Friday, September 28. 2007
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The Behrend Beacon
Published weekly by the students of Penn State Belli-end
beacon
chn,t,,,,h, LaFuria. Editor in Chief
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Student Life Editors Entertainment Editors
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Cop Editors Opinion Editor
lennil~r.lunm;i Chris Brown
Raehel Bee\ es
Assistant Student Life Editor
Mau Schawenhauer
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Point-Counterpoint:
The Case for Dark Beer
By Ryan Gallag,het
student file edit°,
fpgs,oo4(,l,q,cd,,
Dark beer: Gatorade. Light lice,: water. What a
comparison. Water quenches the thirst. but in such
a plain, boring fashion. V, hile Gatorade quenches
with an explosion of Has or. This i s sslis I lose a
dark, rich ale. It doesn't taste like watered-down
piss. I can sip on a dark beer for an hour and it will
still be delicious to the Scn last drop. something
only achieved with a dark rich ale or lager. The
majority of time I come across someone choking
down a Natural Light just to Oct drunk. I wonder
why people cant do this Na. ith a Guinness, or a
Yueng,ling. I mean. honesty. when someone tells
me the best way to enjoy the beer is through a bong,
I know that flavor isn't the ntllllher on e priority of
this brewery.
However, the majority of college students still
tend to prefer light beers to dark. Whether this is
because all students care about is getting hammered.
or the . N . , simply ha\ en't week ed enough culture. I
don't know. But I find it strange. When I turned 21.
I was eager to explore all the \ ariittions of beer and
see what kinds I liked. It didn't take lone to realize
that dark was the \\ ax to go. It's like choosing Coke
over Diet Coke...it just tastes better.
Another beer that often cues Os erlooked to col
lege kids all over is Guinness. Noss Guinness does
n't taste like your typical beer. In fact, no ale tastes
like your typical beer. Then all have their own dis
tinctive, signature taste that makes
them unforget
table. Guinness just has a taste es en more obscure
than most. When tasting a Guinness for the first
time, try not to anticipate its taste based on other
beers you've tried, because it vv ill he nothing like it.
It has a rich, creamy Irish taste to it. and is s Lir\ eas
to drink due to the lack of carbonation. It doesn't
even have to he cold tor you to enjoy a dark. creams
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Guiness draught either, but it doesn't help to add a
refreshing shot of Jameson.
Two other beers at the top of my recommendation
list is the Pennsylvania native Yuengling Lager (old
est brewery in America) and New Castle Brown Ale.
Yuengling Lager is always a fine choice. Its dark,
amber color illustrates the flavor and forces you to
push the cold, bubbly liquid to your lips and enjoy
every aspect of it sliding down your throat. New
Castle has a thicker, flatter tex-
tuft! and is more of an acquire
hut still delicious taste.
Whether you are trying
relax, or just enjoy a tasty buz;
give a dark lager a try if yi
normally drink light beer. Nik
may find it intriguing and mak.
ing you want to drink more
The Behrend
Beacon does
not condone
underage or
unsafe
drinking.
Please enjoy
your alcohol
responsibly -
Do not drink
and drive.
Didn't this happen already?
speech at the UN he said, "The decisions by the United
States and France are not important."
Congress is doing its part to back the United States into
an invasion or at the least an attack. Few news agencies
Fall 2007 is beginning to look eerily similar to the Fall of picked up on the story, but the Senate approved an amend
-2002 when the Bush Administration began to make its case meat to a routine budget authorization bill. The amend
to invade Iraq, only this time Iran is in the crosshairs. Over ment expresses the Senate's support for "the prudent and
the past few months the United States and our European calibrated use of all instruments of United States national
Allies have placed a number of economic sanctions on Iran power in Iraq, including diplomatic, economic, intelligence,
to convince them to give up nuclear research. Iran insists it and military instruments." Senator Jimm Webb from
is only for peaceful nuclear energy research. Surprisingly, Virginia gave an impassioned speech on the Senate floor
Bush has been content with these sanctions but judging during debate, but it ended up passing anyways 76-22. Both
from his rhetoric and White House Senator Bob Casey and Arlen Specter
press 'leaks,' things could be chang- Iran's actions threaten from Pennsylvania voted for the bill.
mg rather quickly. Despite all the rhetoric and
. .
