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The Behrend Beacon
The Behrend Beacon
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News Editor
Erin McCarty
Asst. News Editor
Kevin Fallon
Sports Editor
Mike Bello
Asst. Sports Editor
Kate Levdansky Petrikis
Editorial Page Editor
Ben Kundman
Features Editor
Karl Benacci
A&E Editor
Jeanine Noce
Wire Service Editor
Guy Reschenthaler
Staff Photographer
Jeff Hankey
Office Manager
Jason Alward
I \ THE BEHHKNO
Beacon
The Beacon is published
weekly by the students of
Penn State Erie,
the Behrend College;
First Floor, The J. Elmer
Reed Union Building, Station
Road, Erie, PA 16563.
The Beacon can be reached by
calling (814) 898-6488 or
(814) 898-6019 (FAX).
ISSN 1071-9288.
The View From the Lighthouse;
Pre-emptive nuclear strikes:
an unthinkable action in an
unstable world
News of a contingency plan by the
United States to use nuclear weapons in
pre-emptive strikes was recently leaked.
Most people get antsy when you
mention the use of nuclear weapons by
any country, in any role - with good
reason
The “Nuclear Posture Report,” issued
by the Pentagon and leaked to the New
York Times, heightens the possibility of
pre-emptive strikes against rogue
nations’ chemical, biological, or nuclear caches. Although Colin Powell
distanced the Pentagon from the report, calling it “sound conceptual policy,”
the fact that the United States has a policy on hand detailing pre-emptive
nuclear strikes is only going to worsen our already shaky relationship with
many nations. The United States would be sending the wrong message to the
world by having a plan to use nuclear weapons in a non-retaliatory fashion.
Simply having a contingency plan on hand will only cause other nations,
particularly volatile ones, to believe that we have our finger on the button
and are waiting for any excuse to nuke our enemies. With China, India, North
Korea and Pakistan possessing short-range nuclear weapons, the last thing
we as a nation need is to further de-stabilize a world already near its breaking
point.
It is absolutely imperative that the United States eliminates nuclear,
chemical, and biological warfare production facilities located in so-called
“rogue” nations. These nations do not follow conventions concerning
weapons of mass destruction and are usually under the control of an un
stable, tyrannical government.
In order to destroy heavily fortified bunkers, the United States has the
“bunker-buster” bomb in its arsenal. Weighing in at about the same as a
soccer mom’s SUV (4,414 lbs) this bomb packs 647 pounds of fragmenting
explosive to take out even the most hardened bunkers. This laser-guided
bomb broke through 20 feet of concrete and 100 feet of earth during testing,
which means in actual combat use it can destroy the most hardened bunkers
on the planet.
The bunker-buster is just one of the advanced weapons in our arsenal.
These weapons, coupled with our advanced intelligence gathering network
and highly trained special operations, can eliminate targets without the use
of nuclear weapons. Using nuclear devices only increases “collateral” damage
(aka., loss of civilian life.) The conventional arsenal we have today is powerful
enough without needing to resort to nuclear weapons.
Although a pre-emptive strike by the United States could easily start World
War 111, it is still important that we maintain our policy of “full retaliation” in
order to protect our citizens and our allies in the case of a nuclear strike. A
nuclear strike on American soil by a rogue nation is not an impossibility, and
in this case, a full retaliatory strike would be the only possible response.
The fallout from a pre-emptive nuclear strike would not only cause the
death of innocents, and ruin the environment, but it would also give any
rogue nation with a finger on the button an excuse to push it.
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Editor-In-Chief
Robert Wynne
Managing Editor
Rebecca Weindorf
Professional Publication Mgr.
