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Vol. XLVIII No. 14 18 pages
SGA holds open forum;
students fail to take advantage
by Rob Wynne
staff writer
Last week, the Student Govern
ment Association gave away 12
pizzas in hopes that students would
participate in the SGA forum on
Monday, December 6. It was a
chance for students to bring up is
sues, as well as voice their opin
ions on current ones. However, the
members found themselves in an
empty lecture hall that night.
SGA president Andrea
DiPlacido, 05 COMBA, said she
was very disappointed with the
turnout. "One thing we were hop
ing to discuss at the forum is the
upcoming SGA Book Sale in Janu
ary. Also, we were looking to get
input on how students want their
activity fee spent, since they pay
for it." The members also said they
are trying really hard to get more
student involvement. But as SGA
Senator Melody Sherosky put it,
"We can't set goals easily if we
have no student input."
The group stressed that involve
ment is essential for other current
projects, including trying to ac-
quire a communal hard drive to
store email data so that students
would not have to use disks to
check their email in the computer
labs, a T 3 internet server for
quicker on-line access, and a free
Blue Bus. And, unknown to many,
RASO voices concerns after a two
by Jason Snyder
editor-in-chief
With the reformation of the
Returning Adult Student Organization
(RASO) this past fall, many concerns
are being brought to the
administration at Behrend about the
insensitivity of some professors
toward returning adult students and
other issues that don't account for the
extra responsibilities that those
students might have.
This past Saturday, December 4,
RASO co-hosted, with Women Today,
Coffeehouse Night at Bruno's in
hopes of bringing returning adult
students to enjoy the band and the
comedians booked for the evening.
The goal of the night was also to bring
awareness to the campus of the issues
that are concerning some adult
students enrolled at Behrend.
RASO President Abbey Atkinson
felt the evening was very successful.
About 75 adult students were in
attendance, with six children that were
watched in the babysitting rooms that
were available. The night helped
draw more students to the RASO
meeting held this past Tuesday.
Many issues were discussed at the
meeting, including professor
sensitivity, a diversity series for
professors, scholarships for adult
students and a possible honor society
directed toward returning adults.
RASO hopes to bring to Behrend
some sort of orientation for professors
that would train them to be more
[II RI
SGA Vice President George Leshnock and President Andrea DiPlacido
Behrend's SGA is also a part of
CCSG (Council of Commonwealth
Student Governments) which deals
with larger goals for all Penn State
campuses.
Behrend's SGA has 13 senators, 2
sensitive to the needs of adult
students. When professors say
statements such as, "when you grow
up and get married," it leaves out adult
students that are grown up and are
married. Some professors see their
students as the "normal, 18-year old,
white person, from a middle class
home," said Atkinson. The training
would help professors move away
from the stereotype that all students
come straight from high school.
Adult students with children also
run into problems when they plan on
bringing their children to classes.
Some professors feel that the children
cause a distraction to the students in
the classroom. Acting Dean of
Student Affairs Ken Miller realizes
that there are also risks if students
begin to take their children into labs.
This leads to adult students with
children needing to get child care for
their children. Some members of
RASO feel that the availability of
child care on campus doesn't meet the
needs of students that have children.
For infants, there is currently a
waiting list of seven at the Behrend
Child Care Center, which can cause
problems for students that need care
immediately.
The waiting list of seven will be cut
to five in January, as some infants
move to the toddler rooms. With the
transition of the children currently at
the Child Care Center, more room
becomes available. The other two that
will remain on the waiting list don't
need care until later in the semester.
E A S O N S HOLIDAYS IN PICTURES... PAGE 5
of which are freshman positions.
Right now, there are 3 vacant seats
for next semester. They serve under
president DiPlacido and vice-presi
dent George Leshnock, 07 Market
ing. Students who would like to
Behrend students, faculty, staff and
alumni have first option for
enrollment at the center, which gives
Behrend an advantage when trying to
get their children care on campus.
Eunice Moore, Director of the
Child Care Center at Behrend, doesn't
see a problem with the availability of
child care on campus. She said, "if
enough notice is given, there is rarely
a problem with getting the child into
the center." Students generally know
months in advance whether or not
they will need child care during
classes. Those students are
encouraged to make plans ahead of
time so there is room in the Child Care
Center for their child whenever
necessary. Miller commented, "with
enough notice, anything can be done."
Currently, there are 75 children
enrolled at the center, which is the
capacity for the center at this time.
Not all children enrolled are at the
center at the same time, which gives
the children a lot of care due to the
amount of staff per child. The norm
for the state is a ratio of one staff
member per four children. Behrend's
ratio is one staff member for every
three children.
The concerns of RASO members
will also be solved with the new
facility that will be built in
Knowledge Park for January 2001.
The facility will enable Behrend to
possibly have a kindergarden and
evening care. A search for a donor
has begun to help pay for the
construction of the building.
THU BEHREND BEACON INDEX
POLICE AND SAFETY PAGE 2
1 4
EDITORIAL PAGE 6
CALENDAR PAGE 7
Friday, December 10, 1999
voice an opinion are encouraged to
attend other SGA forums, as well as
their weekly meetings on Wednes
days at 5:20 p.m. in Reed 114.
Behrend student and Child Care Center staff member Allison Bear watches children in
the toddler room at the Behrend Child Care Center
The new Child Care Center will
also serve an educational function for
students who will monitor and
research the behaviors of the children
through video cameras.
Atkinson is very supportive of the
Child Care Center and the function it
serves at Behrend. "Our Child Care
PHOTO BY ROB WYNNE
WIRE SERVICE PAGE 8
PENNSTAIL
FEATURES PAGE lv
Erie
FAVORITE SPOT ON CAMPUS.... PAGE 12
SPORTS SECTION B
Advanced Training Center breaks
ground at Knowledge Park
by Mike Frawley
managing editor
An Advanced Training Center re
cently began construction at Knowl
edge Park at Penn State Behrend
through the efforts of educators and
manufacturers in northwestern Penn
sylvania. This center is designed to
meet the training needs of the
workforce in northwestern Pennsyl
vania. It will bring together three part
ners for this venture: the Northwest
Pennsylvania Technical Institute, the
Regional Skills Center, and Penn
State Behrend in an effort to develop
manufacturing technology courses.
Behrend is working toward creat
ing a new associate degree in manu
facturing technology. It will be a two
Construction for the new training center at Knowledge Park. The
center will help create more jobs for citizens of Northwest Pennsylva-
ear absence
Center is stupendous." However,
Atkinson hopes to find a way to
reduce the cost for returning adult
students through grants.
The number of returning adult
students make up a large section of
the Behrend community. There are
anywhere between 500 and 700
A Penn State Erie Student Publication
year program that will be offered
though Behrend's Center for Corpo
rate and Adult Learning. This degree
will offer the students options in gen
eral manufacturing and plastics pro
cessing. The program is planning to
have a very flexible curriculum so that
people who are already employed in
the industry can return to school and
have a way to easily upgrade their
skills. There are plans to add two
more options to the degree at a future
date : metals and nanofabrication.
Members of the northwestern Penn
sylvania chapter of the American
Foundrymen's Society and Behrend's
Industrial Metalworking. Advisory
Committee have been working for
ATC continued on page 4
returning adult students enrolled at
Behrend currently, but the accuracy
of that number can be argued. The
definition of a returning adult students
is any student that is 24 years of age
RASO continued on page 4