Bigotry at
its worst
titude Problem
aige Miles
The Sunday edition of the
Erie Times-News reported a
story that, in best terms, fired me up. On the
front, Patricia Graham stood in front of the
South Shore Inn, a restaurant in North East
that has seen many owners over the past few
decades. Graham has been featured in the
newspaper before when she opened two
businesses in the farm town. However, this
editorial is related to local controversy.
North East is a small town of about 11,000
people. There are only two police cars, an
overabundance of churches, and gas stations,
but little to do for fun. Many of the kids old
enough to stay out after 7 p.m. either
skateboard, drink, do something semi-school
related, or hang out at church. Many youth
groups reign in North East, practically ruling
some students' lives. Many students find
church and religion to be more important
than academics; some go as far as to
completely sacrifice academics for their
church. (I am not saying this is wrong or
right—let's get that clear first.)
The point is, though, that many of these
teens will listen to anything the church tells
them. They hhve no independent thought. If
the pastor of their church says something, be
it different from what they were told before
or not, many will listen without hesitation.
(This is not everyone attending these
churches; simply a select group of teenag
ers.)
When the South Shore Inn opened, in an
attempt to do something good for North East,
Graham allowed local punk bands, many of
them Christian, to play on Friday nights. She
started a dance-club type atmosphere, a
positive one at that. Teens under a certain
age have to be signed in and out of the
restaurant by their parents. Obviously, this
assures that the kids have a safe place to go
on a Friday night instead of sitting in Gibson
Park harassing old ladies and smoking pot.
Yet, what originally started as a popular
hangout, with 50 kids on a Friday night as
quoted in the Times, now has an average of
five kids a nights.
Why? First, the bowling alley started a
teen night on Friday nights. A friend of mine
still in high school said many people went to
the alley instead of the Inn because a) the
publicity was greater and b) there was little
adult supervision. However, teen night at the
alley was very recently shut down due to a
few drug busts and something to do with a
bunch of kids who wore white bandanas and
pretended they were a gang. So, now, this
leaves some teens in North East with the
options of smoking pot, having sex, skate
boarding, or going to the South Shore Inn.
Some local teens are choosing the first three.
The First Baptist Church of North East has
condemned the Inn, leaving many teens to
choose the first three options. The Baptist
Church has a large influence on the small
grape town. Many teens attend it and
participate actively in the youth group. I find
it wonderful that these teens are attempting
to do something constructive with their
time—the last thing the town needs is more
teenage pregnancies. It's great that this
church provides such service to the teens, but
this relates back to kids listening to every
single word the church says. The Pastor of
the church has condemned the South Shore
Inn because word spread that Graham is a
lesbian
Graham does admit she is a lesbian, and
has been for years. She recently moved to the
United States with her six children, attempt
ing to start a new life. Her business, which
had potential to be a complete success, is
now suffering. Some townspeople are
worried that she will try to recruit the teens
that attend on Friday nights into her homo
sexual lifestyle. Do they see the fact that she
is gay and owns a restaurant as devil
worship? Teens are no longer allowed to
attend the dances because parents are afraid
that their children will turn out the same way.
This is absolute bigotry. Graham is not a
terrible person because she chooses an
alternate lifestyle, nor is it even slightly
reasonable to say that she would attempt to
recruit teens into the homosexual lifestyle. Is
this a matter of the gay community versus
the straight? Hardly. I am straight, and, like
many of my friends with whom I've raised
this issue, find this to be absolutely ridicu
lous. I am ashamed to say I am from North
East. I can't believe that my small town
would fall into such belief. Graham has
managed to start two businesses in North
East, prove herself as a wonderful mother,
and as someone who cares for the commu
nity. What does my community do? They
turn it around and throw it into her face.
Those who forbid their children to go to
the club based on Graham's sexual orienta
tion are essentially the people who are
creating problems in our nation. They are
fueling prejudice. The Bible says that all
should be treated fairly without judgment,
but they practice hypocrisy by making the
public statements criticizing the Inn.
