The Behrend College Beacon
published weekly by the students of Penn State Erie, The Behrend College
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Shannon Weber
Editorial Page Editor
Natalie Galliano
Business Manager
Jaime Davis
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Jason Blake
Andrea 2'affino
Layout Editors
Mike Perkins
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Wire Services Editor
Katie Galley
Features Editor
Jon Slubbs
Postal Information: The Beacon is
published weekly by the students of
Penn State Erie, The Behrend
College; First Floor. The J. Elmer
Reed Union Building, Station Road,
Erie, PA 16563. The Beacon can be
reached by calling (814) 898-6488
or (814) 898-6019 (FAX). ISSN
1071-9288.
A view from the lighthouse
What were they thinking?
There is a general consensus of the
on-campus residents that the locking
up of residence halls at seven p.m.
this Friday is a heinous idea. What
were they thinking? Housing failed
to consider the needs of residents w ho
live in other states and/or are unable
to get a ride home until Saturday or
Sunday.
And, to put the icing on the cake.
Housing had the audacity to slip pa
pers, which outlined hotels through
out the area that residents can stay at.
under residents' doors. Docs Hous
ing really think that students, who are
already paying at least $l,lOO a se
mester for housing alone plus meal
plans, tuition, and personal expenses,
are able to afford another $4O to $ 100
for a hotel room ?
So, where are all these residents
supposed to go if they cannot leave
until after seven p.m. Housing's an-
Going Greek; a lifelong enrichment
by Rose Forrest
copy editor
As Copy Editor, it is my responsi
bility to correct articles on grammar
and structure, but I have no control
over content. Last Wednesday I laced
my hardest night at layout ever as I
realized I had no authority to keep the
anti-Greek editorial (“Face it Greeks,
vou’ve asked for ridicule" 2/25/99)
from running in the Beacon the next
morning. I might have had problems
with the article, but I respected his
First Amendment right and planned
a rebuttal for this issue. I hope to dis
pel his arguments and perhaps some
local problems.
Many of the problems I had with
this piece involved the author, Ryan
Van Winkle, from Syracuse Univer
sity. My preliminary analysis of him
reveals his ignorance of the situation.
I’m assuming he is not Greek and
could not understand as much as he
claims he does. I will concede that
there might be certain chapters at cer
tain campuses with bad reputations
but one can not judge an entire sys
tem from this. He stereotypes the
whole Greek system as “a big, ugly,
binge drinking, black pants wearing,
roofie dropping, legs spreading....
He also mentions several times
throughout his article that he could
care less for Greeks or the whole situ
ation. Why then does he feels the need
to vent about this? Somehow I get the
impression he cares a lot. It takes
strong feelings to write such an edi
torial; perhaps he is jealous.
There is a lot of which he has to
be jealous. Fratemity/sorority life can
Editor in Chief
IV/// Jordan
Managing Editor
Ayodele Jones
Letter Polic
encourages letters to the editor.
Letters should include the address,
phone number, semester standing
and major of the writer. Writers can
mail letters to behrcoll2(s , aol.com.
Letters must be received no later than
spm Tuesday for inclusion in that
week’s issue.
swer is too bad. They do not care.
Why should they '.’They have a place
to 20 home to that is nearby.
'Hie purpose of Housing is to con
sider the needs of students and to act
upon those needs in an effective
manner. Housing should not just as
sume that students will he O.K. with
every decision made, especially if
the decision made tails to consider
resident needs.
Housing, this is your wake-up
call. Your job, in itself, is to cater to
students' needs, not to ignore them
GIUU&M fl
- POR B]
SENATE i y
FORCE O*
be the most rewarding tiling a colle
giate can partake in. I’ve been an
Alpha Sigma Alpha for over a year
now, and 1 can honestly say it is the
best thing I ever did. Besides mak
ing friends I’ll have for life and
knowing I’ll always have someone
to call on for help. I’ve been given
many opportunities I would not have
normally had. Being part of a So
rority provides you with a network.
I have connections through the
school and even the community be
cause of my sisters. I’m part of a
group of people that are all com
pletely unique but share the same
ideals and love each other very
much. It provides me with a good
feeling that I’m sorry so many don’t
understand or can’t associate with
this.
