn State, visit her hometown of Okinawa, Japan.

of specialized language, she said they also have to negotiate cultural norms, like how they should address their teachers and when they should ask questions. “Many international students have never worked in groups, have never had seminar discussions,” Ricker wrote in an email. “Many students come from cultures in which education is defined as memorizing and repeating the words of the masters, and so they struggle with American notions of individuality, creativity, and plagiarism.”

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State College Municipal Building, 243 S. Allen Street, Room 201

“The Healthcare Movie” (2011) This film provides the

real story of how it came to be that the health care systems in Canada and the United States are so different today. Most people under the age of 50 in both countries are not aware of the intensity of the political struggle that led to the universal medical care system in Canada. Nor are they aware of the propaganda, still active today, that has been prevalent in the United States since the early 1900’s to dissuade the public from supporting national health care. Is there hope for the United States? (75 minutes)

Ricker said she feels torn between her responsibility to teach American rhetorical conventions (her course’s objective) and her students’ desperate need for help with grammar and vocabulary. “There is also a problem that many students just aren’t prepared for 015, and we currently don’t have a lower level or preparatory class for them,” Ricker said. Ricker said that although she thinks ESL 015 benefits international students academically, it does them a disservice outside of the classroom.

“Because ESL 015 is ‘segregated,’ only international students, it doesn’t help them integrate socially,” she explained. “It gets them to know other international students, not just their own ethnic/national group, which is good, but it ends there.” The Office of Engineering Diversity does offer special preparatory classes for incoming students, which integrate American and international students. The Pre-First year Science and Engineering (PREF) program offers courses in first year calculus, physics, chemistry and English, along with a time management and study skills course. Hylan taught English for PREF program, and her class included students from Kenya, Haiti and Honduras. “The PREF program reflects a bona fide effort to increase the retention of underrepresented engineering students,” Hylan said. While the program did benefit international students according to Hylan, she cautioned, “Any efforts to increase the retention of international students should acknowledge the differences between and among ‘international students,’ which is a sweeping category, indeed.” Making diversity successful Ricker said there are numerous ways the university could help students better integrate both inside and outside the classroom.

see

Diversity, pg. 23

May 2012

from

Diversity, pg. 22

“I would love to have integrated or ‘linked’ sections of first-year writing classes, meaning that an ESL and nativespeaking section would be paired for projects or activities,” she wrote. “I’ve read about that being done at other schools and think it’s a tremendous way to take advantage of diversity.” She also said the Multilingual Writing Research Group has discussed putting together a half-day training for instructors and tutors working with ESL students for next year. “I think writing teachers in particular need to learn to ‘read through’ grammar issues and look for quality of thought and argument, and also need some basic exposure to contrative rhetoric (the idea that different cultures have different argumentative patterns),” Ricker said. “Contrastive rhetoric has been heavily contested for good reasons, but I still think it could help teachers begin to see difference as a resource, not a deficit.” Assistant Director of Residence Life John Hurst said he thinks that one of the first steps to successful diversity is making the students here comfortable in their new environment. “Our problem is that what’s normal or comfortable to one culture is different from what’s comfortable to another,” Hurst said. “It’s really difficult to focus events on campus around both American cultures and international cultures at the same time. And so, in order to get internationals comfortable enough to branch out, you almost need to design programs specifically about their culture to bring them out and meet people.” There are numerous clubs and organizations on campus geared toward bringing students from different countries together. The International Language House is just one of many. This program gives students the option of living on a residential hall floor with students from other countries, mainly France, Germany and Spain. Students get a feel for different cultures and languages by being involved with these international students on a daily

“I think if Penn State wants diversity, they need to worry less about the numbers and more about the content.” Doyoun Kim basis. Stacie McLeod, the Residence Life Coordinator for the International Language House, said she believes that this living opportunity benefits both students looking for cultural diversity and those who aren’t. “Every year there are students placed on the floor who may not have preferenced it,” McLeod said. “As a result there are some people who may not have known it existed, so it’s a great place for people to branch out and learn about cultures they were not aware of.” McLeod said the International Language House has International Coffee Hour every week where students get to know one another better. She said she thinks it is a really effective program. Hurst agrees that international programs at Penn State help to bring students together. However, publicizing these events to students often proves problematic. “The student groups are amazing,” Hurst said. “They put on lots of programs, but it’s very difficult to get communication from the HUB… up to East Halls. It’s not easy to communicate these programs. You have to be adventurous to go looking for these kinds of events, and most people aren’t. ” According to Hurst, the university is making a lot of assumptions about the outcome of the global university goal. “It’s really all about the out-of-classroom experience,” Hurst said. “The outof-classroom experience is really what residence life is. [Penn State officials] aren’t experiencing what’s going on. They say that we’re becoming diverse, but

they’re not monitoring it so how would they know that?” Some students agree that Penn State’s goal for a global university would be better reached by focusing less on the admission statistics and more on the out-ofclassroom experience. “There has to be a better way to mix them up, not just bring them here,” Kim said. “I think if Penn State wants diversity, they need to worry less about the numbers and more about the content.” Kim said she thinks Penn State admits too many international students to keep track of whether or not they get involved in the community. She said the university just expects them to, but unfortunately not all of them do. “If they admitted less international students and promoted more events where people got to come out and try foods from different cultures and experience some art and entertainment from different coun-

tries, it might mix things up a little bit,” Kim said. Speagle believes the university has the right intentions, but that the strategic plan needs to be reevaluated before progress can be made. “I believe that the program is on the right track,” Speagle said. “However, some changes need to be made to our international student program to help them learn about our culture to better integrate them to be Penn Staters.” Speagle said that one of the reasons he came to Penn State was to receive a wellrounded and thorough education and that he believes that international students are entitled to the same. “There is much more learning going on during our time in college than just the learning done in classes, and I think that finding a way to better diversify would be a huge boost to the educational offerings of Penn State,” Speagle said.

