THE BEHREND BEACON A View from the Lighthouse Just take the flag down January 2000 will be remembered by colors - Red, white, blue, and black. If snow comes to mind, you receive partial credit. However, the heat of presidential nominations combined with the recent Martin Luther King day sparked an old flame of controversy once again. Should South Carolina have to tear down the confederate flag that soars with the U.S. flag above their capitol building? Supporters for the flag say it's an icon of cultural heritage, and an important part of the past. But, does it stand for more than a history lesson? Does that flag symbolize slavery? It's a very touchy issue one that even the presidential Republican candidates won't touch with a stick. Both G. W. Bush and John McCain dodged the bullet when asked their stand on whether or not the flag should come down. We here at the Beacon, however, "United Segregated States" That's an oxymoron, isn't it? believe it's time to move on... Just take it down. Today's society is more focused than ever on becoming equal, and at the same time diverse. Many workplaces now promote "equal opportunity" and "commitment to a diverse workforce." Also, more education has increased the level of understanding of different ethnic backgrounds as we begin the new THE BEHREND BEACON published weekly by the students of Penn State Erie, The Behrend College „ . % - ----------_ _ ) Advertising Managers Carey Smith Kim Zuck Business Manager Kristine Harakal Office Manager Brad Wiertel Distribution Manager Jeff Miller Advisors Robert Speel Jim O'Loughlin Postal Information: 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) 898-6019 (FAX). ISSN 1071-9288. of what they don't know. However, many of today's grade schools are conquering this barrier at an early age. Yes, we've come a long way, and racial barriers are falling down faster than ever. That's why the flag has got to come down it's another barrier. We're the United States of America. While the flag still flies, however, we're admitting that we can still be called the "United Segregated States." That's an oxymoron, isn't it? Jesse Jackson recently ignited a campaign of his own about the flag he will be leading protests during Sunday's Super Bowl. He has asked players to alter their uniforms to show protest as well. NFL regulations won't permit this though. Oh yes, the flag issue is still burning hot. Jackson's opinion is that "As we approach the Super Bowl game, we're in the awkward and disgraceful position of playing the Super Bowl game - the most watched event in America - under the Confederate flag." South Carolina or bust'? If, indeed the legislature does decide to remove the flag, that will only signify the first step toward resolving this issue. Two other southern states, Georgia and Mississippi, still proudly display the confederate emblem on their state flags. Will they be attacked as well? Guess what, guys, the civil war is over. It's about time South Carolina realized we are one nation. Just take the flag down. The Georgia state flag, which in cludes the Confed erate Stars and Bars, will fly over this years Super Bowl. Editor-in-Chief Jason Snyder Managing Editor Michael Frawley News Editors Shannon Weber Karl Benacci (assistant) Editorial Page Editor Katie G a lley Features Editors Katie Przepyszny Doug Smith Sports Editor Matt Wiertel Wire Services Editor Liz Hayes Calendar Page Editor Nicole Green Photo Editors Jeff Miller Kevin Bruner (assistant) Associate Editors Becky Weindorf Rob Wynne 'r 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 5 p.m. Tuesday for inclusion in that week's issue. EDITORIAL A Li "Lions, Snow and Ice, Oh My!" I thought having a car on campus would be beneficial. Although it has been very convienent having a car, it still has it's drawbacks. The one draw back that comes to mind is the park ing lots. Not only do we students have to fight for our right to park in spaces close to our destination, we also have to deal with the maintenance of the parking lots. One fine January morning I ven tured to my car located in S-Lot (known to students as 8.F.E.). It was around 8:15 a.m. and I dreamed about turning the heater on in my car as the bitter-cold wind thrashed against my face. I made my way to my car and after spending 15 minutes brushing it off, I finally felt the sheer happi ness of victory. I had made the long truck up the hill to the parking lot, have my car brushed off, and the heater is now on, and I can feel the warm air. Sigh. Time to get out of the parking lot to my destination. I had no idea what an ordeal it would be to get out of the parking lot. So I put my car in reverse and slowly pull out of the parking And In This Corner... 