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i Beacon
A PENN STATE ERIE STUDENT PUBLICATION
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gpErie
SPRING 2001
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S'l I n\ \ BROAD VI iU
V. Mi, \lil J
It’s not too late to study
abroad this summer the
University College of
Northampton, England is a
great deal with a lot
of course options.
PAGE 11A
\ Till >W
Been to the Mall lately? It
might not be the same as
when you were last there.
New stores are coming and
several are moving,
including the GAP.
PAGE IB
s i i f> \ it. i i\
K MOM j*
UO.\S B \MM\ I B U,t
The women are still on the
top of their game, and the
men are gaining momentum
as the season grinds down.
PLUS...
The Beacon’s monthly
installment of Healthy Living
to find out what is happening
in Health and Wellness.
NEWS
WK.VHH R„.
WORLD & N AT 10N........ 6A
NATIONAL CAMH. N..... 7A
EDITORIAL
STALL M)i FORIAL,. SA
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
MARK YOUR CAU AOAR 10A
FEATURES
HOT SPOTS IN ERIE
SPORTS
BEHREND SPORTS.,
NATIONALS! ORIS.
NEWSROOM: 898-6488
FAX US: 898-6019
ON THE WEB:
www.clubs.psu.edu/beacononline/
Offices are located downstairs in
Reed Union Building
XLVIII No. 20
GROUP PROTESTS POLICE
Behrend's Women Today protests inconsistencies in case against Erie patrolman
by Jason Snyder
editor-in-chief
Behrend’s Women Today held a protest in front
of the Erie Police Department this past Wednesday,
February 14, asking local citizens if they should
“trust our police department.”
The protest dealt with local police patrolman Sean
E. Perseo, who was accused of the rape and sexual
assault of an Erie woman. The woman claimed that
she has been abused for over ten years by Perseo,
who is accused of “sexual, verbal and physical”
abuse by the woman.
Many procedures dealing with the case brought
attention to Behrend’s Women Today, who have
looked at the details of the case against Perseo, and
aren’t confident that the Erie Police Department are
being objective in their investigation.
Women Today president Jaimi Bonczar
commented on the events that have taken place so
far saying, “the Police Department has a
responsibility to the City of Erie to be objective
when dealing with cases like this. We feel they
haven’t done so.”
Bonczar provided the Beacon with the facts of
concern dealing with the investigation. These
concerns include the fact that “Perseo’s gun permit
was not revoked until nearly two weeks after the
charges were brought against him.” This was of
concern after “Sheriff Bob Merski at the Erie
County Sheriff’s Department told reporters that
usually gun permits are revoked immediately after
a person is charged with a felony or misdemeanor.
Rape is a felony in the U.S.”
The statement provided by Women Today also
stated that “when the Erie police investigate a
criminal case, the assigned detectives typically are
the only members of the police force who try to
contact the defendant or the victim. However,
shortly after Perseo’s accuser contacted police, two
members of the police force - both friends of Perseo
- left messages on an answering machine for the
woman.
The statement went on to say that “within a day
Behrend ‘reaches to the stars’ with new observatory
by Mike Francis
staff writer
Construction of Behrend’s new
observatory has made it a little easier
to reach out and touch the stars. The
observatory will allow students and
the public to view all the planets in
the solar system and beyond.
The newer, bigger facility was built
next to the old one, which was also
updated with a newer telescope and
computer. The high-tech facility is
equipped with a telescope and an
electronic camera that allows people
to see all the planets and an occasional
stray comet. Both observatories are
located at the base of the ski slope,
just behind the Otto Behrend Science
Building.
The observatories are much more
than just telescopes, however. They
Provost Lilley addresses concerns of faculty
by Erin McCarty
assistant news editor
Provost and Dean Dr. John Lilley
addressed the faculty of Penn State
Behrend at a noon meeting in the
Reed Commons on Wednesday,
February 14. He recently received the
results of the evaluation of his
effectiveness as the leader of this
college, and while receiving a positive
approval rating, which he appreciated,
he was quick to assuage the few
concerns that were voiced.
After brief updates on the status of
the new Child Care Center and the
Eastside Access Highway, both of
which will begin to take shape later
Women Today president Jaimi Bonczar (center), vice-president Nicole Johns (far left), and
treasurer Michelle Sprouse (right) protest in front of the Erie Police Department on Wednesday.
of Perseo’s arrest, two off-duty police officers -
also friends of Perseo - drove him to a drug and
alcohol rehabilitation center in northeastern
Pennsylvania.” The statement provided by Bonczar
also noted that none of the officers who made calls
or drove Perseo are assigned to the case.
