page 4 - The Behrend College Beacon. Thursday, April 1,1999
The Behrend College Beacon
published weekly by the students of Penn State Erie, The Behrend College
News Editor
Shannon Weber
Editorial Page Editor
Natalie Gagliano
Business Manager
Jaime Davis
Photography Editors
Jason Blake
Andrea Zaffino
Layout Editors
Mike Perkins
Elizabeth Guelcher
Wire Services Editor
Katie Galley
Features Editor
Jon Stubbs
Postal Information: The Beacon is
published weekly by the students of
Penn State Erie, The Behrcnd
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
Give us a break!
What’s up with the fact that Penn
State students receive no days off for
Easter or any other holiday for that
matter? Several universities nearby
have several days off for the holiday.
We don’t even have one measly day
off to observe Easter, not even Good
Friday. Besides that, we have no other
holidays off during the school year,
including Passover, Yom Kippur, Dr.
Martin Luther King Junior’s birthday,
etc.
A large majority of students on
campus are Christian and do celebrate
Easter. Why can’t Penn State make
the Easter holiday an official day off
for these students?
Also, students need days off some
time in their schedule, especially dur
ing the spring season. This is a time
when students become a little ’’antsy”
with all the work and tests they have
etters to the editor:
behrcoll2@ aol.com
Editor in Chief
Will Jordan
Managing Editor
Ayodele Jones
Advertising Managers
Erin Edmger
Carey Smith
Distribution Manager
Mark Greenbank
Letter Policy: The Beacon
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@aol.com.
Letters must be received no later
than spm Tuesday for inclusion in
that week’s issue.
rom the ll
been bogged down with. They also
want to spend more time outside due
to the nice weather. Why not give
hard-working students a break by
giving them a day off?
This day off would nevertheless
benefit Christian and non-Christian
students as well. It would give both
groups of students time to relax
for once!
Sports Editor
Jason Snyder
Copy Editor
Rose Forrest
Associate Editors
Angela Rush
Jessica Tucci
Assistant Editor
Mike Frawley
Advisors
Robert Speel
Jim O'Loughlin
hthouse
>e Fn
The lazy bug disorder
I’m tired, just tired, tired, tired. If
it sounds like I’m whining, it’s because
I am (Hey, ask my mom, I’m really
good at it). Ever since I returned from
Spring Break, it seems like the semes
ter has just been flying by. Every week
another paper is due, and there is an
other test I have to take.
I mean, don’t teachers know that
after Spring Break students catch this
disorder called the lazy bug and it just
takes over our lives? Teachers are so
concerned with finishing everything
and anything that they are totally
oblivious to the twenty-something stu
dents sleeping or daydreaming in class.
Is the guitar solo dead?
I like a lot of today’s music. There
are many very talented musicians in
the Rock world, but most of the music
is lacking in one respect - the Guitar
Solo. Gone are the glory days of the
ten minute guitar anthem with the soul
ful joining of man, guitar and amp.
The world today is populated with
the blaring power chords that any rea
sonable musician can emulate. What
it lacks is the skillful blending of
bends, taps and dives - the trademark
of a master guitarist.
With the increased use of synthetic
sounds, many modem bands are cov
ering up their lack of ability by simply
not utilizing the solo. In times gone
by, one of the greatest indicators of a
band’s merit was their solos, but this
is being replaced by presenting a com
plete freakish image (Marilyn
Manson) or appealing to teeny boppers
(Hanson) for the sole purpose of sell
ing more albums. Some may argue that
Rock and Roll bands of the past
dressed up. This was however before
the time of MTV where it was used to
pump up a crowd in concert. Nowa
days bands simply try to look weird
Guest Column:
Real manhood: character
Manhood. It’s a dream that all as
piring, pre-adolescent males dream of
achieving one day. But what exactly
is it? How is it achieved? If you asked
ten people to define manhood, chances
are you would get at least ten different
answers. Some would say manhood is
achieved when you can smash beer
cans on your forehead. Others would
say that manhood is achieved by sleep
ing with a different woman every
weekend, then bragging about it. Oth
ers might say that manhood is such an
ambiguous term that the definition
can’t exactly be pinpointed. Even
though many people have many dif
ferent definitions of what manhood is,
I believe that there is one ingredient
essential to achieving it: character.
