Amy Wilczynski, editorial page editor
The Behrend Beacon
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News Editors
Justin Curry
Angela Szesciorka
Sports Editors
Kevin Fiorenzo
Amy Frizzell
Editorial Page Editor
Amy Wilczynski
Features Editor
Dana Vaccaro
Adviser
Beacon Cathy L Roan ' PhD
Copy Editors
Staff Photographers “Professionalism with a Carolyn M. Tellers
JeffHankey personality” Kristin Bowers
Heather Myers
Greek Life Editor
Courtney Straub
Penn State Erie,
the Behrend College;
First Floor, The J. Elmer Reed Union Building,
Station Road, Erie, PA 16563.
Contact The Beacon at:
Telephone: (814) 898-6488
Fax: (814) 898-6019
ISSN 1071-9288.
Another Beaconian exits Behrend
An entire year as editor in chief
concludes with this issue. An entire
year of hard work, planning, conflict
resolution, production nights, budget
meetings and proposals and listening
to suggestions and complaints has
come to a close.
It’s with sadness that I leave the
Beacon and my great staff, but at the
same time I’m moving on to bigger
and better things.
Kudos to my young staff. Compar
ing issue one to our final issue this
year has shown remarkable growth
and improvements in not only layout
and design, but also content and qual
ity.
Big props to publication managers
Kristin Bowers anji Carolyn Tellers
for tirelessly going through each page
of every issue, fixing spelling, gram
mar and AP format mistakes.
Pat on the back to advertising man
ager Ryan Russell. We wouldn’t be
enjoying the fruits of our labor nearly
as much without your hard work and
dedication to our advertisers.
Good luck to new editor in chief
Dan Stasiewski and adviser Dr. Cathy
Roan. The Beacon has made great
strides, but still has far to go. The
addition of new technology and newly
renovated office space is a huge step
in the right direction to push our
newspaper to the next level.
Lastly, I would like to thank all stu
dents involved in the Beacon this
school year-Commu 001, Comm 260
W, staff writers, contributing writers,
The following positions will be
available for Fall 2004:
News Writers
Sports Writers
Editorial Columnists
Student Life Writers
Advertising Staff
Distribution Staff
Public Relations Staff
Staff Photographers
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Editor in Chief
Lauren M. Packer
Managing Editor
Daniel J. Stasiewski
Assistant Managing Editor
Scott Soltis
Lauren Packer
letters to the editor, photographers,
etc. Most of all, thank you to the stu
dent body for your readership, com
ments, suggestions and for taking the
time every week to pick up a copy of
paper.
I encourage all students to get in
volved with the newspaper. We are
the watchdogs of this campus. We
have a huge role in what’s going on.
The administration, faculty, and staff
read the Beacon, and take it seriously.
It’s time we, as students, start taking
our role seriously.
I’ve enjoyed this experience; it will
certainly be one that 1 will never for
get. Spending every Thursday night
with the Beacon crew eating free din
ner, and making tons of new friends
and contacts, is something that the
classroom couldn’t offer me.
And so ladies and gentlemen, an
other Beaconian graduates, passing on
the legacy and migraines to a new
class. Au revoir!
EDITORIAL
Advertising Manager
Ryan Russell
Calendar Page Editor
Rob Frank
A&E Editor
Daniel J. Stasiewski
Erika Jarvis
Supplemental Editor
Lauren M. Packer
editor in chief
Friday, April 30, 2004
Goodbye PSII, hello real world
So here we are, on the brink of gradu
ation, and I am still not completely con
vinced that all this education was worth
it for me. I spent four long and gruel
ing years in college and am now over
my head in student loan debt. Of course
I am not the only one in this situation
but I am easily frustrated. I don’t have
a job related to my college degree, in
fact it seems almost impossible to find
one at all. As of right now, my plan is
to continue doing hair, which is actu
ally my passion, until I get a job that is
related to my major. Doing hair is ab
solutely fine; I prefer being in the cos
metology field to sitting behind a desk.
Every day is an adventure in the hair
business. It makes each day exciting.
I have a short attention span and when
I know exactly how my work week will
be, I lose excitement. I need a job that
is different every day and that definitely
does not consist of sitting behind a desk
making cold calls all day long (I tried
that job once too).
My parents keep telling me that I
should be happy that I have a degree
even if I don’t use it for a couple of
years. No one walks out of college and
gets their dream job, but for some rea
son, I am disappointed and almost re
gret spending the time and money on
college. I took cosmetology during
high school and I have always been
happy doing hair, so why did I push
myself and go to college? I suppose a
Life provides Its own learning
I’m not going to bother with a fancy
introduction or some catchy lead to get
your attention I’m just going to be as
frank as possible. I woke up this morn
ing and realized that my college career
is halfway finished and 1 can’t figure
out what the @*&# I’ve learned.
Granted I have been attending class,
taking notes and all that good stuff, but
that’s not exactly what I’m referring to
in this case. You might be asking your
self what is she talking about. So let
me ask you this, what is that one really
learns during college?
I’ve learned that there will always be
that one class or that one thing that
seems as though it will kill
you...literally. Forme that class would
be French. Now some may laugh not
knowing how insanely frustrating that
class is. So, let me put it in perspective
for you. Going to that class makes me
want to visit the gorge. Not to take in
the beautiful scenery but to hurl my
self into the vast opening only to hope
I hit every jagged rock on the way
down. I know that’s pretty harsh but
just try taking back to back semesters
of it with Mme Wolfe, and you might
know where I’m coming from.
