The Collegían Grove City College Newspaper October 1.7, 1997 Vol. 58 No. 7 INSIDE GCC addresses ******* A QUICK LOOK AT environmentalism THIS WEEK'S EDITION OF THE COLLEGIAN - in By Lesley Spencer Collegian News Editor NEW TRENDS AT GCC The environment is a buzzword in today's world. Conservation and This week we are focusing on recycling are now familiar concepts to us all. two new trends in GCC's cur- Many colleges have adjusted their curricula to educate students in riculum: environmentalism and environmental education. Grove City College now joins the movement globalization. Here we profile with a recent offering of a new series of environmental education sem- the new environmental seminars. inars and a new environmental education certification program. Turn to page two to see how stu- "I am excited about the direction we are going," said biology profes- dents are taking advantage of sor Dr. Frederic J. Brenner, who organized the seminar series. international internships. The first of the new environmental education seminars will be held on October 21 at 7 pm in Rockwell 113. These seminars are designed LEADERS OF THE PACK to be part of GCC's new environmental education program to enable Omicron Delta Kappa is GCC's students to become certified to teach environmental material in grades prestigious leadership honorary. K-12. They are intended to generate environmental awareness in both The Collegian is collaborating Grove City College students and Grove City community members, with this organization to bring who are invited to attend. you profiles of the most promi- The first of the seminar speakers will be David Johnson, director of nent leaders on campus. This Jennings Environmental Education Center. He will be speaking on the week we interview the men be- importance of environmental education in today's society. hind this year's Homecom- Clarence Hickey of the U.S. Department of Energy will speak on King crowned queen ing-James Drescher and Kyle the development of an environmental philosophy and environmental Amy King was crowned the new homecoming queen on Wenger. education. Also speaking will be Dr. Patricia Vathis, director of the Saturday at the football game during halftime. See Life, page 6 Office of Environment and Ecology in the Bureau of Curriculum and Academic Services at the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Her topic will be the development of an environmental education curricu- Environmental science, depending on the student's major, may be lum across disciplines. taken in place of the Life Science course currently offered. The stu- Two new environmental courses also have been added to the sec- dents in the environmental class seem to enjoy and understand the im- ondary education curriculum for students who have certification in portance of the class. Senior Betsy Conner, is currently taking envi- biology and general science. These students can now pursue certifica- ronmental science. "It hits the science that you generally don't hit in tion, K-12, in environmental education as well. high school." Last year was the first year an environmental science class was of- Senior Beth Johnson took the class in its trial period last year. She fered. This class, currently taught by Dr. Stephen Jenkins, is designed agreed that it was a good class to take, saying, liked discussing the to help students become aware of the need for environmental educa- environmental issues going on in the world because they are so impor- Stressed out? Sophomore Sonya tion. Through this course, students learn to critically analyze the envi- McKinley, sophomore Theresa tant to our everyday lives." Numer and Junior Melody Mill- ronmental world views and develop a theocentric, Biblical perspective Dr. Jenkins is planning to have field trips to help the students under- iron hit the books at the Gee. Turn on environmental issues. It is also designed to raise awareness of the stand the practical application of the class. Field trips are currently to Ask Paul for some advice on complexity of ecosystems, the effects of their degradation and how to planned to go to two strip mines and also to a borough composting time management. remediate them. plant. See Perspectives, page 5 IS A MILD WINTER IN STORE FOR GCC? So what does a warm current off Ignorance may equal debt for Grovers the shore of Peru have to do with GCC? Everything, according to Credit card debt is defining characteristic of Generation X Perspectives editor Mylissa Hoover. El Nino blows hope of warm winter into western Penn- By Jennifer Scott than those in any other age group student borrowers said their par- ing indebtedness of so many, ar- sylvania. Maybe, just maybe, Collegian Editor-in-chief to get in over their heads. ents paid for more than one-fifth gues economist Juliet Schor, is Grove City College will not suf- of college the widening gap between the fer a miserable winter. Our generation is best known The buck costs. Stud- wealthy-who dominate popular See Perspectives, page 3 for political apathy and a small starts here ies show culture-and the rest of the coun- attention span, but its most defin- Mean- that typical try. IT'S THE END OF WORK ing characteristic may be debt. while, the parents pick For example, many students AS WE KNOW IT.. Two recent trends--the growth past two up about 10 cite the inspiring story of Richard So what's this about millions of in student loan volume and the decades percent of Linklater. Linklater is the di- Americans working out of home proliferation of credit cards-- have seen their kids' rector who filmed the acclaimed offices? Are there really people have combined to profoundly al- not only ex- student movie Slacker by charging going from bedroom to office in ter the behavior of our genera- plosive loans. $23,000 on credit cards. How- slippers and sweats, coffee mug tion. growth in ever, Linklater's success is hardly in hand? No commute, no fixed Required to borrow in order to the cost of the norm. He says aspiring film- hours--and all made possible by finance their education, members college but a dramatic change in How does it start? makers regularly approach him, the tools of technology. Find out of this generation have no who pays. From 1974 to 1994, For many students, it starts in stacks of credit cards in hand, how this new trend will shape qualms about using credit to pay the average cost of four years of their freshman year. Freedom. with "nothing now, or probably your future in part one of our for daily comfort or even luxury. tuition, room, board, and fees at Basic ignorance exacerbates the ever, to show for it." series on "Exploring the Web as For example, between 1990 a public university rose from problem. In a recent survey by "There's no question that young a New Means of Communica- and 1995, the average outstand- $11,032 to $25,785. Private the consumer Federation of adults are the most heavily bur- tion." ing credit card balance of some- school costs jumped from America, 78 percent of college dened by credit card debt," said See Perspectives, page 5 one under 25 grew from $885 $25,514 to $64,410. At the same juniors and seniors did not know Stephen Brobeck, executive di- and $1,721. Carrying plastic is time, parents have been bearing that the best way to figure out the rector of the Consumer Federa- the norm for young people-65 less of the burden. cost of a loan was to look at the tion of America. percent of college students have In the only national survey on interest rate. cards -and they are more prone this question, only 26 percent of One explanation for the grow-