FRIDAY, MARCH 23, 2001
“They try to be diverse.
They should have found a
better African American.”
Kamilah Gordon
810 04
FIRST-YEAR SEMINARS
individualized with a particular focus on
the area in which it is taught.
“My ultimate goal in first year
seminar is to guide students to the
correct major,” says Chris Coulston,
assistant professor of electrical and
computer engineering. “If 1 am allowed
to define the purpose of the course, then
certainly I achieve the goals.” For his
class, these goals include familiarizing
the students with the College and one
another, giving them the opportunity to
interact closely with a faculty member
in their major, and providing them with
an overview of computer engineering.
“In the School of Business (SOB), all
students take the same seminar
regardless of their anticipated major,"
says Dr. Peg Thoms, associate professor
of management. These students are
introduced to various aspects of business
and prepared for the type of work
involved if they choose a major in this
field.
“1 believe that the SOB has been
successful in achieving our objectives,”
Thoms said, "but we continue to try to
improve our seminars.”
While faculty have encountered
varied complaints
from students
about the
seminars, ranging
from “pointless”
to "too much
work for one
credit.” they still
appear to be doing
some good.
According to the
preliminary
results of a study
of FYS
effectiveness at
Behrend, most
freshmen during
the 1999/2000
school year found
that they were
CALL IT
TOYOTA’S aCOLLEGE GRADUATE
FINANCE PLAN INCLUDES $5OO
TO GET YOU GOING!
now there’s a Toyota College Graduate Finance Program
some of the advantages:
• No Down Payment
• No Payment for 90 days
• Finance up to 72 months
• Get $5OO Cash Back From Toyota ...
in addition to any other current Toyota customer incentives!
o if you’re within 4 months of graduation
>r if you graduated within the past 2 years
isk your Toyota dealer for all the details.
www.gettoyota.com
byota College Graduate Finance Program available to qualified appli
ants thru Toyota Financial Services. Not all applicants will qualify. Some
factions and limitations apply. Cash back otter abject to geographic
and offer expires 6/30/01. See dealer for details
“I was excited until I
found out that they can
celled Spring Fever.”
Jackie Cavicchio
English 05
better prepared for college after taking
the seminar. Stress levels among
students who completed an FYS were
lower than those of students who hadn't.
"It’s really too early to know for sure
how effective these courses have been.”
says Tracy Haimi, a lecturer in
chemistry, noting that the first students
at Behrend who had to take an FYS still
have two years of college left.
"I think these seminars could be very
rewarding, but perhaps students would
receptive to what
they have to offer
if they [the
seminars] were
electives and
there wasn't that
feeling of being
forced to be in
this class.” The
downside to this,
she continues,
would be that the
students who
would most
benefit from this
type of course
<3g> TOYOTA
START UP MONEY.
QUESTION OF THE WEEK
FROM FRONT PAGE "
would probably not elect to take it
It remains to be seen whether Behrend
graduates, looking back on their
education, will cite First-Year Seminars
as among their most useful or
memorable classes. In the meantime,
Behrend faculty continue to study
feedback from students in order to
ensure that the seminars fulfill their
purpose of easing the transition into
college life.
“I'm not impressed.”
Jarrod Stantlin
Operations Mngt. 06
Dr. Peg Thoms,
assistant professor of
: (j) management (above)
3 and Chris Coulston,
assistant professor of
£ electrical and com
x puter engineering (left)
teach first-year
seminars.
Highlander
NEWS
■BEifr
“I’m not a Shaggy tan
it didn’t really
matter to me.”
RESIDENCE RATES
of $77 million of this money will be
used for technology upgrades, root
replacements, elevator repair,
heating, plumbing, and electrical
repairs.
Penn State’s expansion will
include increased resident capacities
on several campuses. The $ll4
million will be divided among three
campuses. University Park is
constructing 1,525 new living spaces
to add to their large student
population. Harrisburg will create
350 additional housing spaces, and
Behrend 150.
Five dining halls will be renovated
along with 14 residence halls across
the Penn State system. The Graduate
How Do We Compare?
