FRIDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2000
Talk back to
the Beacon
My Society
Jermaine Hard
This past Tuesday, the Beacon got
together with the students of Behrend at
the "Talk Back to the Beacon" forum to
discuss new ways of reflecting a more
diverse campus in its paper. Some of
the students present at this forum came
to represent organizations such as the
National Society of Black Engineers,
the Association of Black Collegians,
Women Today, SGA, College Demo
crats and more. The event was a
success. It provided a means for
Behrend students of diverse race,
gender, and political backgrounds to
voice their concerns to the Beacon in a
civilized setting.
Also, it was a means for the Beacon
to present to students an impression of
open arms to show students of diverse
backgrounds that they are more than
welcome to provide their input and
become involved with their school
publication
As someone who could speak from
both sides of the argument, I decided to
coordinate this program with hopes to
make the first steps in producing a more
integrated publication that would meet
the needs of more than just one sector
of Behrend. There are many, including
myself, who feel that more efforts on
the Beacon's behalf can be made to
incorporate more diversity. The forum
helped the Beacon further realize to
what extent the students felt change is
needed. Also, the forum served to map
out the challenges that do and will come
into play as we push for this change.
While the Beacon realizes that it will
have to take integration into further
consideration as it pursues news,
students now realize the work and
commitment it will take to become
involved as writers and production staff
However, the best part is that several
students did show motivation in spite of
how hard they realized this work is
going to be.
Over the past years ,the Beacon has
made drastic strides in improvement,
and in spite of the controversy, every
one agrees that the Beacon is a great
newspaper. With events such as the
"Talk Back to the Beacon" forum, we
plan to make the Beacon an even better
publication. While we have encouraged
the students who attended the forum to
join the Beacon, we do not plan to stop
there.
We want to encourage more students
of diverse backgrounds to become
members of the Beacon in the various
positions available. As writers on a
whole are a scarce resource for our
paper, the recruitment of more is
something we are serious about. We
look to encourage those same people
who write the numerous letters to the
editor we receive every week to take the
further initiative and join the Beacon to
help cover the wider range of news this
campus so desires.
In due time, I hope to see Behrend at
a point in which all of its organizations
are more comfortable with integration.
We have seem to come to a point in
which we all have become comfortable
in our own isolated worlds reluctant to
reach out to new worlds. I believe that
with more activism and efforts such as
those displayed in this past Tuesday's
"Talk Back to the Beacon" forum, we
can become more comfortable with one
world
Hardy's column appears every three weeks.
••••••••••• • • • • • • • • • • •
• , •
• Look for Mike Frawley s •
FINAL editorial of all •
•
timelTurn to pg 12A
to read Mikes final
thoughts!
Tell us whatyou
Send a letter to the Editor!
Send all letters to:
behrcoll2@aol.com
ow Will Ellis Adler stole Christmas
Oh yes, here begins another year of
those famous Christmas stories to tell, to
watch on television, or to see redone at
the movie theater. So in the spirit of the
holidays just around the corner, I decided
I would devote my last Beacon column of
the semester to tell my most cherished
holiday story. I have changed the names
of the participants in order to protect
their fate. The following story took
place less than 24 hours ago, and it so
happened that it was a cheerful mix
between "How the Grinch Stole
Christmas," and "Miracle on 34'" Street."
Yesterday I was running around like a
crazed fool, trying to complete papers,
clean, and do laundry--hopefully for the
last time this semester. I was desperately
looking for reasons why I had not done
work earlier, but then I remembered that
the weekend has its kicks and they kicked
me—believe it or not!
At about ten o'clock, I received a phone
call from a friend, Rachel Haun, who had
been missing for the past six hours. I was
surprised to learn that, in the spirit of the
holidays, she and her lover Dick Steele
were going to have a candle-lit dessert at
It's not an 8-5 world anymore
I have had the subject of this
editorial reoccur in my brain many
times throughout the semester
because many times I have been
compelled to vent about it through
my writing. Many other topics
arose, however, such as broken cars
and stupid people, so this editorial
usually took a back seat to
whatever dilemma I was facing at 1,
• k
the time. But now, the time has
Word on the street says there's 24
hours in a day. How 'bout that? After
visiting other cities and also traveling
North into the great country of Canada, I
have come up with the following
conclusion... No one ever let Erie in on
the big secret that yes, there are 24 hours
in a day, which means everything does
not have to close at 5 PM, or, if you're
lucky, 9 PM. By "everything," I am
referring to the essential establishments
of a college person, or even the person
who enjoys the nighttime to get things
done. Places like the Mall and other big
retailers, some of the various fast-food
places and restaurants, possibly the local
libraries, and most of all, the local gyms
should consider not closing so early.