May 2012

Film examines art and life of Lynd Ward by Steven Herb Graphic artist Lynd Kendall Ward was the subject of the powerful new documentary film essay, “O Brother Man,” shown April 20 in Foster Auditorium at University Park. Ward, who studied at the National Academy for Graphic Arts in Leipzig, Germany, was inspired by the engravings of Frans Masereel, and their common man subject matter. Ward’s wood engraving novels and his prints would represent his lifetime search for answers about the condition of humankind and his way of sharing that search with others. But he never explained his work. His response when anyone asked, “What did you mean by this?” was, “It isn’t what I intended that matters, it is what you see in it that counts.” Through his training in Leipzig and his exposure to Masereel, Ward was inspired

to create “Gods’ Man: A Novel in Woodcuts” (1929), his first graphic novel and the first novel-length story told in wood engravings to be published in the United States. He would go on to publish five additional novels using wood engraving in the 1930s—“Mad Man’s Drum,” “Wild Pilgrimage,” “Prelude to a Million Years,” “Song without Words” and “Vertigo.” In the autumn of 2010, the Library of America re-issued the six novels in a two-volume boxed set entitled Lynd Ward: Six Novels in Woodcuts. “Gods’ Man” was published in October. Filmmaker Michael Maglaras who also narrates “O Brother Man” states in the film, “With this book, the first American novel without words, the graphic novel became the province of the subversive where it has happily remained to our own day.” The film’s overarching premise is that

Lynd Ward knew somehow instinctively that his undiluted reality of a world in black and white perfectly suited “an America poised on the precipice of economic and social collapse.” “O Brother Man” has captured every major facet of Ward’s fascinating life and finds stunning ways to broaden the audience’s appreciation for his work. Maglaras’ remarkable visual juxtaposition of the lead characters in “Gods’ Man” and the 1920 German Expressionist Film, “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari,” directed by Robert Wiene, demonstrates a clear Expressionist influence on Ward’s art. The filmmaker’s powerful use of depression-era film clips as segues into the pages of Ward’s graphic novels pulls us into the 1930s and amplifies the novelist’s deep personal commitment to

see

Ward, pg. 28

Image Courtesy of Penn State Library

Ward’s work illustrates the labors and issues of the common man.

Irish music and dance a force in the region by Elizabeth Timberlake-Newell On St. Patrick’s Day (March 17), the State Theatre hosted a celebration of Irish culture and music, a rare showcase of the music of local Celtic band Callanish, dancing by Irish dance school Tir Na Nog and the Penn State Irish dance team Rince Na Leon. But for some residents of Centre County, Irish music and dance are not just St. Patrick’s Day special entertainment, it is a year-round hobby and even a career. Throughout the year Irish music and dance is played or practiced weekly or monthly in taverns, churches, and on the Penn State campus and performed at community events like the Independence Day festival and First Night. Irish music On the second Thursday of every

month, The Red Horse Tavern of Pleasant Gap hosts an Irish music session, which is an informal gathering of musicians to play tunes. The players do not use sheet music but instead play tunes memorized and commonly known by Irish musicians. Fiddler Justus Branscomb is a regular at the Red Horse Tavern sessions, and explained that the session’s music is determined by an unwritten tradition. “As is true of many sessions, there is some kind of written or unwritten set list that we’ll use as source material,” said Branscomb.“We won’t necessarily only play music from that list. Ever so once in a while, someone will bring in a tune they just learned.” The Irish music session is rooted in tradition. Patty Lambert, who plays flute, whistle and concertina with Callanish, started the local session eight years ago

with Jim Colbert and fellow Callanish member Holly Foy (guitar, bouzouki). Lambert had attended similar sessions in Harrisburg. She and Foy have also travelled to Ireland and joined in sessions there. “Sessions are very common all over Ireland, in pubs and people’s homes it is a way of socializing,” explained Patty Lambert. “People farmed or fished, and they gathered and got together to sing, dance, tell stories, and chat. So it was initially a social thing. Now we have Irish music in concert form, it was always a social gathering form.” Many of the session musicians are not professionals; their musical involvement is on the hobby level. Lambert and Branscomb are exceptions; they each teach and play music professionally. “I played at home as a child,” said Lambert of her musical beginnings. “ My

mother bought me a whistle as a surprise, and I taught myself how to play the harmonica. I morphed into the recorder, started playing with a group playing Renaissance music. I was a music major in college, didn’t get into Irish music until about 15 years ago. I went to a flute master class with Chris Norman in Pitt, and I heard him play Irish music, and I wanted to play it.” Lambert teaches music privately in her home. She also plays with not just Callanish but with Smash the Windows, a contradance and Civil War dance trio. Justus Branscomb also teaches music, but his own pathway into Irish music was quite different. He played classical violin for 14 years before attending his first Irish music session in 2004.

see

Irish, pg. 26

May 2012

May calendar of Arts and Entertainment events Voices presents a calendar of events for the local arts venues as a new feature in the Arts and Entertainment section. This regular feature will include exhibitions and concerts from around Centre County.

May 1 Palmer Museum of Art—(through May 13) Exhibition: “Painting the People: Images of American Life from the Maimon Collection” Palmer Museum of Art—(through May 13) Exhibition: “Hogarth Restored” Palmer Museum of Art—(through May 27) Exhibition: “Me, Myself, and the Mirror: Self-Portraits from the Permanent Collection” May 2 State Theatre—10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Jill Jayne May 3 Websters —6 p.m. Open mic night Autoport/Toast Lounge—7:30 p.m. Kate and Natalie of Pure Cane Sugar State Theatre—7 p.m. Community Percussion Circle May 4 Palmer Museum of Art—12:10 p.m. Perspectives Unbound Gallery Talk: “Becoming the People” Green Drake Gallery—6 p.m. Opening reception for the Penns Valley High School Art Show State Theatre—7:30 p.m. Innocence for India: Benefit Concert Autoport/Toast Lounge—9 p.m. David Wayne and the Rubber Band Man May 5 Websters—1pm - Booksigning w/ Jess Eppley Autoport/Toast Lounge—8 p.m. Natascha and the Spyboys May 6 Bellefonte Art Museum, Community Gallery—Exhibition: The Art of Diane Maurer Websters—1 p.m. Booksigning w/ Judy

