Welcome Back!
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A Penn State Erie Student Publication
Vol. XLIX No. 1 August 24, 2001
PENNSTATE
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Friday's forecast:
Partly cloudy,
chance of rain
Ar°
Check page 2A for the
weekend weather outlook
Welcome
Back!
PAGE 4
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Take a look back at a few of
last year's editorial columns
and letters to the editor
Several tri-weekly columnists
will be returning this year,
plus a few new faces as well.
PAGE 8
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Not only was the ARC re
named over the summer, but
several new coaches have
been hired to lead Behrend's
sports teams in the Junker
Center
News... 2
Nat'l Campus... 3
Editorial... 4-5
Features... 6-7
Sports...B
NEWSROOM: 898-6488
FAX US: 898-6019
ON THE WEB:
www.clubs.psu.edu/
beacononline/
E-MAIL: behrcolls@aolcom
Offices are located downstairs
in Reed Union Building
Don't tread on me...
Hi: mid 70s
Lo: 60
What was once the softball field next to the main entrance on campus is now a Penn Dot playground.
Trucks, heavy equipment, and orange-vested workers occupy the area that is being cleared for the
Eastside Access Highway Project. Section A9O, the portion of the new highway that will connect the
Wintergreen Gorge and 1-90, is expected to be completed in 2003. This section of the highway will
bisect Behrend's campus, cutting through the current entrance, several existing buildings, and the
Behrend Athletic Fields. However, the portion of the highway that will cross the front entrance won't be
worked on until the end of the spring 2002 semester. Behrend students should expect traffic tie-ups for
the next two months while trucks and equipment navigate Station Road. To assist in traffic flow, two
flag persons are controlling traffic around the campus. Happy driving!
Reed lot turned into speed lot for Second Harvest Food Bank
Street racers, customized cars,
and numerous spectators filled the
Reed Parking Lot August 11 and
12 as the Sports Car Club of
America held their annual driving
course competition which ben
efited the Second Harvest Food
Bank.
The Misery Bay Region of the
S.C.C.A. and Enormis Audio spon
sored the Solo II competition. Pro
fessional drivers as well as the
general public were invited to test
their driving skills on a course out
lined with cones.
"Solo II competition is defined
as a low speed, participant driving
competition where one car at a
time negotiates a prescribed course
outlined with traffic pylons as
quickly and cleanly as possible,"
said event chairman Todd Beddick.
Many different makes and mod
els of vehicles tackled the course:
everything from a Ford Escort
ZX2 to a BMW Roadster. Sport
utility vehicles were not allowed
to participate due to their high cen
ter of gravity and possibility of
roll-over. Some vehicles had both
by Rob Wynne
editor-in-chief
Welcome Back!
body and engine 'customizations;
most were just stock, as if they
were just purchased at a dealer.
"The majority of cars that fun in
Solo II events are classified in the
`stock' category with little or no
modifications," said Beddick.
"No special equipment is needed
to run. Drivers are required to
wear a properly certified helmet
during runs."
Besides registration costs, there
were also a number of sponsors
that contributed to the Food Bank
cause. Humes/Dodge/ChryslerL
Plymouth Jeep, Champion Ford,
Cramer Motors, Bianchi Motors,
New Motors, Gary Miller Mazda,
and Jimmy Z's Time Out Tavern
sponsored awards for various cat
egories - Fastest Chrysler, Fastest
Ford, Fastest GM, Fastest VW,
Fastest BMW, Fastest Mazda, and
Fastest Female Driver, respec
tively. Enormis Audio sponsored
the award for fastest front-wheel
drive vehicle, and Auto Zone, Ad
vance Auto, and Splash's Auto
Bathhouse supplied items for the
Chinese auction and door prize
give away.
"Fun runs" were also a part of
the fund-raising plan. A spectator
or another driver was allowed to
ride with a driver for one dollar
while he or she tackled the course.
Last year, the Solo II event
raised over $900.00 for the Food
Bank. This year that number is ex
pected to be much higher. For
more information about the event
and the Misery Bay Region of the
S.C.C.A., visit: hrtp://
frontpage.erie.net/mbrscca .
Welcome Back!
PHOTO BY ROB WYNNE
COL Last
'Y
8 Pages
Police and
Safety
to carry
firearms
by Liz Hayes
news editor
Penn State Behrend's Police and
Safety officers could gain permission
to carry firearms by the end of the
academic year, according to Bill
Donahue, manager of Police and
Safety Services.
For the past five years Donahue has
pursued the issue of arming the eight
commissioned police service officers
on campus. Because officer armament
is organized by the University rather
than by Behrend's administration, it
has taken several years to push
through his appeal.
" I'd like to see the process move
faster, but I also appreciate the caution
the University is using. We want this
done right, not done fast," Donahue
said.
Donahue's main motivation for
arming his officers is to ensure both
public and officer safety: "We are the
law enforcement agency for Penn
State Behrend. The public expects us
to provide for their safety."
Currently, if a situation would arise
on campus in which an armed officer
was needed, Police and Safety would
have to rely on the Pennsylvania State
Police. While Donahue said he has no
complaints with the service the State
Police have provided, the State Police
are responsible for a large geographic
area, which could hinder response
ti Inc.
"If the nearest car is 20 minutes
away, it will he 20 minutes until we
can get support. And in many of these
situations, time is critical," Donahue
said.
POLICE
continued on page 2
Drivers participate in
the Solo II event
which was held
August 11th and 12th
in the Reed Parking
Lot. Above: A
customized Dodge
Avenger steers
through the driving
course.
Left: Cars and
spectators line-up for
"fun-runs."