I admit, I’ve heard students here
at Behrend make many of the same
arguments that my friend in Syra
cuse does. Many non-Greeks think
that Fraternity or Sorority members
are ‘just buying their friends’ or
'need letters to make them feel cool.’
They don’t realize that Greeks share
a history and heritage that bonds
them. I’m closer to my sisters than
anyone else on this campus.
Seeing three pledge classes go
through has enabled me to see how
much these young women grow dur
ing their time in the Sorority. Per
haps it is the self-confidence they
develop or the role models the older
sisters provide but being in a Soror
ity is a very satisfying experience.
Another stereotype Greeks deal
with is that they are 'binge drinkers.’
Sports Editor
Jason Snvder
Advertising Managers
Erin
Carey Snath
Copy Editor
Rose Eta rest
Associate Editors
Angela Rush
Jessica Tucci
Assistant Editor
Mike Craw ley
Distribution Manager
Mark Greenbank
Advisors
Robert Spec I
Jim O'Loiijdhhn
The Beacon
Live From Guyana
Why don’t we read?
Extra!! Extra!!! Read all about it.
Unfortunately, we, as college students,
seldom do so. What exactly am I talk
ing about? Well, you tell me. When
was the last time, that you read a news
paper? Was it for that current event
article in third grade or was it last week
when you lined Furry’s cage?
Let’s be real, some of us don’t even
read The Beacon, unless we are wait
ing outside our professor’s office, and
one just happens to be on the Boor.
Let’s be real, some of us wouldn’t even
know that the U.S. was bombing Iraq
if our favorite television show was pre
empted. If our only source for news
was the newspaper, we’d be a campus
full of zombies wondering whatever
Teens and sex: the lure of forbidden fruit?
By James Wagoner
Knight-Ridder Newspapers
In the United States, why do about
700,000 teens become pregnant and 3
million teens contract a sexually trans
mitted infection each year’? Why do 50
percent of all new HIV cases occur
among young people under the age of
25? Why, despite recent declines, is the
U.S. teen birth rate three times that of
Germany, nearly six times that of
France, and over seven times that of
the Netherlands?
Advocates for Youth led a fact-find
ing team of experts and graduate stu
dents to Germany, France and the
Netherlands to examine the different
approaches to teen sexual health, hop
ing to find a solution to teen pregnancy,
abortion and HIV infection.
Could it be a mass media campaign
like those in Europe that boast a single,
consistent message - safe sex or no
sex? How about public health systems
that make contraception available con
fidentially, at little or no cost .’ Or
maybe it’s all about communication -
the open, honest, and early conversa
I put up with a lot of remarks that
Greeks are responsible for the drink
ing problems on campus. I don’t see
how this could be possible. I work with
the head of Mercyhurst Police and
Safety, a Greek-free campus, and he is
constantly reporting of parties and
drunk people. The author of the edito
rial even admits in his piece that he is
a drunk and he is not a Greek. To be
honest, I feel much safer going to a
house with a bunch of Fraternity mem
bers with a group of my Sorority sis
ters whom I know I can trust. We
would never leave each other and we
always watch out for one another. I
think this is a much safer situation than
the one at the bars.
I hear a lot of complaints from the
student body that Greeks are taking
over this, that, and the other thing. I
find this ironic, because I’m simulta
neously hearing that there is no par
ticipation in Behrend activities. Greeks
are involved because of their dedica
tion and desire to be involved. The rea
son they join SGA and other clubs is
the same reason they pledge a Soror
ity or Fraternity. The Greeks are hardly
the “pathetic...lousy sheep” Winkle
feels they are. They are role models
for students.
Although I’m angry with the stu
dent at Syracuse for insulting Sorori
ties and calling us names, I feel sorry
for him. Sorry that he will never expe
rience all the wonderful things I get to
from being Greek. If printing that in
furiating article putting down the
Greek system really makes him feel
that much better, I guess I’ll let it go,
but I’m glad I can say my part too.
Editorial
happened to Michael Jordan and Da
Bulls.
The University has sponsored a
program, which provides students in
the residence halls, suites, and the
apartments with a free assortment of
papers to choose from. These news
papers include The New York Times,
USA Today, and The Erie Daily
Times, and yet unfortunately many of
the papers remain in their respective
stacks at the end of the (.lay. Students
refuse to lake advantage of this op
portunity.