Coopey, 2pm Gallery opening

May 8 & 9 State Theatre—7:30 p.m. Merrily We Roll Along May 10 Websters—7-9 p.m. Butch Ross, Mountain Dulcimer Autoport/Toast Lounge—7:30 p.m. Kate and Natalie of Pure Cane Sugar May 11 Art Alliance of Central Pennsylvania— (through May 13) Potter’s Guild Show State Theatre—8 p.m. Berkobin and Corson May 12 State Theatre—8 p.m. Berkobin and Corson Autoport/Toast Lounge—8 p.m. Brad Fey and Guests May 13 State Theatre—7 p.m. Choreograph the Cure May 17 Autoport/Toast Lounge—7:30 p.m. Kate and Natalie of Pure Cane Sugar May 18 Art Alliance of Central Pennsylvania— (through May 27) Annual Members Show Autoport/Toast Lounge—8 p.m. John and Chad Acoustaphonic 3 Ring Jukebox Circus of Doom May 19 State Theatre—Once on this Island, Jr. (7 p.m.), Essence of Joy Alumni Singers (7:30 p.m.), Rocky Horror Picture Show (11:30 p.m.) Websters—7-9 p.m. Greg Klyma, singer/songwriter p.m. Autoport/Toast Lounge—8 Bodacious B May 20 State Theatre—7 p.m. Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

May 21 State Theatre—12:30 p.m. Charlotte’s Web May 22 State Theatre—7:30 p.m. “13”

May 24 Websters— 7-9 p.m. Diana Wagner & Jim Colbert, acoustic Autoport/Toast Lounge—7:30 p.m. Kate and Natalie of Pure Cane Sugar May 25 State Theatre—7:30 p.m. The Royal Gilberts Autoport/Toast Lounge—8 p.m. Keena Corbett May 26 State Theatre—7:30 p.m. The Royal

Gilberts Autoport/Toast Lounge—8 p.m. Jason Thomas May 27 State Theatre—7 p.m. Todd Rundgren May 31 Bryce Jordan Center—7:30 p.m. Riverdance State Theatre—7:30 p.m. Singing Onstage Presents: Disney’s MULAN Jr. Autoport/Toast Lounge—7:30 p.m. Kate and Natalie of Pure Cane Sugar

Items for upcoming events listings can be emailed to: etimberlakenewell1@gmail.com.

from

May 2012

Irish, pg. 24

“I was terrified of playing Irish music, because I had this vision in my head that it is very difficult to get into this, and it’s very intimidating because there is no music to read,” said Branscombe. “I had no prior experience in just listening and picking up tunes. But by just putting myself out there, and going through the frustrating process of just picking up a few notes out of a tune going by, I started to get a little bit of a picture.” Since then, he noted, half the Irish tunes Branscombe knows he has learned in this fashion. For some, the Red Horse Tavern session may be the first opportunity to play Irish music. The group tends to be diverse, with older veteran musicians playing alongside green 10 year olds. “All ages are welcome,” said

Branscombe. “Anyone who is interested in Celtic music can just join in. So we have people who have only been playing for a number of months and then start playing, and veterans who have been playing for decades. “ Irish dance On any given Monday evening during the school year, Sue Garner can be found instructing students in Irish dance at the Boalsburg Fire Hall. Sue Garner founded Tir na Nog School of Irish dance in the State College area in 2002. Garner’s first location for Irish dance classes was in Bellefonte; the following year she began holding classes in State College but moved the classes to Boalsburg in 2006. The school has continued to grow, as Garner began offering classes in 2008 in Altoona due to demand from parents in that area, and in January she opened her fourth location in Lewisburg.

Photo by Elizabeth Timberlake-Newell

The monthly Irish music sessions at the Red Horse Tavern in Pleasant Gap attract fiddlers, flutists, guitarists, and drummers of all ages.

Tir na Nog offers classes in both “soft shoe” (called ghillies) dancing and “hard shoe” dancing. While the soft shoe dances are traditional and is the style that every student begins in, dances involving hard shoes—with their characteristic fiberglass toes and heels—are now more familiar to the public due to the popularity of Riverdance. Garner credits Riverdance with an upsurge in interest in Irish dance. “I had started a small class in 1984, but unfortunately no one seemed to know what Irish dance was and there wasn’t a lot of interest,” said Garner. “With the opening of Riverdance that all changed.” Garner has had a long involvement in Irish dance. “Irish dance has been a part of my life since I was about 6 years old,” wrote Garner. “My mom saw an ad in the local paper and thought it would be nice if we could dance for our family at holiday and special gatherings.” Longtime Irish dancers are also the heart of Penn State’s Irish dance community. In 2011, Penn State students Margaret and Erin O’Brien founded Rince na Leon, Penn State’s first Irish dance team. Since

then, Rince na Leon has held its first annual showcase on April 14 and performed in the Homecoming Day parade, with Tir na Nog at the State Theatre, and regularly dances at Kildare’s Irish Pub in State College. While the team is a new addition to Penn State’s roster of performance groups, many of the dancers have been involved in Irish dance since childhood and some still compete in Irish dance competitions, called feis. Margaret O’Brien wrote via email that she has been dancing since the age of four, and danced competitively for 11 years. Erica Guerin, one of the team’s captains, competed in the 2012 World Championships in Ireland in April. Rince na Leon dances both traditional ceili (Irish folk dances) and set dances and their own choreography. Co-founders the O’Briens design the choreography with the assistance of captains Guerin and Tara McLoughlin. The choreography is designed for both hard shoe and soft shoe dances, though some dancers have a clear preference for one or the other. “I prefer hard shoe dances because I like to WOW audiences with rhythmic beats,” wrote Margaret O’Brien.

May 2012

Folk College takes over Juniata campus by John Dickison Imagine a college that takes three days to complete, costs less than $350, has no tests and plenty of hands-on learning and boasts a student body and faculty comprised entirely of musicians. Picture a campus heavily dotted with guitars, fiddles, banjos, mandolins, dulcimers, penny whistles, hurdy-gurdies and the occasional conga or sitar, plus other obscure stringed and percussive instruments—and people playing them. That’s the model for the Folk College at Juniata, held May 25-27 on the Juniata College campus in Huntingdon. Musicians of all ages, instruments and skill levels can commute or live on campus to learn from locally and nationallyknown folk musicians in an informal

environment featuring workshops, concerts, and jam sessions. Each night features a faculty performance open to the public, and the weekend culminates in a student concert where individual workshops form bands to show off the skills they learned throughout the weekend. Workshops range from beginner to advanced and cover genres including blues, folk, old time and world music. The Folk College 2012 musical staff includes a special seminar with The Horse Flies, the Ithaca-based band, a longtime favorite of critics and fans, who sell out the Elk Creek Café every time they’re in the area. The Horse Flies blend Americana roots with indie rock, ethnic percussion, creative songwriting, and a fierce, percolating groove. The Flies have consistently explored the intersection of

