C NOV 1 4 1997
The Behrend College BEHRENO C 0 5.1 EGE
• LIBRARY
0 / 1 e glan.
Thursday, November 13, 1997
INSIDE...
News
Poet Lucille Clifton at Behrend
Police and Safety
Dog running in Perry Hall.
...page 3
Editorial
Racism in Erie
Calendar
Dr. Jeffrey Pinto, Provost
Speaker's Series
National Campus News
Sigma Chi sues University of
Miami
World and Nation
Site bigger than Stonehenge
found in England.
Features
Brownie Mary rocks Behrend.
...page 8
L__ Sports
Men's Soccer wins AMCC.
...page 1 1
Teacher
certification
program
begun
by Brian Ashbaugh
associate editor
For Behrend students in the past,
the dream of becoming a teacher was
filled with extraneous course work
and extra years at another university.
This past summer, Penn State-
Behrend and Mercyhurst College
struck a deal for a new five-year,
Pennsylvania Teacher Certification
program allowing students to achieve
their dream without the hassle.
Secondary and elementary education
are both offered as options.
The secondary education
program encompasses work within
the majors of biology, chemistry,
English, history, and mathematics
while at Behrend. Students are
expected to take required courses
within while attaining a 2.75 overall
grade point average. Also, education
courses will be added to the
curriculum as general requirements
for transfer. This program is ideal in
that sense. Previously, students were
not guaranteed that all of their credits
would transfer to another institution
offering certification. The
elementary education program is
broader than the secondary in that
students may complete any major
offered at Behrend.
Sometime before receiving their
bachelor's degree from Behrend,
students must take the National
Teacher Examination administered
by the Educational Testing Service.
This is a standardized test comprised
of listening comprehension and
general knowledge. The results of
the test are kept on record and taken
ACLU gets involved with graduation prayer
..page 2
The issue of prayer at graduation
is being taken a step further by SGA
president Michael Zampetti.
Tuesday night, Zampetti met with
the Northwest Chapter of the
American Civil Liberties Union
(ACLU) regarding the student led
prayer at Behrend graduation and
convocation ceremonies.
...page 4
"Students shouldn't
accept something
because that is the
way it has always
been."
...page 5
...page 6
Zampetti attended the meeting to
clarify and update the information
that the ACLU already has. The
main committee of the ACLU has
passed it on to their legal committee
so they can check on the legalities
of the case. Zampetti still has to do
some research, such as the
procedure at graduations.
...page 7
In 1996, Behrend changed the
policy of ministerial led prayer to
student remarks. These remarks are
not required to be a prayer, though
three quarters of them have been.
Despite support of these remarks
from administrators, such as Dr.
Chris Reber and Dean John Lilley,
Zampetti says that there is
overwhelming support in the
opposite direction from many
professors in the Humanities and
Social Sciences division. One of
into account when applying for a
teaching position. The exam is
offered several times a year at local
universities such as Edinboro,
Gannon, and Mercyhurst. In
secondary education, three of the
sections must be taken and passed;
while in elementary education, only
two of the sections must be taken and
by Anne Rajotte
managing editor
Michael Zampetti
SG'A President
these supporters of ending prayers
at graduation is Dr. John
Champagne, Assistant Professor of
English. He believes that prayer at
functions such as graduations and
convocations are inappropriate
because there isn't the freedom not
to listen. He feels that a moment of
reflection may be suitable to
accommodate all of those attending
the ceremonies. If there is a prayer
spoken, people who don't want
prayer can't be accommodated.
Champagne feels that it is a
"matter of civility" to keep prayer
out of these ceremonies. He also
stated that having these prayers
"doesn't respect one's right not to
pray." Champagne goes on to say
that everyone has a "different sense
of appropriate spirituality" and that
graduation is a time for celebration;
people should have to the freedom
to celebrate this time in their own
way.
Zampetti feels that there is a
realistic chance that the ACLU will
take this case. He also feels that the
"court would have to agree that this
is a violation."
The fact that University Park has
ceased all prayer at their
graduations has no sway on this
particular case, stated Zampetti;
Penn State president Graham
Spanier supports students' prayer at
graduations. Behrend is the only
campus where the policy of
allowing prayer had remained.
Zampetti plans to circulate a
petition so students can voice their
support. Zampetti states that
"students shouldn't accept
something because that is the way
it has always been."
passed
The primary advantage of this
arrangement is that the majors are
covered more thoroughly than at
other campuses. For example, if one
were to attend University Park for
certification in chemistry, they would
receive what amounts to a minor in
chemistry and a major in education.
Erie, PA 16563 Published weekly by the students of Penn State Erie, The Behrend College
SGA President Michael Zampetti spoke to the ACLU about student-led prayer at Behrend
graduation and convocation ceremonies.
With this five-year program, one
would receive a bachelor's degree in
chemistry from Behrend and a
teaching certificate from Mercyhurst.
This is an attempt to produce more
knowledgeable and skilled
instructors.
Although transfer is required for
certification, tuition for Behrend
i 4.
~411111 T,c
Jr a UD iho 404 14 :
-
students participating in
the fifth year at Mercyhurst
will cost approximately the
same as Penn State's in
state tuition.
The origin for this
please see TEACHER
CERTIFICATION page 2
photo by Jessica Trzeciakowski
SGA passes
fall break
resolution
by Mike DeSantis
staff writer
The Student Government Association last
night unanimously passed a resolution calling
on Penn State and Behrend College to institute
a Fall Break of the sort found in many other
colleges and universities around the country.
SGA Senator Charles Testrake, the author
of the resolution, called for "a week long Fall
Break..in the middle of that semester." Right
now Penn State only has three days during the
Fall semester for break, one for Labor Day the
the other two for Thanksgiving.
Mike Zampetti, President of SGA, feels that
Penn State "needs to readjust the way [Penn
State] give breaks." He feels "putting a break
around Columbus Day might help."
Testrake would like to see a one week break,
possibly eight weeks into the semester. If the
university does not give a one week break, he
hopes that students might be able to
"negotiate" at least a two or three day break
for fall.
Since the semester schedules are made at
University Park, this is not just an issue for
Behrend. This weekend at the Council of
Commonwealth Student Governments
(CCSG), Testrake will bring up his resolution.
He will try to get it on the agendas of other
campuses, because CCSG is a group of Penn
State student government leaders who gather
at University Park to discuss university-wide
issues.
Testrake would like to have classes start one
week earlier in August to compensate for the
lost break time. This is the main opposition
that he has found to his resolution.
If you have any suggestions for the
resolution e-mail Charles Testrake at
crtlls@psu.edu.
Volume XLVI. No