the
Goo-goo for GAGA
Obesity: A Growing Issue
Tech Talk
Etownian Campus Life, page 6
Centerfold, pages 8-9
elizabethtown college
September 23, 2010• Volume 107, No. 3
Opinion, page 11 Images: gossipcheck.com, ucdavis.edu, ebaumsworld.com
One Alpha Drive • Elizabethtown, PA 17022-2298
in the community
on campus
Kalie M. Desimone Staff Writer
Kelly A. Sauerzopf Staff Writer
I
O
On the Web: www.etownian.com
Watch group to protect, defend Housing quandaries ne of the most burning questions students annually ask themselves is, “Where am I going to live next year?” There is a wide variety of dormitories, student directed learning communities and independent living units from which to choose. However, there are a handful of students each year who hope to be granted the privilege of living
Photo: Kalie M. Desimone
they would rather take a proactive stance on the situation.” The Cedar Street Watch Group is made up of about thirteen members. n recent months, ElizabethContrary to popular belief on camtown students have become pus, these members are not hiding aware of what they call a “watch in bushes in front of their homes in dog” program on Cedar Street. camouflage, ready to call the cops on This particular street often yields groups of students walking by. They comprise a a lot of student traffic on Friday group that meets monthly with Regal to discuss and Saturday nights as many travel to the certain incidents as well as ways to better handle lacrosse house, the 500s and other offoccurrences. campus houses to attend parties. Members At these meetings, informational pamphlets of the Cedar Street Watch Group, as they are also given out to residents from sponsoring prefer to be called, are not trying to ruin groups like MADD (Mothers Against Drunk students’ fun; they just want their street Driving). These pamphlets contain information and homes to be respected. Over the past such as the consequences of underage drinking several years, there have been numerous and how getting caught underage could inhibit cases of intoxicated students destroying students from obtaining jobs in certain fields residents’ property and disturbing the such as education. Residents are encouraged peace by yelling and screaming while headto read through the informational booklets ing back to campus in the early morning. and then hand them out to disorderly students The truth of the matter is that there are in hopes that they would read them the next anywhere between one and three incidents morning and perhaps reevaluate their behavior. that occur every month, and Cedar Street But this is not the only thing that residents are residents would like to gain some control looking to do to help students. Certain residents over their street and neighborhood. Officer Richard Regal of the Elizabethtown are looking to add “safe haven” stickers to their Police Department said that he understands why doors or windows so that if a student is in danger the residents are unhappy, which is why he took or has a serious problem, they could feel comfortable enough to approach that particular charge of this watch group. home and ask for help. This idea is still in “Our police department its beginning stages, but it does suggest realized that we needed to that much the residents care for the do something to help this safety of the students. situation, so we took part With the start of another in a watch group inforschool year, residents have already mational session that helped seen and heard disruptions. They to explain the ins and outs will be holding a meeting in early o f h ow a p r o g r a m l i k e October to revisit the improvements this would work,” he said. that have been made thus far as well Armed with information, ReImage: copperridge.net as talk about future plans of action. gal met with Cedar Street residents last November. Residents stated their Caroline Lalvani, director of public affairs at apprehensions and gave their opinions on Etown, has been invited to speak at this first meeting. Cedar Street residents are looking what they thought needed to be done. “The residents were really concerned about be- forward to hearing her report on the actions ing known as the people who always call the cops the College has taken this year to better comon students,” he said, “so the locals decided that municate with off-campus students.
campus diversity
Festival unifies students, faculty
Micah J. Aumen Staff Writer
“W
elcome to America.” This greeting is often offered by students of Elizabethtown College to the new international students on campus. This week the roles were reversed as American students had the opportunity to experience a culture different than their own. The Office of International Programs has been planning this week’s International Festival since February 2010. This is
the department’s biggest event of the year and involves other parts of campus, such as the High Library and the International Club. The week’s first event was Sunday’s Cultural Workshops in Nicarry. At these workshops, students had the opportunity to learn a new language, immerse themselves in a new culture and meet some of the school’s international students. One workshop offered an introduction to the Irish language, led by senior Spencer O’Dowd. A representative of
the International Club, O’Dowd took it upon himself to direct the workshop. He attended one last year and liked it so much that he wanted to lead one of his own. Despite coming from an Irish background, nobody in his family knew how to speak the Irish language, O’Dowd explained. He took up learning the language in order to connect more with his ancestry. This desire to engage in his heritage allowed him to spread the Irish culture at Etown. See INTERNATIONAL, page 3
Photos: Matthew P. Butera
Upperclass students have the option to move into the Florin Hill Apartments or the Peach Alley Court Apartments and still be considered on-campus residents. These complexes were recently added to Residence Life’s housing options due to an increase in Etown’s first-year retention. (Peach Alley Court Apartments pictured below.)
off-campus. Because Elizabethtown College is considered a residential college, students are, by contract, required to live on-campus for their four years of attendance. It is therefore necessary to go through an application process in order to be released from that original contract. So why is it that students are not being released to live off-campus when there is not sufficient room for students in the on-campus housing options? According to Paul Cramer, vice president of enrollment, first-year retention from last year to this school year was 5.4 percent higher than expected. This translates into nearly 30 more returning students than originally expected. In addition to those returning, almost 30 fewer students than expected chose to study off-campus this semester (abroad and domestically). “Both of these differences impacted the Coll e g e’s o v e r a l l enrollment expectations and presented challenges to aspects of the campus community, including residential life,” Cramer s aid. “In fac t, due to these and other factors, 86.5 percent of See OVERFLOW, page 2