recolc
itY, Florida
drunken blur
went for Spring Break (perhaps because
ly took in some sun). As usual I respond
is is one of the only bits of memory that
pring Break was a drunken blur. From
'ruing, my comrades and I would proceed
stumble to the beer distributor. After a
e would all push on past the Rice Krispie
-k long giving you their damn treats (at
e Krispie Treat again). After bumbling
ss out B.) swim/drown in the ocean, C.)
pt to Play some sporting event. Granted
rry, but I'm sure .I had fun. The nights
alcohol into their systems as quickly as
clubs not seem so bad, some of which
When we finally got into the clubs, we
impress the ladies, though we were so
ese clubs were wearing little or nothing,
to %Lug initiate a dress code like this at
ladies at the clubs, while otherf were
lect few of our group had no atie who
-
d out every night. It didn't reallymatter.
o Florida for Spring Break if you have
Mos_
-..m.
by Mike Frawley
managing editor
While it might not seem as glamorous
or exciting as going to somewhere like
Florida or the Caribbean for Spring Break,
the political science trip to Washington
D.C. was a great experience for everyone
involved. From catching glimpses of fa
mous politicians to enjoying the nightlife,
Washington is one of the most exciting
places on Earth.
Annually, Dr. Robert Speel and Dr. Matt
Davies take a group of 10-12 students to
Washington D.C. to teach them about the
ins and outs of the American political sys
tem. Most of our days were spent taking
the Metro (the excellent Washington D.C.
subway system) to various government
agencies to hear presentations on what they
do. While some of them were more inter
esting than others (the International Mon
etary Fund is not somewhere you go with
out a lot of caffeine), we learned a lot about
how Washington works.
Some of the highlights of our tours in
cluded : Senator Strom Thurmond (the old
est man ever to serve in the U.S. Senate)
shuffling by us in the Senate Office Build
ing saying "Beep, Beep" while being
propped up by a aide, seeing Newt
Gingrich entering a Metro station (who
names their kid Newt?), and according to
all of the women on the trip, the tour of the
Pentagon was very good (even though they
can't remember anything about it except
for the tour guide). As you can see, Dr.
Speel put together a very interesting week
for us.
But we also had time to ourselves dur-
Spring Break 2000 was quite an enjoyable expe
ence for many Behrend students. Take a look at
some of the trips different Behrend students tookl
on their week away from the stress of college life.
Washington D.C.
Left: A view of the U.S. Capitol from
the Library of Congress. The students
rode the subway that the members of
Congress use.
Top Right: Two students spent Friday at
Baltimore's Inner Harbor...they got
Center Right: Behrend students walk
(till their feet fell off) to the Supreme
Court.
Bottom Right: Mike Frawley, Matt
Wiertel and Katie Galley stand in front
of the office of Senator Strom
Thurmond, who said "Beep Beep" when
he met the group of Behrend students.
ing the week. We had almost every night
to ourselves and all day on Friday to go
off and do things on our own. And when
you're our age and in D.C., there is always
something to do. One of the first nights
there, a group of us went to dinner at the
D.C. Hard Rock Cafe and wandered
around downtown D.C. while gawking at
the FBI building. Later in the week, four
people (myself included) went to see a
play at an experimental theater, which if
you have never seen a play at an experi
mental theater, make sure you have a
strong stomach.
On Friday, with an entire day to our
selves, I took advantage of our close prox
imity to Baltimore to spend the day there
with my fiance. Baltimore has to be one
of the most beautiful cities in the U.S. If
you have never been to visit the Inner
Harbor there, I highly recommend it. Just
make sure you have plenty of time to take
it all in. Also on Friday, there was a Wash
ington Wizards game that many students
went to and greatly enjoyed (hoping for a
sighting of Michael Jordan the entire
night). Unfortunately, I'm not really into
pro basketball, so I had to force myself to
spend Friday night in Georgetown. While
I remember that Georgetown was fun, the
details are kinda blurry.
All in all, this was a great trip. And for
the price, there is nothing better that you
can do during Spring Break. I'm sure that
Dr. Speel and Dr. Davies are getting geared
up again for next year's trip, so make sure
that you sign up early as seats go fast. And
who knows, I'll be working down there
next year, so maybe I'll be one of your
tour guides?