Thursday, December 11, 1997
INSIDE...
News
Kwanzaa celebrated
Editorial
Safer Sex Cabaret lauded
.page 4
National Campus News
Job market best in a decade
...page 7
World and Nation
Prodigy sparks controversy
...page 8
Features
WCW comes to Erie
...page 10
Sports
Track and field coming to
Behrend
Snow rests on the hill behind Porcupine Hall
East Side Highway to bring improved access to campus
by Amy Seley
collegian staff
As far back as the early 1960'5,
studies concerning the transportation
needs and connections on the east
side of Erie have been conducted.
Concern back then, as it is today, was
with the strain on the roadway
system, which had to provide for
development as well as the
businesses and attractions already
situated there. The downtown
business district and the Port had
never been easy to access from the
east and 1-79 and 1-90 have never
been able to pull people into the city
of Erie quickly and easily.
In 1980, plans for the Bayfront
highway were begun and a few years
later Erie was blessed with an easy
CThe Behrend College
one gian4
Health and Wellness
suggests meningitis
vaccinations
...page 2
It's the time of year when many
people worry about getting the flu.
Some even get a flu vaccination
every year. Many college students
are unaware of another potentially
life threatening infection:
meningococcal meningitis.
The American College Health
Association has just issued a
recommendation that college
students consider being vaccinated.
Because the bacteria that causes
meningitis is transmitted through
the air via coughing and sneezing
as well as by direct contact with an
infected person, college students
living in close quarters like
residence halls have an increased
risk of meningococcal disease. Past
investigations of campus outbreaks
indicate several student behaviors
...page 7 2
access to the Port and 1-79. But
traffic deficits in capacity and access
still were present for those
commuting from the east side and
future prognosis was not promising.
In November of 1991, the Erie
County Department of Planning
released the Erie East Side Needs
Analysis, which was an in depth look
at traffic levels and predicted land
use. The study found major activity
centers such as the Millcreek Mall,
Gannon University, Behrend
College, General Electric, and the
Port, seriously lacking in adequate
connection, as most access was
gained through city streets filled with
numerous lights and stops. Safety,
due to the congestion, was also an
item probed into by the report. A
connector between the Bayfront
highway and 1-90 was suggested as
Erie, PA 16563 Published weekly by the students of Penn State Erie, The Behrend College
by Ray Morelli
collegian staff
The building will soon empty for winter vacation.
increase the risk of contacting
meningitis. These include active
and passive smoking and excessive
alcohol consumption.
Meningitis sounds like something
from an "Outbreak"-type movie.
It's an air-borne bacteria which you
could fall victim to simply from
being near someone infected. The
bacterial infection causes
inflammation of the membranes
surrounding the brain and spinal
cord. Meningitis kills about thirteen
percent of those infected, which
makes over three hundred deaths
per year in the United States. That
total included one University Park
student last year.
Meningitis can be treated if
detected early. It's often treated
with IV antibiotics, which does
require hospitalization. The best
way to deal with it is through
vaccination. This consists of one
;,. moot
the solution for all of these problems.
The first step in the Eastside Access
Highway process had begun.
From there, five alternate routes for
connection were formed, ranging
from passing General Electric up to
Station, running along McClelland
Avenue, and following the Allegheny
and Eastern Railroad and Conrail
tracks to the Interstate. Numerous
meetings were held, beginning as far
back as 1992, allowing citizens to
voice their opinions and suggestions
for the possible roadway. Unlike
earlier attempts to improve the
roadways, public involvement from
the onset of the project is what really
kept it moving. Committees made
up of business people, government
officials, and residents joined forces
to examine all choices and decide the
best route. April 1995 saw the
shot which has virtually no side
effects and is generally effective for
three to five years. Margaret Spears,
director of Health Services at
University Park says, "The
vaccination is an easy and highly
effective way to protect students
who live in highly populated
quarters against infection." For
those who don't get a vaccination,
symptoms to watch for include flu
symptoms, a rash, high fever, and
the largest indicator: a stiff neck.
"We would encourage everyone
to be vaccinated, just to be safe,"
says Patty McMahon, director of
Health and Wellness. The vaccine
costs fifty-eight dollars, which can
be billed to a student's account.
