The Commuter
Council Office
by Becky Weindorf
You know, as much as I love nature, it just gets
too cold too fast around here. I like summer and
spring and fall for nature, but for the past eighteen
years that I've been alive, winter seems to overtake
our city for awhile. For now. I'd prefer a place that's
always warm and full of people--the Commuter
Council office. Many complain it's too loud since
it's next to the Back Room, but the bickering be
tween the CC office and the Beacon office about
whose turn it is to write the Commuter Corner adds to the colorfulness of the place. The tiny
hallway that people use to "get away from it all" is a place to just sit and gossip (um. talk) and
rest from the beast called "class" or its close counterpart, called "tests." A word of advice if
you decide to visit though—unless most of the crowd is in class, don't plan on bringing any
study materials.
At the start of my
first year at Behrend. I
had sonic feelings of
insecurity. I asked my
self, "Is this the place
for me? Will Behrend
help me get where I
want to go and be the
person I want to he?"
These were questions
that 1 had to eat,
breathe, and sleep
with. One day while
taking a stroll through
the aisles of the library,
it hit inc. I can be any
and everything I want to be: writer, accountant, computer engineer, sociologist, or psycholo
gist: whatever interests me most. I began to pick up hooks and scroll through the first couple
of pages to see whether it sparked my interest. Nine times out of ten, I was interested. I began
to like the fact of having so many topics to study and, even more. I began to love the fact that
there was such an abundance of information that applied to me, right here in these very aisles.
read about it, and, most importantly, play it. And where else is a Netter place to play basketball
than Erie Hall'? The court is nice, the lighting is great, and the floor is never dirty. It's a great
basketball environment. Basketball is not only a form of exercise for me, but it gets my mind
off of college and it helps relieve stress. I played basketball for my high school's team, and I
continue to play every once in a while so that I don't get "rusty." I am very excited for intra
mural basketball to get started. I am playing for Perry Hall. That will give me an excuse to be
in Erie Hall even more.
There's a quiet place on campus that has four padded chairs, a wooden table, and
a view of Behrend that's worth a thousand.words. That's where I go to concentrate—
the second floor of the library.
Sometimes it's too quiet and I nod-off while I'm reviewing my history notes.
There are not very many people moving around. Most of them look similar to my
self—notes spread around and a jacket draped over the chair. In there, I can get work
done while occasionally watching tiny figures move across the walkways as leaves
blow around them. That's why this is my favorite spot on campus.
Quiet time means a lot to me. I commute to Behrend from Millcreek. I still live
with my family and work at a small grocery store in Fairview. Family and grocery
have one thing in common—noise. I cherish every minute of total silence I can get.
That's why I'll leave at 8 a.m. for my 10 a.m. class. Yes, Behrend is only 20 minutes
from my house, but the quiet time in the morning is priceless. My spot on the second
floor next to one of the huge windows allows for a superb view of the many trees that
turn colors during the fall. There are no groceries and no family quarreling. Comput
ers are readily available to search for materials, and I can get answers to any ques
tions I have. I just hope that I don't daydream for too long while I am there.
The Library Aisles
by Jermaine Hardy
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Erie Hall
by Karl Benacci
My favorite place at
Penn State Behrend is Erie
Hall. It was the first build
ing at Behrend that I had
ever been in, because I
went to watch basketball
games there when I was
younger. I don't usually
have a chance to go there
very often (thanks to my
studies), but when I go I
have a lot of fun. What is
so fun about Erie Hall?
Basketball! Yes, I love bas
ketball. I love to watch it,
Second Floor of the Library
My favorite spot on campus is the porch of my dorm, Perry Hall. Where else can you
make plans for tomorrow night, talk about how great/terrible tonight was, bitch, gossip and
bond with people you consider friends, acquaintances or anything in between. You can do all
this while fixing a nicotine craving, which is usually accompanied by some sort of mental
instability provided by a variety of substances we won't mention here. Perry porch serves its
occupants as a gathering place, a place to waste time, a place to meet, and even (if you are on
the shady side of the porch) a place to escape.
