Some fraternity members are opposed to the State College Borough Council's proposal to place cameras on East Beaver Avenue.

Several fraternity houses are located in Beaver Canyon, the street's 200 block and the area that would be monitored by cameras.

Steve DiOrio, Interfraternity Council president, said he is worried about the cameras intruding on the privacy of those who live along Beaver Avenue.

"In my opinion, I think it's an invasion of privacy," Diorio said. "My concern is for the people who live in the balcony apartments that are floor level. There is a possibility of seeing what is going on in their apartments."

DiOrio said the reason borough council members want to implement cameras is for the safety of police officers and community members. To help stop crime, however, State College needs better lighting and more money to employ additional police officers, he said.

"I know the reason the borough wants the cameras, because they say police officers have been hit by beer bottles," DiOrio said. "But the cameras may not even catch people throwing things from the upper-level balconies."

Not all borough council members are supportive of the proposed plan. Council members Tom Daubert, Elizabeth Goreham and Janet Knauer voted against the plan. Council President Richard McCarl and council members Cathy Dauler, Jean McManis and James Meyer voted in favor of the plan.

"I am 100 percent against [the cameras] and I will vote 100 percent against anything that has to do with them," Daubert said. "I can see that it could have some effects on the fraternities."

Joe Chiodo, president of Kappa Alpha, 234 E. Beaver Ave., is also opposed to the cameras.

"The reason we don't want the cameras is because it would be focusing right on our house, watching everything we do every day," Chiodo said. "It would just be awkward knowing that there is a camera watching you as you walk out of your door."

Ben Jones, president of Triangle fraternity, 266 E. Beaver Ave., said he hopes the cameras would be used more for the safety of people than for getting people into trouble.

"I think and hope [the cameras] are more towards the safety issues and not towards the social aspect," Jones (junior-industrial engineering) said. "I think it will make people more aware and more safe [when at fraternity social functions]."

Jones and other members of Triangle discussed camera issues at their last weekly meeting.

"I don't think [the cameras] will affect our rush or amount of brothers we have in the future," Jones said. "But I can pretty much guarantee that most of our brothers will not want [the cameras]."

Daubert said he hopes the fraternities' privacy will not be infringed upon by recording in private areas such as front lawns. However, he believes the police department when it says the cameras will just show the sidewalks and street.

"But there is always the chance that the tapes will capture more and, therefore, [the police] have to be very careful that they don't show anything private," Daubert said. "I still think it's a civil rights issue, and I still think it's an invasion privacy, and I am still against it."

Fraternities that will be affected by the cameras on Beaver Avenue include Triangle, Kappa Alpha and Kappa Sigma, 255 Highland Ave., and Sigma Alpha Epsilon, whose members will be living at 200 E. Beaver Ave. in the fall if zoning officials approve the move-in.