THE AMERICAN DREAM...
AMERICAN DREAM IN THE NEW MILLENNIUM
BEHREND SPEAKER SERIES
Shirley 'launches' Behrend Speaker Series
Chastain encourages students to shoot for 'goals'
United States women's soccer player Brandi Chastain spoke to a large audience of Behrend students,
young athletes and parents on Thursday, November 16, 2000, as part of Behrend's "The American Dream in
the New Millenium, Speaker Series." Chastain spoke about being unselfish, following your dreams, and
making an impact on the people around you.
Chastain opened her speech by passing around her Olympic gold medal from the Atlanta Games in 1996
and her silver medal that she recently won in Sydney. She said that her medals are a way to thank the people
that supported the women's soccer team these past years.
Chastain's first success on the national team came when the women won the first ever World Cup in
China. Much to her surprise, the women's game didn't catch on in the United States and even more
surprising she was cut from the team shortly after.
Chastain's need for redemption overtook her life. She said, "I ran, ran, and ran some more. I played
soccer into the darkness." She added, "nothing was going to stop me. I wanted to be on that team. I needed
to be on that team." Shortly thereafter, Chastain was back on the team.
From that point on, Chastain won a gold medal in Atlanta, and a silver medal in Sydney, Australia, earlier
this year.
Chastain hooted the winning penalty kick in front of thousands of fans in the Rose Bowl at the 1998
Women's World Cup. She remembered the eruption of those in attendance and reminisced of times when
she would dream of sinking the winning shot when she was a kid. Only this time, it was kicking the winning
goal, and it wasn't a dream.
West sets out to restore hope in America
When Dr. Cornet West took the stage in the Reed Commons on February 28, he looked out at the
filled-to-capacity crowd and stated, "I hope I say something that thoroughly unsettles you." And then
he set out to do just that.
West, a university professor of Afro-American studies and philosophy of religion at Harvard
University, presented his lecture, "Restoring Hope," as the last segment of the American Dream in the
New Millennium Speaker Series. His lecture was also part of "Working for What: Winners and
Losers in the American Dream," the conference hosted by the Institute for the American Dream.
West discussed the effects race relations have had and are still having on American society. He
defined race as a "legacy we are still wrestling with," and said that many are still uncomfortable with
the knowledge that the American dream has been founded on the backs of African slaves.
He believes that America is the only country that feels it was founded in innocence. But he
encouraged the audience to ask Native Americans, women, and blacks for their perspectives on the
founding of the country, as the questioner would probably get a radically different answer.
Another central issue of West's speech involved the true meaning of democracy and the lack of it in
the United States.
Martin Luther King ►r.
Behrend joined the rest of the country in the
celebration of the life and legacy of Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr. on Monday, January 15. As in
former years, Behrend put together an array of events
in honor of Dr. King.
The main body of the celebration took place in the
Reed Commons and was called "Celebrating a
Movement through Music." This year's celebration
was under the direction of Ms. Mila Cooper, director
of educational equity programs.
Provost and Dean Dr. John Lilley gave the
welcome to start program, which was followed
by the singing of the Black National Anthem, "Lift
Every Voice and Sing."
The program was narrated by students Chris
Buchanan, Melissa Davis, and Jacqueline Jackson, as well as Mr. Dan
Schiesser, coordinator of Residence Life. The narration explained the
On Wednesday, September 13, speaker Donna Shirley kicked off the "American Dream in the New
Millennium" Speaker Series, which is new to Behrend this year. Shirley has been greatly involved with
NASA the past 30 years, and regaled the audience assembled in the Reed Commons with stories of her
experiences
After Provost and Dean Dr. John Lilley introduced her, Shirley began her speech with some background
information on how she became interested and involved in space and engineering. Growing up in rural
Oklahoma, she always wanted to be a pilot, and her dream came true at the age of 15 when she began
taking pilot lessons.
Several years later she enrolled in the aeronautical engineering program at the University of Oklahoma,
in which she was the only woman. After the presentation, Shirley was asked to comment on the difficulty
of her minority status. She almost shrugged off the difficulties she faced then, and said that even now, in
managerial positions, there is a very solid glass ceiling for anyone who does not fit the mold, not just for
women.
Shirley proceeded to describe the numerous projects she worked on. It all began with the Mariner 10
project in 1970-1973. Other projects she spoke of included solar energy usage; the Mission Design
project which focused on how to maneuver from one planet to another; and several different robotics
projects, particularly those involving planetary rovers that gather geological data and specimens on Mars
Marsalis 'jazzes' up MLK Jr. Day
On January 15, Penn State Behrend, along with the rest of the country, celebrated the life and
accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on the observed date of his birth. There were
several activities for the Behrend community to participate in throughout the course of the day,
with jazz legend Ellis Marsalis' lecture being the highlighted activity.
The celebration began with the Eighth Annual Family Breakfast in Bruno's Cafe. Traditionally
Dr. King celebrated his birthday with friends and family at the breakfast table, and the Behrend
community was invited to do the same.
This year's theme was "Celebrating a Movement through Music," featuring guests Ellis Marsalis,
St. James A.M.E. Church Mass Choir, and Mary Alice Brown as well as the Behrend Gospel Choir
and Concert Choir.
After the celebration Marsalis met with several students, faculty, and staff for a dinner at Logan
House at 6:00 p.m. The day's events concluded with the third installment of the 2000-2001
Speaker Series, "The American Dream in the New Millennium," again featuring Ellis Marsalis.