I know that many of our classes
require a heavy reading load, and that
it is often difficult to find the time to
even complete those assignments
tions about sexuality that families,
educators, and health-care providers
hav e w ith teens
We discovered that success does
not rest on a single program or strat
egy. Values and attitudes are equally
important. The German. French and
Dutch nations present sexuality as a
normal part of growing up. These
countries expend little time and ef
fort trying to scare young people
about sex. Instead they focus on edu
cating and empowering young
people to think and act responsibly
in regard to sex.
Is this a formula for lax morality
and promiscuity .’ No. Dutch teens -
grow ing up in the most open and lib
eral system - begin sexual intercourse
later, have fewer partners, and expe
rience a teen birth rate eight times
less than ours.
"In the Netherlands, teen-agers
can find out anything about sex,”
says Cindy Grot/.inger, a 16-year-old
Dutch student living in Washington.
D.C. "We are open about it, because
there's nothing to be ashamed of.
Teens shouldn't have to explore sex
Coping with the aftermath o
rape
hy Nicole Stuart
The Indiana Daily Student
Indiana University
It's been a year and a half now
since I was raped. During that time I
have had to endure many careless
comments and a lot of downright stu
pid advice.
It was up to me to convince a pros-
ecutor to pursue my case. It was ac
quaintance rape, so it would just be
my word against my attacker's, the
lawyer had said at first. The prosecu
tor finally saw a case worth pursu
ing when I took my attacker through
the university's judicial system,
where he stated we didn't have in
tercourse that night because I said no.
Now I wait for the DNA to speak
for itself.
I had to fight for my life when I
was so depressed that I didn’t want
to live anymore. I had to fight to get
my financial aid back after the uni
versity took it away, because I was
too distraught to continue with
school.
Officials at the Office of Student
Ethics told me I would have to learn
some coping skills after the univer
sity made special concessions to let
the rapist back onto this campus. Of
course, they could have just expelled
him in the fust place, but I guess they
would rather have a rapist at their uni
versity than the women he has and
will rape.
But the biggest insult of all came
in the mail. It was a bill from
Bloomington Hospital for $330.70.
Emergency Room $2OO, Lab/Bacter
& Micro $BO.OO, Lab/Immunology
$24.00, Laboratory $26.50. This is
my bill for my rape examination.
That’s right, I have to pay the bill for
the exam I had to endure to collect
evidence after I was raped.
The attack took place in Septem
ber 1997. I immediately applied to
the state of Indiana’s Sex Crime Vic
tim Services. At that time I was also
suicidal and nearly catatonic. I
couldn’t deal with the situation so I
didn't. Because of my inability to
function, I was late in deciding to
prosecute. I missed the deadline
Thursday, March 4, 1999 - The Behrend College Beacon - page 5
However, just think of all the things
you’re missing when you don’t read
a paper. I hate to break this to you
guys, but MTV 1515 doesn’t exactly
cover world and news events, and
talk shows, like Rikki Lake and Jerry
Springer, only give us a small piece
of the American apple pie. Before the
advent of the television and the In
ternet, newspaper provided us with
our news for the day. Don’t get me
wrong: television news shows like
Dateline, 20/20, and 60 Minutes do
provide us with news about what’s
going on at home and what happen
ing abroad, but just think if you can
sit down and watch a show for an
hour, you can probably read or cover
to find out what it means.’
These societies subscribe to the
three R’s of teen sexual health: rights,
responsibilities, and respect. Young
people have rights to accurate infor
mation and confidential health ser
vices. In return, they are trusted to
behave responsibly by postponing
sex until their later teen years and by
protecting themselves and their part
ners when they become sexually ac
tive. Young people are also respected,
seen as a resource rather than a li
ability, and valued for who they are,
not just for what they will become.
In the United States, we are un
comfortable discussing sexuality
and. especially, teen-age sexuality. A
recent Kaiser/ABC poll found that 63
percent of Americans believe we are
“uptight” about sex, and 68 percent
believe that, if we talked more openly
about sexual issues, unplanned preg
nancy and STDs would be less of a
problem.