Because of many inconsistencies between
Perseo’s investigation and usual procedures of the
are contained in silver, silo-shaped
buildings, complete with rotating
domes that allow viewers to view the
entire night sky. They are also
equipped with outside power outlets
capable of supporting large monitors
for a larger viewing audience.
The new telescope, an 18cm
refracting scope, was chosen because
it is the best available for viewing
bright objects such as the planets,
moon, and comets. Also, the scope is
fully automated: by simply punching
in the coordinates of the desired
object, the scope will find it on its
own. The electronic camera, or CCD
camera, attaches to the end of the
scope, which allows the pictures to be
shown on a computer screen.
OBSERVATORY
continued on page 3A
this year, Lilley opened his discussion
of the review by cordially thanking
the faculty for their dedication to their
profession as well as their assistance
in the evaluation process. He
emphasized his “great appreciation
for how hard you work,” noting that
Behrend faculty members tend to
work a minimum of SS hours a week.
The Dean then addressed the
faculty concerns that he has not
appropriately invested in the idea of
Penn State as an educational
institution. Along with that concern
was the question of whether general
education courses were being given
too little weight. Lilley reiterated his
dedication to the education of
FEBRUARY 16, 2001
Physics instructor Jonathan Hall (right) and student Bruce Tepke
(left) look through the new telescope at Behrend’s observatory.
Behrend students, and he commented
that general education courses were
some of the most important of all the
courses a student would take. He cited
his own numerous experiences with
such classes during his education, and
he reminded the faculty that, when
faced with the opportunity to
significantly decrease the number of
required general education courses, he
opted to retain the standing
requirement.
This argument seemed to be very
much on the mind., of faculty at this
meeting, for the issue was approached
by several different faculty members.
The point was raised that while few
would argue that there is no
Erie Police Department, Bonczar, with the support
of Women Today, held their protest. Bonczar was
pleased with the participation of an off-duty female
police officer who protested as well. “Her support
meant a lot, because it gave us some credibility.”
WOMEN TODAY
continued on page 3A
philosophical commitment to quality
general education at Behrend, the
enactment thereof is a more difficult
matter. Lilley agreed that there were
certain factors limiting the utilization
of these courses to their full potential,
the most obvious being financial
problems. He promised to continue to
work for the improvement of these
educational programs.
Another faculty member
questioned whether the aim of the
college was still to provide an
education, as it seemed to be
increasingly focused on preparing a
student for a particular career path
instead. Lilley insisted that a well
rounded education was still the goal
f 9 m
18 pages - 2 SECTIONS
Black History
Month
celebrations
begin
by Chris Buchanan
staff writer
February is the month during which
Black History Month has traditionally
committee was convened to organize
events on campus. The committee
consisted of the Office of Educational
Equity and several student organiza
tions, namely the Association of Black
Collegians (ABC), the Multi-Cultural
Council (MCC), and the National So
ciety of Black Engineers. A number
of activities have been planned dur
ing the next two weeks, some of which
coincide with other events.
This year’s theme is “A Separate
Heritage, A Common Destiny,’ which
refers to African Americans’ ancestral
history as well as the common bonds
they share with all Americans. On
Thursday, February 15, the celebra
tions began with a lecture from Cathi
Koehler. This presentation was titled
“Growing up black in a white world”
and was dubbed a profound story of
racial reconciliation. Koehler’s ap
pearance was sponsored by the
Intervarsity Christian Fellowship
(IVCF). Also performing during this
event was the Behrend Gospel Choir.
The celebration continues on Fri-
day, February 16, with “The
HipHopera,” a musical depicting col
lege life through several skits and vi
gnettes. “The HipHopera,” sponsored
by NSBE and ABC, will be held at
7:00 p.m. in the Studio Theatre and
will feature members of the Behrend
community. Tickets are available at a
cost of $3 with a student ID and $5
without.
On Wednesday, February 21, the
Reed Commons will be turned into an
African Village and will feature food,
displays, dance and mime presenta
tions, steppers, open mic, and poetry
readings from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. Later
that evening there will be a special
presentation by novelist, performance
poet, and traditional griot Arthur
Flowers at 6:30 p.m Flowers’appear
ance is sponsored by the Diversity
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
continued on page 3A
evaluation
of the college, even though students
might not appreciate their “gen ed”
courses while taking them. Drawing
from the indication that students tend
to mature later rather than earlier, the
professor who raised the issue went
on to suggest jokingly that maybe
students should start college with the
courses for their major and then take
all their general courses in the last two
years.
Lilley reminded the assembly that
he has been a member of a faculty
group for 35 years, and many of those
years were spent teaching. He
PROVOST EVALUATED
continued on page 3A