Dave Richards
Advisor
Mr. John Kerwin
The Beacon encourages
letters to the editor. Letters
should include the address,
phone number, semester
standing, and major of the
writer. Writers can mail letters
to behrcoll2@aol.com. Letters
must be received no later than
5 p.m. Monday for inclusion in
Business Manager
Paige Miles
Advertising Managers
Libbie Johnson
Melissa Powell
Angela Rush
Public Relations Manager
Kelly Walsh
Distribution Manager
Eric Kiser
Calendar Page Editor
Erinn Hansen
Health Page Editor
Sarah Orr
For those of you who missed the
fiasco while away on break, Mike the
Janitor, morning and weekend disc
jockey for The Planet 93.9, was fired.
Apparently, as told by WJET-TV 24,
he walked into the studio Tuesday
morning to be told his “services were
no longer needed.” He was then
featured on WJET on Thursday,
showing no obvious signs of anger,
but rather frustration. I would have
expected him to be cursing out the
station in typical Mike the Janitor
“Professionalism.. | fashjon .
Humor Page Editor
Ben Kundman
Associate Editor
Jennie Ellison
Technical Support
Doug Butterworth
with a Personality”
that week’s issue
EDITORIAL
Friday, March 15, 2002
Bring back The Jan
finch thick pile of emails all
A ttitu/ip nrnhJpm supporting him ° n, y two
miuuae pro Diem emails with negative
Paige Miles emails had come in. At that point,
° it had seemed that Erie was a bit
B »^\ n < s M n .v>-r sketchy about Mike’s “shock jock”
style, but was willing to try it out.
I hated him at first. Rick Rambaldo, partial brains behind
Star 104 and The Planet, had sought
out Mike last year in Reno to bring a
new flavor of radio show to Erie.
Now, Rambaldo almost seems like a
hypocrite ridding the station of Mike.
Just a few weeks ago Rambaldo was
interviewed, giving all positive
comments about Mike and what he
had done for Erie. So, 1 don’t really
get it now—what exactly happened
here?
I thought he was too
rude, vulgar, and inappropriate for the
Erie airwaves. And now, however
many months later, 1 still think that.
But yet, I want him put back on the
When interviewed a few weeks ago
on television, Mike showed his three-
To the Editor,
In response to their letter to the editor
in the last edition of the Beacon, I
would like to draw Nicole Johns’ and
Jaimi Bonczar’s attention to the very
same page of the Beacon on which their
letter was published. In the top left
corner of page five, Beacon staff
positions are listed. The second
position in the right column says
“Advertising Managers.” Guess what
they do. It is the responsibility of these
individuals to sell ads to appear in the
ENERGY: An electrifying debate
Ti|g Elenhant After eight years of c,inton '
* l Gore environmental policy which
4m did little (outside of $3l billion in
new gasoline taxes) to solve the
/cc^SPry energy crisis, the time has come for
/ a new enef gy policy- Recently,
Vi f-tf ] President Bush unveiled his energy
plan which focuses on conservation,
diversifying energy supplies, and modernizing the energy supply
network.
First, Bush seeks to increase conservation through development
of more efficient technologies. Among these are electric meters which
tell the consumer how to lower their bill, sensors which automatically
shut off lights of an empty room, and new transmission wires that
transport electricity more efficiently.
The President’s plan also seeks to decrease dependence on
foreign oil by increasing domestic production (mainly in Alaska).
According to a study by President Clinton’s Energy Department, new
technologies in recent years have dramatically reduced industry’s impact
on the environment, while at the same time, minimizing waste and
protecting wildlife. This supports the claim that it is possible to safely
and efficiently drill for oil. It is uncertain how much oil could be
extracted, but any amount would clearly help reduce dependence on
foreign sources until the need for oil is gone.
Lastly, the President’s plan seeks to expand development of
renewable resources and nuclear power. President Bush supports tax
credits for those who invest in solar homes and the development of
wind turbines as an alternative power source. The Republican plan is
simple. Do not force Americans to choose between the environment
and their economic well-being, because due to new technology, it is
possible to protect both.
