The Behrend
Beacon
State
Erie
photo by Andrea Zaffino
Professor Greg Fowler, keynote speaker at the Harambee Dinner, sits by
a tree next to Turnbull Hall
Emergency contraception available
at the Health and Wellness Center
By Kristie Vitron
staff writer
Patty Pasky McMahon, a nurse
practitioner and coordinator of the
Health and Wellness Center, is con
cerned that many students are not
aware that the Center offers emer-
gency contraceptives or “the morning
.niv.l pill
Other services offered by the Health
and Wellness Center include strep
throat, cholesterol testing, flu immu
nizations and physical examinations.
The Center’s staff, which includes
several nurses and physicians, are also
able to administer pregnancy tests and
Sexually Transmitted Disease testing
and treatment on sight.
"I found that women didn’t know
that we have the morning after pill
available,” stated McMahon. The first
What's
Inside
New Group on
Campus
Police and Safety
Horsing Around
SPC Movie:
Truman Show
Calendar of
Events
Page 4
Editorial: Death
Penalty in
America
Campus News
Sex and European
Teenagers
Switched at birth
Cross Country
Invitational
thing students should realize when
they wish to receive emergency con
traceptives from Health and Wellness
The pill is extremely
effective if taken within
72 hours
Patty Pasky McMahon, nurse practitioner at
the Health and Wellness Center
is that there are no strings attached. It
is a non-judgemental service and it is
completely confidential.
The service is offered to rape vic
tims and any woman who has had
unprotected sex for any reason. How
ever, when women are making the
appointment they need to explain
what the appointment is for.
McMahon commented, “The pill is
extremely effective if taken within 72
hours.” These appointments are con
sidered to be medical emergencies
and patients will be seen immediately.
The Center is not concerned about
repeat users. McMahon feels that
there is little abuse of the service and
ASA to hold
date auction
By Rose Forrest
layout editor
“Do a little dance, make a little
love, buy a date tonight!” Monday,
September 28, Alpha Sigma Alpha
will be holding its third annual Date
Auction. All of the money that the
romantically challenged have been
saving will go to the Special
Olympics and the S. June Smith
Center, which is for children with
mental disabilities.
The event will be taking place at
9 p.m. in the Reed Commons. Some
25 Behrend students, both male and
female, will auction themselves off
to raise money for the sorority’s
national philanthropies. Over $ 1000
has been raised over the past two
years. Both years the money was
raised for the mentally disabled. The
first year $4OO was raised, and the
second year $795 was raised.
The sorority has been working on
the program since last year. They
have been collecting donations for
dates from local businesses such as
Erie, PA 16563
she would rather see results from the
morning after pill than unwanted
pregnancies. The majority of college
women will terminate an unwanted
pregnancy through abortion if they do
not receive immediate help such as
emergency contraception.
In case women are questioning their
morals, they should realize that this
pill is not the French abortion drug. It
will not terminate a pregnancy. “Re
cent studies have found that the pill
prevents fertilization,” said
McMahon. What the morning after
pill does is prevent pregnancy by
keeping the ovary from releasing an
egg or by preventing a fertilized egg
from attaching to the uterus.
T he pill, which is taken twice over
a twelve hour span, consists of a high
dose of hormones and may cause
some minor side effects. McMahon
reminds women that they are the ex
act side effects that birth control us
ers experience such as nausea or head
aches, which most women do not even
get. Before each dose of emergency
contraceptive, a prescribed anti-nau
sea or vomiting medication will be
taken to prevent illness. The drug is
Greek Life
Serafini’s, The Olive Garden,
Pufferbelly, Papa John’s, Tinseltown,
and even a few Penn State football
tickets. Alpha Sigma Alpha
fundraising chairperson Julie Hale
Do a little dance, make a
little love, buy a date
tonight!
explains, “The list goes on and on.”
The dates will be distributed in order
of the highest bids. Chaperones will
be provided upon request.
The sorority is promoting the
event with the catch phrase, “Do a
little dance, make a little love, buy a
date tonight!”
There will be a two dollar donation
at the door and the bidding starts at
three dollars. Hale recommends,
“Bring friends and have fun
watching.”
September 24, 1998 Volume XLVII No. 5
Get Off Your Cross - Somebody
Else Needs the Wood
Professor Greg Fowler delivers keynote speech at the Harambee Dinner
By Danielle Marshall
staff writer
“This is a night to celebrate the di
versity of those who are unlike our
selves- to appreciate the things which
make us different.” Mr. Gregory
Fowler, lecturer of English, was the
speaker for the annual Harambee Din
ner held on Thursday, September 17th
1998. The title of his speech was "Get
Off Your Cross - Somebody Else
Needs the Wood.”
Harambee, which is Swahili for
“Let’s pull together,” is an event
where all cultures and ethnic groups
considered so safe and effective that
the FDA approved it for over the
counter sale this month in Seattle,
Washington.
To make the use of emergency con
traception even more effective, a
nurse discusses the use of other forms
of contraceptives such as condoms or
birth control with the women who
come in. The Health and Wellness
Center feels that if women are edu
cated, they will practice safer behav-
photo by Andrea Zaffino
Patty Pasky McMahon, nurse practitioner and coordinator of the Health and Wellness Center
Alpha Sigma Alpha
photo by Andrea Zaffino
Behrend Cross Country Runners start the race at Saturday’s Behrend Invitational. See story
come together to share a night of din- “It was really nice. I was really
ner, entertainment, and inspirational surprised at the turnout. I was really
We all have some form of a cross in our lives; for
some of us that cross is an unwillingness to allow for
people who are different from ourselves, a self-righ
teousness that would exclude or dismiss those who
are unwilling to live or be like us
words. This Multi-Cultural event
gives students an opportunity to build
fellowship with each other for the first
time in the academic year.
Multi Cultural Council president
Jennifer Fontecchio welcomed stu
dents by describing the meaning and
principles behind the event. Mr.
Fowler said, “we all have some form
of a cross in our lives; for some of us
that cross is an unwillingness to al
low for people who are different from
ourselves, a self-righteousness that
would exclude or dismiss those who
are unwilling to live or be like us.”
After such a well-received speech,
students Timothy Tate, 06 Commu
nications, and Danielle Marshall, 05
Political Science, enlightened the au
dience with two musical selections,
“Pressing On” and “Up Where We
Belong.”
' . t
impressed by the variety of cultural
backgrounds that were present,” com
mented Tate.
Many in attendance remarked that
the event moved them emotionally
and provoked deep thought. Dr.
Zachary Irwin, associate professor of
political science, said “it was a mar
velous opportunity for students and
faculty to share in one of the more
unique events Behrend has to offer. I
loved Greg’s speech. The food was
tremendous. The fellowship was
abundant. I would recommend it to
anyone
After an evening of diversity, inspi
ration, and enlightenment, Mr. Fowler
said that “The feedback has been very
positive, and I was pleased with the
diverse groups of people that I saw
there. It was very well-attended.”
PCFIVFO
•hi..
iRHfRy
Professor Greg Fowler