Take a recent speech Bush gave at the security of nations fronting, Bush has been content with
the American Legion in which he said, • taking the diplomatic route and focus
"lran's actions threaten the security of everywhere and that is .
ing on getting more strict economic
nations everywhere and that is whysanctions, but this opportunity may be
i
the United States is rallying friends why the United States s
coming to a close. Germany and other
and allies around the world every- rallying friends an d European nations are resisting any
where to isolate the regime to impose new sanctions and without their sup
economic sanctions. We will confront allies around the world port the likelihood of any new sanc
this danger before it is too late." tions being passed is low.
Compare that to another speech, this everywhere to isolate the There are a few key differences
one from October 2002; "If, however, • between now and 2002 that probably
the Iraqi regime persists in its defi- regime mean an attack on Iran's nuclear facil
ance, the use of force may become ities probably won't happen. One of
unavoidable. Delay, indecision, and - George W. Bush
the biggest is Bush's closest advisors.
inaction are not options for America, Colin Powell and Donald Rumsfeld are now replaced with
because they could lead to massive and sudden horror. Condoleeza Rice and Robert Gates. Vice President Dick
Should force be required to bring Saddam to account, the Cheney, a chief proponent and architect of the failure in
United States will work with other nations... American Iraq, has lost his clout to shape foreign policy after the con
security, the safety of our friends, and the values of our viction of his chief of staff I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby for
country lead us to confront this gathering threat." obstruction of justice and the decidedly pragmatic Rice has
However. Bush is not the only one with the fiery rhetoric. now replaced him. Gates has supplanted neoconservative
Iranian President, Mahmoud Amadinejhad plays the perfect ideology within the Pentagon and with the US bogged down
Saddam. He and Bush continuously try and one-up each in Iraq, there is little chance he would let Bush start anoth
other and this past week has been no exception. er military conflict. No one knows what will happen, but
Amadinejhad began it by speaking to the student body of for right now it looks like Bush will hold off on an attack
Columbia in New York City and then at the opening session and stick to the hollow war rhetoric.
of this year's United Nations General Assembly. In his
By Chris Brown
opinion editor
cmhs3 I 3 (o' psusedu
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Beacon Thumbs Up
41 / 4
row°
- Warm weather in September
- Sarah Silverman
- Protesters in Myanmar
- Pickles
Battle of
The Case for Light Beer
By Andy McLachlin
sports editor
asnisoo6o su.edu
When it comes down to it, you have to choose
light beer. Let's face it, we are in college and
when we go to the distributor or have someone
takes us to the distributor, we are going for a pil-
ik I
The Behrend Beacon I
the Beers
sner. It is not because we like the taste. Hell, it
could be that you like the taste, but I guess you
like licking walls as well. We buy pilsners
because it is cheap and they are there for us when
we had a rough week and a cigarette would just
not cut it.
Not to mention, it is college for crying out loud.
We need to let loose and most of the time, we will
not have more than 10 to 15 bucks in our wallet.
To get a solid, dark lager, you are going to have
spend at least $2O. With a pilsner, you
in get two cases for about the same
price and get the results you are looking
for. Being 21-years-old, I like to go to an
occasional pub when I get some free
time. While there, I will order a dark
lager because of the taste. I also like to
ave one while eating dinner, but other
than that, it is all pilsners for me.
Also, let's get on to drinking games a
it. Can you imagine playing beer pong,
atching the opposing team make a shot,
toking down at the cup, and seeing
tinness in the cup? Now, I love a good
tinness like anyone else, but not while
m playing a game of beer pong. When
'u are playing in a drinking game, you
tnt a light pilsner to let it go down
ticker. Been there, tried it, and puked
) the Dobbins that I had for dinner.
It is not fair to say that pilsners taste
ttter than lagers because it is just
itrue, but you will look back ten years
•om now and remember the crazy times
tat you and your buddies had with that
tse of Natti Light or with the keg of
;ystone Light. Pilsners are what start
te party, keep the party going, and make
to memories that will last forever. By
te way, if you can find a lager that is as
)pular as Natti Light on this campus, let
know.
Beacon Thumbs Down
fir
NIP
- Smelly rooms in OBS
- Lack of painted cross-walks
- Broken A/C in classrooms
- Some members of Congress
dor "Mb
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