Every two weeks, a member of the College Republicans and/or College Democrats will debate a partisan topic. Send suggestions to: Behrcoll2@aol.com
My 20th spring break
J. f /* i around to spend on a
Chit chat for change vacation over spring
k rhrktine Klerk brcak 20 " my age
JVICCIV you can see where the
■ Editorial Co! liinrtTst trend is going. All these
■ numbers add up to a nice
quiet, relaxing and somewhat un
eventful week in Erie, Pa. Just for
the record my spring break began
with a blizzard and a stranding and
ended with lake-effect snow and
freezing temperatures, but relaxing
On June 14, 1981,1 was bom into
this world. That would make me 20,
as in two decades old, or two years
into adulthood, or the very young
college junior that I am, or an illegal
drinker that I am not. I can vote, I
can fight in a war, I can go to jail,
but alcohol can not be found in me,
on me or with me. This whole issue
boils down to numbers. Numbers
that equal ages and birth dates and
calendar years.
With that in mind, let me present
some more numbers to you. 03/02/
02 - the date that spring break offi
cially began. 03/10/02 - the date the
spring break officially ended. 0 - the
amount of extra money I had laying
Mike was a bit much for Erie. He
would often use four-letter expletives
on the air, which is not only forbidden
in our small town, but also forbidden
by the Federal Communiactions
Commission, which forbids it around
the United States. (That’s why
Canadian radio kicks butt.) As a
result, many angry mothers called in
saying their 4-year-olds were
listening to the swearing on the radio
Letters to the Editor
newspaper. Revenue from these ads
helps keep the Beacon in existence and
allows students to read it for free. If
you turn to page two of the Erie Times-
News, guess what you will find: an
advertising director. Wow, what a
concept.
My point is that somebody paid a lot
of money to include a pro-life flyer in
our newspaper. Likewise, somebody
also paid a lot of money to include a
- Ryan Bard
I took in some movies, cleaned out
everything I own, read a little (non
textbook reading), saw some friends
and family members, ate too much
as I sampled some Erie cuisine, and
just hung out. Expenses were kept
to a minimum while I made the most
of every situation and just laughed a
lot. To the traveler or the party ani
mal this may seem like a total drag,
but to the tired, stressed out and
Ben Kundman, Editorial Page Editor
itor
and did not appreciate it. Mike fought
back with an obvious solution —be a
good mother and turn off the radio.
The show isn’t meant for child’s ears.
Of course, there was the one mother
who fired me up by saying she always
let her 4-year-old listen to Mike and
saw no problem with it. That’s just
stupidity.
Mike also brought up issues
regarding Erie that no happy-go
lucky/annoying disc jockey on Star
104 would ever dare mention. Every
morning, Mike would have a poll.
Sometimes it would be frivolous;
sometimes it would be an actual issue,
such as problems with the Erie
Parking Authority or drunken
teenagers driving into trees. Often
these debates would go on for days.
Those who disagreed with Mike
would sometimes be called names.
Mike went as far as to start a battle
against the Erie Parking Authority. He
encouraged everyone to pay all of
their parking fines in pennies.
Eventually, after choosing not to pay
his fines in protest, Mike ended up
with a boot on his car and $405 in
fines, which he was planning to raise
half page ad for Calder Commons
apartments at University Park on page
four. You are correct in saying that not
everybody on campus is pro-life, but
was the supplement “preposterous,” as
you say? No. To answer your question
as to why there was no pro-choice flyer
included; nobody has come up with the
$125 it costs to include a flyer of any
kind in the Beacon. If you want to see
a pro-choice flyer, call the Beacon at
In 1978, a young Republican, bom
into an influential family and from
Midland, Texas, was running for
Congress against the strong Democratic
incumbent Lloyd Bentsen. This young
Republican basically ran on an outsider
platform and an important aspect of his platform was to
criticize and denounce President Carter’s National Energy
Policy. This platform was somewhat popular in the heart of
Texas oil country, however, the young Republican still lost
the election. Some 22 years later that young Republican, George W. Bush,
was elected President of the United States and is looking to Vice-President
Dick Cheney and energy companies, like Enron, to develop a National Eneigy
Policy.
