THE BEHRENC
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A PENN STATE ERIE STUDENT PUBLICATION
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December I.
INSIDE
PAGE 3A
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Dr. John Beaumont presents
“Building a Bridge
Among Faculty, Students, and
Industry during
Provost’s Speaker Series.
PAGE 9A
INSIDE THE
NEWS
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WORLD S NATION... “A
NATION A L < : A M FI, S A A
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
MARK YOTIt OJFNTMT., H
EDITORIAL
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FEATURES
KUfT HAIW.NINUS.... ISA
SPORTS
BEHREND S FORTS 1!
N.-VnONAt. SPORTS 4!
NEWSROOM: 898-6488
FAX US: 898-6019
Offices are located downstairs in
Reed Union Building
XLVIII No. 12
Child Care Center to close in 2001
by Katie Galley
editorial page editor
When the Eastside Access Highway
cuts through Behrend in summer
2001, it will run directly across the
existing site of the Behrend Child
Care Center. When students return for
classes in the fall, it’s possible that on
campus child care will no longer be
available.
Located on Station Road, just half
a mile south of the entrance to
campus, the Penn State Child Care
Soccer star
Chastain
speaks at
Behrend
by Jason Snyder
editor-in-chief
United States women’s soccer
player Brandi Chastain spoke to a
large audience of Behrend students,
young athletes and parents on
Thursday, November 16, 2000, as
part of Behrend’s “The American
Dream in the New Millenium,
Speaker Series.” Chastain spoke
about being unselfish, following
your dreams, and making an impact
on the people around you.
Chastain opened her speech by
passing around her Olympic gold
medal from the Atlanta Games in
1996 and her silver medal that she
recently won in Sydney. She said
that her medals are a way to thank
the people that supported the
women’s soccer team these past
years.
Chastain began by telling a story
about a 6-year old girl that went to a
local elementary school to sign up
for a sport that she never played
before. The girl walked onto the field
with her socks pulled up to her knees
with plastic soccer shoes covering
her small feet. The girl “fell in love
CHASTAIN
continued on page 5A
Behrend traditions kept alive
Campus community starts holiday celebrations with 13th annual Dinner for Six Strangers
by Christine Kleck
associate editor
Members of the Behrend
Community were recently welcomed
to enjoy the thirteenth annual
“Thanksgiving Dinner for Six
Strangers.” On Tuesday, November
14, over 140 students, faculty, and
staff joined together to celebrate
Thanksgiving as a community in the
Reed Union Building Commons.
Several years ago, when the idea
began, faculty, staff, and
administrators invited members of the
Behrend community to their own
Center is in danger of losing not only
its current residence, but a new one
too. While it has been decided that the
current center is being closed down
this summer, it has not been decided
if it is going to be rebuilt in a new
location.
The decision whether or not to open
a new center will ultimately be made
by Provost and Dean John Lilley. He
will not be making the decision on his
own though; Lilley will be getting
input from a Faculty Committee as to
whether or not it is in the best interest
A ****** f i
Brandi Chastain, a member of the United States national soccer team, spoke at Behrend on Thursday.
Chastain, most commonly known for her game winning goal against China in the 1999 Women’s
World Cup, spoke about following dreams, making a difference, and teamwork. Here, Chastain shows
off her Olympic gold and silver medals that she won in Atlanta and Sydney. She passed her medals
around in appreciation for the support women’s soccer has received the past few years.
homes for a Behrend Thanksgiving
celebration. Due to transportation
problems in getting home for the
holiday and the increasing popularity
of the event, the tradition became one
that the school took over. Several
years ago, the dinner was moved to
campus where everyone could be
together. Sponsored by the Office of
Student Activities with a meal
prepared by the Behrend Housing and
Food Services, this event has become
a popular and very meaningful
tradition for many.
The evening began with a welcome
and a nametag from one of Behrend’s
November 17, 2000
of the College to keep the center open.
The Committee, which is chaired
by Associate Professor of History Dr.