As a first semester student, Perry is my first dorm experience. I obviously don't know
if all of this happens on the porches of the other dorms. But we do get visitors, not only from
surrounding dorms, but from as far as the suites and apartments. If Perry porch can pull in
even those elite, who travel down the million-dollar staircase just to visit, then we must have
something special here.
by Rob Wynne
The Fishbowl
Need a new take on life at Behrend? Well, I have the perfect place. Go to the second
floor in Reed, walk into Bruno's Café, step up to the elevated section, and take a seat
next to the window. Welcome to the fishbowl, my favorite place on campus!
People may complain about cafeteria food all the time (and I admit that I do my fair
share of griping), but how can you complain about a place with a great design? Archi
tecturally, Bruno's Cafe is one of the most interestingly designed dining halls I have
ever seen, and the extended round window section, "the fishbowl," is the highlight of
the area.
I often spend my downtime at the fishbowl. It is a great place to sit between classes,
have a bite to eat, watch a little TV, or catch up on some schoolwork. And every now
and then I get a quick smile from a passerby or a wave from friends as they make their
way to class, grab some food, or converse with others.
When I want to be alone where I can still watch as the world passes by, I go to my
favorite spot on campus, the fishbowl.
Sometimes I sit there and read, sometimes I eat my lunch, and other times I just sit hack and watch the people walking by. The latter
seems to be my favorite, because you can learn a lot about human behavior if you just step back off the road and watch life go by. People
seem to say a lot about themselves without ever speaking to me, or even acknowledging my presence. It makes me wonder sometimes,
what do I say when I'm walking by? What do you think of me when you see me walking past. totally unaware that I am being gauged?
I think about all of these things just by sitting in the lawn east of Turnbull. That's why I like the spot so much. Or maybe I just like
the garden...
Perry Porch
by Kristin Grudowski
by Katie Przepyszny
There is a small bridge on our campus.
It's not a bridge to drive over. It doesn't con
nect countries, states, cities or even neighbor
hood blocks. It is surrounded by lush bushes,
trees and various plant life. Many people pass
over the bridge without giving it a second
thought. Some see it as a shortcut to class. I
see it as natural piece of artwork. I can't help
but imagine myself in a fairy tale setting each
time I pass over the bridge. It makes me smile
to see that even a busy, heavy populated col
lege campus such as Penn State Behrend still
honors the many gifts that Mother Nature has
bestowed on us all. The next time that you
see that bridge, pass over it with care, so that
its beauty can be preserved for years and gen
erations to come.
In the Gardens
I live on East 38th Street. For me,
campus is a place I go for class, not a place
to live. There are no doors I have keys to,
no rooms full of my things, no beds set
aside for me to sleep in. Thus, my exist
ence on campus is solely a public one.
When I am on campus, there are always
people around.
Everyone, I think, needs some place
on campus that they can call their own. For
a commuter it may be harder to find, but
the possibility is still there.
I found my favorite spot in the strip
of yard east of Turnbull, overlooking the
garden. On a nice day, one can usually
find me sitting on my frisbee with my back
up against a tree at the intersection where
the road from Reed to Nick and the road
from Health & Wellness come together.
The Top Bunk
by Raechel Kiska
Every morning I have the pleasure of waking up on
top of my roommate, Erin. Wait! I should really rephrase
that! I sleep on the top bunk, she sleeps on the bottom bunk
therefore I sleep on top of her. At first, I wasn't keen on the
idea of bunking our beds, but we really needed some extra
romping room. The first couple of days were a bit of a chal
lenge. When I first ventured up onto the bed, I made the mis
take of trying to stand up. Even though I'm just over five feet
tall, I quickly learned that there is not nearly enough room to
stand up! Within a few weeks, I began to love my bed. When
I am up there I feel like I am in my own little world. I have
noticed, though, that once I am up there, I don't want to come
back down because I just love it too much! I have resorted to
asking my roommate for the phone, food or anything I need
that is not within arms reach. For the future, I am consider
ing buying a small trampoline to practice my vaulting skills
for the 2000 Summer Olympics. Until then, I will just sit on
my top bunk and enjoy my favorite spot on campus.
The Little
Bridge
by Christine Kleck
by Adam Costa