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iT Beacon
} A PENN STATE ERIE STUDENT PUBLICATION
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FALL 21100
TODAY : Partly Sunny
Check page 2 for
weekend forecast
PAGE 7
With the small growth in
enrollment, Behrend hasn't
accounted for the parking that
commuters and residents must
struggle to find before
class begins.
PAGE 8
Enter the Beacon’s road trip
contest where you can win $250
for simply cruisin’ the country.
PAGE 9
We break down the top movies
expected to hit the box office
this fall. Check to see which
is the one to see.
ALSO...enter the Beacon’s weekly
poll about entertainment in
our society.
PAGE 10
h,;i Spoas hv'Yicw: 81010!'
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XLVIII No. 2
Getting Better
High - 86
Low - 68
The elevator in the Stairtower is set to be completed by the end of September.
Bush f Nader and Gore’s daughter speak to Erie community
by Mike Frawley
and Erin McCurdy
managing editor and staff writer
With a Presidential election
occurring in less than 3 months,
campaigning is now in full swing.
With a good possibility that this could
be a very close election, both Vice
President Gore and Governor Bush
are trying to gain every vote possible.
Many political analysts are saying that
Pennsylvania could fall in either camp
this time around, so both candidates
will be campaigning hard in this area.
In the past week, three different
parties have made stops in Erie.
After originally planning only to
come to town for a closed speech at
“Our goal over the next few years is to
George W. Bush
eum
Dr. Jack Burke, Senior Associate Provost and Dean
the Blasco Memorial Library, George
W. Bush changed his plans and held
a public rally at the Erie National
Airport on Wednesday, August 30.
After being delayed almost an hour,
a cheering crowd greeted Governor
Bush and Erie native Governor Tom
Ridge as they descended from the
Bush/Cheney 2000 campaign jet to
give a few remarks to the crowd.
After a warm introduction by
Governor Ridge, who welcomed his
friend of twenty years to his
hometown, Bush took centerstage to
talk to his gathered supporters. Bush
talked about his plans to cut taxes,
increase military spending, and return
control of people’s social security
money to them for their own
investment. He also made a few
thinly veiled jabs to President Clinton,
promising to return intregity and
September 1,2000
9'-
Governor Tom Ridge are welcomed at the Erie Airport.
Enrollment takes back
seat to renovations
by Liz Hayes
news editor
Students returning to campus after
a long summer away were confronted
with piles of dirt, construction crews,
and yards of caution tape. Also
abundant, however, were signs of
change and progress, demonstrating
the massive amount of renovation
and growth encompassing the
campus. In order to keep pace with
the rise in student population, the
campus has been building up and
building out in the past few years - a
trend that will continue for some time
to come
In the next few issues, the Beacon
will be further exploring the
developments, renovations, and
construction happening around the
little world called Penn State Erie,
The Behrend College. This week, the
focus will be on student enrollment
and the more immediate renovations
students will be encountering in their
day-by-day academic routines.
“Our goal over the next few years
is to concentrate on getting better, not
bigger,” stated Dr. Jack Burke, senior
associate provost and senior associate
dean. Many students have been
commenting on the seeming
explosion of people on campus this
semester: “I can't believe how many
'new people there are around here -
lining up in Bruno’s, combing the
parking lots, clogging the hallways
in Academic. Where did they come
from?” asks Gretchen Lokey, a
Behrend student. Actually, according
to Burke, enrollment is only up about
150 people from last year, for a grand
total of approximately 3,800 students.
An official university number will not
be available until early in October as
late add-drop is still occurring, Burke
adds. There are about 870 first year
students here this for the fall
semester, and approximately 1,500
students are living on campus.
In the coming weeks...
Technology Upgrades
New baseball and softball fields / The ARC
Logan House renovations, Chapel and Bell Tower,
Knowledge Park
The next 5 years
O'i 2DOO
Until the Research and
Development Center (REDC), the
next academic building in the plans,
is completed, the campus would like
enrollment levels to remain as they are.
“When [the REDC] Building is funded
by the state, the university will also
begin planning additional on-campus
housing,” Burke said.
There are many renovations,
however, that have already been
completed, and several more that
should be completed within the next
few weeks. Many of the renovations
that have been completed are of the
type that affect students on a daily
basis, but may easily be overlooked
and taken for granted. These
improvements are largely in the form
of new air conditioning, lighting, and
appearance.
Air conditioning was installed in all
of the classrooms, laboratories, and
offices of the Otto Behrend Science
Building. Also, the ceilings and lights
were replaced throughout the building.
In Turnbull, air conditioning should
be up and running by the end of this
week in all of the classrooms,
according to Mr. John Ream, director
of operations. Also, lighting in the
classrooms has been replaced.
In the Nick Building, Phase 111 of
an intensive modernization project
was completed this summer. These
renovations are courtesy of a National
Science Foundation Academic-
Research Infrastructure grant totaling
$211,000 - a grant that the University
matched, said Dr. Larry Eckroat,
associate professor of biology. Phase
I occurred in 1995, including
renovations of the south side of lower
Nick, and Phase II was completed last
year, during which a lab at the east end
of the building was divided into two
advanced biology labs. Phase 111 was
Growth continued on page 2
honor to the office of President if he
is elected.
Karenna Gore
On Thursday, August 23, Vice
President Gore’s daughter, Karenna
Gore, held a rally in Erie at East High
School. Orginally Tipper Gore, the
wife of the Vice President, was
scheduled to come to Erie, but a bout
with the flu sent his daughter to Erie
in her place. Pro-Life protesters were
out in force during the rally, but a
enthusiastic crowd greeted Karenna
and all of the major Democractic
officals in Erie, led by Mayor Joyce
Savoccio as they took the stage.
Chanting of “More with Gore” greeted
the opening remarks of the Mayor,
Campaign continued on pg. 2
12 pages