the traditional and modern to create a musical world all their own. Also joining the faculty is AtwaterDonnelly, who performs a unique, thrilling blend of traditional American and Celtic folk music and dance, along with original songs and poetry. The highly praised husband-wife duo blends gorgeous vocals with an astonishing array of instruments including the mountain dulcimer, old-time banjo, tin whistle, guitar, limberjack, mandolin, harmonica, feet and more. Just down the hall (during workshops) and on-stage (at the faculty performance) will be Four Shillings Short, a world beat fusion group. They blend Celtic, East Indian and American Folk music with Medieval, Renaissance and original compositions. The weekend is hosted and organized by the Huntingdon County Arts Council and the State College-based band Simple Gifts. The award-winning trio describe themselves as “Three women plus twelve instruments equals one good time.” Drawing on an impressive variety of ethnic folk styles, Linda Littleton, Karen Hirshon and Rachel Hall are common fixtures at State College’s Acoustic Brew, WPSU’s Folk Show and music festivals throughout the Northeast. They play everything from Irish jigs and down-

home American reels to hard-driving Klezmer frailachs and Gypsy melodies, and original compositions written in a traditional style. The weekend will also feature preevent instrument “intensives” and teacher training for the Mark O’Connor method of fiddle playing. This workshop is designed for music teachers interested in learning O’Connor’s unique method of fiddle instruction. O’Connor, essentially self-taught, has risen to virtuoso status in country, jazz and classical genres, and has fronted symphony orchestra performances, as well as numerous recordings with greats such as Bela Fleck, Edgar Meyer and Yo-Yo Ma. Two staff concerts will be held on Friday, May 25 and Saturday, May 26 at 7 p.m. in Rosenberger Auditorium. The concerts are open to the public and tickets will be available at the door. Friday night’s concert features Four Shillings Short, Tomas Lozano and Polly Ferber and host band Simple Gifts. Saturday, the Twilite Broadcasters, Atwater-Donnelly and The Horse Flies will take the stage. The concerts are followed by jams throughout the performance venues and on Saturday by an open contradance. For more information, visit folkcollege.com or contact the Huntingdon County Arts Council at 814-643-6220.

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May 2012

Ward, pg. 24

social justice and the plight of the workingman surrounding the years of the Great Depression. Maglaras used interviews with Ward’s daughter Robin Ward Savage to personalize the film and provide anecdotal punctuation in careful measures. Stories of tapped phones and cruel classmates remind viewers that Lynd Ward’s support for his politically active father and much of his artistic subject matter were brave choices that might have ended his career at any time in the 1940s and 1950s. Maglaras chose to present the entire 20 wood block graphic novel, “Song without Words” with its frightening exploration of bringing a baby into the world in 1936. The book ends with the new parents thrusting their baby upward in exultation while Lynd and wife May’s actual exploration of that question resulted in Robin’s birth. And there is the music, some of which the filmmaker chose long before he started the project knowing its connection with Ward’s art would be synchronous. Darius Milhaud’s American jazz-influenced ballets “La Création du Monde” and “L’Homme et son désir” and Lukas Foss’ “Three American Pieces for Violin and Piano” are perfect accompaniments to Ward’s sharp buildings and the curved

bodies of Americans on the verge of despair. Yet there is hope. This is conveyed through the use of Chick Corea’s “Children’s Songs” throughout the film, in Robin Savage’s stories and Maglaras strong narrative. The film is brought to a powerful conclusion when Ward turns his art toward another time when the common man seemed most at mercy to the corporate man—the Vietnam War. “[I]n his woodcut novels Ward documented the injustices in the American economic and social system during the Depression era,” wrote Ward scholar David Beronä. “Ironically, the social ills Ward displayed in his woodcut novels [80] years ago are evident in today’s culture.” Michael Maglaras and Terri Templeton have been invited to return to Centre County with their film for the Centennial Celebration of Woody Guthrie the weekend of September 7-9 this fall. Woody Guthrie, much like Ward, captured the Depression but with song. “The test is whether the narrative can be understood if the words are eliminated,” Ward was quoted in the film. It serves as an interesting counterpoint to the Art Spigelman essay in the Library of America-issued set of Ward’s six novels where he writes: “Wordless novels are filled with language, it just resides in the reader’s head.”

Free Comic Book Day May 5 by Nate Kling and Jessie Rommelt May 5 will be the 10th annual “Free Comic Book Day.” On that day, Visitors to the local independent shop Comic Swap will receive a free comic book. The occasion was created by Joe Fields, a comic shop owner in Concord, California. The day celebrates and promotes the artistic medium of comics. Large comic publishers such as DC and Marvel will be giving away comics from popular series at the event. But smaller independent publishers’ comics will also be available. One comic available at the event is completely unique to State College’s Comic Swap: a special “Anthology” comic created by local comic creators and organized by the Comic Swap team. It will contain short comics from eight different local artists and writers and is intended for readers of all ages. Among the creators featured in the “Anthology” are comic authors Jay Hosler and Jarod Rosello, who will be available for book signing at the event. Comic book signings may depart from signatures and involve improvisational drawing. Jay Hosler is an associate professor of biology at Juniata College as well as a

DIVORCE

comic author. His work merges science with comics. Hoseler earned the Xeric Grant for his comic “Clan Apis,” a graphic novel that explores bee society following the life of a honey bee named Nyuki. The work of local comic book artist Jarod Rosello, a Penn State graduate student, includes “The Rain” and “The Well Dressed Bear.” Rosello will also run a comic creation workshop at Schlow Library starting at 2 p.m. the same day. This is the fourth year Schlow has invited Rosello to run the comic creation workshop. “We’ll spend a little bit of time warming up with some imagination-based drawing exercises, and then we’ll walk through the making of a comic from start to finish,” said Rosello of the workshop. “The idea is that everyone leaves with a completed comic, or at least the structure for one.” Rosello noted that the first comic workshop at Schlow Library made him realize that opportunities to make comics were not easily available to the community. “The workshop provides a space and some support for someone who might have an interest in cartooning,” said Rosello. The workshop will be held in the community room of the library and is open to all ages.