I am disgusted with those who have made
Prejudiced statements against the Inn and__
Graham. I do not know the woman person
ally, but also have never heard anything
negative about her. Just as I am ashamed of
North East right now, North East should be
ashamed to be known for this.
Tell us whatyou
Send a letter to the Editor!
Send all letters to:
behrcoll2@aol.com
The Beacon's: Behind the Mullet
Ben
Ben Kundman w
born Freugen
Greagen Haagen-
Dazs on November
27, 1978 in a small
farm town named
Groberdummerbetrunkenerelefant in
Luxembourg. He was the youngest of 18
children, born to two farmers named Freida
and Hurst.
The Haagen-Dazs family emigrated to a
sleepy town in south western Pennsylvania
named New Eagle in the fall of 1992. No
one knew what was in store for young
Freugen Greagen. An excellent student in
Luxembourg, Freugen Greagen soon fell in
with the "burn outs" at school. He changed
his name to "Ben Kundman" to better fit in
with his newfound friends. High school
was a troubling time for Ben, as he at-
tempted to avoid the daily beat downs
administered to him by the football team
and resist the never-ending temptation to
join the ranks of the local gang, the New
Eagle Mullets.
Ben had a Kurt Cobain style "butt cut"
hairdo, but could never fully make the
transition into Mulletude. Jared Matola, a
local meathead who attended high school
with Ben, had this to say about him: "Ben
never really fit in with anyone. He always
wanted to be a Mullet, but he was such a
wimp the sixth graders used to steal his
Free at last!
Ahhhh...the spring semester will soon
be over. I think that it's a safe bet to say
that this year was tough for many of us,
but we have battled through the exams
and papers for that one common goal
summertime. Yes, my nose can almost
smell the sweet scent of summer, for it is
waiting for me just around the corner. For
me, summertime means gorgeous
weather, long days, fun weekends, and the
nearly impossible search for an Erie girl
who looks good in a bikini.
This brings me to my point. I have
always yearned for summer, much like
how Billy Madison yearns for chocolate
Snack Packs and Miss Veronica Vaughn.
I am ecstatic that my favorite season is
think!
ich money off him even when he
is in 11'" grade. - Ben spent his.
igh school years dodging bullies
id trying to find an identity.
By the time Ben had
reached Penn State Behrend in
the fall of 1997, he had a
clear plan in mind how to
turn his life around. "I was
sick of being a nobody. I
knew that the time was
near. I was ready. I wanted to be a Mullet."
The transition from being a normal college
student into being a Mullet was not an easy
one for Ben. It took three and a half years of
eager anticipation before the time was right.
"Ben had been acting strange. He started
going out all night and listening to nothing
but eighties rock. I knew something was up
when he bought hair clippers," said Nick
Capozzoli, Ben's roommate.
The ascension into Mulletude began in the
wee hours of Monday, April 2. Kundman
was in the computer lab when a friend of
his, Jason Derian, remarked that he liked
giving fades but never had a chance to give
someone a full blown Mullet. "I knew it was
time. Spring was in the air, the girls were all
wearing short shirts and mini skirts, and I
wanted in on the action." Kundman was
finally ready.
With a few deft strokes of hair-clippers,
Ben Kundman was transformed from a mild
mannered college student into a "porta-
party:" a Mullet-sporting non-stop party
machine
"The day I saw Ben walk into class, I
knew he was in trouble. I had rocked a
coming up. I not only love summer
because it's warm and beautiful (like the
lovely Miss Vaughn), and because
my birthday is in July, but I also
love the summer months for
another reason. I am away
from Behrend and instead of
studying I can make money
working and there is still time to have
plenty of fun!
Know ?
Benacci
Now, don't get me wrong. Behrend is a
nice place and all, but I love getting away
from such things as Bruno's food (I swear
they use Yeti meat in their cheesebur
gers!), early classes, boring lectures, and
the stupid kid who lives next door to me
and keeps turning the thermostat to
freezing cold so that he doesn't have a
heart attack when he sweats from brushing
his teeth.