John Rossi, is meeting to look into
whether or not the college should
provide on- campus child care to
students, staff, and faculty. The
committee will take into consideration
the financial costs of replacing the
center with a new one, and what other
projects could be done on campus
with the money that the Pennsylvania
Department of Transportation is
providing the University for use of the
many Lion Ambassadors. Then, at
5:30 p.m., all were invited to socialize
intheWintergarden. Various cheeses,
crackers, punch, and cider were
served to the guests as they mingled.
This activity encouraged the faculty,
students, and staff in attendance to
meet new people and hopefully make
some new friends in the Behrend
community.
Around 6:00 p.m., all were invited
to find their designated table. The
number that appeared on each of the
guest’s nametags corresponded with
the table at which they were to enjoy
their meal. Six seats at each table
Penn Dot will give Behrend
$900,000 for the use of the land that
the center currently stands on.
However, the estimated cost of
building a new center is 1.2 million
dollars, and Behrend still owes
$450,000 to University Park from the
purchase of the existing center.
Director of Student Affairs Ken Miller
reports that while a new location has
been picked out for a new center and
blueprints have been drawn, there is
just not enough money to construct a
made for a chance to meet and
socialize with five other people
throughout the course of the evening.
The Lion Ambassadors one by one
invited each group to the buffet table.
Salad and the traditional turkey, gravy,
stuffing, mashed potatoes, and
cranberry sauce were all part of the
holiday buffet. Upon completion of
their dinners, the guests were each
given a piece of pumpkin pie to top
off the meal.
As the last of the dishes were
DINNER
continued on page 5A
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ÜBRARY
20 pages - 2 SECTIONS
new center at this time
However, Miller insists that the
University is not simply tearing down
the center while not considering a new
one: “we have been actively working
on this problem all summer, drawing
up plans for a new center and trying
to find donors, it simply is a funding
issue." At this time there have been
22 prospective donors, seven of which
CHILDCARE CENTER
continued on page 5A
Theta Phi
sanctioned
over hazing
violations
by Mike Frawley
managing editor
The Behrend chapter of Theta Phi
Alpha was put on probation this past
May and received serious sanctions
from their parent organization for haz
ing that occurred during the last
school year. The national office im
posed this probation and sanctions
after various students came forward
and reported that they had been hazed
as part of their induction into the so
rority. The names of the people in
volved in this incident are being with
held by the University due to pend
ing judicial review.
The current Theta Phi Alpha presi
dent at Behrend, Megan Horanic, re
fused to comment on the situation.
Recently a group of Theta Phi Alpha
sisters submitted a letter to the editor
dealing with hazing (Are you a luizer'!
11/3/00) which was printed at the re
quest of Linda Lombardi, Associate
Dean of Student Affairs.
Theta Phi Alpha is the newest so
rority on campus, having had a chap
ter at Behrend for the past five years.
Theta Phi has a “Meet the sisters of
Theta Phi” party planned to take place
in the Backroom on Monday, Novem
ber 20, 2000 at 8:00pm.
Shawna Pelasky, coordinator of
Greek life at Behrend, informed Theta
Phi Alpha’s national office of these
hazing allegations, and after an inves
tigation, the national office stated that,
“[the] Gamma Alpha chapter is not
implementing the My Sister, My
Friend program correctly and that its
sisters fail to understand that hazing
is not allowed under any circum
stances.” The national office then
placed Theta Phi Alpha on probation
from May 2000 to July 2001.
The national office also imposed a
series of fourteen sanctions on the
Behrend chapter. Failure to comply
with any of the sanctions could result
in the closing of Behrend’s Theta Phi
chapter. The entire executive board
from last year was removed from of
fice, and no one on that executive
board is allowed to hold office dur
ing the term of the probation.
The chapter was also required to
take part in various educational pro
grams. All members are required to
sign a “I Will Not Haze/I Will Not Be
Hazed” form both semesters of this
academic year. And most signifi
cantly, the chapter is not allowed to
take a Pledge Sister class for fall 2000,
HAZING VIOLATIONS
continued on page 5 A