ACADEMIC YEAR 2000-2001: Room & Board
Rates of Big Ten & Regional Universities
(standard double room & meal plan 3 equivalent)
Northwestern
Temple U
Rutgers ~ , , " '.s '
Pittsburgh ""
Michigan " v * s's'»7<|o’|j
Indiana ~~ SS.aViJ
Illinois ' jAA \ v .; -T,: .
Ohio Sute U : sS,377||
Purdue . $5,170 |
i L— i i i-rqr
Minnesota H*H| 1 |
j lg=E... -l.fi-■
Penn State SA>>IO |
Wisconsin S4»>l4_||
Michigan State "' "'' $4»471~)|
lowa ~ ' " s4.a»<T|
1 *'i,ooo *2.000 $3,000 >4.000 *S,OOO *6.000 iTooo
lOURTESY OF HOUSING AND FOOD SERVICES MARCH 2001 STALL STORIEt
Jason Alward
Finance 04
15 ' -
“I love Shaggy. We need
some excitement on
campus
Julian Brown
DUS 01
Circle apartment complex at
University Park will also be included
in this large project. These
improvements alone will cost $76
million.
When compared with other
schools Penn State has a positive
r;iting for cost of room and board.
Penn State is one of the least
expensive colleges: "Even with the
increase Penn State still ranks in the
bottom third of Big Ten schools for
food and housing costs.
Northwestern costs over $7,000,"
Miller said. "The other Big Ten
schools haven’t even made their
increases yet. Penn State came out
with theirs early.”
Tundra
Erie’s
wooly
mammoth
on display
by Hillary Hawranko
staff writer
There is an interesting but little
know bit of trivia surrounding Erie
County: it is the home of the most
complete wooly mammoth skeleton
known to exist. And the Behrend
community will have the opportunity
to find out more interesting features
about Erie County at the Harhorereek
Historical Society’s special presenta
tion titled “Ecological Treasures in
Northwestern Pennsylvania" on
Wednesday. April 4, at 7:00 p.m. in
Knowledge Park. The purpose of this
presentation is to raise awareness of
the distinct ecological features of
Northwestern Pennsylvania.
Scientists believe the remains of the
wooly mammoth were deposited in
Lake Erie during prehistoric limes.
Another feature of the program will
be the nearly extinct clubshell and
northern riffleshell. These species in
habited French Creek, where their
populations still prosper. More infor
mation about these unique creatures
will be available at the presentation.
The Harborcreek Historical
Society’s current project Is to protect
the Chambers schoolhouse, located
near the Rose Construction office
building on Buffalo Road at the
Walbridge intersection. If any con
struction begins there, the Chambers
schoolhouse will be destroyed. The
Harborcreek Historical Society is in
the process of having the schoolhouse
relocated, in conjunction with the
Harborcreek Township Supervisors,
For more information on this project
or the “Ecological Treasures in North
western Pennsylvania" presentation,
contact Louise Smerick, president of
the Harborcreek Historical Society, at
899-6022, x 260.
The Harborcreek Historical Soci
ety, located in the first building on the
left at Knowledge Park, has made nu
merous efforts to educate people
about the historical facts of this com
munity, and is continuing to do so.
According to the organization’s mis
sion statement, “The Harborcreek
Historical Society promotes aware
ness of the history and heritage of the
Harborcreek area and its environs and
encourages the identification, collec
tion, and preservation of materials lor
those purposes.” Dedicated by Gov
ernor Ridge on October 18, 1999,
Knowledge Park has aimed to provide
many development opportunities.
Todd Sampsell, spokesperson for
the “Ecological Treasures in North
western Pennsylvania” presentation,
is the Watershed Conservationist for
the Western Pennsylvania Conser-
vancy. Aside from introducing the au
dience to the Conservancy, Sampsell
will also incorporate details about the
French Creek Watershed Conserva
tion Project, Glacial Lakes in North
western Pennsylvania, and the North
west Field Station at Lake Pleasant,
home of the wooly mammoth re-
The Western Pennsylvania Conser
vancy has worked to protect over 204,
000 acres of natural land in Western
Pennsylvania since its founding as the
Greater Pittsburgh Parks Association
in 1932. More information about this
organization can be found on their
website at www.paconserve.org.
HE BEHREND
Beacon
online!
www.chibs.psu.edu/ i
beacononline/ ;