Second, there will always be those
people that don’t like you for whatever
reason they can think of that week. I’ve
had my fair share of these people and
still do. So let me just say this one
thing. Chances are if they don’t like
me then I probably...okay more than
likely don’t like them either or don’t
On April 23,1 made
a trip to State College, PA
for a meeting with Dean
John Nichols of the Col
lege of Communications
at the University Park
campus. We both had
questions for one another
at the meeting. My ques
tions included everything
from how to begin my
graduate school research,
to what my fall schedule
is going to be like when I
begin their MA in Media
Studies program this Au
gust. Dr. Nichols’ ques
tions ranged from what
my plans were for my
education and research,
to why his son should consider Behrend
for his college choice, and in particular
why should someone choose Commu
nication and Media Studies for their
major. Ironically, it was my acceptance
into the Master’s program that ended up
being one of my greatest selling points
for Behrend and it was all that I did
within my undergraduate years, from
Amy Wilczvnski
big reason is because my parents
wanted me to, and deep down I wanted
to see myself go to college. A degree
never expires and I may be able to use
it years from now when I am no longer
passionate about being a cosmetolo
gist. But for now I am not seeing the
value of my degree in Communica
tions and Media Studies. I have noth
ing against the program, I just haven’t
found a job that interests me in my
field. Kudos to those who have. After
millions of job searches, I still go right
back to the hair business.
One thing I am thankful for is that 1
now have options. I can do hair any
where in Pennsylvania and I have a
college degree that is valid anywhere
in the world. I should never have a
problem finding some kind of work. 1
can always fall back on one or the
other, which is nice since I do get bored
easily.
Amy Frizzell
care. It’s not my problem.
Third, there will always be some
one who thinks that being a COMB A
major is taking the easy way out. Yes,
I do agree that being a communica
tions major is in some ways easier
than other majors, but who cares?
Does my being a communications
major have any direct effect on some
one else who happens to be an engi
neering or accounting major or any
thing else? Is my taking different
classes on different subjects then you
screwing up your little machines that
do who knows what? No, I don’t
think it does.
I’m not in the major because I’m
“stupid”, I’m in it cause it provides
more variety. Seeing as I’m a per
son who quite frequently likes to
my academic standings, volunteering,
on-campus involvement and my vari
ety of media-related internships that
prompted the graduate school selection
committee to invite me into their pro
gram.
Looking back on my time at
Behrend, I always note two very im
portant lessons that I have learned -
two ideas that have become the cor
nerstone of my desire to further my
education, so as to become a profes
sor of Communication in the future.
First of all - you must make the most
of what you have. I don’t care if you
are in an associate’s degree program
at a community college or if you are
in a doctoral program at an ivy-league
school - you will get out of it what
you put into it. The possibilities are
endless if your desire to reach your
goals grows greater with each passing
moment. If you want something bad
enough, you will get it.
Secondly, good things take time.
Like a fine wine, we get better with
age. Life isn’t a race - things are meant
to happen when they happen. Reach
ing a goal is definitely a process and
The Behrend Beacon
My previous editorial was about how
my dad always told me that going to
college would be worth it in the end.
He’s right, I just cannot see that yet.
Without my parents support I never
would have gone to college or would
have at least dropped out after my first
year, like 1 almost did. My parents have
always stood behind me in everything I
have ever done in my life. I am so
thankful for them.
On May 15, 2004 I will receive my
Bachelor of Arts degree in Communi
cation and Media Studies from Penn
State University. I will give a sigh of
relief as a ton of bricks are lifted off my
shoulders. I did it. 1 am finally a col
lege grad. I will move on to the 'real
world’ of a full time job and paying back
my thousands of dollars in student
loans. Next summer, after I am more
settled in the ‘real world', my life will
change once again when I marry the
most wonderful man in the world. We
will have the support of each other as
we create a new life together and even
tually a family of our very own.
Goodbye Penn State Behrend, goodbye
life as a college student; hello life after
graduation, hello 'real world’.
This is Amy Wilczynski, former cal
endar page editor, current editorial page
editor of the Behrend Beacon, signing
off.
change her mind I would say it was a
good choice. If someone doesn't like
that then I guess that’s his or her prob
lem, cause once again 1 don’t care.
Finally doing what is best for you is
sometimes the only thing you can do.
Now don’t get me wrong I would do
anything for my friends, unless it will
land me in jail then I’d be happy to
find someone else to do it. But every
oncC in a while it’s iffipossible to
please everyone else. It’s not your job
to make sure everyone else is happy.
Sure it’s the nice thing to do but you
can’t always do the nice thing. Let
ting people walk all over you may
please others but do you really think
they’re thinking about making you
happy as they wipe their flip flops on
your face?
Sure I haven't mentioned the real
things I've learned like about tribes
that beat little boys in order to make
good iron. But let me leave you with
something that Thomas Hughes once
said “Life isn’t all Beer and skittles;
but Beer and skittles or something of
the same sort must form a good part
of every Englishman's education."
Though he's not referring to the bite
size candy most of us are familiar with
he still makes a good point. One must
earn a good education but one also
cannot have a full education without
living life. I'd say that's good advice
coming from a guy that died in the
18()0’s.
we only get better and that process only
gets easier if we keep working at them.
Having said all this, and in anticipation
of leaving Behrend after being an un
dergraduate Communication and Media
Studies student for four years and work
ing as an employee within the program
for one year, I would like to applaud
the school. I would like to applaud my
degree and I would like to applaud the
graduating class of 2004. Thank you for
the challenges, thank you for the wis
dom, but mostly, thank you for helping
me to discover the person I want to be
come within the academic career that I
desire to pursue. To the class of 2004 -
regardless of your pasts, degrees and
your current plans for the future - the
possibilities for each of you are endless.
Make the most of what you have, know
that a college degree never expires and
know that over time and with a little
hard work, anything is possible.
Christine Kleck
Media Research Technician
Behrend Communications and Media
Studies, Class of 2003
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