2+2 = 5? I work in a small grocery store to help with some of the expenses of college. I see many faces, sometimes everyday. They've completed another 8-5 workday and are ready to go home to their families. Most of the customers are cheerful enough to exchange a greeting or two. However, there will almost always be that one customer who manages to let out the insult "Hey, you short changed me!" Luckily, I am not a cashier. Now, if the poor girl who's running register doesn't feel bad enough for making the simple error, the classic lines "Damn kids can't count nowadays," or "Must be that new math," usually follow. Kids are weaker in math today than perhaps 20 years ago. I would have to agree with that, as I am one of these math weaklings. Want to know why kids are failing math today? Don't take the easy way out and say that it's video games. Many times today kids are having problems due to the ook At It This Wa The American Evolution Black History Month is about to bloom, and we should enjoy this spe cial celebration of black heritage. It will be the first Black History Month of the new millennium, and it shall mark a time when we as African Americans plan to manifest our posi tive prospects. So, what does this new millennium hold for us? I'm confi dent that it holds great things. We have already come a long way, but there is still a ways to go. As minorities we are at a disadvantage, so there is still a call for struggle, and whether it is known or not, this is a struggle that calls for the efforts of all races and creeds. It is evident that every one is af fected by racism and discrimination, therefore everyone is needed to con tribute to the revolutionizing of our society's social structure. Our current black and white, top and bottom per spective needs to be changed if this country is going to succeed. It will not benefit the country as a whole to maintain racial barriers. Throughout the 21st century America will see the number of immigrants increase rap idly. The titles majority and minority will soon shift to different social groups. Politics will have to attend to the needs of many different cultures. Century 21 will mark an American JANUARY 28, 2000 Bit space. I feel my tires sink into the snow pile behind them. My car makes it out of the space, but as I put my car into drive and slowly drive around the parking lot my car starts to shimmy. I can tell there's a large sheet of ice underneath the two inches of snow that has yet to be re moved as well as salted. So as I carefully drive out of the snow-covered-yet-to-be-salted parking lot, I turn out on Jordan Road. I am going my usual granny slow style (must take precautions, never know when the roads will be covered in icc) and my car starts to fish-tail down the hill. The hill is one incompetence of the teacher, along with new-fangled teaching methods. It happened to me in 6th grade, to my younger brother in 6th grade, and now it's happening to my youngest brother who is in 6th grade this year. We all caught the "I hate math syndrome." We all excelled at math through elementary school, but after 6th grade, getting a D was a miracle. What happened? The foundation we were building in math started to evolution in which cultural integra tion will flourish. And since evolu tion cannot be stopped it is essential that the ignorance of racism be re moved in order for America to adapt to this change. This Black History Month should also draw attention to many multicultural prospects. The black struggle in America has been one that epitomizes the effect of capitalistic oppression, but this isn't a struggle that is exclusive to blacks. Many lower class whites, Latinos, Asians and other underrepresented sectors of this country are oppressed, and we are beginning to see the black struggle evolve into an American struggle. There is a common ground for all who are out for the betterment of this country. However we must realize huge sheet of ice. I couldn't believe it. (You would think that hill would be taken care of by the people respon sible for it by at least 8 a.m.) I make it (thank goodness!) to the bottom of the hill, make my turn and encounter bare roads that have been salted and plowed. What a concept. Plowed and salted roads. When I come back around 10:20 a.m., I turn into F-Lot (known to stu dents as the banana lot) hoping and praying that there is parking space. As I am trying to make my way around the loop, my car starts to shimmy again. Once again what looked like ice was a mixture of ice and snow—all the way around the lot. I drive extremely slowly around and make an attempt to find a parking space with no such luck. I turn out on Jordan Road again and head to S- Lot (8.F.E.). The parking lot still hadn't been plowed or salted, so I kept driving my granny-slow style up and down the aisles. No parking spaces for