Thursday, December 7, 1995
Apathy’s voice
‘The greatest strength of a democracy is the people. The greatest weakness of a democracy is the
people.”
These words can actually describe quite a few situations in the world today inside and outside the free
world. I would like to discuss how they describe our campus community at Behrend.
I have been involved with the Student Government Association (SGA) for two years now. I have
dedicated an excess of time, energy and emotion into leaving Behrend a better community than when I got
here. I’m not saying it was bad in the first place, I just feel it is every person’s duty to improve what
they are capable of changing.
During that time I have seen a number of quality student leaders come and go. They usually get
enthusiastically involved in the beginning but are quickly discouraged by the lack of participation by the
campus community as a whole.
It is very discouraging to put all of your “spare” time into a program for the entire campus and only a
few people show up at the event.
Many good quality programs are sponsored by the Student Programming Council and other student
organizations that students don’t even bother to check out.
I often hear the statement that there is nothing to do at Behrend or in Erie. The same people I hear this
statement from don’t know about the Blue Bus or admit they have never ventured to Erie for a play, a
concert, or a hockey game.
These are just a few of the problems apathy causes. They are not the only ones however. Another
problem is the quality of leadership in SGA. Lack of participation in campaigns and elections results in
non-competitive acclamations rather than elections as they were meant to be.
You may say that why should anyone bother, SGA doesn’t do anything anyway? I beg to differ. SGA
now administers about a $60,000 a year budget. With the new student activity fee that could rise to as
much as $200,000 next year. This is hardly nothing. SGA also is the recognizing authority for all
student organizations. This is also not a trivial task.
The capabilities of SGA to effect change on campus concerns and in improving campus life are great.
They have yet to be realized because of the present attitudes pervading student organizations as a whole
today.
It is common knowledge that “Greeks” control what happens on SGA election day. I am not anti-greek
in any sense, they are just the only ones who turn out to vote. There arc about 300 members of Greek
organizations at Behrend which accounts for less than ten percent of the full-time enrollment here.
As the president of the Commuter Council, I hear a lot of commuters complain about the fact that
Greeks and/or residents seem to be the central and sometimes only focus of the administration. The
reason for this is because they are the only ones organized in their corn-plaining and the only ones who
get organized to get someone friendly to their concerns into office in SGA.
There are approximately 2200 commuters on this campus which represents about two-thirds of the
student enrollment. If just one-third of those would vote in SGA elections, they would essentially
control what SGA does every year. There arc ten permanent commuter senator scats on SGA and five
resident seats. As of the writing of this column, three of those commuter seats arc still vacant due to
lack of interest, the resident seats are presently filled.
Commuters have the power to effect change but have failed to exert that power.
You may be asking, what is your point Steve? Well, as I have already said, the quality of leadership
we have is directly related to the participation of the student body at Behrend.
How can we change this trend? Attend weekly SGA meetings every Wednesday at 5:15 p.m. and voice
your opinoin and let Tim Mallon and SGA know that you are going to hold them accountable for their
actions.
Another key is to run for senator seats during elections this spring. There are going to be at least ten
Commuter Senator and five Resident Senator seats open in addition to the SGA president and vice
president. To be a Senator, all you have to commit is two office hours a week that you pick and the
weekly SGA meetings.
TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR STUDENT GOVERNMENT BACK!!
Become active to prevent your concerns from being ignored by the present student leaders.
The present self-defeatist attitude must be changed if we arc to mature as a student body and lake control
of our campus lives.
From the Hip
Scary thing, isn't it?
Graduation I mean.
The thought of graduating and beginning
my job search is almost enough to make me
go part time and prolong my college years.
But change is good.
Without change, where would we be?
Not only would Fred Flinstone be changing
the boulder tires on your car and your feet
be calloused from the constant running to
keep the car moving, but we wouldn't be
able to talk together from a computer
screen or do a simple thing such as flush
the toilet.
The nineties signify a lot of change.
How .many times can the Pepsi can
change? Talk shows came and went like
herpes. But the most important change in
the nineties takes place in a sort of sexual
revolution, Cybersex.
I have to raise several questions to this
form of intercourse. Is it just an advanced
form of masturbation of does it take the
place of candlelight and Metallica
From the Late Nite Crew
at The Collegian
albums?
Romance on a computer screen!
I can see it now, banging away at my
keyboard, dimming the lights, listening to
a little Chris Issak played real low,
sipping a light wine, Chablis perhaps.
I'm so worried about safe sex that I wear
latex gloves when ever I'm online. You
never know what you can pick up when
typing dirty.
However, cybersex is virtually safe
unless your computer catches a virus...
There was more to the early nineties
than the computer and the sensual words
it sends. From the death of a Grateful
Dead legend to Desert Storm, we have
come a long way baby. But it was a way
with its share of hills and turns.
I guess to wrap it up, it hasn't been all
that bad so far...so far I've said. I've still
go bills to pay and Christmas to borrow
from my loan shark. All in all, it wasn't
all that bad. And there's only room to
grow
Opinion
-Steve Landon
Personal memoir...
Erie, PA
The College Years
I was asked by my editor to write a final column for this issue
because lam graduating in January. My mind has never been so
cluttered. I tried to think of something to sum up my my collegiate
career. I couldn’t think of one particular incident to cite. There were
so many things to write, but this would end up more as a memoir.
I guess, like anything else, my college career has been about
change. I don’t see how in four and a half years anything could have
remained the same. Nothing has.
I can only reflect on the present. The past is dead, I will not live
in memory, only learn from it. I am sorry to those I may have hurt
along the way and I also pardon those who have hurt me. It’s a
chaotic world. Somethings work out and others don’t.
The present is this: I am leaving Penn State, Erie-The Behrend
College. Behind I leave many friends, both from school and outside
of school. Everyone has had an impact on me, an effect on the way I
view things and for that I am thankful.
For everyone who has helped me along the way, when I was down,
when I was drunk, when I was pathetically melodramatic, when I was
throwing stress-induced tantrums in the newspaper office, 1 am
thankful.
To all of the professors who attempted to lead me into the realms
of higher education and were able to endure my often unconventional
tactics, to those who introduced me to the fine literature of the world,
and who helped me struggle to complete a thesis, I am thankful.
I am thankful to my family who has supported me through my
trek. I am thankful to my “boyz” from the hood, who have been
there for my entire life and to those who have popped up recently to
lend a shoulder.
To my fraternity who proved to me that I have potential to
accomplish my goals, I am thankful.
To all of those who inspired me and put me through hell, I am
thankful.
To Michelle, who has meant more to me than any resource
manual, who in seven months finally got through my thick skull
that the greatest gift is love, I am thankful.
Love. The love of a cause. Of a goal. A bond. Support.
Friendship. College to me wasn’t about who conquered the
Mesopotamians or what the significance of the whale was in Moby
Dick. College was about education, the higher kind, the kind that
deals with life and relationships. The kind that lends insight to the
self and its discovery.
Whitman said that life exists and identity and the powerful play
goes on and you may contribute a verse. I contributed my verse.
And hopefully, in the hearts of the people I touched and the people
who have touched me I hope it remains.
That’s what my college career was about.
—R. Carl Cam
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