A strong personal and moral char
acter is quintessential of the founda
tion of being a real man. Without this
ingredient, a person will have no back
bone of principles and values that they
base life’s decisions on. Instead, they
will base decisions on the emotion and
desire of any given moment, without
even considering what the future con
sequences would be. They will have
no standards of conduct or behavior
that they hold themselves to, and a
person without standards can’t be fully
trusted.
Strong character consists of having
integrity, courage, and humility; hav
ing the integrity to do the right thing,
even when nobody is looking; the
Editorial
In addition to the lazy bug, the
beautiful weather we’ve been having
doesn’t make the situation any bet
ter. N ice weather + a couple of lazy
bones = laying in the sun. When the
weather gets really nice, who really
feels like reading that 18th chapter
in our history book?
1 don’t know about you but each
day that passes, I am one day closer
to turning in my final research
projects and hours away from being
an insomniac.
In addition to all of this work, do
you notice that the little things are
really becoming big things, and those
on TV in order to gather more media
attention
I don’t think that guitar music will
ever die because it is too ingrained
in our musical heritage. But the solo,
on the other hand, is quickly becom
ing only a fond memory for those of
us who appreciate a talented musi
cian transforming his emotions into
art with his bare hands.
In today’s media driven society,
image and lyrics have pushed guitar
skill into the back seat In the past
the most known member of a band
was the lead guitarist. Those who
think of Led Zeppelin usually think
of Jimmy Page first. I am not saying
the lyrics were not important in yes
teryear; who can deny that Stairway
to Heaven speaks mountains? How
ever, when music takes a backseat to
image, Rock can be considered mor
tally wounded.
I play the guitar and can respect
the sheer amount of talent and prac
tice it takes to reach the skill of the
great soloists. Simple power chord
jamming that is rampant in today’s
music can be played by many mod-
courage to stand up for what is truly
right, even if it is not popular; and
the humility to take life’s greatest les
sons and learn from them. Having in
tegrity is vital to having strong char
acter. It is achieved when people have
enough trust in you and your values
that they can take what you say for
face value, they know you will be
true to your word and promises, and
they know that you won’t have any
ulterior motives. Integrity is also the
foundation of trust, which is the foun
dation of a relationship. Trust must
be obtained and sustained in a mar
riage, a parent/child relationship, a
boyfriend/girlfriend relationship, and
even a business relationship. If the
other person can’t trust you, what you
stand for, or what you say, then the
whole relationship is inevitably
doomed. Trust is such a simple idea,
yet for so many it is too difficult to
comprehend. With this concept of
trust, one thing must be remembered:
it takes a long time to build up, yet it
only takes a single bad decision to
destroy it. Once destroyed, it is vir
tually impossible to build back up.
Courage is achieved when you
have high standards and principles
that you live by, and you stick with
those principles even in the midst of
adversity. You know what the right
thing to do is, and you do it, no mat
ter how afraid or hesitant you are, and
no matter how unpopular it may seem
M»<—- —ra
OK- ..
CROSS
u
big things are really pissing you off?
Well, I have. For example, you may
have never noticed that the guy be
hind you in political science really
breathes heavy or the annoying way
your roommate harps about stupid,
petty things, like putting spoons and
forks in the right sink. But the worse
thing is, it’s not only your roommates
or your classmates but it is also your
so-called “friends” who begin to
work your nerves. Why does it take
the end of the semester to see people
for who they really are? I mean, all
year long, you’ve been studying and
partying and just chilling and now is
erately skilled musicians. While it
take decades of practice to develop
the skills of a true soloist.
Just to clarify something that
some may consider an omission. Rap
music is bad and therefore does not
count at all.
Following is a list of some of the
Greatest Guitar Solos of all time.