Appointments for vaccinations can
be made by calling Health and
wellness at 898-6217.
photo by Jessica Trzeciakowski
announcement of the "preferred
alternate", the route that seemed the
most desirable of the five. Alternate
3, the slated route, runs from the
Bayfront Highway south east along
Conrail's tracks, crossing McClelland
and 38th street, over Wintergreen
Gorge, through what is currently the
intramural fields at Behrend, and
connects with Station Rd in order to
join with 1-90. It is the most
expensive of the five alternates, but
it displaces the fewest homes and
businesses and had the most support
from the public.
During February through
November 1996, an Environmental
Impact Statement was drawn up and
approved, as required by the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969
whenever a federally sponsored,
funded, and/or permitted project
Behrend's Knowledge
Park to provide
economic benefits
by Ayodele Jones
collegian staff
In upcoming years, Behrend
students may have the opportunity
to have internships with various
companies without even leaving
campus. This may be possible
because of a planned research and
development area called
Knowledge Park.
"Knowledge Park is a research
and development area which will
allow knowledge-based high-tech
type companies to locate closer to
and take full advantage of the
intellectual and physical resources
of the college," said Robert Light,
Associate Provost and Associate
Dean.
Knowledge Park would be
situated along a mile-long stretch
of the college's property on the
north side of 1-90. This property
includes nearly 200 acres for
potential Knowledge Park use, of
which nearly half can be
developed. It would consist of
larger and also some smaller
buildings because the land is fairly
flat. By constructing these
buildings they would also take
advantage of the nice streams
running through it which would
make for a very inspirational
setting.
One of the main reasons why
Knowledge Park is being created
is because of the existing
relationship that Penn State-
Behrend already has with
companies. "The next best thing
would be to bring the companies
to us," said Robert Light. It would
be beneficial in many ways;
students would be able to work
and have internships and
employees of these companies
would also instruct classes.
Knowledge Park is beneficial to
the tenants because it allows early
access to graduate students, access
to education, training programs
and support, availability of
teleconferencing and distance
education technologies and a host
of others.
Knowledge Park is not to be
considered a real estate
development but rather it will
consist of companies that have a
strong relationship with what
Penn State-Behrend is trying to do
and accomplish. They are not
looking for manufacturing
companies but rather research and
development, marketing and
information based companies that
would be able to relate to what is
being taught here at Penn State-
Behrend. The organizations that
will comprise Knowledge Park
are described as innovative/
could have a significant impact on the
environment. As the Statement
developed, a public hearing in April
of 1996 was held, allowing citizens
the opportunity to express comments
on it, as well as general concerns.
The Right-of -Way Acquisition
summary was addressed as well,
answering the questions of those
residents whose homes and
businesses would need to be
condemned in order to erect the
highway.
RECEIVED
DEC 1 2 1(191
I. WIND C/JLLE(E
UNARY
Volume XLVI. No. 12
creative, provide professional
and/or technical services,
incorporate emerging
technologies and many other
characteristics.
Knowledge Park is being built
with state money, university
money and also from other
entities. In the past the state has
not invested very much in
buildings here; we have forty
main buildings and the state has
Provost and Dean
John Lilley
only built two of them. "In the
future we would like the state to
build our buildings and let me
spend more time raising money
for endowments, scholarships,
sponsorships and the study
abroad programs," said Provost
and Dean John Li lley. The
planners are trying to move
quickly, so that they can take
advantage of the tenants that are
interested. They would like to
break ground for the first
building in March of 1998. It
would take about twenty years
to complete Knowledge Park
but it is their goal to finish phase
one over the next five years.
Phase one consists of six
building sites which will house
about ten to twelve companies.
"One of the biggest stumbling
blocks has been working all the
politics," said Light.
Due to the expansion of size,
resources and facilities, Behrend
will also increase in enrollment
size. "The University has asked
us to become four thousand and
the master planning which is
going on right now says that we
could be at seven thousand
students," said Dean Lilley.
Such an increase in student
population will not happen
quickly. "We would probably
not approach four thousand
students until the year 2004,"
said Light.
On March 3, 1997, the Record of
Decision by the Federal Highway
Administration was issued. The East
Side Access project had satisfied the
environmental review process and
could now proceed to final design
and acquisition planning. The public
viewing of the plans for the first
construction section, from the
Bayfront Parkway to East 6th street,
please see EAST page 2