As America marches proudly into the next millennium, Americans need to
deal with some important issues. One important issue is: “How are we going
to power the next millennium?” America needs to develop clean and
renewable energy sources. Because America and many of our allies are
becoming more dependent on foreign oil and especially Middle East oil, we
should look to other forms of energy. This does not mean drilling in the
Arctic National Wildlife Reserve (ANWR); I am suggesting we develop solar,
wind, hydrogen-cell, and other technologies that have the potential to yield
substantial amounts of clean energy.
1 do not think drilling in ANWR is a solution to our energy and primarily
oil problems. Drilling for oil in ANWR is bound to make billions for huge
oil companies, but there is not enough oil to sustain America’s thirst for any
extended period of time. Also drilling in ANWR could be disastrous for the
fragile ecosystem, a fact that supporters of drilling quickly try to dismiss.
Removing a substance that has been in the ground for millennia, using
thousands of workers and trucks, building pipelines and storage areas, and
transporting the oil hundreds of miles will not affect or harm the ecosystem?
The risk for disaster is too high.
America needs to decrease its dependency on oil and a sure way to do that
is to further develop and begin to use renewable resources like the sun and
wind. Searching for and trying to exploit every source of oil, coal, or natural
gas will not solve our energy problems.
overworked student it was heaven on
earth.
Who said money buys you happi
ness, or that you can’t do anything
for less than $5 these days? They
haven’t spent an entertaining spring
break with me yet, I guess. The defi
nition of “entertainment” as stated
by dictionary.com is the act of en
tertaining, or something that amuses,
pleases, or diverts. I couldn’t have
said it better myself.
A small diversion from school was
certainly a first way to describe my
break. While I didn’t have to physi
cally drive there and sit in class day
in and day out that week, the pile of
books, list of assignments and con
stantly opened daily planner kept re
minding me that I still had to go back
after the week was up. While not ev
ery assigned page was read and not
every paper was completely fin
ished, I would have to say that I got
behrcoll2 @ aol.com
back at a benefit concert at
Sherlocks/Park Place.
As with any radio station, people
would call in with stupid requests or
making no sense. Instead of ignoring
these calls as I’m sure other stations
may do, Mike would respond to the
(often stoned) callers by telling them
to sober up a bit, grow up, or just get
off the phone. Mike would say what
everyone was thinking in this town
but no one dared to voice. He was
my entertainment in the morning; a
break from listening to dumb and
dumber talk about happy puppies or
read off jokes pulled straight off the
Internet.
Elly McVay, a Behrend graduate,
replaced Mike on the morning show.
Yeah, I have to admit she’s pretty
cool, but she still isn’t the “shock
jock” I had a love/hate listening
relationship with.
Well, Rambaldo, thank you. You
have now given me the final push to
put a CD player in my car.
Miles’ column appears
every three weeks.
898-6488 and ask for Libbie Johnson,
Melissa Powell, or Angela Rush, but
be sure to have your checkbook handy.
Next time, do not be so quick to assume
that the Beacon’s staff supports
everything that is published. The
Beacon follows the same business
manners as any other form of print
media.
The Donkey
says...
- Stephen Webb
ahead in a large portion of my classes
(as I breathe a long sigh of relief)
As far as amusents go - what can
I say... Erie dining and today’s se
lection at local movie theatres made
for some pretty amusing times. It is
so nice to be able to just sit back and
really enjoy a film without con
stantly thinking, “oh that test is to
morrow.” And it is quite wonderful
to be able to enjoy a meal without
having to mentally write in your
head that your next term paper is
due.. ..uhhh.. .tomorrow. Even if the
movie wasn’t all that great, and the
food was cold, just those feelings of
“a week without school” were
enough to make them quite amus
ing.
Kleck’s column appears
every three weeks.
Ryan Anthony
Comba, 08