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May 2012

Monahan discerns sculpture in found objects by Veronica Winters

In the studio Katelyn Monahan is a passionate collector of found objects, objects that we often pass by—moss, branches and tree bark, shells, old photos, pieces of fabric, thrift store objects—anything that the artist feels an emotional and physical connection to. The collection slowly grows in Monahan’s small studio, car and home. “I compose these objects together in a visual harmony to tell a narrative of nostalgia but completed with a child’s sense of wonder,” she said. The artist’s shyness translates into her quiet artwork that is often experimental and intuitive, nostalgic and emotional. Shifting through things to notice the beauty, Monahan is in a process of creating sculptural compositions. Some of them consist of only a few elements while others are more complicated and thought out. “Girl with a head of roses” is a feature life-sized sculpture shown at the HUBRobeson center gallery, University Park until May 6. Originally completed for one of Monahan’s classes it became her cen-

terpiece. The artist was inspired by notes written in Anne Frank’s diary. Frank was a German-Jewish girl who began writing at age 13 in the early 1940s. After years in hiding from the Nazis, she and her family were caught and sent to a concentration camp, where she was killed. Her diary was published by her father. Monahan was also inspired by music of Neutral Milk Hotel’s album “In the Aeroplane over the Sea.” The sculpture consists of separate female body parts held together with metal wire. The sculpture was preconceived in a drawing that evolved from the materials’ use and structure. Consisting of foam, vanilla icing and tiny flowers, the beautiful head appears to be frozen in time. Made from the artist’s body, the plaster cast of arms and legs feels human, longing to be touched. The see-through dress is made of chicken wire and foam allowing us to gaze inside the figure. “I wanted observers to look through her for what she really is…open, honest, vulnerable,” the artist said. The girl is standing on bits and pieces of flex wax and torn newspaper—the rubble to symbolize the idea of a phoenix, the rebirth. The same idea of rebirth is explored in Monahan’s other work— “The gown of pockets.”

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“I wanted observers to look through her for what she really is…open, honest, vulnerable.” Katelyn Monahan

Cut from various old clothes purchased at a second-hand store, the artist gave new life to forgotten items. “Pockets are for holding precious items close to us,” she said. The dress becomes a symbol for reawakening, celebrating human feelings such as vulnerability. While this project also came about from an idea and drawing, most of her other sculptural creations are based on intuition in collecting and rearranging. “The more I create, the more I understand,” she said. While having no plan, the artist sculpts with emotion and intuition, not restricting her thinking process and ability. Her hand-held, intimate sculptural compositions are combinations of natural forms and man-made objects. “They are quiet personal stories. I find relief and magic in nature, where I collect tree parts and heart-shaped rocks. The resulting compositions often reflect themes of cleansing and disintegration, rebirth and decay, the with-ins and withouts,” she said in her artist statement. The artist’s obsession with collecting natural materials begins at Tussey Mountain. “It’s a starting point for inspiration and everyone can relate to nature,” she said. Since then, several of her pieces have consisted of found natural materials. “Where are you” is an installation piece of a cast aluminum sign photographed upon an overturned network of tree roots in the mountains. “To have and to hold” is a plaster cast of Monahan’s hand with pistachio shells in it, covered in mud and

Photo by Veronica Winters

Katelyn Monahan and her sculpture “Girl with a head of roses.”

displayed upon a table made of found wood. “Nature veil” is based on a quote by architect Frank Lloyd Wright: “I believe in God, only I spell it nature” is a veil made of wheat, grass, flowers, weeds and wire. This installation was also photographed at Tussey Mountain, and remains hanging from a tree on one of the trails. In the fall the artist will fly to Ireland to complete her residency at Tyrone Guthrie Centre, County Monaghan. Her creative process will involve not only a new environment but also understanding and interpreting her connection to the place. “Everything is an adventure,” she said. The artist also plans to create new lifesized sculptures in the future that would consist of plaster casts of pieces of the body. Communicating through the figure, Monahan wants to continue using objects that relate to the body with their ability to translate rather than be literal. Monahan received her B.A. in sculpture from Penn State in late 2011. She’ll be teaching a course on sculpture at the Art Alliance this summer. Her work has been published in several issues of The Minetta Review, NYU Literary Magazine. The artist can be contacted via her blog at katelynmariemonahan.blogspot.com.

May 2012

The “transparency” of the trustees by Brock Fiorito and Rose Williams Virtually all cultures have some custom to honor those who are deceased. The ancient Romans offered cakes and wines to the graves of their dead. Many cultures including the Incas, Japanese, Persians, Egyptians, Hindus, and Peruvians, celebrate a “Festival of the Dead” which entails up to 3 days of reflection and celebration of the lives of the deceased. Many Christians celebrate All Souls’ Day to remember loved ones who have passed. Apparently, the Penn State Board of Trustees show their reverence by offering up remembrances of mistakes made during the person’s life. The e-mail sent out on March 12, 2012 by the Penn State Board of Trustees was as incendiary as it was opportunistic. Only seven weeks after the passing of Joe Paterno, the board of trustees risked reigniting the anger of the school and the entire community of State College to

remind everyone of their “innocence.” The letter was also posted on the new Penn State Openness website, which was created to promote transparency and communication between the University and the general public. The irony here is that the letter was indeed transparent in that it revealed where the trustees’ interests truly lie. When asked on the Openness website about why the e-mail was sent out on March 12, Karen Peetz, chair of the board, gave the statement that “The Board unanimously believed it had an obligation to speak and to offer one narrative from beginning to end.” But something’s conspicuously missing in Ms. Peetz’s response: Why now? With the number of applications to Penn State down from recent years, the email was clearly an attempt to try to show that the trustees are not the ones to blame. Students obviously don’t want to go to a school that they believe is run by a corrupt administration.