But getting back to what I like about
summer; I like working. Oh yes, that four
letter word. W-O-R-K. Many people
despise it, but I welcome it. Why? After
eight months of frying my brain and
turning it into mush (much like the
pudding that is in Billy's Snack Packs) I
need a break because my brain (yes... I
The Hot Debate of The Week'
1., R 4
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Oar
?~~
f~. , f
According to a memo sent to student
organization presidents, "hazing is, but not
limited to, ...any forced physical activity..
any activity subjects the individual to
extreme mental stress...or any other forced
activity," this defines anything as hazing.
Why is it that we only hear of Greek
organiz = ,rsatbita Lion
Ambass vi'r their
organiz sh ti ays, this is
forced a ity byahe ' leskt fs definition
of hazing, the RA class must assist with
organizing the ARC Blowout, this too would
be hazing. However, if Alpha Sigma Alpha
would require a pledge class to organize a
community service event, they risk hazing
accusations. The best advice is to "strongly
encourage" instead of require.
Many organizations have requirements
that must be met to earn membership, and to
keep one's membership. The Greek
organizations just seem to be criticized for it
all the time. Meanwhile, it is these
organizations that tend to do the most
outstanding work. Wednesday night at
"Take Back the Night" Alpha Sigma Alpha,
Alpha Sigma Tau, Theta Phi Alpha and the
Resident Assistant class were all participants
Sigma Kappa Nu sponsors one of the most
popular and successful events on campus,
Cider Rock, and several Greeks participate
in the Adopt a Highway program.
It is so easy to cry wolf at Greek
organizations. The policy on hazing applies
to all campus organizations; therefore, why
aren't all organizations reviewed as
carefully?
A.M. Havey
Every week, two editors from the staff will debate a topic that is hot. Students, faculty and staff are encouraged to
email suggestions for the hot topic. Send ideas to behrcoll2@aol.com
Mullet for several years, but the pressures
of being a Mullet eventually became
overwhelming. I retired from the life of a
Mullet and became a math teacher," said
Gregor Olsaysky, a math professor at
Behrend.
Ben soon immersed himself in the Mullet
lifestyle. After less than 12 hours of
becoming a Mullet, Ben decided to join the
ranks of the "Mullet Elite" by purchasing a
'77 Special Edition Trans Am with T-tops
and the bird insignia on the hood. "I can lay
rubber for five minutes. Plus I found a
Quiet Riot 8-track under the seat!"
The fun only lasted for a few hours. After
a late night at local rock club "The Drunk
Monkey," binging on Pez and Yoo-Hoo,
Ben's blood sugar level was alarmingly
high. The bouncer at the club had this to
say: "I tried to get him to take a cab home,
but he just wouldn't listen. I think the
mullet was starting to go to his head!"
Ben crashed head—on into the world's
largest freestanding fiberglass cow in
Kearsey, Pa., at speeds in excess of 30 mph.
"I totaled my Trans-Am, broke my jaw, lost
eight teeth, got 15 stitches in my forehead,
but, thank God, my mullet was OK."
Everyone around him realized he was
beginning to fall to the wayside. "I knew he
was in trouble when I found him passed out
on his keyboard in the middle of a
Counterstrike game with Twisted Sister
blasting and a Yoo-Hoo mustache," said
Capozzoli.
Ben's parents had this to say about his
sudden change: "Dieser Verlierer hat uns
nicht an drei Tagen angerufen, urn urn Geld
have a brain) gets quite famished at this
point in the semester. So what kind of
summer job is good for a college students
brain? Easy. A job that requires little to
no responsibility.
Take me for instance. In the summer
time, I landscape for a company. It's a
great job since mowing lawns and
trimming bushes can be done with very
little brainpower. This is why I find it
shocking when some of my friends get
jobs that stress them out.
