Penn State University - La Vie Yearbook (University Park, PA)

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NEWS LOCAL Science Fiction and Digitals Set Trends Lines tvere frequently this long for the science fiction Ih x office hit Stor Wars. Catering to the digitally minded consumer. Cinema in 1977 saw the come- back of science fiction, featuring intcrgalactic entertainment. Early summer brought Star Wars, a fa- vorite of Penn State students. Au- diences adored hero R2-D2, de- tested villain Darth Vadcr and pon- dered the force.” Cold weather brought with it a Steven Spielberg film. Close Encounters of the Third Kind, which has excellent special effects. The film depicted the initial face-to-face meeting of earthlings with space aliens. Science fiction movies set trends in books, calen- dars. toys and even produced an X- rated. outspace flick. Another movie students saw time after lime was Rocky Horror Pic- ture Show. which encouraged the participation of a delighted au- dience. Persons attending made rain with plant misters, lit can- dles in the dark and threw rice during a wedding ceremony. Speaking of entertainment, long- running television programs made it big in 1977. After the precedent was set by the week-long serial “Roots,” countless other shows were produced which kept people glued to their T.V. sets for several consecutive evenings. “Washington Behind Closed Doors.” “The Godfa- ther and 79 Park Avenue” arc a few examples. When people turned off their tubes and started going places, they found a relatively new and inter- esting way to reach their destina- tions. Mopeds. bicycle-like two- wheeled vehicles with motors, had been introduced from Europe and were gaining popularity in the U.S. Used on highways like motorcycles. mopeds raised much concern over traffic safety. However, the in- dustry predicts excellent future sales, estimating that three to four million will be sold each year dur- ing the first half of the 1980's. Another line of items that made a heavy hit on the market in 1977 was digital articles. Calculators were slimmed and trimmed, digital watches adorned countless wrists, replacing the old sweep hand, digit- al clock radios kept people on schedule and even computer games flooded the market. ■ Audience lighting mutches during a scene in the movie Rocky Horror Picture Show.' 26

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USG Elections On March 30 and 31 of 1977. Grant Ackerman and Dennis Ru- port were elected president and vice-president of the Under- graduate Student Government with 2.175 votes. This was 346 votes more than second place candidates Ted Anderko and Dave Halyerle re- ceived. The campaigns were focused on the ever-spiraling tuition increases, end improvement in the student advising procedure, greater student involvement in their government end lowering the state's drinking age. Nine pairs of candidates ran in the spring elections. Bringing up the rear with 63 votes were Photon end Black Knight, most likely write-ins. ■ Halting Elm Blight Since the 1930's. Dutch elm dis- ease has been a major problem in Pennsylvania killing trees through- cut the state. The fatal disease is carried by elm bark beetles. In an attempt to save campus elms, the University has instituted a phere- monc trapping program, a relative- ly new procedure. The trap uses a chemical which attracts beetles and causes them to stick to it. Beetles are destroyed, preventing them from spreading the disease- causing fungus. Many methods of disease control have been tried, but none has proved completely effec- tive. u New Dorm Phones Santa paid dorm residents a visit aver the holidays. Students re- turned from Christmas break to find a phone in each individual room. Students now are able to make long distance calls, a luxury not available on the previous hall extensions. The service provided is Bell Telephone’s Student Centrex Service. Under this service, bills ad- dressed to each room number are sent once a month. ■ Evangelist led Smock preaching to students on the wall in front of Willord Building. Soapbox Crusade Student inspecting campus tree. Simmons coed enjoying her in-room phone. During 1977 Penn State students got religion — daily. Rain or shine, two or more preachers usually stood in front of Willard Building spouting fire-and-brimstone to in- terested. angered or indifferent lis- teners. Jed Smock. Max Lynch and Bro Cope were among the evangelists who preached to bc- twecn-class loiterers. In 1977 evan- gelism was on the rise at Penn State reflective of the national trend. m Wrapping Up ... In November 1977 Norman Albert set a world record when he tread water at the Natatorium for 52 hours. Two months earlier 1.733 PSU students played a game of mu- sical chairs which put them in The Guinness Book of World Records. Another game proved it has its dangerous points as Lion quarter- back Chuck Fusina received threat- ening letters for the second straight year. Speaking of dangers, early January saw the evacuation of 1,500 people from West Halls when a cannister of poisonous gas was released in the area. Stepping downtown, we saw a student bare her chest at The Bar to take first place in the Wet T-Shirt Contest. ■ 25

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The Laurel Trrr Srolo Secretary DoLores State's Secretary Tucker Fired Monitor Secretary of the Com- m°nwcallh C. Da Lores Tucker be- conic the new vice-president of Broadcast station WYIS in Phoe- nixville, PA, in December of 1977. It jvas the second time Tucker was in 0 neivs during the year. The first 'vas when Gov. Milton Shapp fired or in September for her use of •s ofe employees in writing her pub- lc speeches. The speeches earned 1 uckcr close to $60.000. flicker, thoroughly dissatisfied With'that as the reason behind her ormination as secretary, retaliated Y Saying Shapp dismissed her So e V f°r political reasons. I ennsylvania‘s Governor Mllion Shapp. Stale College’s Republican Mayor Addison. Addison Elected In November 1977. 53 percent of the registered Centre County voters turned to the polls for local elec- tions. There are seven Hcpublican and 11 Democratic precincts in State College. In the most publi- cized local election. Republican Municipal Councilman Arnold Ad- dison defeated Democrat Greg Stewart in the race for Mayor. Mayor Jo Hays did not seek re- election. Three Democratic Munici- pal Council members were also chosen — Ronald Abler. Dorothy Lennig and Ingrid Holtzmun. In an upset. Richard Sharp, a Philipsburg Democrat, was elected Centre County fudge over District Attorney Charles Drown. m Johnstown Flooded Nothing can be as awesomely de- structive as the forces of nature at raging work, as Johnstown resi- dents learned last summer in the hardest way possible as the Con- emaugh River overflowed its banks, sending a lethal supply of water into the city. fuly 20 article in a local newspaper read. Eight hours of rain swelled creeks over their banks today, isolating many com- munities and pouring a waist-high torrent into this southwestern Penn- sylvania city, which was almost wiped out in the infamous John- stown Flood of 1669. As a result of the '77 flood, over 2.000 people were left homeless in Cambria County alone. By the day after the flood's onset. 32 people were known dead with more bodies yet to be discovered. When cleanup got underway at least 36 more bodies were found and estimates of property damage had reached the $200 million mark. Gov. Shapp declared a state of extreme emergency for the John- stown area and 7 over western counties. Many groups, among them VISTA volunteers. Mcn- nonites and the electrical workers’ union, worked to clean up flood debris. One VISTA volunteer noted that the flood had ripped the walls off an apartment building, leaving apartments intact. The city has had flooding problems since 1889. m Jmf. “! r Dam which broke, unleashing raging waters through the Johnstown area. riint n III T)I mutiny G'nlfr Daily Time 27