The Board’s obvious political motives cast a shadow that eclipses any feelings of remorse, sincere or otherwise, presented in their statement. With the number of out-of-state students that go to Penn State (34 percent at the University Park campus), many prospective students may be unaware of the distrust that still exists between many current students and the administration, a distrust that was born out of the Jerry Sandusky sex abuse scandal. By reminding prospective students (and their families) why they allowed Graham Spanier’s and Joe Paterno’s firings to proceed as they did, they hoped to seem trustworthy, just in time for that May 1 deadline for acceptance letters. The timing of the e-mail also corresponds to the recent mixed public reaction to the Penn State Openness website

which is operated by the Office of University Relations. The site, openness.psu.edu, has received negative feedback from an alumni organization, The Penn Staters for Responsible Stewardship, who criticized the site for its lack of “transparency,” as reported in the Daily Collegian. The site, which provides a sort of database of facts, figures, and documents regarding the Jerry Sandusky scandal and court case, was criticized for not providing enough “two-way communication.” This letter gives the appearance of providing back-and-forth communication between the administration and the Penn State community. But really it’s just a restatement of the same old story we’ve been hearing for months, the only addition being the statements that the Board “regretted having to deliver the message over the telephone” and “[Paterno’s] employment contract would continue,

see

Transparency, pg. 31

The Political Implications of Sexual Assault by Michele Hamilton

With primary season behind us and a general election ahead, I have been thinking about the true meaning of some of the political terms that candidates, superPACS, pundits and the media use -especially in relation to survivors of sexual violence. “Sexual violence” here includes childhood sexual abuse, rape, incest, harassment, assault, and exploitation. What role does sexual violence play in politics? A recent study by Chatman University’s PA Center for Women in Politics found that Pennsylvania ranks 42nd out of 50 states in terms of women being elected to public office. Nationally, the United States ranks 71st with only 17 women members of the Senate and 90 out of 435 in the House of Representatives.

Now, what emotional or mental reserves should a potential candidate have to put together a run for elected office? Candidates for public office must feel a sense of mastery, confidence and safety. They must feel that they can represent a town, region or nation.

What is the meaning of “freedom” when people do not feel safe in their homes, personal relationships or own bodies? So what does it mean when, according to a survey by Stop Street Harassment (SSH), one in four girls reports being verbally or physically harassed on the street by the age of twelve, and 90 percent of women experience harassment by the age

of 19? The effect of women being harassed on the streets, in high school halls, college campuses and at their jobs, is that they learn that there is danger in being in the public sphere. Forty percent of respondents to the SSH survey said that they changed their routines or avoided going out unaccompanied to avoid abuse. How might this translate into women aspiring to public office? People need to be free on a personal level in order to feel free in their politics. What is the meaning of political “freedom” when people do not feel safe in their homes, personal relationships or own bodies? How can we have choice in politics if, as a community and culture, we lack an understanding of healthy relationships and sexuality and around issues of consent and

sexually equality? What effects are there on a potential voter’s level of civic participation? Finally, what does good citizenship mean when we look at issues of community safety and sexual violence? It means more than voting and campaigning. It means educating ourselves about sexual assault, understanding how sexual violence affects victims from childhood to old age, supporting agencies that provide services to victims and survivors, and holding perpetrators accountable. It means supporting legislation such as the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), which provides services for victims of sexual violence, including child sexual abuse, traf-

see

Political, pg. 31

May 2012

from

Transparency, pg. 30

including all financial benefits and his continued status as a tenured faculty member.” No evidence is provided to prove either of these statements, and they raise the new question that if they “intended” to continue paying him as an employee, why didn’t they announce it at the press conference? When the court case is just beginning to unfold and our sympathy should be entirely with the victims of this shameful tragedy, this letter again shifted the public’s attention to the trustees, a haunting parallel of what the trustees were accused of doing on that November evening when the actual firings occurred. If they truly wanted to support the victims and promote unity within the University, they should have admitted that they are humans and humans can err. Instead, they expect us to believe that Paterno and Spanier can make mistakes, but the Almighty Trustees are infallible. Finally, let’s not forget the upcoming elections which will add three more alumni members to the board, increasing the total number of its members to 35. With the loud and constant public outcry for the resignation of all the board members over the past months, it’s hard not to see these elections as the beginning of a changing of the guard. The trustees know that many people are upset with what they did and as the voting begins on April 10, they see the beginning of the organized movement to change the status quo. This letter shows

that they’ll do whatever they can to avoid admitting to making a mistake and to keep their reputations intact – even if it means upsetting the healing process of the University. Some may say that this letter is no big deal because it’s simply a more concise statement of what the trustees have said for the past four months. Indeed, most of the information presented in it was known to the general public before March 12. But it’s the timing of the letter that feels so deceitful. If there were new developments in the case or new details emerging, such a letter may be welcome or, at the very least, simply read and forgotten by most people. Instead, the Board’s obvious political motives cast a shadow that eclipses any feelings of remorse, sincere or otherwise, presented in their statement. The trustees wanted to inspire confidence in the administration of Penn State, but the release of this e-mail did just the opposite. At a time when people have just begun to move on after the loss of a Penn State icon, and when our focus should be on comforting the victims of the abuse, this e-mail opened fresh wounds and reminded the Penn State community exactly why we lost trust in the board of trustees to begin with. They value their own positions of power and their public reputations more than they value the emotional well-being of the Penn State students. So we ask that all Penn Staters, wherever you are and however you want, remember Joe Paterno, but remember him as the man he really was.

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Political, pg. 30

ficking and sexual exploitation through counseling services, medical and legal advocacy programs. On the state level, the PA Coalition against Rape (www.pcar.org) has information on advocacy issues and legislation such as the Sexual Assault Protection for Abuse Order (Senate bill 58). Good citizenship also means identifying and refraining from “subtle” victim blaming. This rhetoric defines women as unable to make informed decisions on their reproductive health and general welfare. One prominent example of this was Governor Corbett’s comments that women could “just close your eyes” if they objected to unnecessary, mandated ultrasounds under the ironically titled “Women’s Right to Know Act”. Finally, we need to ally ourselves with

the disability, immigrant, LGBTQ and women of color communities around issues of criminal justice and overall community response and support of survivors of sexual violence. Below, I offer some resources for getting involved with these issues. For counseling, legal and medical advocacy and community education, visit the Centre County Women Resource Center at ccwrc.org For advocacy and legislative issues, visit the National Organization for Women now.org. Resources for male victims and survivors may be found at Male Survivor, malesurvivor.org. Information on street harassment may be found at Stop Street Harassment: stopstreetharassment.org. Information on women running for elected office may be found at She Should Run: sheshouldrun.org.

