( : ' >!'. t» A View From The Lighthouse I’m sorry, that space is reserved for the bulldozer Well another year is off to its usual start, and many of you who have been here in past years are going to recognize this editorial, since we at the Beacon run one on this topic at the beginning of every year, but since there are 1100 new students who have yet to hear our wisdom, we are going to trot this one out again. So what is this magical topic you ask? Well here it is: Are we growing too fast? We at the Beacon like to see our school doing well, and a sign of doing well is that many people want to attend your school. But maybe a line needs to be drawn somewhere--this is the most crowded we’ve ever seen this campus. The campus continues to add more and more students every semester, but has not increased space to keep up. Parking is an unimaginable mess. Spending a half an hour looking for a space that is so far from your class that you need to pack a lunch for the trip from your car is ridiculous, and that’s at 9:00 in the morning. Bruno’s is always so packed you need an hour just to get through line and it is cold by the time you can find a seat (and the food is bad enough hot). Many people were unable to get housing on campus, and dial-up Internet connections, which were just upgraded last year, are again constantly busy. But hey, the more, the merrier right? I know that the administration would say that everything is fine, but let’s be realistic here. Some places that we use for classes now need to be condemned. Turnbull, no matter what kind of renovations they do to it, will always be a bam. It needs to be torn down, and the space can be used for some more constructive purpose. Our professors deserve better than the “temporary” teacher offices in the annex trailers that tend to remind me of portable classrooms at some over crowded inner city school. Remodeling of various places around campus does not add much needed space. Anyone taking a class in Library 12 will agree. Just The Behrend Beacon published weekly by the students of Penn State Erie, The Behrend College Editor-in-Chief Jason Snyder Managing Editor Michael rrawley News Editor Liz Hayes Editorial Page Editor Katie Galley Features Editors Karl Benacci Jermaine Hardy Arts & Entertainment Editor Deanna Symoski Sports Editor Doug Smith Wire Service Editor Rob Wynne Calendar Page Editor Nicole Greene Photo Editors Jeff Miller Becky Weindorf Associate Editor Libbie Johnson Copy Editor Paige Miles 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. because you get rid of tables and replace them with a lot of desks doesn't create more space, it just makes the room more crowded and uncomfortable. As Behrend struggles to grow into the new millennium, something needs to be done to accommodate these growing numbers of students. A simple parking garage would help to end some of the most pressing parking issues, and in coming years new residence halls will need to be added. More classroom space would also be greatly appreciated. I know that many people attend Behrend because of the low teacher to student ratio in classes, but that seems to only be in upper division classes. Upgrades in computers across campus are badly needed. The Ethernet jacks that were to go into the Reed Commons are still missing, but at least we have automatic lights in the science building! Arguments have been put forth that Behrend's natural beauty needs to be preserved when any expansion is considered, but expansion needs to be done. Behrend is a great school, but blind expansion will quickly downgrade any advances we might have made over the past few years. Behrend could be the gem of the Penn State system, but not if visitors can’t find a parking spot to be able to even check out the campus. Advertising Manager Kim Zuck Business Manager Kristine Harakal Office Manager Kevin Bruner Public Relations Manager Ainslie Ulmer Secretary Melissa Proba Advisor Robert Speel 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. Pd ■mmitMuaSbrn !'f Students, facility and staff, this is your chance to iet your voice he heard! ‘this space is reserved every week to print what you think and how youfeei about the campus. Qood or had, iet us know how youfeei about issues invoicing the campus, Erie or even things you read in the ‘Beacon. Don’t miss your opportunity, everyone is iistening! Letter 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. College, a monopoly on truth? The summer .. , went by very fast, DetOUVS aUCI ii'L=°” Small Potatoes rrlr^KatieGalley next that I was ,: a packing up my room to come back to school. And I’m happy that it’s time for classes to start again, because my brain was turning to mush. The same old monotony at work was really getting to me. Doing mindless tasks that could have been done by a trained monkey was mildly tolerable, at best. At least when I am in class, I feel like I am doing something stimulating. And everyone repeat it with me, class is fun! When we as students are in class, we are being trained to take on tasks that will come after our college education. Yes, I am referring to that thing called the real world. And don’t get me wrong, I am excited about getting out there. I just hope that I can make it through my college career without being completely brainwashed and warped. Now before everyone gets all in a huff that I am saying negative things about Behrend, simmer down now, because I’m not. All I am really saying is that when we are in college, we get a hundred new ideas thrown at us every day. And new ideas and thought patterns are a great thing. However, don’t let all the new information that you are taking in change the way that you believe. Remaining true to yourself is going to be one of the hardest things that you will have to face in college. Sure, there is the % g •> f THe cu tV ot 1 To Y oU At 5f A ‘ QuT ? LETTERS TO THE EDITOR temptation of alcohol, drugs and sex, but k the thing to be aware of the most is the I fact that some people are going to try K and change you, both consciously and K unconsciously. Not to say that anyone that you will encounter in college will be L an enemy, because there are I thousands of wonderful people P on this campus. Just not all of | them think like you. And that’s ok too. It doesn’t become troublesome until someone questions your way of thinking, and then you in turn, question it too. For example, did you know that at some of the country’s largest college campuses, some professors like to ask new students, “Do you believe in God?" To me, it seems wrong for a professor to want to challenge your beliefs. While that has never happened to me personally, at least not while at this campus, I have had other incidents of ‘personal beliefs being challenged,’ yes, right here at Behrend. And while said challenges will be further left unmentioned specifically, it has happened. I was just lucky that I have, thus far, come out remaining true to my own mind. People can be very persuasive at times. And resisting charming people can be hard too. Especially if those people seem like they want to be your friend. And while I am not naming any certain groups here on campus, there are organizations that seem to want to take you the way you are, only to change you and mold you into what they desire you to be. Does it seem like I am talking FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2000 in code? Please don’t think that I am pointing fingers saying, “Liar,” because I’m not. College can just be a very confusing time where all sorts of people and things want to influence you to think a certain way. These challenging and confusing thoughts can come from students, professors, staff, and even friends. It can come from administrators and even from higher ups than that. With all of these outside influences you might wonder what you can do to keep your mind focused on what you believe. And the answer to that is a sad one; there’s not much you can do other than to remember what you stand for and don’t be afraid to defend what you believe in. Time, you will soon find out, is a precious commodity in college. So before you spend your time pondering over all the new ideas your are receiving in your eager, sponge-like mind, take a few minutes each day to remind yourself what is important to you. Also take the time to find out whether or not people are sincere. Don’t be so willing to put yourself on the line for people who probably couldn’t care less. And don’t be so willing to take everyone’s words at face value. Hopefully you made it this far without being terrified. This really wasn’t meant to frighten anyone. College is supposed to be the best times of our lives, and with an open mind and a little self-knowledge it can be. Just remain true to your heart and your mind and you’ll make it through with an extra encyclopedia sized book of knowledge and a clearer understanding of who you are and what you believe.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers