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January 11, 2002 10 Page
40 Vol. XLIX No. 15 Welcome Back!
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4 x 144 i ~,,1
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PENNSTATE
g Erie
pring 2002
Friday's forecast:
Partly cloudy
High: 38°
Low: 25°
Check page 2 for the
weekend weather outlook
NEWS
DID YOU NOTICE THE
WHITE STUFF?
Yep, it's here. But, to
some, snow isn't all that
bad. News editors Erin
McCarty and Kevin Fallon
discuss what a few local
experts have to say, as
well as some upcoming
activities like the Behrend
Winter Olympics.
SPORTS
AIR LIONS
Behrend's men's and
women's basketball teams
have entered AMCC con
ference play. Recap the
action thus far
■
Behrend News...l-2
National News... 3-4
Calendar...s
Editorial... 6
Features.. 7
Sports... B-10
1:11111=MIEF
NEWSROOM: 898-6488
FAX: 898-6019
E-MAIL:
behrcolls@aol.com
Offices are located
downstairs in the
Reed Union Building
A round of applause
Family and friends filled the Junker Center on Dec. 15 for Fall Commencement. Approximately 300 academic
and professional degrees were conferred upon associate, bachelor, and master candidates. The commence
ment address was delivered by Dr. Id° Millet, associate professor of management information systems. Penn
State Board of Trustees member Edward P. Junker 111, Interim Provost and Dean Dr. Jack D. Burke, and Associ
ate Provost and Dean Dr. Robert W. Light participated in the conferring of degrees and presenting of diplomas.
Congratulations grads and good luck!
Erie's snowfall typical for season, says local meteorologist
by Kevin Fallon
assistant news editor
After a warm December, students
were welcomed back to Behrend with
cold temperatures, wind, and snow.
Over the break Erie was hit by a
storm leaving the Behrend campus
covered with snow. So far the spring
semester has been anything but
spring -like.
According to meteorologist David
Call, Erie received 47.2 inches of
snow as of midnight Jan. 9, which is
typical for this point of the season.
Call's prediction for the coming
months: snow, snow, and more snow.
"1 think we will finish with more
than 100 inches this winter. Average
snowfall for the last 30 years has been
90 L 7
Plows piled snow high, clearing the roadways, but stu-
dents, faculty, and staff aiike had to battle icy patches as
they drove to campus. See the article for tips on how to
avoid hassles when driving in winter.
with nearly 150 inches," said Call.
"It appears the rest of winter will
probably have near or below average
temperatures and another 50 inches
of snow or so," said Call. "It will
seem harsh; however with the
exceptional warmth of November and
early December, the overall winter
will be close to normal."
The snow was met with mixed
reactions from students. Some snow
lovers like freshman Tom Learn were
excited about the flakey white stuff.
Snow is number one," Learn said
"Sometimes I want snow in the
summer so I open the freezer and
make a snowball. Snowstorms are
great. It should be snowing right
now."
Like many others in the Erie area,
‘I“ he br thr Jd
PHOTO BY ROB WYNNE / BEHREND BEACON
PHOTO BY ROB WYNNE / BEHREND BEACON
Snow, snow, snow! Behrend students returned to a
campus turned winter wonderland.
weather. "I like snow angels,
snowballs, snowmen, snow football,
and sledding," Learn said.
But many students across the
campus were not happy about the
snowfall. "I don't like the snow. It's
too cold and always in the way," said
Nicole Swartzentruber, freshman.
"The snow puts me in a bad mood. It
can clear up right now. I just want to
make it though until summer."
Call said that both snow lovers and
loathers make many mistakes when
it comes to winter weather. "People
lose respect for snow. They attempt
to drive at normal speeds, and then
slide off a curve or into other cars.
Also, they neglect to dress
appropriately for the cold. From
experience, I know that standing
outside in the cold for more than five
minutes takes a lot of energy out of
you. Hypothermia is always a risk."
PHOTO BY PAIGE MILES / BEHREND BEACON
Call also gave a few tips to help
people prepare for the winter:
I .Practice driving in the snow. If
you don't have a lot of experience in
the snow, find a big parking lot and
practice driving around in your car.
2. Keep your car in good
mechanical shape, its gas tank at least
half full, and have an emergency kit
(cell phone, blankets, snacks, shovel,
basic tools, and kitty litter or sand to
be used for traction if you get stuck) .
3. When driving, be ready for
dramatic changes in road conditions
during lake effect snow events such
as sun, flurries, snow-covered roads,
and low visibility.
4. Lastly, allow extra time to reach
your destination so you can drive
slower or deal with accidents blocking
the road.
Winter
Olympics to
benefit 'THON
by Erin McCarty
news editor
The snow-covered campus is about
to be put to good use in Behrend's first
Winter Olympics, an SGA-sponsored
event that will take place on Jan. 18,
and Jan. 19. The Winter Olympics
came about as a way to raise more
money for THON, the Penn State
[nterfratemity Council / Panhellenic
Dance Marathon, and to increase
students' awareness of the Four
Diamonds Foundation. Four
Diamonds is a charity benefiting
children with cancer, and it has been
the recipient of funds raised by THON
since 1977.
We're both connected to and
detached from Penn State," said Kristin
Grudowski, Communications and
International Studies 07, who helped
coordinate the Winter Olympics. She
hopes that having a unique event here
will help Behrend students to feel that
they are more involved in the charitable
efforts of the Penn State community.
Although the response has not been
overwhelming thus far, there are
enough volunteers to carry it out and
Grudowski foresees increased intrreqt
next year. Fifteen teams of six people
will compete in the six events, all of
which will occur during the second day.
Friday night's activities will
commence at 5 p.m. with team check
in at Erie Hall. From sto 7 p.m., each
team member will sign in and receive
free gifts for participating, including a
T-shirt. A mock torch run around
campus will take place between 7 and
8 p.m., concluding the opening
ceremonies.
Jan. 19 will begin with breakfast in
Erie Hall from 10 to 1 1 a.m. The first
event, in which participants will race
one another to build a snowman, will
last from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. and take
place on the Behrend fields. The
second event, from 12 to 1 p.m. on the
Behrend fields, is a snowball-throwing
contest in which the winners will be
determined based on distance and
accuracy. Originally, the third event
was slated to be a snowshoe race, but
it will now be a cross-country skiing
race that will last from 1 to 2 p.m. on
the Behrend fields.
During the fourth event, occurring
from 2 to 3 p.m., teams will attempt to
prove their potato-sack-racing prowess
on the Perry slopes. From to 4 p.m.,
the action will move once again to
Behrend fields for the fifth event,
which is a sled-pulling race. The final
event, which will take place from 4 to
5 p.m. on the ski slopes, requires
participants to create a sled and then
race it.
Between 2 and 4 p.m., participants
and spectators will have an opportunity
to shake off the cold with a barbecue
served in Erie Hall. Additionally.
throughout the day there will be warm
up stations with hot chocolate set up in
the proximity of the various events.
Attendees will also be able to enjoy
music during the day, as the Planet
radio station will broadcast from
Behrend. At 5:30 p.m. everyone is
welcome to attend an awards ceremony
in Erie Hall. Prizes will be given in
three categories: most money earnetl,
most points earned, and a combination
of the two.
"Putting it together was hard work,"
said Grudowski, "but it should be a
good time." She pointed out that last
year alone, THON raised $3.6 million
and she would like to see Behrend
students sharing more fully in the
enthusiasm that made such a feat
possible. "THON is the largest
student-run philanthropic event in the
country," she said. "Students should
be proud of that."