Whitey Blue on health care by David M. Silverman I was talking the other day to Whitey Blue, longtime Centre Area resident and hardnose. Whitey, what are your thoughts about the item in the Supreme Court’s agenda to privatize health care? “Great idea with the federal government so much in debt!”

But how about the thousands that couldn’t afford insurance companys’ high rates? “This country is becoming overpopulated. The end of the government’s participation would shrink the number of citizens!”

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ASK Cosmo

Dear Cosmo, I’m confused. Here we are living in the most technological world we’ve ever known, and we know it’s going to continue to change even more rapidly. We live in an era of science, and rational explanations for most phenomena. So, how is it that someone can utilize state-of-the-art devices to mass-mail an electronic message through a variety of global networks and transmit these ideas almost instantaneously, and then insist that if you forward it to ten other people, you’ll have good luck within 15 minutes, and if you fail to send it on, you’ll have bad luck? Is there some kind of gypsy voodoo evileye curse generator out there on servers to keep track of these things? I realize that Big Brother and Big Marketing know a lot more about us than we’d ever imagine, but do they expect me to believe that there’s actually an algorithm out there that keeps track of what we do with chain letters? Can’t I just keep throwing them in the trash with the rest of the junk e-mail? Signed, Devil May Care Dude Dear Evil Genius, You broke that chain?! Why don’t you just spill the salt while walking under a ladder, breaking mirrors as a black cat crosses your path on Friday the 13th? Are you crazy? Do you tempt fate just for the thrill of inviting doom, or do you actually think you’re in control of these things beyond your infantile knowledge? Don’t you

May 2012

Campus and Culture from the Canine Perspective

understand the delicate balance of pressure forces on the earth? Those particular strategies combine the deceptiveness of an incredibly weak argument with an incredibly strong dollop of peer pressure. When you see promises of good fortune, simply substitute the phrase, “But all the cool kids are doing it,” or “Buy the car, get the girl.” When you see threats of ill fortune befalling those who fail to comply, simply substitute phrase, “Educated people wouldn’t behave so foolishly,” or “Unless you’re too ashamed to be a decent human being.” Haven’t you seen the bumper stickers and T-shirts that read, “Fear This?” What do you think they’re talking about? It’s about failing to heed persuasion attempts that masquerade as clear warnings spelling out the consequences of compliance or non-compliance with a given request. That’s why I’m only going to tell you this once. Send me twenty pounds of Holistic Select Lamb and Rice adult formula (available at Wiscoy’s) and forward this column to ten other people in the next fifteen minutes. If you don’t, I will send YOU twenty pounds of slightly used crunchies that have only been run through a dog once. Maybe twice if the puppy beats me to collecting it. Clearly the creators of those chain-letter messages are dabbling in the dark arts. And as such, one should be extremely careful tinkering with the metaphysical wellbeing of the universe. Because, you could unwittingly unleash even more bad luck into the ether by proliferating those messages to a wider pool of chain-breakers. Suppose you send such a message to ten

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Healthcare compromise by Veronica Winters I received my custom-made shoe inserts recently for the cost of $600—plus all the visits, x-rays, prescriptions and other medical expenses I incurred shortly that were directly related to my insoles order. How would it be possible to receive all this care without having the insurance? I could probably end up limping on one foot in just a couple of years if I had no coverage available for my needs today. On the other hand, why does a simple procedure like making a plaster-cast off of my feet become so enormously expensive? Doctors charge their patients almost twice as much for their services when those patients carry their insurance card. If you have none, they offer you a more reasonable rate that you usually pay out of pocket.

This is one of practices that blows the cost of care out of proportion, pushing the price tag to new heights. In short, the entire system is designed to make a buck. It has for-profit intentions and no one or no company wants to give up those crazy profits the insurance companies and some medical offices make that are actually based on human suffering, dependence, and pain. When we discuss the constitutionality of the new law or so-called “ObamaCare,” we need to understand that it’s not the first law imposed upon us by the government for our own good. Having required car insurance always made me wonder why we were supposed to submit our monthly payments to the company although we have had no car

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May 2012

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accidents in a decade. The reasoning is that we keep it because “we are supposed to have one” sooner or later. The same logic could be applied to ObamaCare. We’ll need the coverage sooner or later in our lifetime. The question is how much it would cost us today and if it makes economic sense to be “on it.” One fundamental problem we have with this law is that we have no clue what’s really in it. It’s paperwork is bigger than Tolstoy’s War and Peace. We simply don’t know how much it’s going to cost us on a monthly basis and what we would have in return. If we knew exactly how it would work for us, we wouldn’t be so hesitant or resistant, or reluctant to stand up for this new law. Now, all developed countries have free healthcare. However, it’s not really free. European countries have much higher tax

rates collected from their citizens to cover the cost and to provide and care for its people. If it seems to be working for them, why wouldn’t it work for us? If we really have a problem with the constitutionality of the law and the requirements government tends to impose upon us, we should have a choice of either opting in or out of the system. Because the American healthcare system is a free enterprise it becomes impossible for the government to regulate its profits. Rather, it would be possible to have two systems installed in place running simultaneously. One is free and managed by the government and the other is private and managed by private insurance providers. Then we would have the freedom to decide which system to commit to and that in turn would make both systems more competitive, affordable, and inclusive of all citizens.

Letters Please send letters to oped@voicesweb.org Dear Voices, There is clearly a strong sentiment among supporters of Joe Paterno to find ways to “honor his legacy.” Few, however, are willing to discuss his legacy in relation to the child sex scandal even though he was a central figure in the coverup. Hardly anyone would deny his generosity and success as a coach but this is only part of the story and the part that they choose to ignore is very ugly. From Paterno's own words, it is rather clear that he realized that something despicable had occurred. But his only response was to report it to Curley, thus clearing himself of legal repercussions. He made no known attempt to get details from McQueary, no effort to

identify and talk with the rape victim, no attempt to confront Sandusky and no attempt to report the incident directly to police even after it was clear that no one else had done so. Paterno then participated in an 8-year coverup during which at least two or three more young boys were allegedly sexually molested. So the Paterno legacy now includes that of a pedophile-enabler which the Paterno-worshippers choose to ignore. We are witnessing a breathtaking exercise in denial-a blatant refusal to separate fact from fiction, reality from myth. The question which might bring them to their senses is this: Do you understand the dangers of hero-worship? If the young rape victim

