Council member driven by local issues

By CRYSTAL NESBITT
Collegian Staff Writer

As her life has unfolded, days have jumped along and events have seemed disconnected. However, Elizabeth Goreham has surveyed the past and found that her life has been an even flow leading her to the woman she is today.

As a State College Borough Council member, Goreham has realized her early aspiration to become a politician. Graduating from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C., with a degree in political science, it has taken Goreham many years and experiences to return to the realm of politics.

Goreham began her career as a legislative aide to former U.S. Senator Rupert Vance Hartke, D-Ind. However, since the Vietnam War was in progress, Goreham became discouraged with politics.

"During that time people weren't able to influence the political process," Goreham said.

With frustration, Goreham left Washington, D.C., and politics and moved to Houston for 25 years. In Houston, she consulted environmental agencies in court cases.

Goreham said the natural environment of growing up on a farm in Indiana first exposed her to the importance of the environment, and Houston brought back that feeling.

While in Houston, Goreham worked with the Sierra Club to prevent the discharge of toxins into the Galveston Bay.

"It awakened me to the fact that this pollution made us responsible for the environment," Goreham said.

During her time in Texas, Goreham married Jack Matson and the two decided to leave Houston in 1993 and make their home in State College.

Goreham said she felt an immediate connection with State College.

"When I first came to State College I felt at home," Goreham said. "The Midwest has an energy and here it's the same way -- not like in Texas."

After failed attempts at opening a juice bar and creating a green page directory, a directory of environment-friendly businesses, she still felt a pressing need to express herself. Goreham then took creative writing classes from the University and began to write for Voices of Central Pennsylvania, an alternative State College newspaper.

Shortly after, she became involved in the debate over the construction of Nicholas Tower, 301 S. Pugh St.

"I thought it was awful and I was surprised to find out that the neighborhood wasn't notified that the apartments were going in," she said.

Goreham said this situation aroused her interests in local government and led her to run for borough council.

Since winning her seat in November, Goreham has worked to bring her concerns of borough growth and the environment to the community.

Her future plans include incorporating recycled, unbleached paper into the municipal office and speaking of political activism at an environmental conference later this month in the HUB.

She would also like to develop a partnership with the University to have classes develop Pugh Street or Allen Street into a garden district. Goreham said she believes this would draw the University into a special tie with the downtown area.

In the meantime, Goreham said she wants to be a conduit for people to influence the political process.

"I'm back to where I started in college . . . it just took me a while to get here," Goreham said. "I want our human ecosystem in State College to be sustainable just like our environmental ecosystem."