Stairway to Heaven- Led Zeppe
lin (Jimmy Page) Without a doubt
the greatest solo Jimmy=God
Freebird- Lynyrd Skynyrd (All
THREE of Skynyrd’s lead players)
It grabs you by the balls and doesn’t
let go.
Sweet Child O’ Mine- Guns N
Roses (Slash) Les Paul + Marshall
= magic
All Along the Watchtower- Jimi
Hendrix- Arguably one of the great
est guitarists ever.
Heartbreakcr-Led Zeppelin
(Jimmy Page)- Pure speed and slinky
licks make this solo one of the best.
Crazy Train- Ozzy (Randy
Rhoads) Lightening quick fingers
and more distortion than you can
shake a stick at.
to be at the time. Courage is also not
being afraid of making a mistake,
then being able to admit a mistake
when one is made, and then learning
from that mistake. Courage is also
required when life’s difficult adver
sities and experiences come calling.
You must be able to handle these situ
ations with grace and a continuously
renewed sense of optimism and hope
for the future.
Humility is simply being able to
learn from life’s most difficult les
sons in a noble and honorable way.
Many people just don’t like the idea
of being humbled, yet this is essen
tial to continually growing through
out life as a person. Almost every
one will eventually be humbled one
day when they go through difficult
experiences and adversity in life,
when they realize that they can’t do
it on their own and have to rely on
others for strength. During these dif
ficult experiences, a person’s true
character will shine through, and
people can see what that person is
really made of.
That’s why adversity will be the
real test of character, and it can also
be life’s greatest teacher, but you
must have the proper paradigm, the
proper perspective of seeing things.
A real man knows how to humbly
accept the lessons and curveballs that
life seems to relentlessly throw.
Strong personal and moral character
AYODF.T F, TONE
the time that the people who you
thought you were cool with turn out
to be nothing more than a couple
of “slim shadies.”
I know it’s the end of the semes
ter and everybody is on edge, but
enough already. I’m tired of all the
attitudes and all the tempers. Why
can ’ t we all just get along? There’s
only 3 days left before the end of
the semester. I ain’t mad at cha, if
you’re not mad at me; because i got
nothing but love for you baby.
Ayodele Jones is the managing editor of the
Beacon. Her column appears every three
weeks.
Hotel California- Eagles (Don
Felder & Joe Walsh) Not just one
great guitarist...but TWO.
My Sharona- The Knack
(Berton Averre) Great tone and
awesome phrasing are just two of
this solo’s attributes.
Little Wing-Stevie Ray
Vaughan- A Hendrix tune turned
instrumental and given a new edge
with Stevie’s tone.
You Shook me all Night Long-
AC\DC (Angus Young) A Gibson
SG through a Marshall on ten
Layla- Eric Clapton and Duane
Allman- One of the greatest love
songs, with a two brilliant guitar
ists working together to push the
solo to the limit.
Eruption- Van Halen (Eddie Van
Halen) 1 minute and 42 seconds of
orgasmic Whammy Bar dives, tap
ping and blazing speed.
Mike Perkins is layout editor of the Bea
con. His column appears every three weeks.
Editor’s Note: Tim Eckel, 02, ME contrib
uted to this article
cannot be developed overnight, n6r
can it be bought at a quick-fix-it
shop. A person must conscien
tiously make the decision that he
will be a person of character, and
then he must stick by that decision,
no matter how hard it seems to be.
Being a real man means that
you have the integrity to honor the
promises and commitments that
you make, to others and yourself.
Being a real man means that while
you’re dating a girl, your motives
will be pure and blameless, that you
will respect her, her body, and her
values. Being a real man means
that you hold yourself to standards
that most people don’t have the
courage to hold themselves to. Be
ing a real man means that you
know you don’t have to drink to
have a fun. Being a real man means
that you have the courage to resist
negative peer-pressure, and the
courage to stand up for values.
Being a real man means you know
who you are, what you stand for,
what your limitations are, and what
your weaknesses are. You know
how to fully express yourself in the
midst of opposition. That, my
friends, is a real man.
Nicholas Carter is a freshman majoring in
business.