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had been your son, would you still be clamoring for ways to "honor Paterno's legacy"? Bernie McCue State College Dear Voices, I'd like to respond to David Martino's article on the “brain drain” issue Happy Valley faces year in and year out. On the surface, State College is a town that caters only to transient college students. But if you look deeper, you'll find a fantastic area to raise a family, meet friends, and be active in a thriving community. State College Young Professionals is a non-profit organization that strives to do

just that. We get young adults involved with all the great things our region has to offer. It's more than just a social group. We volunteer. We network. We work with other non-profits and businesses to help the State College area thrive. Our next event is a Preakness Party at Rotelli on May 19. It is a family-friendly, community event that will raise money for Centre County PAWS. It's just one of our many events that keep young professionals in our area active, social, and ready to plant their roots in Happy Valley. Visitwww.scyoungpros.com for more information on the group or upcoming events. Jonathan F. McVerry State College Board Member of the State College Young Professionals

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people, and half of them throw it out, but the other half sends it on to ten more people, and half of those people pass it on, but the other half throws it away. You do the math: if you simply trash the chain letter, you alone receive the bad luck. But if you send it on, you spread that bad luck to five other non-compliers, and the five do-gooders send that on to another five do-gooders and five non-compliers, thus cascading another 50 cases of bad luck, plus another wave of goo contagion propagated by dogooders. And these calculations are based on 50 percent compliance. That’s pretty optimistic. With that in mind, it’s pretty clear that the authors originating such posts have a malicious agenda in the first place. And they’re fomenting a kind of negative karma entropy that could quickly rage out of control, flooding the world with bad luck at a logarithmic rate. Therefore, there are two humane—or canine—alternatives. You can “take one for the team,” and endure the pox that will be upon your household, knowing that your sacrifice will spare others the further spread of bad luck. Or, there is the more elegant solution my friend Pink came up with. I call it the Reversal Of Fortune. Since the original senders are obviously minions of evil, simply send the message back to that same individual ten times. Now he or she must send out 100 new emails, or suffer the bad luck for each one he fails to send out. And can you imagine if just half of those on the next wave also sent theirs ten times to the originator. It may not restore the relative levels of goodness and evil in the world to equilibrium, and it might wind you up on your pal’s shit list, but it also might get you off of his e-mail list. And that’s a case of good triumphing over evil that I could sink my teeth into. Dear Cosmo, If a dog was driving a car at the speed of light, and turned on the headlights, would he still brake for pedestrians? Would he then drop to sub-light speed and be younger than when he started?

Signed, Relatively Curious. Dear Embarrassing Relative, Ye equal empty squared. You DO pose some interesting questions in terms of relativistic time dilation, but you also reach some preposterous conclusions. First, the classic theoretical question is, ”If you were operating a car at the speed of light, and turned on the headlights, how fast would that light be traveling?” Twice the speed of light, or merely the speed of light? In your question, the headlights are a red herring. Presence of headlights does not govern braking ability or intention. Just look at motorcycle accidents. They have headlights on all the time, and they run into all kinds of stuff. Your second question is not only relatively dumb, it is absolutely dumb. If a dog were traveling at the speed of light, and it slowed down, of course it would be then traveling at sub-light speed. That’s the difference between light speed and sub-light speed. Would the dog be younger? No. It would be relatively younger than sameaged dogs in its previous frame of reference -- dogs who had not been traveling at light speed -- but it wouldn’t be younger than when it started. You’d also have to take into account that one light year is equal to seven dog light years. However, for a non-light-speed-traveling hound back on earth, the significance of this question would be entirely lost, because a dog’s attention span is also oneseventh that of a human. Consider the attention spans of ten people you know, including ones who claim to work eight hours a day, and you’ll quickly perceive just how short a dog’s attention span can be. Exceptions may include fascination with the tennis ball under couch, and the smell of whatever-it-was that went through the yard recently. Dear Cosmo, I live in a small town, and I’d consider myself a “new” mother since I’m almost mid-life, I guess. I was at a local Community Watch meeting the other day, and all the other women there were what

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May 2012

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I’d call “the next generation” because I’m the only one who isn’t a grandmother. We got talking about some of the problems other people in our community were having. I guess that happens in big towns, too! Anyway, one neighbor was having some problems with the law again (he has had a LOT), and a different neighbor was having problems with drugs, and they think his girlfriend might be too. I was surprised because twice I heard these women say, “How can those children still be staying in that home?” and “Why haven’t those kids been moved into foster care yet?” That doesn’t sound very appealing, compassionate, or very Christian. Signed, Disappointed With My Neighbors Dear Welcome To Earth, If it’s any consolation, you ask the kinds of dogged questions that may not even dawn on some people. And they highlight a fairly glaring contradiction that would be funnier if it weren’t so sad…and true. These folks say they belong to a political group that prides itself on its dedication to the importance of family, while detesting the proliferation of “big government” and its intrusion into our private lives. And yet they consider it sound thinking and righteous behavior to recommend that agents of the government break up these struggling families and place their children under government care—into under-funded social programs which they oppose in part because they’re so overloaded and

ineffective, but primarily grounds that such programs are frivolous tax burdens that border on socialism. The only thing that makes this casserole of judgmentalism even spicier is the emphasis placed on church involvement. The political and religious right would argue that the United States is a Christian nation, and yet their political platforms don’t always seem to align with the very Scripture they use to position themselves above others. They’re quick to whack folks with the Good Book when it comes to admonishing licentious sexual practices within same-sex couples, or outside the confines of marriage, but they seem to fall pretty short on historical recommendations to take care of the poor, help the sick, comfort the downtrodden, share wealth, hold property in common, love one’s fellows or refrain from judging others. You know, all that pesky fine print in the New Testament. And there are a whole lot more victims of social injustice out there than there are defilers of sexual conduct codes. I’d say the biggest revelations of inconsistency have got to be attitudes. They seem pretty comfy with a big dose of hellfire and brimstone, casting the whoremongers and sorcerers into an eternal lake of fire. Those preoccupations help move the focus away from the poor in spirit, the meek, and the peacemakers, and train a flattering spotlight on the well-to-do, the strident, and the military victors. It’s a time-honored equation: the right makes might, and they think might inherit the earth. I guess that philosophy is not for the meek.

Sudoku

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 33 of this issue. By Peter Morris

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