Letters: State College girls win in recent ruling; Event aims to fill health care gap
State College girls win in recent ruling
Bret Pallotto reported that Chief Judge Matthew W Brann, Middle District PA, in a ruling and Memorandum Opinion made public Dec. 1 (4:22-CV-01335MWB) excoriated SCASD with a scathing opinion directed at all pertinent points of Attorney Aaron Brooks’ plaintiffs. “He approved their request for a preliminary injunction, an extraordinary remedy granted only in limited circumstances.”
All young girls in State College achieved a great stride because of the countless hours Brooks and wife Linnet worked on the numerous court hearings throughout the last seven months. The district changed tactics mid-way. What did that portend?
The district tried to persuade the judge that giving the girls a tryout chance was tantamount to living the experience of a full season. All of the girls were “rostered out” which is a commonly used tactic countrywide to keep “girls” out of “boys” sports. There is a book in Schlow Library titled “As Fast as Her” by Kendall Coyne. Kendall describes the exact same scenario as experienced in her own life.
When the school board picks a new superintendent, the new hiree needs to know that the current leadership is, at best, indifferent to young girls. They just did not care. The new hiree should be in concert with the community. After all, Title IX just celebrated its 50th anniversary.
When I discussed this dilemma with friends in the past months, I would hear a common response at the beginning. What! No! Not in State College! I would reply: Yes! In State College!
Event aims to fill health care gap
As many of us readers know, there are number of individuals within Centre County who are un- or under-insured and have infrequent opportunities to access health care providers. I am an executive organizer within Penn State Remote Area Medical, and I wanted to share a unique opportunity that hopes to address local health care needs. This year, Penn State RAM is making our long-held goal of bringing RAM’s services to our communities a reality by hosting a free health care clinic in Spring Mills on March 25-26, 2023.
The organization under which I operate, Penn State University Remote Area Medical (RAM), is a student-led chapter of the national nonprofit Remote Area Medical, which organizes pop-up clinics to provide free health, vision and dental services to communities across the country.
This weekend clinic is the first of its kind in this area and meant to help fill this health care need gap in our area. We hope that any reader who might benefit from this clinic considers attending.
Lastly, we are also looking to find volunteers (especially health care providers) or donors who may be willing to contribute to the event. The generosity of others is crucial to this event’s success, and we appreciate any and all contributions. If you are interested in attending the clinic or aiding in our mission, I urge you to visit our website to find out more.
Penn State RAM website: sites.psu.edu/pennstateram.
Questioning judgment
I’m writing in regard to the recent announcement by Julia Rater that she is a candidate in the upcoming May 2023 primary election for an open seat as a judge for the Centre County Court of Common Pleas.
In a CDT article dated March 18, 2003, Ms. Rater said she supported then-President George W Bush’s decision to use military force in Iran. It’s my understanding that she was a registered Republican at that time, and didn’t register as a Democrat until 2009, so maybe it’s not surprising that she supported Bush’s disastrous decision. My concern is that Ms. Rater seems to have been unquestioning in her acceptance of what she was being told by the most powerful person on earth. If she becomes a judge she will have to discern the truth in many complex situations, and will need to be immune to influence from powerful people if she is to do her job fairly. As the race progresses I will be watching for indications that Ms Rater has become better at making independent judgments.