THE BEHREND BEACON
The Behrend Beacon
pubii,hed,yeeklr /r the students of Penn State Erie, The Behrend College
News Editor
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Features Editor
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Wire Services Editor
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Advertising Managers
Erin Liinger
Carer Smith
Photo Editors
Jetlev Miller
Kevin Bruner (asvi.suint)
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Brad 144er-tel.
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) 89S-6019 (FAX). ISSN
1071-9288.
l'ostal In
ornialion
A view
Thanks for 'Feeding the
Need' here at Behrend!
Thank you so much to everybody
that donated food for the 'Feed the
Need' drive. It was so successful this
year. I3ehrend collected over 2,000
items of food for the hungry. We here
at the Beacon collected almost 200
items! All this success just goes to
prove how we can all work together
and make our campus great. It also
shows our generosity.
Maybe the generosity was because
it is close to the holidays and we are
feeling extra generous, or maybe it
W, as because you wanted to get rid of
all the food that you knew you would
not eat this semester. Whatever the
reason though, it shows that despite
being 'just a hunch of college kids,'
we are thinking of the less fortunate.
Unfortunately, there are people
here in Erie that are less fortunate
than we are. You may even know
some of them. And we should he
thinking about them all the time, not
just at the holidays. even though it is
nice to give extra help this time of
the year. Hunger does not discrimi
nate on what time of the year it
strikes. and sadly it is a constant in
the world today.
However, for the past two weeks
students at Behrend were aware of
The wa it ou !htto be Matt Wiertel
The hypocrisy of SGA
In recent weeks the Student Gov
ernment Association. SGA, has gone
to great lengths to iniprove their im
age on campus. SGA has formed a
public relations committee and they
created a weekly information box in
the Beacon in an attempt to be more
student oriented. But the $64,000
question is: has SGA improved at all?
Amidst all of
their feeble at-
tempts to im
prove, there still
are some funda
mental problems
with SGA.
Last week I at-
tended one of
these so-called
meetings and lis-
tened to the usual
rhetoric, waiting to give my input
concerning the proposed Real Audio
station. When the issue was ad
dressed, I raised my hand and was
acknowledged to proceed with my
comments. So I began to talk about
my concerns with the proposed ra
dio station and within a few minutes
I was abruptly cut off. Or in other
words, I was gaveled. The SGA presi
dent proceeded to end the discussion,
saying that the discussion was for
committee meetings.
Whatever happened to student in
put? Apparently it's gone out the
Editor-in-Chief
Jam'', Snyder
Managing Editor
Ali, hat! Fruvi lev
Advisors
R(therf speed
Jim O'Loughlin
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@aol.com.
Letters must be received no later
than 5 p.m. Tuesday for inclusion
in that week's issue.
rom the li ! hthouse
the need and helped aid in the relief
of it. If you donated, you should be
proud. If you didn't, please do so next
time. Every packet of Ramen Noodles
helps! Just remember how much it
sucks when you miss dinner at Dob
bins and you go to bed without eat
ing- hundreds of people in Erie do that
every night.
Again, thank you for donating and
keep being involved in the world out
side of Behrend. For all too soon you
will be living in it and the problems
that 'aren't yours' might possibly be
come your biggest concern.
See you in two weeks! Happy
Thanksgiving!
window with several other aspects of
SGA. I was under the impression that
student input was allowed during this
point of the meeting because several
other students did the same thing as I
in previous weeks. But did they get
gaveled? Oh, hell no! Their discus
sions were allowed to proceed with
out interruption. This is hypocrisy my
friends. They
ask for student
input and when
someone fi
nally does go to
a meeting they
are told to keep
quiet. I was di
rected to take
"I call on the
student body to go
to these meetings
and see what a
sham they are!"
who says the committee chair has to
express my concerns to the senate?
They could merely sit there clueless
and bellow "we had an in-depth dis
cussion" or "no report." With all this
being said, some members of the sen
ate disprove of the actions taken
against me and I thank them for their
support. I call on the student body to
go to these meetings and see what a
sham they are. It's time to get some
representatives who actually care
about the student body.
Wiertel is the sports editor for the
Beacon.
Editorial Page Editor
Katie Gulley
Sports Editors
Matt Wiertel
Craig Ha:etwood (assistant)
Calendar Page Editor
Kim Zi h.
Business Manager
Kristine Harakul
Associate Editor
Liz Hags
Distribution Manager
Jeff Miller
The Beacon
my concerns to
the radio station
committee. But
EDITORIAL
A hub
They'll hat', they'll puff, they'll
give us a lottery
Hopefully, if you are going to be a
returning student, and are planning
to live on campus again, you attended
the meeting in your residence area
about the new system commonly re
ferred to as the "Housing Lottery."