Marsalis has long been an extraordinary figure in the development of jazz music and artists. In
addition to being a renowned artist himself, Marsalis has also taught several of the genre's stars.
celebrated campus-wide
BEHREND AND BEYOND
vement.
Toward the end of the program, students Asia
nton and Twynell Kimble performed a mime to
song "Still I Rise." The Behrend Concert Choir
Jed the event in leading the audience in the song
We Shall Overcome." The guest speaker Ellis
Marsalis gave the closing remarks and encouraged everyone to keep the
dream strong and continue to strive for equality.
iportance of music to the Civil Rights music, as
11 as how Americans were abused and treated
firing the Civil Rights movement. Mary Alice
)wn, Penn State Behrend's Gospel Choir under
, direction of student Shekia Brown, and the St.
ames A.M.E. Church Mass Choir accompanied
narration with song and rhythm. Also exhibited
, as a Power Point slide show controlled by Andrew
Aters, which displayed various events during the
George W. Bush visits Erie twice
during presidential campaign
As the presidential campaign
approached election day, Vice
President Al Gore and Texas
Governor George W. Bush contin
ued their final push to take control
of the all important "swing" states
that could have decided our next
president.
Hadassah Lieberman, the wife of
Gore's running mate, made a stop
in Erie. She visited the Interna-
tional Bakery then held a
roundtable discussion with seven
local women at the Marketplace
Bush held his second rally during
the campaign at the Erie Interna
tional Airport with many local
politicians in attendance. Pennsyl
vania governor Tom Ridge and
General Colin Powell both spoke
and introduced Bush in front of
thousands of local supporters.
"The opportunity for our club to
see George W. Bush, Colin Powell,
and Governor Ridge in this type of
positive and motivating atmosphere
was amazing," said Behrend's
College Republican President Erin
Students help students get
registered to vote
Various groups on campus, such
as College Republicans, College
Democrats, Women Today, and
the Beacon all at various times last
fall ran voter registration booths to
sign up students to vote. But
according to federal laws passed
in 1993 and 1998, the college
itself should be making an effort
to register student voters.
In 1993, Congress passed the
National Voter Registration Act,
which is also known as the Motor-
Voter Bill. This requires colleges
and universities to make voter
registration forms available to
students. In 1998, Congress
passed and Clinton signed the
Amendments to the Higher
Education Act, changing the
school's role from passively
making voter registration forms
available to students, to actively
trying to register voters.
Behrend's Registrar's Office
when contacted stated that they
were not aware that forms should
be available there. Upon further
investigation it was discovered
that voter registration forms were
available for students at the office
Mock presidential debate looks
at the issues of Election 2000
Behrend's
College
Democrats
and College
Republicans
dueled in "A
Look at the
Issues: A
Simulated
Presidential
Debate."
The event
took place in
the Reed Commons on October 18,
in front of 80 students, faculty, staff
and Erie citizens. State Senator Jane
Earll was also in attendance for the
debate.
The event was sponsored by the
Behrend Beacon and the Behrend
Honors Program, headed by
coordinator Dr. John Gamble.
Representatives from the College
Democrats and College Republicans,
two newly reformed groups on
campus, took on the task of acting
out the parts of Vice President Al
Gore and Texas Governor George W.
Bush. Al Gore was played by Steve
Webb and George W. Bush was
played by Dave Sandy.
Opening statements made by the
candidates captured the main
platforms of the two presidential
candidates, with Webb stressing
McCurdy, who led 20 Behrend
students in taking an active part in
the rally.
Seven members from the group
sat on stage with Bush to help
represent the student vote Bush
hoped to win. McCurdy added,
"we have been working so hard in
support of Bush that it was really
nice for us to have the opportunity
to meet him."
think that seeing Governor
Bush reminded us all why we work
so hard to campaign for him," said
McCurdy.
Bush's first visit to Erie had 600
people in attendance, while his
second reached more than 1,500.
of Student Affairs. This meant
that they were in compliance with
the 1993 law, but not the 1998
Ken Miller, Dean of Student
Affairs, said, "Voter registration
forms are available in the Office
of Student Affairs. We [the Office
of Student Affairs] were planning
to run a voter registration drive in
conjunction with the Student
Government Association, but
various other student group, such
as the College Republicans and
College Democrats ran voter
registration drives. We consider
them to be an arm of the
University, so we did not feel that
it was necessary to run a drive of
our own."
The Penn State website does not
discuss any way that the
University does distribution or
give access to voter registration
forms on campus. It instead refers
students to the national voter
registration form provided by the
Federal Election Commission
website. This form can be printed
and mailed as an official voter
registration form in Pennsylvania.
people to make their own decisions.
A panelist of three Behrend
faculty members and a Behrend
student asked questions to the
debaters for the first half of the
debate. Panelists included Dr.
Colleen Kelley, Dr. John Rossi, Dr.
Matt Davies and Mike Frawley,
managing editor of the Beacon.
Throughout the debate, Webb
blasted Bush's plans and policies on
his tax plan and social security. On
questions involving his personality
and relationship with Bill Clinton,
he responded, "I am my own man. I
am Al Gore."
Closing statements reaffirmed
what will be done under their
respective administrations, and
which Americans will benefit under
whose plans. Most students in
attendance called Sandy the winner.
Gore's
concern for
working,
middle-class
families in
the United
States.
Sandy
followed
with Bush's
tax plan and
his trust for
the American