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

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INLtHH 28 DecadwCampus

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Decade: State7Loeal On March 28, 1979, the worst accident in the history of US. nuclear power production took place at the Three Mile Island station in Middletown. Investigations by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission determined that hu- man error was partly responsible for the acci- dent. which caused thousands of residents to flee the area. closed down schools and generat- ed widespread fear of a complete nuclear melt- down. Pregnant women and pre-school chil- dren were ordered by Governor Richard Thornburgh t0 evactuate the immediate area. While workers tried to discover the cause of the leak. radio-active steam and gas continued to escape from the plant, and a hydrogen bub- ble developed in the core. But finally, after days and weeks of uncertainty and nationwide concern, the reactor was shut down and the imminent danger passed. The public, Metro- politan Edison officials declared, would have to share the cost of the four-year clean-up. Governor Thornburgh had been in office only four Vz months before the accident at Three Mile Island. Thornburgh overcame a 1978 challenge from Pittsburgh mayor Peter F. Flaherty to become Pennsylvania's 42nd governor. The polls had shown Flaherty lead- ing during most of the campaign, but Thorn- burgh came from behind to give the state its first Republican governor in eight years. The 19705 were a winning decade for the major Pennsylvania sports teams. The Pitts- burgh Prates captured the World Series title in 1971 and 1979, while the Philadelphia Phil- lies took the title away in 1980 in a six-game, nail-biting series against the Kansas City Royals. In addition, Pittsburgh Steelers reigned supreme in four years of Super Bowl play. The team won back-to-back champion- ships twice in 1975 and 1976 and again in 1979 and 1980. The Philadelphia Flyers were the winningest professional ice hockey team in the state throughout the decade, setting a re- cord breaking 35-game unbeaten streak in 1979 and capturing several Stanley Cups. In one of the greatest controversies to ever hit the county, citizens actively opposed the building of the proposed Ferguson Mall. The mall proposal was Finally rejected in 1980. Maximum occupancy signs are now posted in State College pubs and restaurants as a result of a 1977 decision by the State College Municipal Council. The council set maximum occupancy limitations for 19 bars and restau- rants as part of a program to inspect fire and panic regulations. Wendy Zoldas Decade7State 8L Local 27

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l. 53-min; ; ,'- m1: 1:3,:1? un-m q Decade: Campus By the dawn of the Seventies, Penn State was beginning to find ways ofopening its doors to more people. Recognizing that SAT scores are not the only way to predict college success, the admissions committee tried to create a more flexible admissions policy by recruiting more of the states high school graduates and improving financial aid programs. They also saw that the newly initiated Equal Opportuni- ties Program designed to assist blacks and vet- erans could be expanded to allow all minorities greater access to higher education. In 1970, Penn State1s total resident enroll- ment numbered 49,994 with 32,789 at Univer- sity Park. By 1979 the figure had grown to 69,357, with University Park reaching 37,611. The most popular majors in 1970 were busi- ness administration for men and education for women. By 1979 the men1s favorite had switched to engineering, while the women1s had switched to liberal arts. Plans were underway for the Kern Gra- duate Center and the Herman G. Fisher Plaza early inthe decade, and the Eric A. Walker Building arose near the main entrance to cam- pus. In 1973, the Liberal Arts Tower, the Paul M. Althouse Laboratory and the new East Wing of Pattee Library opened. The Intramu- ral Building was dedicated in 1975. And in 1979, Human Development East was complet- ed. Early in the Seventies the 30-year home- coming queen tradition came to an end. In 1972, the University1s Association of Women Students protested that the contest was dis- criminatory and the contest was eliminated completely by1973. Also in 1973, women were first accepted into the ranks of the all-male Blue Band. Majorettes had been added to the band the previous year. When erected in 1960, Beaver Stadiums total capacity stood at 46,284. The first extra seats were added for the 1970 season, and by the end of the decade, the stadiums size had almost doubled. In the mid-seventies, a new end zone and bleachers changed the shape of the stadium from horseshoe to bowl, bringing the total capacity to 60,203. In 1978, 16,000 more seats made it 83,017. The stadium now boasts an expanded press box, an average ca- pacity of 77,414, and a total capacity close to 84,000. Joe Paterno1s Nittany Lions earned a bowl game bid in every Seventies season, winning six of these 10 bowl games. - Cindy Halterman Decade7Campus 29