Members of Penn State's dedicated student body must find a means of rest and relaxation to handle day-to-day pressures. Fear not, dear students, solace is only as far away as the nearest television set -- at least for some.

But if you live in the dorms, you must share the TV with six to 10 people you have never seen before in your life. Get your own TV, or if you have one get cable, you say?

Students who were lucky enough to bring their own TV to school soon found that luck was not enough. Most dorm rooms only receive one or two channels and cable just isn't available.

"Here I only watch reruns -- all I get is ABC," said Erin McCord (sophomore- international politics)

Many students don't bother to take the time to go downstairs to watch their favorite shows -- even with the allure of cable.

But now cable is being brought to the dorm rooms.

"It would be a lot more convenient if I could just stay in my room," McCord said. Being able to talk on the phone or do homework while watching TV are two of the luxuries McCord said she wishes she had.

Well, now her prayers have been answered. Starting next Fall, cable will be available to students living in East and Pollock Halls, said Tom Gibson, assistant vice president of Housing and Food Services.

North and South Halls will follow in the summer of 1993. Centre and West Halls will have to wait, though, until 1994.

So far negotiations with the cable company have gone well. "Based on what we've seen, we won't have to charge -- not unless something drastic happens," Gibson said.

But with cable becoming available in the dorm rooms, will anybody ever study again?

"I don't know if I'd watch more -- there'd be more of a choice, though. News channels -- CNN -- would be wonderful to have," said Bob Haefner (sophomore-aerospace engineering), recalling how people flocked to the TV lounges during the Persian Gulf War.

"I'd watch more," said Matt Czlonka (sophomore-electrical engineering), while visions of ESPN and MTV danced in his head.

When asked what it took to get students down from their rooms, most agreed that shows like "Cheers," "Married . . . with Children," "The Simpsons," "Beverly Hills 90210," "Homefront" and "Saturday Night Live" would do the trick.

Having cable would also make sports fans happier.

"For baseball season, ESPN would be great, and KBL for hockey season -- there'd be a game almost every night," Czlonka said.

While using the ol' boob tube as a means of relaxation does not sound like the healthiest way to spend your time, some studies show that older teens, in general, spend fewer hours in front of the television than just about any other group -- fewer even than their parents.