We send confused and conflicting
messages to teens. Advertising and
entertainment programming too of
ten send messages that seem to say,
(which wasn’t listed in the paper
work 1 was given by the hospital) to
be eligible for a fund that would
cover my expenses. It took me more
than three months to try that route
because that’s how long it took me
to look at my mail.
I tried to call the office directly
to see if I could appeal. I’m on full
scholarship and an independent stu
dent. I don’t have money to get the
turn signal fixed on my car, let alone
pay for this atrocity. So I called, and
the phone was answered by some
one whose first language was not En
glish. That was upsetting because
when dealing with something of this
magnitude, I want to talk to some
one who I can understand clearly and
I know will understand me.
I was told that I missed the dead
line so too bad. The woman on
the other end of the line told me, the
rape victim, that it was too bad that I
was so horribly damaged psycho
logically by what that monster did
that I was unable to make their short
deadline.
With that, I contacted Victim’s
Assistance at the Monroe County
Prosecutor’s Office and asked them
what I could do. They said they
would take care of it.
But they haven’t. So now, a year
since they reassured me this matter
would be handled, I’m sitting here
with a bill for $330.70. I’m also still
waiting for the crime lab to finish
with the evidence that was collected
to see if charges will even be filed.
I wonder why I went through all
of this crap. I mean really, did the
Boulder, Colo., police send the bill
for the testing done on Jon-Benet
Send Letters to
the Editor to
Behrecoll2 @ aol.com
AYODELE JONES
some of your favorite sections of the
paper in the same amount of time or
less.
So take my advice, this Spring
Break when you’re in Spain, Daytona
Beach, or maybe just home relaxing,
sit back, relax, and pick up a paper. I
promise it won’t bite. After all you
don’t want to be one of those zom
bies walking around campus asking
whatever happened to New Kids on
the Block and MC Hammer.
Ayodele Jones is the managing editor oj the
Beacon. Her column appears every three weeks.
"Just do it!” Meanwhile, the congres
sionally mandated, government mes
sage to students is "Just say no until
you're married," despite the fact that
the average age of marriage is nearly
26, and by the age of 18, 70 percent
of teens have had sexual intercourse.
"Because of all we see and hear
about sex (in France), it is less of a
forbidden fruit.” said Marianne
Malicet, 18, at a Capitol Hill hearing
on adolescent sexual health. "The
temptation and the curiosity might be
reduced by the knowledge we have
acquired."
Maybe we can use the experiences
of the Dutch, the Germans-and the
French to help us find more balanced
approaches to adolescent sexual
health - approaches that really work.
We can start by adopting the three R’s
of sexual health - rights, responsibil
ity and respect - to help us achieve
social consensus on sexuality as a
normal and natural part of being a
teen, of being human, of being alive.
Ramsey’s body to her parents'? Why
am I expected to pay the bill for the
autopsy done on my life?
When I took another look at the bill
tonight, 1 had to fight the overwhelm
ing urge to turn over rocks until I found
the one that criminal who raped me had
crawled under so I could sever his dis
gusting head from his loathsome body
right before I beat his corpse to a
bloody pulp.
Not that I’m bitter, of course
Instead, I went to my room, popped
two tranquilizers, put Toad the Wet
Sprocket’s "Walk on the Ocean” on
repeat and began to compose. God
only knows how I’ll be able to endure
my classes tomorrow, but I’ve found a
way before and I will do so again.
Let’s just pray that I don’t run into
him on my way to class. Of course, I
am not going to pay that bill. I have
paid enough for what he did to me that
morning, but this is being done to
women several times every day. If any
thing, this system is set up to deter
women from coming forward, report
ing and prosecuting their attackers.
At every turn I have hit yet another
brick wall, but I have not given up.
Did you know that one in four
women and one in 10 men will be
raped in their lifetime? Think about
your friends, girlfriends, wives, daugh
ters, grandmothers, sons, grandsons,
brothers, mothers ... Is this how you
want them to be treated after the ulti
mate violation? Let your state legisla
tors know how you feel.
I am, and the state will pay my bill
even if I have to ask the governor to
pay it out of his own pocket. I refuse
to pay another cent for what that cow
ard did to me.