townia e n
The
May 5, 2011 • Volume 107, Issue 21
One Alpha Dr. Elizabethtown, Pa 17022
On the Web: www.etownian.com
Elizabethtown College’s student newspaper since 1904
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What’s Inside
Senior Shoutouts!
Saying goodbye: Etownian style Double Truck, page 7
How to Make the Most of Summer
Endless options await... Opinion, page 9
Students Speak Out Unjust TGIS weekend treatment by Security Opinion, page 9
Long Celebrates President Long honored at farewell dinner Features, page 5
in the community
Train station renovations completed Station now features waiting room, kiosk, maps, elevator Sean M. Duetsch Staff Writer
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ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Wed. May 4 at 11 a.m. to open the newly renovated Amtrak Elizabethtown Train Station. Over the past two years, major improvements have been made to the Elizabethtown Train Station. The station has been going through final inspections to be approved for public use over the past couple weeks. The new features added to the station are public restrooms, a passenger waiting area, an expanded parking lot for passengers’ cars, elevators to the station’s platform and two Amtrak ticket kiosks. The addition of elevators and the reconstruction of the train’s platform will make the train station handicap-accessible. Construction of the new station began Sept. 1, 2009, by Lobar Inc. of Dillsburg, Pa. The project received $9.3 million in federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding to renovate the station. The elevators to the station’s platform passed the Department of Labor and Industry’s inspection on April 12, 2011. Last week the train station was issued an occupancy permit, which allows it to become fully operational to the public. Borough Council President Phil Clark cut the ribbon inside the refurbished train
in the community
Photo: Sean M. Duetsch
station. “We appreciate the opportunity to accomplish this major transportation and economic development project in Elizabethtown,” Clark said. “This is a project we have been anxious to complete for many years.” A new, paved parking lot can hold up to 48 cars and another lot is expected to be completed by fall. Inside the station’s building will be a Quik-Trak self-service ticketing kiosk, as well as a ticketing booth for the passengers to use. The building will also be the new home of the Elizabethtown Chamber of Commerce. The community flocked out to the train station on the rainy morning to witness the opening of the much anticipated renova-
tions. Patrons were treated by the arrival of an old fashioned Juniata train before the ceremony began. Before this ambitious project, the train station received negative criticism from students. “I went at night one time to pick up a friend and I was literally afraid. The tunnel underneath the station was very dark and I felt unsafe at times,” senior Tom Hagerty said. Senior Carrie Chase referred to it as a “jail cell.” While Jen Fimmano, also a senior, described her experience as “very scary. I only used it once but it was enough to know that this place needed to be remodeled.” CONTINUED ON PAGE TWO
on campus
‘Tea’ issue forces new pick for first-years
“The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” chosen
Patricia A. Cangelosi Copy Editor
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notice sent to the entire Elizabethtown College community on Monday, May 2, from members of the “Open Book” Common-Read Initiative, stated that the committee would no longer use Greg Mortenson’s “Three Cups of Tea” for its program. Instead, they chose Rebecca Skloot’s “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.” Even though Dr. Tom Hagan, assistant dean for the First-Year Program, is a co-chair of the Open Book Committee, it is important to recognize that the Common-Read Initiative includes more than
just first-year students. “Open Book is a program which partners with the first-year experience, led by faculty and student volunteers. The intention is that it will expand to involvement with the whole community,” junior and committee member Allison O’Boyle explained. The concern for using the original book stemmed from a recent “60 Minutes” investigative report that claimed aspects of the book are fraudulent. Hagan explained that he became very suspicious of Mortenson’s actions after Mortenson deliberately dodged “60 Minutes” reporters on multiple occasions. Reporters had been trying to track him down for over a year and approached him at a book signing. Mortenson consistently refused to talk with them and did not show up for a speech he was supposed to make later that day. “[Since] “Three Cups of Tea” has been surrounded by allegations of fraud, the Open Book committee did not want to have attention drawn away from important principles of the story by negative media, and we did not want to give endorsement to Mortenson’s currently unstable organization, Central Asia Institute,” O’Boyle said. “We wanted a fair deliberation for the book,” High Library Director and committee member BethAnn Zambella said. “We aren’t making any judgments about Greg Mortenson; we think he has accomplished great things. We even considered the possibility that the controversy surrounding the book would lead to better discussions in the class-
