BEHREND tr io -tzo . %".• 4411....... 1111 ~, August 30, 2002 8 Pages SEP 04 20(4 's :,,, . :-' l ",-- -Y Vol. XLIX lIEHREND COLLEGE No. 30 lotiAßy 5 .. • A PENN STATE ERIE STUDENT PUBLICATION Fall 2002 Friday's forecast: Partly Cloudy High: 78° Low: 58° Check page 2 for the weekend weather out NEWS NSW NSW LAB Computer science students nelaikave*leb-te.‘ own. Benson 77 has been converted to a Unix lab. Read more about it on page 2. TRIP TO STFIATFORD Students will soon make the annual pilgrimage to Stratford, Ontario, for the Shakespeare festival. Find out more on page 2. IRAQ Editorialists sound off the situation between the United States and Iraq. Read what Beacon staff has to say about it on page BASEBALL STRIKE The great American pas time is threatened by a player strike. Read the latest news about the strike on page 6. FOOTBALL t's football time again. Have a look at what's in store for the Penn State team on page 7. — lllllllllll.n Behrend News...l-2 Nat'l Campus News... 3 Features... 4 Editorial...s Sports... 6-8 NEWSROOM: 898-6488 FAX: 898-6019 E-MAIL: behrcolls@aol.com Offices are located downstairs in the / Fwd Union Building Students 4 1 . 11 a l 1 1 ^ 11 .1 1 1 1 1 1 iii 111.11 Are you having a hard time finding your way into Behrend? "Perhaps the best advice is just to follow the signs," said John Ream, director of Business Operations, about getting on and off campus while Eastside Access Highway construction continues. Students who departed in May by way of the stone entryway returned to find that entrance out of Instead, traffic is diverted to a roadway that was recently built as a part of the East Side Access Highway project. Vehicles will need to navigate the temporary entrance and exit, located between the Junker Center parking lot and Jordan Road, for another week or two while workers complete the paving process. For those who have had trouble finding a place to_park, the 200 parking spaces added to the Junker Center parking lot should alleviate some of that frustration. PHOTO BY ROB VVYNNE / BEHREND BEACON PHOTO BY KEVIN FALLON / BEHREND BEACON Road signs and long lines are familiar sights to everyone who has been on campus lately. The temporary entrance is expected to be used for the next week or two. Amann named new Police and Safety manager "Coming here was like coming home," said Jim Amann, the newly ap pointed manager of Police and Safety. Amann attended Behrend from 1971 to 1972 before transferring to University Park. "I couldn't believe how much bigger it was," Amann said. The position at Behrend opened up when former manager Bill Donahue was promoted to Assistant Director of Police and Safety Services for the en tire university. "It had to be Penn State," Amann said. "I wouldn't have applied any where else." After he graduated in 1975, Amann went on to work for the Millcreek Township Police Department for 27 years. During those last 11 years, he served as patrol division commander. He also was a member of the Millcreek Township Safety Committee and mentored students studying criminal science. "I was approaching retirement age," said Amann. "I had a chance for a sec ond career, and the idea of change was appealing." Since arriving at Behind on Aug. 5, Amann has been acclimating himself to the geography of the campus and the way things are done at Behrend. Mem- by Erin McCarty news editor by Erin McCarty news editor During this transition time, police officers are directing traffic at the entrance from 7 a.m. to noon each day. By the end of November, the stretch of highway reaching to the interstate is expected to be finished. Students will be able to use a pedestrian bridge to Logan House by October 1; another pedestrian bridge across Jordan Run began construction this week. Once completed, the smooth roadways and lighted walkways will provide a safer route to and from campus. Safety was a major factor in the decision to redo the walkways connecting the Behrend, Nick, Zurn, and Hammermill buildings. "The concrete was deteriorated," said Ream. "There were tripping hazards." The old walkways were torn out and replaced with fresh- paths accented by semi-circular brick formations. In order to meet the acceptable slant grade in compliance with the American Disabilities Act, the walkways now branch out further but are not as steep. hers of the Behrend community have helped him along the way . "Bill Donahue was very helpful and answered my questions," Amann said. "The students I've met have seemed very cooperative. That says a lot about the caliber of students here." Amann went on to say how impressed he was with the students, noting that they have their priorities in line. He says that he himself has some learning to do. "Everybody has his own way of do ing things," Amann said. Before he can implement his own ideas into the es tablished order, he must familiarize himself with the processes of Behrend's Police and Safety and know which per son to call when he has a problem. "It's hard to find myself in a situa tion where I'm looking for answers," said Amann. After 27 years of work ing in the same place„ he knew how to handle every situation. Now, he has to get a feel for the inner workings of Behrend. "I'm the new kid on the block," Amann said, noting that all of the of ficers who are a put of Behrend's Po lice and Safety services have been here for at least three years. But Mann is up for the challenge. "Evetyone here has been extremely helpful, not just in this department. I'm very grateful for that." Perhaps the most noticeable change is the absence of the stairs leading up to the Behrend building, although the ledge surrounding the door remains. Though the construction portion of these walkways has ended, the final result of the refurbishment will not be apparent for several months. "There will be additional landscaping," Ream said. "We saw no reason to do all this planting when we were in the middle of a drought." Later in the year, landscapers will add the finishing touches to the science walkways and the apartment quad, which underwent considerable construction over the summer. Other construction projects are on the way. The construction of the Research and Economic Development Center (REDC), a $3O million project, is slated to begin in late spring and take one to two years to complete. Perry Hall will undergo renovations, and a new L-shaped building will be built behind the Reed Union Building. This $lO million structure will house Carillon installed in Smith Chapel • •r; •- II carillon was added to the Smith Chapel this past May. In mid- September • a device allowing the bells to be played electronically will be installed. 150 students in suite formation and come equipped with elevators for handicap access. It will be ready in the fall of 2004. . Another anticipated change is the addition of an apartment complex across the road from Behrend. Although these apartments will not be built by the college, they will be very conveniently located for Behrend students. The complex will hold 192 students, and the surrounding area might be commercially developed. "This complex may impact our own future development," said Interim Provost and Dean Dr. Jack Burke. In the meantime, students will have plenty of opportunity to witness changes both on and off the campus, starting with the highway. "Penndot tried to complete the highwaytfrom 1-90 to the school in time," said Ream "Unforeseen delays made that impossible, so students should anticipate delays on Station Road and leave plenty of time to get to class."