In my opinion, increasing technologies
in communications, such as cell phones,
the Internet, personal computers, and all
of the other gizmos that let soccer moms
in caravans pay less attention to the road
have allowed people to cram more into a
think!
an apartment on-campus. This dessert,
which consisted of chocolate, chocolate,
and more chocolate, and some ice cream
on top, required hot chocolate to drink
along with it. In her frenzy, Rachel called
me to see if I could run the packets of
"Swiss Miss Milk Chocolate Hot Cocoa
Mix—just add water" over to the
apartment because she was incapacitated
at the time; apparently her apron was too
messy
Although I had so many other things to
do, I realized that Dick's roommate, Will
Ellis Adler, and I were not invited, but I
thought it would be fun to join anyway so
I brought some tea over for us; tea
because we both knew that chocolate was
acting as an aphrodisiac for both Rachel
•t , • day. College
kids (and I guess
professors, too, for that matter) can work
on papers that are due the next day until
three in the morning while talking to a
friend in Australia that they met over
AOL chat. Even five years ago this was
really not the case. People were limited
to long distance phone calls and
competing phone companies. As far as
research or writing reports went,
students and teachers were limited to the
hours of the computer labs or whatever
special place had the electronic
resources
And while the flexibility for people to
do things during the night has increased,
businesses have not adapted. Many
probably are open the same hours that
they were 20 years ago. Granted, there
have been a few improvements by some
businesses to remain open into the later
hours, but still the choices are limited.
After 9 o'clock p.m., a person travelling
throughout Erie has the following
options: a) head to Wegman's, Tops, or
Coffee Talk
Kristin Rodgers broke my arm on the icy walkway, and I
thought I was going to freeze. By the
time I reached the apartment. I realized
that my night had been terrible up to that
point, I really thought that my day could
not have gotten any worse!
When I did arrive, it was terribly hard
not to notice all the festive lights all over
the apartment—outside, inside, just
everywhere. "How the Grinch Stole
Christmas" was on television when I
arrived, and I immediately felt warm
again like I do when I am at home.
Although Dick and Rachel weren't very
happy that two others were going to join
them, Will and I convinced them that "in
the spirit of the season" it would generous
if we could share the holiday surprise that
Rachel was baking in the oven.
During our dessert of warm brownies
and ice cream, the candles that were lit on
the table became the main focus of Dick
and Rachel, who both proceeded to play
with the wax. It immediately became all
of our worry when Dick started to spill
lighter fluid all over the table. I think he
Chew on This
Rob Wynne
`The Hot Debate of The Week'
Whatca' doing with that ball?
College football has announced all of its
bowl games, and all eyes focus on the Bowl
Championship Series. In the title game, the
FedEx Orange Bowl will pit Florida State
versus Oklahoma. It is sure to be an
exciting game. Oklahoma is undefeated,
and Florida State has been totally smashing
opponet4':The match-41p also has two of
the final riihr Oandidatesfor the Heisman
rik k
Trophy, *Melt w' be yen away tomorrow
at the Downtown Athletic Club in
Manhattan
The big concern is that Mianii was second
in the Associated Press poll and the ESPN/
USA Today coaches' poll, but did not get
their shot in the title game despite beating
Florida State. The.BCS formed an alliance
between the Orange Bowl, Fiesta Bowl,
Rose Bowl, and Sugar Bowl to bring in the
most fans, a lot of revenue, and exciting
games and that is exactly the plan with this
year's match-ups.
Florida State's fans arc known to travel
better than Miami fans and the Orange Bowl
is in Florida, so the stadium on the night of
January 3 will be packed and selling a lot of
food for revenue. Washington and Purdue in
the Rose Bowl proves to he a game that
some people might not have expected, so
fresh teams are fun to watch.
Television stations will make out on
revenue shares. The BCS indeed found the
best way to bring in money and create some
excitement.