room.” However, Zambella noted that the members didn’t want the controversy to overshadow the whole program in its first year. Last Thursday, the committee made the final decision to switch to “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.” The e-mail to the campus community explained that Lacks was an African-American woman living in poverty in Baltimore, Md., who died from cancer in 1951. Doctors took a sample of her cells without her family’s knowledge; the cancerous cells miraculously survived and flourished in the lab environment. They ended up providing a base for medical breakthroughs, including a cure for polio. Skloot, the author, spent many years with the family to gather information, earn their trust, and conduct research for her story. “The book is so interdisciplinary and can be seen from so many different lenses: science, technology, health care, ethics, law and public policy, religion, journalism, psychology, sociology, race and gender, social justice, etc.,” Zambella said. “It’s a medical detective story, a human drama, and a story about building trust when the system is broken down.” “It had a lot of teachable moments throughout the text, and it was very well-written,” Hagan pointed out. “A substantial volume of advances in cancer research were made possible through work on Henrietta’s cells. We use them here at Etown. Virtually any facility which does cell cancer research will have a colony of these cells at their disposal.” CONTINUED ON PAGE TWO
on campus
Handbook change takes effect immediately
Policy regarding use and possession of alcohol and illegal substance has changed Zakiya Fulton-Anderson Staff Writer
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lizabethtown College’s Student Handbook took on new rules this year regarding the use and possession of alcohol and illegal substances. The rules in the Student Handbook, both old and new, are implemented to ensure that all students and employees are able to live and work in a safe environment. To help ensure this safety, there are rules in the old handbook, which state that, the use, possession, manufacturing, or distribution of marijuana, heroin, narcotics or other controlled
substances except as expressly permitted by law are subject to Elizabethtown College disciplinary processes and actions. This is just one of many rules in the handbook aimed toward creating a safer drug free campus, but there seems to have been some uncertainties with the rule, which led to the creation and publication of a new student handbook. In the new handbook, the rule still stands that drugs are illegal on campus, but it goes into more detail. The new rule states, “The unlawful possession, use, or distribution of illicit drugs and alcohol by students and employees is not permit-
ted by Elizabethtown College…Violations (e.g., possession, sale, use, transfer, purchase and/or delivery of illegal drugs or drug paraphernalia) will result in an administrative hearing and/or a hearing before the Student Conduct Board.” Aside from facing Elizabethtown College disciplinary processes and actions, violators of the new handbook rules will be subject to legal sanctions under local, state, or federal law. Rules remain the same for alcohol consumption on campus, if you are not of legal drinking age, you should not drink.
Long awarded for service
President recognized for devotion to community Katie A. Bamberger Asst. Campus Life Editor
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n March 25, President Long was presented with the Vincent O’Connor Public Service Award by the Elizabethtown Borough Council. In the Susquehanna Room, a dinner and reception took place during which the president was recognized with the award. “It really was an honor,” Long said. The Vincent O’Connor Public Service Award is presented annually to an individual who has unselfishly devoted his or her time to the public good of the residents of Elizabethtown through his or her community and civic endeavors over a period of years. President Long has been at Elizabethtown College for 15 years; he was appointed as the 13th president of the College in September 1996. Building relationships between the College and the community has been an integral part of Long’s presidency. Among many other initiatives, he has helped to develop studies and plans to better the community. According to the council, Long’s leadership has been instrumental in providing solutions which are beneficial to everyone, such as creating a successful student parking lot in the neighborhood close to the College, which pleased both students and community residents. Long said he specifically made a difference in regards to the local economy. He served as a board member on the former Elizabethtown Economic Development Corporation and helped to integrate the College into the community. In addition to being active in a number of community development organizations, Long has generally facilitated a great deal of camaraderie among residents and students of Etown. “The College and community can be friends,” Long said, describing the effort he has put forth to facilitate the partnership. Long said developing support systems and building relationships have been imperative in this process. “I brought ideas,” said Long, which he also noted were a driving force in motivating all that he has accomplished. “In all my interactions with President Long, I have seen his dedication to achieving what is possible in order to improve our world while not being afraid to have difficult discussions over big dreams and aspirations,” said sophomore Nicholas Clemens, president of the class of 2013, said. “I would assume the borough had similar, good reasons to choose President Long for such an honor. President Long is extremely knowledgeable, honest, professional and dedicated in his work. I think he understands the idea of public service on the small scale and relates that to our work as citizens on a local, regional, national, and global scale.” Clemens also noted that spanning Long’s presidency, the College has dedicated itself to programs which encourage community service, such as Into the Streets. President Long is also being honored as “Distinguished Citizen of the Year” for May by the local Boy Scout troop. In addition, the Lancaster Symphony Orchestra is acknowledging his leadership for “Symphony Salutes,” which recognizes the contributions of outstanding members of the Lancaster community.