Year in
T’fie (Beacon Cooks Sack
on an eventfuC year at
(Befirena
Miller named
Dean of Students
After a long search for a permanent Dean of Students, the search committee announced
its choice Friday, February 11. Ken Miller is now able to remove the
“interim” from his title, as he has been selected
permanent Dean of Students, a position he ha:
temporarily since Dr. Chris Reber, the current
for advancement and university relations, left
1998.
The search for a new dean had been ongoin;
since September 1999, when a national postin;
for the position was made and the school beg.
accepting resumes from applicants. A search
committee was formed to make a final
decision. This committee was chaired by
Dr. Mike Chiteman, head of the Division m
of Undergraduate Studies. The
other members of the committee
included: Greg Fowler, Lecturer in English; Andrea DiPlacido, student and SGA president;
Stacy McCoy, accounting clerk and Student Activities staff assistant; Chris Rizzo, director
of Student Activities; Ed Blaguszewski, manager of Publications and University Relations;
Janique Caffie, director of Educational Equity Programs; and Brian Streeter, director of
Athletics.
After reviewing all of the applicants, the choice was narrowed down to three finalists.
These finalists were then interviewed on-campus over the month of February, meeting with
the committee and various student and faculty groups. The position was then offered to
and accepted byMiller.
Miller brings a great amount of zeal and energy to the position and is committed to
working closely with students for the betterment of the campus. “Students need to know
and understand that they can make a difference, but they have to get involved and care
about what happens here,” Miller said.
Miller’s job entails a great deal of work. The Dean of Students oversees various
departments, such as the Health and Wellness Center, the Child Care Center, the Student
Activities Office, the Career Development Center, Campus Life, Employment Equity, and
Personal Counseling. But according to Miller, “the most important part of the job is
working with the students.”
SG A holds much debated election
which also had a decent turnout.
Much controversy revolved around this year’s elections. The Blair/Frawley ticket was
accused of using inappropriate campaign tactics, and Skillen’s candidacy was called into
question due to stipend stipulation that he did not meet.
Train rocks Erie Hall
The concert featuring Train and Angry Salad, “The Milkshake Song” was the
Salad on October 29 was a big hit with the height of the show,
community around Behrend. The concert However, the wait seemed extremely
actually sold out despite only half of Erie long for the main act of the night, Train.
Hall being filled up. The continuing theme The band performed a 12-song main act
of Erie being a great place dominated the followed by a 2-song encore. Fans were
very entertaining concert. The lead singer very intrigued to hear that an acoustic
of Train, Patrick Monahan, is originally album is on its way. “Flatfoot,”
long off of that
mm, was played
toward the end of
the show.
The most
enjoyable part of
the show was
when the band
played the song
‘Train.” It was
played as it is on
the album until the
guitar solo. From
rom Erie, and many friends and family then on, it was a mix between Kid Rock,
ame out to see this local face. Kenny G., and a Latin music type.
The show started off with a performance Monahan sang the chorus of Kid Rock’s
by the Boston band Angry Salad. They “Cowboy," then showed his skills on the
combined some rap-flavored beats with tenor saxophone. Monahan playing bongos
pure rock music. For many people attend- followed this. A close second to this
ing, this was their first exposure to the band, performance was an edition of the favorite
For those who were familiar with Angry “I Want You to Want Me.”
In an overwhelming victory, Jen Miles and Clint
Skillen beat Demian Blair and Mike Frawley for the
positions of Student Government Association
president and vice president, respectively.
Voter turnout was at a record of over 500 - a turnout
that hasn’t been matched in recent history. And of the
490 votes cast for the presidential/vice presidential
ticket, over 401 went to Miles and Skillen.
SGA held a debate on April 3 between the two
presidential and two vice presidential candidates,
(A year of renovations andgrowth
Ohio Hall opens doors
With the beginning of the 1999 fall semester came the opening of Ohio Hall to
236 students.
The $ll million building was scheduled to be completed in June. After some
glitches, the hall was near completion for the students that moved in for the 1999-
2000 school year.
