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INSIDE
PAGE 6A
Behrend students offer their
service throughout the com
munity by sharing their time
and holiday cheer for those
who need it. A look at the
season of giving through
pictures
PAGE 12A
Mike Frawley shares his final
thoughts about Behrend life
in his final editorial for the
Beacon. We say goodbye to
the man behind the bitchin'.
PAGE 16A
Credit card use and budgeting
for holiday shopping
NEWS
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N ‘l.lW ' o\ AL( Y. 10 1 91 s
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
NIA K 01 C
EDITORIAL
FEATURES
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SPORTS
twintrNo , , „,
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NEWSROOM: 898-6488
FAX US: 898-6019
Offices are located downstairs in
Reed Union Building
XLVIII No. 14
season,
celebrations
BY ABIGAIL LONG / ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
It is possible to be seeing yule logs, rabbit
hunts, fasting, a menorah, and a Christmas
tree, and other traditions, among the many
diverse groups on campus to celebrate this
holiday season. Behrend has many differ
ent cultures, religions, and ethnicities rep
resented on campus. Therefore, it is fitting
that this diverse population approaches the
holiday season with different stories, expe
riences, and expectations.
If the time is taken, one can learn a vast
amount about the different traditions that
people follow. Yule, also known as Yule
tide or Alban Arthan Winter Solstice, is a
Wiccan holiday. This is held in order to cel
ebrate the longest night of the year, for it
brings increasing daylight. This increasing
daylight is viewed as renewal and the chance
to see the world as a child once again. One
of their primary traditions is the burning of
the Yule log. This log is always oak, and is
saved from year to year. It signifies that there
will be a great source of fuel for the dura
tion of the winter.
Some Native Americans, primarily the
: ehrend's financial future calls for controlled growth
by Mike Frawley
managing editor
Growth at Behrend is to be very
controlled for the next few years.
Because of the severe space
constraints on campus, there is no
room to take on new students. The
budget growth model takes this into
account, and Behrend will have no
problems coping with these growth
constraints for the next few years.
Behrend operates on a budget
growth model which began in 1997.
This system, called the enrollment
growth model, has been used for quite
some time by various commonwealth
campuses, and according to Jack
Burke, Senior Associate Dean and
Provost, it is serving us very well
compared to the old model.
Many faculty, staff, and students
have lately expressed concern over
the growth budget model, saying that
Behrend's current facilities cannot
support any more growth and that the
schools' funding will suffer because
we cannot grow any more with our
Hopi tribe, celebrate Soyalangwu or Soya( for
short. This lasts for 16 days and is held around
the Winter Solstice. During this period of
time, the tribe makes "prayer sticks," and car
ries out purification rituals and a rabbit hunt.
After the hunt concludes, a feast is held. This
holiday is a good time to teach children re
spect, for there is no loud noise or running.
They believe loud behavior is self-centered;
therefore it is prohibited during the 16-day cel
ebration. Other tribes also observe both the
summer and winter solstices, including the
Pueblo tribe.
The idea that suffering is universal, the be
lief that the cause of suffering is ignorance,
that ignorance can be overcome, and one can
only overcome ignorance by use of the Eight
fold Path are the governing ideas over the cel
ebration of Bodhi Day. Bodhi Day is observed
on December 8, or the Sunday immediately
preceding. This holiday is observed in order
to remember the enlightenment of Buddha in
the Buddhist religion.
Nkiru Chukwumah, a B ehrend student from
Nigeria, celebrates not only Christmas Day,
facilities
Burke said that this was not true,
and that there was nothing to worry
about. The Behrend budget model
works as follows. Each year Behrend
receives a base amount of money
based on the previous year's
enrollment. If enrollment goes up,
then Behrend receives the money
from the extra students as part of a
temporary fund. At the end of the
school year Behrend can decide to
have University Park up the base
amount by however many extra
students that they had. This would
then become the base amount for the
next school year. There is risk
involved in this model, because if
enrollment does drop below the base
level then Behrend does lose money.
Behrend compensates for this by
always leaving a cushion in the
temporary fund. But in the four years
Behrend has been using this model
enrollment has not dropped.
Behrend also receives budget
money from the annual tuition
increase. The money gained from
DECEMBER 8, 2000
ABOVE: The Christmas tree in
Bruno's represents life through
the Christmas holiday. LEFT:
Kwanzaa, as celebrated at
Behrend, is a holiday tradition
in the African American com
munity. Here, Behrend stu
dents join together for a cel
ebration in the Reed Commons
on December 7.
but also Boxing Day. On Christmas in Ni
geria, the women gather and cook dishes.