Last summer, my best friend worked
for a company named West. His job
basically consisted of answering phones
and taking orders for "high quality"
infomercial items such as the Torso
Track, the Igia Clear Blemish System,
and Singing Big Mouth Billy Bass (what
kind of stuff was the dude smoking when
he invented this stupid thing).
My friend hated his job for he didn't
like to be stuck in an office all day. But
why be miserable during summer
vacation? I believe that a summer job
should be somewhat enjoyable. After all,
a student who works his butt off for two
thirds of a year should be able to have a
Persecuting the panty raiders?
oi t being RlF74f,led eft furcentent
/,?), ,•(‘ /kr v ,tre , ; reel, ?
Being a big name group on campus
automatically leaves you open to critieism
and pot shots, and it also leaves you open to
the public eye. So, if the Greeks think that
they are being targeted simply because they
are Greek, then they are probably right.
Ho that
paparn
by the
The Greeks should stop whining and realize
that if they are going to carry the title "Greek
organization" then they have to face the fact
that all eyes are on them. That goes for the
good things that they do, along with the bad.
Being part of the Greek community
shouldn't make people exempt from rules and
basic laws. If you beat someone up in your
front yard, then expect them to press charges.
If you serve underage students and you get
caught, expect some hefty fines. Don't expect
people to turn a blind eye because you wear
letters.
Although it is fair to state that all groups
should be treated equally when it comes to
hazing policies, it is also realistic to know that
more low profile groups with no reputation
for hazing are going to be overlooked.
In a perfect world, everyone would be
treated the same. But just like athletes in
college receive special treatment, so do
Greeks. So a little heat on them now and then
shouldn't get their panties in a bunch!
zu bitten. Etwas mub falsch sein."
Ben's life was spiraling out of control. "I
had hit rock bottom, but I didn't realize it.
Everyone told me to lose the Mullet, but it
was so much a part of me I physically
couldn't. Every time I saw a pair of scissors
I would get all antsy, and the sound of hair
clippers nearly gave me an anxiety attack."
Derian, the hair-cutting Hessian from hell,
the one who brought Ben into the world of
the Mullet, had this to say: "I had known
Mullets before. Lots of them. But none of
them ever took it as far as Ben did. He was
just dumb."
After about 48 hours with the Mullet, the
lifestyle started to catch up with Ben. "I
didn't know whether people liked me
because of my mullet, or if they actually
liked me for me. " Depressed, Ben played a
record 22 straight hours of Counterstrike,
utilizing Depends undergarments so he
never had to get up from his computer.
"When my computer finally crashed
halfway into my 22" hour of Counterstrike,
I finally realized enough was enough. I was
better off with the old me. But you know
what? The time I had as a Mullet, man, that
was the best 50 hours of my life. I wouldn't
give it up for the world."
Congratulations and good luck to all the
Senior Part Ones, Senior Part Twos, and
even Senior Part Threes who are graduating
this spring. This article is dedicated to each
and every one of my friends who are
graduating. Thank you all for making these
past four years the best years of my life.
Kundman's column appeared every three
weeks.
little break and take it easy.
So what does the average college
student do in the summertime when not
working? Well, I don't know about you
all, but I like hanging out with my friends.
It.doesn't matter where we go or what we
do, whether it's watching a movie, going
to Canada, or just hanging out at one of
our homes. For summertime is all about
relaxing and having fun, and making
some money at the same time.
I urge all of you to have a good summer
and take full advantage of it. Remember,
Erie's winters last for nearly six months,
so every nice day is a special day. Before
we know it, we returning students will be
coming back for another fun-filled
semester of mayhem, so enjoy summer
while you can. If you ever have the
audacity to say, "It's too hot outside,"
just imagine the snowy sub-zero tempera
ture of Erie in the wintertime. On that
note, have a great summer!
Benacci's column appeared every three
weeks.
.e out to
A by the
ioticed
K.Galley