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The Behrend Beacon
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BEHREND BRIEFS
Article features Behrend reservist
A March 14 issue of "The Chronicle of Higher Education" featured comments
by Behrend student and Army reservist Chad Lindell. In the article, Lindell dis
cussed the tensions involved in waiting for deployment and the difficulty of knowing
what to say to family and friends. The article also discussed Lindell's duties and
his documentation of the experience with his digital camera. At the time of the
writing, Lindell was stationed in a reserve center in Franklin, Pa.
War to last 2 to 10 months??
A statistical analysis of key factors in wars fought over the past nearly 200 years
indicates that the Iraqi war will last two to 10 months, according to a Penn State
political scientist. "While the media have given frenzied coverage to the short
term ups and downs of the still-early war with Iraq, history would never have
suggested that the war would be as short as some pundits predicted," says D. Scott
Bennett, associate professor of political science. "Rather, history reveals that half
of the wars fought since 1816 have lasted more than five months, with the average
length of a war being 17 months."
Bennett is co-author of the forthcoming book, "The Behavioral Origins of War:
Cumulation and Limits to Knowledge in Understanding International Conflict"
(University of Michigan Press), with Allan C. Stam, an associate professor at
Dartmouth College in New Hampshire.
Allergies more than sniffles
Spring has arrived. The scent of fragrant flowers is in the air. Birds are singing
and noses sneezing.
According to the latest edition of the Medical Minute, a service of Penn State
Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, allergic rhinitis, often called "hay fever," comes
from the immune system's response to a foreign substance, typically plant pollen.
The word "rhinitis" refers specifically to inflammation of the nose, but allergies
often affect the ears, throat, eyes and lungs, as well. Plant allergies are common,
but allergy sufferers can also react to many other things, such as pet dander. Aller
gic problems are not benign. Perhaps a quarter of all Americans are affected,
resulting in 3.8 billion missed days of work and school per year at a cost of $4.5
billion annually. There are an estimated 5,000 deaths attributed to allergies each
year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and PreVention.
Scholarships hit half-million
For the first time, Penn State Erie has awarded more than a half-million dollars
in campus-based scholarships during the 2002-2003 academic year. The Behrend
scholarship funds come principally from private philanthropy. Overall, nearly
8(X),()00 in scholarships have been awarded, because students also receive Uni
versity-wide scholarship monies.
Gamble earns faculty award
John King Gamble, professor of political science and international law, has been
chosen to receive the W. LaMarr Kopp Faculty International Achievement Award.
The award acknowledges Penn State faculty members who have made a signifi
cant contribution to the international mission of the University. Gamble serves as
coordinator of the Honors and Schreyer Scholars programs at Penn State Erie and
is currently vice president of the American Society of International Law. Early in
his career, Gamble served as executive director of the Law of the Sea Institute at
the University of Rhode Island. In 1978, Gamble chaired the United Nations' 12th
annual conference of the Law of the Sea Institute, working to develop the Law of
the Sea Treaty, which set the current rules for international maritime law.
College for kids registration
Registration for College for Kids at Penn State Erie is under way. Now in its
10th year, the program offers a diverse selection of one-week, age-appropriate
summer classes for children aged 6 to 14. Classes begin June 9 and continues
through Aug. 8 and are scheduled from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. daily,
with early and late day care and an optional lunch break are available. Cost for
each one-week, three-hour class is $65 with material fees included. Early day care
and late day care are $lO each per week.
Special Olympics volunteers
The Special Olympics Pennsylvania 2003 Summer Games will take place June 4
to 7 on the University Park campus. The success of the games is dependent on
2.500 volunteers in many different areas. The games will offer 2,050 Special Olym
pic athletes from across Pennsylvania the experience of a lifetime. There will be
nine sports venues: athletics, aquatics, basketball, gymnastics, softball, golf, ten
nis, equestrian and bowling.
POLICE AND SAFETY
/26/03
/27/03
/28/03
12:30
00:09
16:00
Complainant reported a stolen cell phone.
Information Report.
Complainant reported the theft of the emblem from the grill
on his vehicle.
05:40 Person entered students room while they were sleeping.
09:40 Complainant reported that a pear tree in the apartment quad
was broken in half.
/29/03
111/03
"I have a moral obligation to aid those who are worse off
Janet Neff Sample Center
for Manners 6' Civility
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than myself."
- John Rawls
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Friday, April 4, 2003
CONTRIBUTED PHO
Behrend students pause for a picture during a Spring Break trip to Spain. The students had an opportunity to enjoy
Spanish culture and practice their Spanish-speaking skills during the trip.
