THE BEHREND
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A PENN STATE ERIE STUDENT PUBLICATION
18 'ages
pennState
ESErie
FRIDAY - Rain
High - 48
Low - 35
Check page 2A for the
weekend weather outlook
PAGE 5A
Photos and statements of the
candidates running to
represent you in Behrend’s
student government.
PAGE 13A
It was perfect timing for
Vince McMahon’s WWF to
buy out its competition
last week. The combination
of wrestling’s elite
organizations gives new hope
to what was a bleak future.
PLUS...
The Beacon’s monthly installmem
of Healthy living on 14A.
NEWS
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WOK 1.0 & N ATION
NATION U O VASIN. S 7A
EDITORIAL
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS
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Offices are located downstairs in
Reed Union Building
BEACON OPEN HOUSE & CHARITY EVENT
XLVIII No. 24
Katie Koestner’s soft-spoken demeanor didn t take away
from her powerful message.
Koestner captures audience with life-altering story
by Liz Hayes
news editor
She may have had a quiet and
unassuming presence, but for all her soft
spoken appeal, Katie Koestner got her
point across loud and clear. There is
more to rape than a woman getting
attacked by a stranger in a dark, deserted
alley. Date and acquaintance rape do
occur, and they occur more frequently
than many seem to think.
Koestner, who has shared her story of
rape and the derision that followed with
a national audience, came to Behrend on
Wednesday to further advance her tale
and to get the word out on this often
underestimated social problem.
Koestner began her presentation by
commenting on the odd turns a person’s
life can make. She wondered aloud what
careers the students in the audience
thought they would enter upon
graduation. She took a look back at her
Republican candidates for Erie County Executive debate at Behrend
by Liz Hayes
news editor
On Monday, Behrend’s College Re
publicans and the Beacon co-spon
sored a debate between the three can
didates running for the Republican
primary nomination for Erie County
Executive. Those candidates, Rick
Schenker, Denise Robison, and Joy
Greco, answered three questions di
rected by a moderator from a local
radio station and two more questions
from the audience.
Each debater was permitted a five
minute introductory speech.
Schenker won the toss and went first,
followed by Robison and then Greco.
All three candidates spoke of their
qualifying experiences that had pre
pared them for the job of Erie County
Executive. Then they indicated the
goals they would try to achieve if
elected. All cited similar goals - re
taining and expanding business and
industry, retaining young college stu
dents about to enter the economy, and
improving tourism.
The candidates also made more
specific pledges in their opening
own past career goals, humorously noting
on the drastic changes in her goals: in
kindergarten it was a ballerina; in ninth
grade, a minister; in tenth grade she
planned to enter the Air Force; and finally,
in her senior year of high school, she
planned on double majoring in chemistry
and Japanese. However, the degree she
finally received was in public policy and
women’s studies.
Then the story of the turning point in
her life began. Koestner explained to the
audience how she was from a small town
in southeastern Pennsylvania, where there
were cow pastures around her high
school. She painted the picture of a shy,
naive girl in her first weeks away trom
home at the College of William and Mary
in Virginia. A picture of a girl who met a
nice guy in her chemistry class and began
to study with him. A girl who, after
KOESTNER
continued on page 3 A
From left: Joy Greco, Denise Robison and Rick Schenker debate in
the Reed Commons.
speeches. Schenker promised to be
Erie County’s chief salesman and to
create an Erie County Impact Com
mission, similar to commissions Gov
ernor Ridge and former President
Ronald Reagan have formed. This
commission would search for meth
MARCH 30, 2001
The stats on rape
according to national surveys
• Four in five women who are
victims of sexual assault know their
attackers
• Forty-two percent of women in
one study said they had been
victims of sexual coercion while
dating in college. Of those women,
70 percent did not seek help.
• Women are more likely to
report sexual assault it their
assailant is a stranger rather than an
acquaintance, and they are more
likely to report completed rape than
attempted rape.
• More than two-thirds of men
involved in sexual assault at a
university had been drinking at the
time of the incident, as well as half
of female victims.
ods to make business more efficient
and to get the youth more involved.
Robison declared that she wanted
to create “a county where no one
wants to leave and where everyone
wants to come.” She indicated that
she would try to improve how well
SGA elections hold only
two contested positions
Behrend's student government has cooled off going into next
week's mostly uncontested election.
Only two positions, president/vice president and secretary, will
be contested spots on Behrend's student government. That s a
far cry from last year, which leatured a heavily contested senato
rial race and a heated presidential battle.
The presidential/vice presidential election will have Keenan
Hansen running lor president with Traci Hamm running for vice
president on the same ticket. Their opponents are Brandi Hovis
and Clint Lewis. All lour candidates are current members of SGA.
SGA ELECTIONS
Behrend reaches out
during Service Week
Feeding the hungry, collecting clothes (or the needy, and
cleaning the campus are just a lew highlights of community service
from this semester's Student Service Week, which concludes
today. For the fourth time since the fall of 1999, the Student
Service Week, sponsored hv the Student Activities Office, has
sponsored by
PHOTO BY NEIL MAKADIA s t u j e n t
Behrend student Josh Hilewick paints
organizations
such as Lambda
Sigma Honor Society, Reality Check, Women Today, Multi
cultural Council, Panhellenic Council, Interfraternity Council.
Lion Ambassadors, Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, Student
Government Association, and Joint Residence Council.
Not only are numerous ellorts made during Student Service
Week, but also in the planning of it. About a month ago, Katie
Leary and "Melky” Ayala Torero began the planning for this
rigorous week. Both Behrend students volunteered their time to
STUDENT SERVICE WEEK
eggs with the elderly at Brevillier Village
Erie gets the word out about its re
sources so as to draw in tourism.
Greco also discussed improving the
local business climate and improving
industry retention. She looked to her
current experience on Erie County
Council and various other involve
ments.
After the opening statements, the
moderator asked a series of questions,
and each candidate had two minutes
to respond. Candidates could rebut
another’s argument during those two
minutes, but there was no extra time
allotted just for rebuttal.
The first question was how the can
didates would ensure that well-pay
ing jobs remain in Erie County tor
graduating college students. Greco
was first and said that she would pass
legislation to improve the climate for
businesses that are dealing with bur
densome taxes. Robison answered
that high-tech companies should be
the main focus of area leaders and that
she would work to ensure the coordi
nation and integration of this sector.
Schenker said that he would approach
college students and find out what
would convince them to stay and
- 2 SECTIONS
by Jason Snyder
editor-in-chief
continued on page 3A
by Hillary Hawranko
staff writer
continued on page 3A
work in Erie
The second question asked whether
or not child poverty was a major is
sue, and, if so, how the candidates
would deal with the poverty levels.
Robsion called child poverty the
“most dubious distinction this county
has,” saying that she would approach
the recipients of local welfare aid and
ask them how the system could be im
proved. She also said she would look
into comparing Erie with other coun
ties to see if Erie could find alterna
tive solutions. Schenker indicated
that he would re-enforce the discus
sion of abstinence and look into hav
ing faith-based organizations help out.
Greco also agreed with Schenker’s
idea of enlisting faith-based organi
zations, as well as working toward
boosting self-esteem.
At this point two questions from the
audience were taken. One student
asked how the candidates would keep
manufacturing jobs in Erie, to which
the candidates reiterated, for the most
DEBATE
continued on page 3A
brought Behrend
organizations
together in a
collaborative
effort to serve
various aspects of
the Erie
community. Each
day during the
week a different
acti vit v