Why? Well, that was your chance to
find out what the housing lottery is
going to entail. It was also a chance
for you to voice your opinion about
the new and improved way to assign
housing. If you weren't here last
year, you are probably not com
pletely aware of the "housing riot"
that broke out in the Reed Building
when students handed in their hous
ing contracts. There is no doubt that
the students were willing to fight for
their housing assignments at almost
any cost.
Well, thankfully we will not have
to deal with that. Don't get me wrong
here, I want to live on campus again
next year, but not at the risk of my
life. I am a pretty small person and
would be completely defenseless
against a large mob of people. Liv
ing on campus doesn't mean that
much to me.
For what it's worth
Let's put an end to Affirmative Action
Whenever the word discrimination
surfaces, accusations are bound to
occur as people start pointing fingers
and blaming each other for the pitfalls
of society.
People start offering up magical
"solutions" that will somehow set so
ciety on the right path and make up
for past discriminatory practices. As
everybody certainly would like to see
a world without any racial or ethnic
discrimination, some people wonder
if such a place is simply utopian and
question whether it can ever really be
achieved. One thing is for sure though:
Affirmative Action (AA) is certainly
not the way to go to achieve such
aworld.
First off, it should be painfully ob
vious that AA is, in itself discrimina
tion. Let's take two. people, Pat, who
is white, and Brian, who is a minor
ity. They both apply for the same job
at a local business, and let's say Pat is
better qualified for the job than Brian.
Due to AA, if that employer is not
"proportionately represented," he has
to hire Brian, (even though he is not
as qualified), or possibly face a law
suit. What are the consequences of
such a policy? Pat was discriminated
against because he's white, therefore
punishing him even though he had no
part in past discriminatory policies.
Minorities certainly don't like be
ing discriminated against, so what
Copycats are fashion disaster
Robby Messer
Northern Arizona University
Tuesday is wing night. This is when
I can go the local sports bar and munch
on all the chicken wings my sensitive
stomach will allow. I catch up with my
friends, whom I often neglect during
a long week of studying. (By Tues
day, it's already been a long week.)
I'm always amazed by all the fa
mous-looking people I see there: the
Britneys, the Backstreet Boys and the
Green Day groupies. I'm willing to bet
that if you go to your favorite hang
out and take a long look around, you'll
know what I'm talking about. Chances
are really good that half the women
standing around are wearing really
tight capri pants and shirts that would
better fit an infant. Oh, yeah, and they
always seem to travel in pairs, and it
won't matter if it's 20 degrees out, they
won't be wearing socks or jackets, and
they'll still be sporting those crazy,
NOVEMBER 19, 1999
Housing and Food Services, along
with staff members and students
have set up the "Housing Lottery,"
which is still having a few kinks
worked out. As of now the game plan
is this (remember that the apartments
are in a whole different game-this is
for students wishing to live in the
residence halls, suites, Almy and
Ohio): students that are living on
campus for the spring semester 2000
who wish to live on-campus in the
fall of 2000 must submit a housing
contract in the Housing Office the
week of January 17-21 (mark your
calendars!). When you hand over
your contract, it will be stamped with
makes people believe that whites
don't mind? For sake of argument
though, let's say that the employer is,
in fact, a racist. Do people really think
that any policy or legislation will ac
tually change his or her attitude and
deter that person from discriminat
ing? If anything, AA will make racist
employers more resistant and racist,
thereby intensifying race relations in
society. Yet this is ignored.
The proponents of AA rail hack and
argue that it's necessary to defend
equality and give minorities equal
opportunities. They also argue that it
levels the playing field and redresses
historic wrongs. Does it really? In
order to defend equality and level the
playing field, don't all races have to
have the same opportunity? Yes, and
this is exactly what the AA support
ers argue that it does. But what they
are ignoring is the fact that the play
ing field is not even and that there is
National Commentary
little shirts that show off their belly
buttons.
I blame Britney Spears for making
women think it's. all right to go
"Crazy" and dress in next to nothing.
While I'm
among those i
red-blooded
males who
enjoy a pretty
woman, I'll be
among the
first to say that
there's nothing
wrong with a
little mystery,
either. If a
woman
thing sensible, and yes, perhaps a little
more conservative, she's much pret
tier in my eyes than some chick who's
having to suck in her breath because
her pants are too tight.
And thanks to the Backstreet Boys,
a date, time and a chronological num
ber. When all the contracts have been
submitted, the fun will begin. A ran
dom number will be selected and that
number will determine which con
tract is first in line for the assignment
process. All other contracts will be
placed in chronological order follow
ing the selection number. For ex
ample, if number 345 is selected,
then 345 is first, 346 is second, 347,
348 etc. until all contracts are placed
in chronological order. After they go
through and assign housing, they will
post the listing for students. If you
didn't get in they will put you on a
waiting list. However, another posi
tive thing is the fact that you have
"recall rights" back to your room
(thank goodness).