Students support affirmative action
by Susie Szafran
contributing writer
Want to know more about affirmative
action? Edalia George, president of the
Multicultural Council (MCC), and Dante
Spain will hold a forum discussing
affirmative action tentatively set for April
16.
You may have noticed on March 31,
that campus was a little more silent.
Almost 50 Behrend students wore gags
that said "affirmative action" and refused
to speak the whole day in support of
affirmative action. George participated
in the activity.
"Some people were trying to sec if they
could make me talk because they didn't
Kayaking lesson first step in creating new
ESACT clizss
by Katie Zellars
staff writer
Looking for something different to do?
The Outdoors Club, along with Student
Activities, is hosting a free kayaking
lesson on April 12 from noon to 4 p.m. at
the Junker Center pool.
"The goal is to first demonstrate that
there is interest in these types of activities
on campus," said Chris Fox of Student
Activities. Through the display of interest
in the kayaking event, the hope is to
present the information to athletics and
possibly start a kayaking ESACT course
for credit and purchase boats for the
school.
Kayaking is a very diverse sport and the
BURKE
dollars toward tuition payments. Given
the state of the economy in recent years,
this shift has accelerated. We need to
continue resisting this shift, to raise
more endowment for scholarships, and
to contain costs.
Q: How would you improve
Behrend?
A: My firm belief is that we need to
be better today than yesterday and bet
ter tomorrow that today. This means
THE LOGAN WINTERGARDEN SERIES
2002-2003
( MUSIC
TURTLE ISLAND STRING QUARTET
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 9, NOON
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Brlngyour lunch to the Penn State Behrend Wlntergarden and
enjoy world-class performances In an Informal setting. Admtsslon Lskee. ,
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understand the cause I was doing this for,
said George. The goal of this activity was
to show what the campus would be like
without cultural diversity.
On Tuesday, students protested also by
refusing to spend money either on or off
campus. This also included not using their
meal plans. That activity was called "the
power of the dollar" and was done because
Penn State is not pro affirmative action.
"I think these activities brought awareness
to the college, - said Spain.
Spain and George recently attended a
NSOBE (National Society of Black
Engineers) conference in Anaheim, Calif.,
where more than 12,000 professionals,
undergraduates, and graduates discussed
many issues, including affirmative action.
organizers hope the lesson will give
students a taste of all of it. There are
several different types of kayaks and many
will be available to students at the event.
Some are designed for specific use such
as whitewater, surfing, and flat water.
Others are touring boats made for oceans
or lakes and far distances. Another is a
recreational boat made for calm lakes and
rivers used in shorter distance kayaking.
Outdoors Club member April Ames is
very excited about the event.
"I've always been canoeing," she said.
"I've never been kayaking so it would be
neat to try something new."
Fox, who was a kayaking instructor at
his previous job, says that the kayaking
lesson is part of the "push to create
FROM FRONT PAGE
trying to improve everything we do
improving one hundred things by even
just one percent each can make a big dif
ference. I would especially like to see
improvements to the academic culture
here that students view learning as
very important and more than just the
accumulation of credit hours.
Q: What advice would you give to
students graduating this semester? As
they leave Behrend and prepare to
PENNSTATE
FOCAL POINT
at ()goon
The Behrend
Erie College
Erin McCarty, News Editor
lbehrcolls@aol.com
These protests were in response to the
Supreme Court case in which it is trying
to decide whether it is constitutional to
accept students to college because of race.
The main goal of affirmative action is to
level the playing field for all minorities,
not just African-Americans. Since
affirmative action has been implemented,
it has helped five million minority
members and six million white and
minority women move up in the
workforce.
George said that she has received anti
affirmative action emails from students.
She believes it is simply because they are
not well-educated on the benefits of
affirmative action. Students can find out
more about affirmative action at the
forum.
opportunities for students who have the
interest." The whole idea for the event
came from the students.
"They had the interest," Fox said.
"Student Activities wanted to facilitate the
process.
Turnout at the kayaking lesson will be
the kick start to programs like a kayaking
class and other related events. Ames says
the key to making the event successful is
getting the students to come and prove their
interest.
She has high hopes for the event.
"I think a lot of people will enjoy it
because people from all skill levels can
come and learn something interesting and
new," Ames said
fight their way into the "real world"?
A: Be persistent, find balance in your
life, and have great personal integrity
make your word your bond.
Q: What is your favorite thing to do,
outside of working here at Behrend?
A: I like reading especially fiction.
I like Richard Russo's works because he
writes about small towns, everyday lives,
and interesting characters.