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Thursday, March 27, 1997
Growth increase
Academic excellence plays a part in
BEHREND: In line with
growth projected in its strategic
plan, Penn State Erie, The
Behrend College, has recorded
its largest ever spring semester
enrollment.
A total of 3,024 students are
registered this semester,
surpassing the previous record
enrollment of 2,954 set in
spring 1994.
The greatest enrollment
increase has occurred in four
year majors including plastics
engineering technology,
We are bolstered by the fact that two of the
three Penn State majors with the highest
starting salaries are offered at
Penn State Behrend.
-Dr. Jack Burke
mechanical engineering,
electrical engineering
technology, management
information systems,
management, accounting,
biology, chemistry,
mathematics, English, and
history. Growth has also been
recorded in Penn State
Behrend's MBA program.
Dr. Jack Burke, senior
associate provost, cited several
reasons for the College's
record-setting enrollment.
"We are seeing a continued
increase in the number of
VISUAL PERCEPTION- Dr. Stuart Ewen, professor of media studies and chair of the
Department of Communication at Hunter College, discussed "A Citizen's Guide to
Visual Perception" last Thursday evening.
enrollment increase
students who choose to remain
at Penn State-Behrend for all
four of their undergraduate
years," said Burke, "resulting
in larger junior and senior
classes. The College's growing
reputation for academic
excellence plays a part in our
enrollment increase, and so
does the high job placement
rate for Penn State-Behrend
graduates."
In addition, Burke noted, "we
are bolstered by the fact that
two of the three Penn State
majors with the highest starting
salaries are offered only at
Penn State-Behrend: plastics
engineering technology and
management information
systems."
Almy Hall Living and
Learning Center, a new Honors
residence hall currently under
construction, will be completed
this summer.
To keep pace with the current
growth trend, the College plans
to construct two additional
residence halls over the next
four years ,
Community Blood Bank
Ashley Newhouse/Colleatan Photographer
A BLOODY ORDEAL- Kristine Kannel donates blood with the assistance of Kelley Paperelli. Theta
Phi Alpha sorority and Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity co-sponsored the blood drive which took place
Wednesday.
Watch for next week's
Collision
By Mike Nieal Collegian Photographer
STRAIGHT wins charter
By Aimee Harris
Collegian Staff Writer
STRAIGHT won its fight
yesterday, March 5, to become an
official University organization.
Darin Loccarini, president of
STRAIGHT, ran up to the
Veterans Affairs office to tell
STRAIGHT Secretary Jason
Potts the appeal had been
accepted after he read the approval
letter.
"The first thing (Loccarini)
says to me is, 'We're chartered,"
Potts said. "Then my jaw hit the
floor."
Potts said he was "very
satisfied" with the decision and
was glad it came so quickly.
In letters written to Loccarini,
president of Students Reinforcing
Adherence In General
Heterosexual Tradition and the
justices of the Undergraduate
Student Government Supreme
Court yesterday, the Student
Organization Appeals Board
stated its decision and reasons in
granting STRAIGHT's charter.
The board said it found
STRAIGHT met all
requirements set forth in the
Policies and Rules for Student
Organizations booklet.
This criteria included a
nondiscriminatory membership
policy and a nondiscriminatory
purpose that was not in conflict
with University policies.
The group is now official, said
SOAB adviser Barbara Copland.
"Reactionless" was the way
Loccarini described his feelings
about the decision. "When you
know you're right, something
like this isn't a big deal," he said.
Since last semester, Loccarini
has defended the legitimacy of his
organization from speculation
about its constitutionality,
possible violent motivations of
its members and "intolerance."
Not only has he defended the
group's intentions, but he has
worried about his own
life following death threats.
The USG Supreme Court
originally voted down
STRAIGHT's cnarter, preventing
it from becoming an official
University organization, on Feb.
16. In the majority disposition,
the justices said they turned down
the charter because they could not
support an organization that
defined itself "as being against
another group, culture or
I i festy le."
The court also worried about
not creating an environment of
"diversity and understanding"
on campus and producing "much
bitterness and tension in the Penn
State community."
STRAIGHT would not have a
positive effect on the University
community
University in a positive light, the
court added. SOAB disagreed,
EMI
stating STRAIGHT met all the
requirements to be official. The
board also wrote in its statement
it believes STRAIGHT members
only want to express a viewpoint
and that they understand their
"obligation to
promote responsible behavior."
"We further find . . . that the
objective of STRAIGHT is not
to foster or encourage, but rather
to deter intolerance directed at
individuals or groups whose
viewpoints may differ from those
of STRAIGHT," the board wrote.
The decision was expected, said
Duane Gildea, political co
director of the Lesbian, Gay and
Bisexual Student Alliance. "It
see STRAIGHT page 2
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