One thing Housing is doing for us
is opening up more. rooms in the
suites for returning students. They
used to have aproximatley 40 rooms
available for freshme;.not any more.
So the older students will have more
places to chose from.
Students that are requesting each
other as roommates sumbit their
not equal opportunity for all when cer
tain groups, whether white, black,
green, or purple, receive preferential
treatment. People argue that this is not
what AA is supposed to do, but it is
an unintended consequence.
Does AA really "correct" past dis
criminatory practices? Maybe it does
in some people's minds. But is the best
way to correct one wrong to create
another wrong'? Two wrongs certainly
don't make a right, but this is what
AA supporters implicitly argue. By
creating new discriminatory policies
intended to make up for past discrimi
natory policies, society is setting it
self up for a vicious and perpetual
cycle of discrimination which may
never be broken, while ignoring the
fact that ending all discriminatory
policies is the first step to reducing
discrimination.
Although AA has good intentions.
good intentions simply do not justify
bad policy. What would happen if
somebody proposed the idea of incor
porating AA in the NBA? After all,
the idea would have good intentions
of increasing the amount of white
players in the NBA, when by simple
observation one can see that it is domi
nated by black players. But what
would the consequences be? It would
lower the standard of exoellence by
forcing teams to hire less qualified
players and create the feeling among
some guys are conducting fashion
faux pas of their own, too. Like the
Britneys, they travel in packs. They
not only shop at the same store for
their polo shirts, jeans, and baseball
caps, but
"Chances are really good
that half the women
standing around are
wearing really tight capri
pants and shirts that
would better fit an
infant."
boy band. They have the same cool
limp while they walk, they turn their
hats back and forth as if moving to
music, and they all order the same
thing. (Now, I must confess: I do wear
polo shirts, and so does my roommate.
housing contracts together. If your
roommate's contract gets pulled first,
then they will pick the names off
his or her list.
I am still feeling kind of apprehen
sive about this whole idea. I think
that is because it's a new idea that
students are not familiar with. I have
no idea what I am going to do if I
don't get my choice of housing on
campus, although the school is go
ing to give us enough time to search
for a place to live, like an apartment
off campus. I still don't like not
knowing what number I am going to
receive. Camping out at least allows
you to count on where you may end
up living for the next year. Camp
ing out in line isn't a bad idea; it is
how it is handled that is the prob
lem. If we moved it to a bigger area
on campus (i.e. Erie Hall) and set up
lines (i.e. with ropes) maybe it could
work'?
So how can you increase your
chances of getting your choice for
housing? I don't know, but if you
find a way. let me in on it.
whites that they are "entitled" to
something.
Instead, by hiring the best qualified
players, regardless of skin color or the
number of tattoos they have, the NBA
has achieved a high level of excel
lence. The same can happen to busi
nesses or any other institutions when
AA is ended.
All in all, AA hurts and cheapens
the success and accomplishments of
hard-working minorities who might
he looked down upon because of pref
erences some people assumed they
have received. It hurts hard working
non-minorities by discriminating
against them for their skin color.
I will go out on a limb to say this,
even though people may not want to
hear it and may not even realize it:
the whole premise behind AA is the
assumption that minorities are so in
trinsically inferior as to be unable to
compete in an open, nonsegregated
society. This is one of the most egre-
gious assumptions ever made.
I'm one of strongest believers in
hard work rewarding success. Any
body, no matter of skin color or eco
nomic status, is capable of greatness
and success without having to look to
Big Brother for an entitlement. All
society needs to do is level the play
ing field, yet this is the exact oppo
site of what AA provides.
But when we're in public together, he
doesn't wear a hat, which blows the
boy band thing. Dare to be different.)
limmmmm, and there, standing far
away from the Britneys and BBoys,
are the Green Day groupies. Their hair
changes color faster than a chame
leon, they wear grungy clothes most
people wouldn't even bother to put in
a washing machine, and they comb
their hair at the beginning of a semes
ter. You can just imagine the smell,
which is why I strongly recommend
to all who fit this category that you
go have the "Time of Your Life"
somewhere else.
they buy
the same
brand
They're re
ally living
"Larger
Than Life"
when they
don't all
buy the
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is
why my favorite hangout is always so
crowded on wing night. After all,
Britney, the Backstreet Boys and
Green Day are sure to draw a large
crowd. Which I find disturbing, par
ticularly because I have a sensitive
stomach.
same color.
They even
act like a
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