Every week, two editors from the staff will debate a topic that is hot. Students, faculty and
staff are encouraged to email suggestions far the hot topic. Send ideas to
behrcoll2@aol.com
and Dick. On my way over to the
apartments, I was almost hit by a car,
Giant Eagle to do some late night
grocery shopping; b) pump some gas at
the local 24-hour gas station; c) head to
Eat `n Park for some smiles, or d) head
home to vegetate in front of the
computer or television. No, it's not that
severe (yet), but I think you get my
point. I guess I can be thankful for
places like Andy's Pub that don't close
till late so I can actually shoot a game of
pool without having to be booted out at 9
o'clock.
Being a college student just makes this
situation worse. Also, being a college
student who does not have classes until
11 o'clock makes things even worse.
That's right, on some days 1 actually get
to sleep in therefore on some days I
prefer to go to bed later.
Remember Sunday? In church I was
taught that Sunday was a day of rest.
Not for me, I guess. I work a 12-hour
Sunday at the grocery store to help in
accruing additional funds for my severe
indebtedness. On Saturday, I work 9-6.
So, after I drive home from work, take a
shower, and catch a nap, I wake up
refreshed to go out and enjoy the
remainder of my evening, at least the
whole three or four hours of it. But by
this time, the gyms have closed, the mall
has closed, and my evening life has been
closed. I'm sure this isn't just my
problem, either. People who work 9-5
forty hours a week must resort to taking
off work for doctor's appointments, car
One possible scenario that could likely
happen after the Bowl Games take place
this year in college football is a split
championship between Florida State and
Miami, if they both win in January. One
poll says one thing, another says something
else. And the BCS says nothing. If we have
a split, then there is no real champion, and if
you take championship out of BCS, you get
BS, which is exactly what the whole process
is anyway.
A playoff, like in almost every other
sport, gives teams the chance to play games
for the glory, not read computer screens for
the results.
Here's what you do. You take the top
eight teams in college football based on
ONE poll determined by the head of the
NCAA. Make a bracket (#1 vs. #B, #2 vs.
#7, etc.). Let them play the games through
out December with the championship game
to take place in early Januaiy .
You don't hear college basketbal!
disputing the national champion after March
Madness. The only controversy that arises
is the selection of the top 64 teams in the
nation. The difference is that games are
played after that, and the selection commit
tee isn't in charge of choosing the #1 team
in the nation. They simply make the
bracket so that the teams can decide. If you
are better than anyone else, then you should
heat everyone else on the court, or in this
case, the field. Not the computer.
thought that a fireplace in the apartments
was a great idea! At this point I knew I
had to leave; Dick was scaring me so
badly that I thought the best move for me
was to get out before I turned to ashes!
Dick promised to stop, and so we stayed
quite a while longer as we all told our
Christmas stories by that candlelight. I
could almost feel the warmth radiating
between everyone, when all a sudden Will
decided to crash our spirits by blowing
out the candles.
In a slow motion like pause, we were
all just about ready to cry when a miracle
happened! Dick, the pyromaniac, lit up
the hugest flame ever from a Bic! Before
any of us could get out our cries, shouts
and anger to Will—Dick had saved the
day! Following this we started our stories
again and our spirits were brought to
levels only achieved by those Martha
Stewart recipe brownies Rachel made!
Spread the Holiday Cheer!!
A.k.a. Betty Simple
Rodgers' column appears every three
inspections, etc. 1 bet if someone
opened up a "midnight mechanic shop"
or a 24-hour gym, they would be rolling
in the dough. Why? Because their
businesses would be convenient.
Convenience is the key word.
Also, what is the deal with banks? As I
was eating lunch with one of my
colleagues a few days back, we came to
the conclusion that banks don't cater to
working people. Basically, if you're old
and retired and have nothing better to do,
you can go invest money at the local
bank. If you work a forty-hour per week
job or attend school all day, you must
use your lunch break or skip a class in
order to make monetary transactions.
Banks that are open from 9-4 aren't
going to attract people to open up
accounts, because you must first lose
money by leaving work early in order to
go to the bank before it shuts its doors.
Well, until the day arises where my
fellow night owls and I can venture
throughout a 24-hour Erie, I'll have to
settle with cramming all of my daily and
nightly activities into a minimum
amount of hours. I guess that's what we
all do anyway, but the key is to get better
at it.
Wynne's column appears every three
weeks