The 64 single rooms, seven Resident Assistance (R.A.) rooms, four special needs
single rooms, 44 four-student suites, two double rooms and four special needs
double rooms added some necessary space for the growing number of students
attending Behrend.
A dedication for Ohio Hall took place on Sunday, September 12, 1999 at 2:00
p.m.
Registrar moves to Jordan Road
Students returned to campus in the fall to learn that the Registrar’s Office had
moved from the Otto Behrend Science Building to the building on Jordan Road
formerly occupied by the Continuing and Distance Education Center (which
moved to Mack House, next to Logan House on Station Road).
John Ream, director of operations for Behrend, said, “The main reason for the
move of the Registrar’s Office was to provide space for a badly needed class
rooms in the Otto Behrend Science Building.” Also a consideration in the move
was the growing size of the school and the cramped space in which the office had
been previously located.
Diane Nowacinski, registration coordinator, said, “We had outgrown our old
facility. We had been there for the past thirteen years.”
This new location gives the Registrar’s Office the greater space that it needs to
deal with the ever-growing amount of students that are attending Behrend.
While this was a positive move for the office, students have been complaining
about the distance they have to travel to reach the new location. Nowacinski said, “while this was a positive move, lam still concerned about
students having to cross Jordan Road to get here.”
This is only to be a temporary move for the Registrar’s Office. The building which they occupy now will have to be torn down sometime in
the future for the planned highway that will be going through the area.
Knowledge Park continues to grow
Knowledge Park has continued its development over this past summer. It now contains two tenants, Aalborg Industries and the GE e
commerce team, with more groups looking into becoming part of Knowledge Park. After opening in January of 1999, Knowledge Park has
been attracting interest from many groups, and the school is preparing for further expansion.
Knowledge Park is a research and development program on the Penn State Behrend campus. It was created to enable knowledge based
organizations to be able to locate closer to the school and allow them to take better advantage of the College’s intellectual and physical
resources. The organizations that are based in Knowledge Park will be closely linked to Penn State Behrend’s technology transfer, applied
research, and education and outreach services in order to accelerate competitive advantages for the organizations and help create greater
regional economic development.
Knowledge Park was created to benefit the campus and also the community as a whole. It will enable students at Behrend to perform
internships with the companies that are working in Knowledge Park, creating new educational experience for students. Employees of
Knowledge Park will also be able to conduct classes for students dealing with the work that their company performs. The organizations
will also benefit from being located in Knowledge Park. They will have access to graduate students, education, and training and support
programs connected with the school. Telecommunications and distance education programs will also be available to the organizations at
Knowledge Park.
The ARC to arrive on campus
Slated for completion in November of building. regulation basketball courts, all separated by
2000, Behrend’s Athletic and Recreational The center will cost well over $l2 million netting, and bleachers to accommodate
Center (ARC) will enable students to by the time the equipment is bought, but the 2,000 spectators. This space will be utilized
exercise and enjoy aquatic sports right here ARC is a state building, which means it during special events and graduation. In
on campus.
The multipurpose building
is currently under construc
tion east of the library, and
will be divided into two
sections. If facing Jordan
Road, the gymnasium will
be to the right and the
exercise rooms and offices
will be to the left. In the equipment and
future, we will walk through televisions to be
the building on a walkway used free of charge
that continues from the by the university
library’s main walkway. students. Also in
Builders have been clearing the land for the receives some funding out of the Depart- this area will be large spaces for aerobic
erection of the 73,000-sq. ft. building. ment of General Services. The ARC is the classes, locker rooms, offices and class-
The Celli-Flynn Architecture Firm out of third state building on campus following the rooms. Also, the ARC will have an eight-
Pittsburgh, under the supervision of lead Nick and the Library/Academic buildings. lane, Olympic-sized pool,
architect Tom Celli, designed the $l2 million The center will host three full size,
Review
\ I*l
BY LIZ HAYES AND JASON SNYDER
addition to this, a
three-lane track will
be built around the
In the lower end
of the recreational
center, a large
exercise facility will
be built with all new