Then, they take these dishes to share with
the community. Chukwumah says, "it is a
very family-oriented event." That night
there is a lot of dancing, and everything is
very colorful. Then, on December 26, Box
ing Day, the gifts are given. Most impor
tant though is family.
Many African-Americans use a holiday,
Kwanzaa, as a time to celebrate family.
They consider Kwanzaa not only a holiday,
but also a way of life. It is a time to relate
to their past, understand the present, and
deal with the future. Dr. Maulana Ron
Karenga initiated it on December 26, 1966.
The idea behind Kwanzaa is referred to as
the Kawaida theory. This theory proclaims
that social change can occur through the
realization and celebration of their cultural
heritage.
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Mus-
CELEBRATIONS
this goes for faculty salary increases
and upkeep for new buildings such
as the new Athletic and Recreation
Center.
Under Behrend's old budget
system all of the money that was
collected at Behrend was sent to
University Park. Then, Behrend
would have to ask the University for
the money back. Behrend was last
in line behind all of the other colleges
at University Park, so getting any
money back was difficult for Behrend
to do. Under this new system,
Behrend gets to keep and use much
more money.
Both Burke and Dean of Student
Affairs Ken Miller have stated that
enrollment will not be increasing
until new facilities go online. Miller
said, "next year's freshman class will
be the same size or smaller than this
year's class." Class sizes at Behrend
are some of the lowest in the Penn
State system, with an average of 27
students per class, and only 5% of
classes at Behrend have over 50
students.
continued on page 3A
Miller said that Behrend is raising
admission requirements to keep
enrollment from increasing. Besides
helping to keep enrollment under
control, raising admission standards
will help to increase the quality of
students that come to Behrend.
Miller explained that a great deal
of growth is planned for the school
so that more students can be
accommodated. Enrollment will be
able to increase as soon as the new
Research and Economic
Development Center opens. It is
tentatively scheduled to open in
January 2004, and will hold its first
classes fall semester of 2004. The
Engineering and Business Schools
will move into the REDC, allowing
the School of Science to take over the
old Engineering and Business areas
in the Hammermill building. This
will greatly increase the classroom
space for all three schools and allow
more students to attend Behrend.
Also, it will allow the college to move
most faculty members out of trailers
and into proper offices in the new
20 pages - 2 SECTIONS
Diversity
spreads
at forum
Students share
concerns at 'Talk
Back to the Beacon'
by Paige Miles
copy editor
Nearly 20 Behrend students sat in front of a panel of
Beacon editors in the MISC studio Tuesday night,
December 5. The purpose of the forum was to "Talk
Back to the Beacon," concerning issues of diversity in
the newspaper and at Behrend.
Jermaine Hardy, programs chairman of the National
Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) and features co
editor of the Beacon, began the night by asking, "how
can a more diverse reflection be represented in our
newspaper?" Hardy came up with the idea for the forum
after controversy between the Beacon and different
organizations occurred.
The moderator for the forum, Gary N. Horton,
executive director of the Urban Area Community
Development Corporation, called on those attending
to voice their opinions. Some suggested that the
"Question of the Week" in the Beacon should be
emailed to students for response to gain a more diverse
reflection. Also, it was brought up that the photographer
and journalist should travel to the engineering buildings
rather than staying in Reed to ask the questions.
Representatives from Women Today, National
Society of Black Engineers, Association of Black
Collegians, College Democrats. Gospel Choir, Student
Government Association, and Student Activities
commented on the lack of diversity of coverage in the
Beacon. They suggested reporters from the newspaper
should attend more diverse events in order to write more
multicultural oriented articles. It was asked if the
newspaper would allow different organizations to write
their own articles for publication in order to raise
awareness of various events and happenings around
campus.
Some felt that the Beacon tends to ignore minority
groups and events in the weekly paper and should put
more articles concerning these organizations. A few
TALK BACK TO THE BEACON
complex.
Also, an enlargement is planned for
the Academic Building to increase
classroom space for the School of
Humanities and Social Sciences.
There is no room for H&SS to
increase the number of classes that
they offer, so after the REDC
complex is complete, new space will
be added on to the Academic
Building.
Housing is also a problem on
campus, with no room to
accommodate any more students. A
full renovation and addition is
planned for Perry Hall over the
summer of 2002. This addition will
add 150 additional beds to the
building, and the renovation will
update all of the network connections
and install a new sprinkler system.
While Behrend might be done
growing for the time being, a great
number of improvements are being
planned to allow Behrend a great deal
of future growth, and compared to the
old budget system, the growth
enrollment model is light years ahead.
continued on page 3A