Shannon, so I drove to the Ohio Lot. As I pass Almy Hall, my car starts to fish-tail. collapse. Ask any math teacher and they'll agree - math is cumulative. And at such a young age, why do teachers insist upon "active learning" and "let's learn math together"? Come on, cut the crap, kids need the facts. Ever watch the old "Dragnet" re-runs? Sergeant Joe Friday solved his problems by the "Just the facts, ma'am, just the facts" method. Kids don't know their math facts - not because they're refusing to learn them, but because they're not being taught! This teacher who we had, we'll call Miss Math. My mom asks my brother what he learned in math class one day. His reply was, "The teacher told us all about her cool car and how responsible her kids are." I sympathized with the kid, I went through the same lectures the I'm so perfect and you're not lectures. If a child asks for help in Miss Math's class, she directs him to another student. "I'm busy right now, Jonny, this common ground. We have used racism to fight each other instead of fighting the problem. As an integrated band we should strive to restructure our current social system. We have to start thinking revolu tionary in this new millennium. In doing so we should look toward changing our contemporary ways of thinking. Racism is a fault of igno rance. It is a problem that lies within our mentalities. Racial discrimination and many socioeconomic problems are derivatives of a prejudice mental ity. We will never get rid of these so- We have to start thinking revolutionary in this new mil- lennium cial problems if we don't get rid of the racism within ourselves. It is true that equal opportunity is the key to advancement for underrepresented groups, but programs that are simply (I am only going 7 mph, mind you.) The snow I have encountered is about 3-4 inches deep with ice. I slow down to about 5 mph as I pass Ohio Hall and head to the lowest lot. I feel my car start to slide, and it starts to fish tail again. (The thought that ran through my head was that I was go ing to end up going over the hill.) I take my time as my car stops, and I gently try to drive into the snow and ice covered lot. I end up shimmying into a parking space. Goodness, what an ordeal all for a parking space! I came back to my car about 2 hours later and the snow had been plowed and the ice had been salted. What is going on here? Why couldn't that have been done earlier in the day? Are students not to leave the parking lots earlier than noon? I don't get it. How hard would it be to plow and salt the parking lots before noon, say around 8 a.m.? Apparently too much of an effort. No one on this campus wants to get up before 8 a.m. I know I sure don't, but sometimes you don't have that choice. can you come help Robert with his math?" Guess what, the State of Pennsylvania doesn't pay little Jonny 30 G's a year to help me with my math. Yes folks, this is going on in your schools. I knew going into this editorial that there is much-heated debate about how certain subjects should be taught. Yes, I am fired up about this one teacher. However, not all of them were bad. During my high school years, I found every single teacher I had to be helpful and cooperative. But, "Miss Math" will always stick out in my mind. It only takes one, folks. However, it only takes one to repair the damage to the foundation as well. This semester I have a math 021 teacher who presents the material Joe Friday style clear and concise, just the facts. I must say, I'm pleased with the results. Hey, all a kid needs is a firm foundation. I was just curious, does Behrend offer New Math 101? targeted at fulfilling quotas will never get rid of the underlying problem of racism. Therefore America should use its cultural diversity to its advantage in order to work at understanding cul tural differences. As multicultural in fluence increases, America should concentrate heavily on educating it self about cultural diversity. If this means designing courses in schools exclusively for this purpose, then we need to do so. A new generation is coming up, and some huge measures must be taken to educate them so that the pattern of racism is broken. Racism is a personality complex that is passed down like a genetic trait. Extinguishing it will require serious psychological attention. If we look at it this way we will achieve further steps in destroying racism and at the same time we will be achieving steps in breaking up dysfunctional relations between people period. If we look at the big picture we will see that America is just one big dysfunctional family, and we need counseling. Preju dice is not a matter of color but of ig- norance. Let's attack ignorance in stead of each other. PAGE 8
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