PAGE 2, THE BEHREND BEACON, JANUARY 14, 2000 y NEWS AND WEATHER MLK celebration begins this Sunday In Liz Haves \\ !iv CFvice, editor This Sunday, the celebration of the birth and life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., will begin here at Behrend and continue through the beginning of next week, ending Tuesday evening, January 18. From 5:30 p.m. to 7:0(1 p.m. on Januar, lb there will he a Candlelight Vigil held in the Reed Commons. Ms. Dorothy Smith, president of the Erie chapter of the NAACP, will he the guest speaker, and the Behrend Inspirational Mime and Ultimate Praise groups will perform. On Monda\ Jan 17, the day-long celebration will begin with a symbolic breakfast held in Bruno's from 7:15 a. in. to 8:00 a.m. Dr. King traditionally celebrated his birthday by ba‘ing breakfast with friends and family. From 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., the celebration will continue with a creative writing session led by internationally known poet, activist, and lecturer Sonia Sanchez. %,(estieen coif th(te Wevi WHAT WERE YOU DOING ON NEW YEAR'S EVE? -Rob Bergeron, 02, Aerospace Engineering Sanchez is the director of Women's Studies at Temple University and hoick the Laura Carvell Chair in English Sanchez is a contributing editor to Black Scholar and The journal ol African Studies. She has Written fourteen books, including home girls and handgrenades, which won a 1985 American Book Award. In 1999 she received the prestigious Lindhack Award for Distinguished Teaching. In addition to leading the writing session, Sanchez will he the featured speaker at the All-College Celebration from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Monday. This lecture is sponsored 1 - ), the Office of Student Affairs, as it is part of the Speaker's Series. A memo was sent out earlier this week from the Provost's office. requesting that any classes scheduled during this time he relocated to the Reed Commons so that as many students and faculty as possible he able to participate. Following the celebration, a cake reception will he held in the Wintergarden. From 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., Sanchez will be the guest of honor at a 1 was at a party in Pittsburgh.- -Nancy Richardson, 04, ELM.ED -Maria Niemiec, 04, BIOL "I was with my girlfriend." had my first house party, and my friends had to carry me to bed in my own house.- -Jesse Colazzi, 02. Art & Communications was working.- "I was party hopping -Elly Vahey, 06, COMBA dinner reception in the Logan House. Finally, the last celebratory event \\ ill he the MLK Forum held on Tuesday, Jan. 18, in Reed 117. The Forum will he led by a panel of students, faculty, and community leaders, and it will he examining the current cultural trends in the United States, focusing on programs for underrepresented groups (such as •Affirmative Action and diversity t tilts) The Candlelight Vigil, All-College Celebration (and following cake reception), and MLK Forum are open to the public. However, the Family Breakfast, the Creative Writers Session with Sonia Sanchez, and the dinner at Logan House all require reservations, the deadlines for which were on Thursday. January 13. For more information, those interested .huuld contact the Dean of Students Office at x6lll. ROT ffersopportunities This article was written by Behreoft ROTC to introduce students to the new program. By now, many students malize that Army ROTC has returned to Penn State Behretui but'may not understand the purpose and some opportunities available. Captain.! Scott Assistant Professor of Military Science, states that many students mistake Army ROTC as the same type of recruiters who pursue high school seniors to enlist in the Army. `That simply is not our purpose" said Gillespie. Army ROTC.is an academic course just like any other class offered on campu& Students receive academic credit for the class that counts towards their degree completion. Gillespie states the purpose of Army ROTC is to develop leadership, make better citizens, and commission the future leadership of the . United States Army in the Regular Army, Amly Reserves, or Army National Guard. Only about 1 in 10 will pursue a commission. Typically, Army ROTC is a four yeatprogram that consists of Ole Basic Course and the Advanced Course. Any student can take Army ROTC their first two years of college without incurring any military service obligation. Students who desire to pursue the military as a career can contract into the . Advanced Course during their junior year of school. Upon graduation, they pin on their "gold bars" as Second Lieutenant& Students who contract as a junior earn Police And Safety 12 IF: V' C 27 1 1/1/00 00:15 Six seventen- and eighteen-year-old non students were arrested for violation of Section 6308(A) of the crimes code. 1/5/00 14:45 A threat was made from a student that appeared to he directed towards a complainant. 1/5/00 09:10 A phone in Room PlO3 was reported stolen. 1/9/00 17:50 A complaintant reported that damage had been clone to their assigned fleet vehicle. 1/11/00 16:54 A complaintatn called to report that his roommate passed out in the elevator. 1/12/00 18:40 Duty officers were dispatched to see a complaintant about a harassing phone call. 14.1 10 40 1°P ur P 0 4 $200.00 per month while in school. In discussing additional requirements other than taking the course, Gillespie said there are very little, Most of our cadets, even our contracted cadets, only have to come to class, attend a leadership lab once every two weeks, and attend two Saturday training events once per semester. "If students really want to get something out of ROTC, they should attend these events to experience the real meaning of our ' program," The training is also exciting. Cadets experience a multitude of outdoor training activities including rappelling, white water rafting, squad maneuvers with laser gear, plus additional clubs and organizations to which cadets can belong. A color guard and a Ranger Challenge Team are available. Ranger Challenge in particular is very physically and mentally demanding. Students on the team compete every October against 21 other schools. Many misconceptions exist with the military. One of the biggest fallacies is the Army only has one job; infantry, for all its officers and enlisted members. "We offer just about any career you can imagine." said Gillespie. Cadets can be branched in one of 18 branches. "We have doctors, lawyers, nurses, police, intelligence, logistics, communications, maintenance, and many other areas." Job experience and exposure in many of these areas will make students more marketable in the civilian sector if they decide to get out. In fact, just about any major corporation will tell you they prefer to hire junior military officers over college graduates because of their leadership experience. Second Lieutenants commissioned on active duty will incur an eight-year service obligation. However, officers can separate anywhere from three to four years of active duty service and spend the remainder of their commitment in the Army Reserves or Army National Guard, The starting salary for a newly commissioned officer is about $32,000 per year. Many two and three year scholarships are also available. Most students who apply for these scholarships and meet eligibility requirements will earn one of them. Scholarships pay full tuition, $450.00 annual book fee, and a monthly paycheck of $200.00 per month. Gillespie says the Army is currently having difficulty commissioning officers due to a strong economy and low unemployment. "These things go in cycles and right now, we are having a hard time commissioning officers and fell 500 short last year." Students interested in the program or scholarships should visit Captain Gillespie on the 2nd floor of the registrar office or call 898-7279. "Students should at least consider taking the course and can still register for Army 102; Introduction to the Military Profession, this spring" said Gillespie.
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