vitt E BEHREas s ..,..
B ea coil
October 4, 2002 16 Pages
„ 410 Vol. XLIX No. 35
40‘A Penn Stare Erie Stutic) t Tub/ Ica tion •
PENNSTATE
Erie
Fall 2002
Friday's forecast:
T-storms
High: 82°
Low: 65°
Check page 2 for the
weekend weather outlook
NEWS
SAFMOD
Sub Atomic Frequency
Modulation Overdose, a
Cleveland-based group
whose performances
creatively combine move
ment and music, per-
formed at Behrend Monday
as part of the Rhythms of
Life series. Read more on
page 2.
i+NITI.O WAY
United Way has started its
annual fundraising drive at
Behrend. This year's goal is
$40,000. Read more on
page 3.
MAI T EC Kt_
Behrend student Matt Eckl
has received the presigious
Top Teke award. Read more
about it on page 4.
081 IARY LAPTOPS
Students can learn how to
navigate the Lilley Library's
resources using new laptop
computers. Read more about
it on page 4.
Behrend
News...l -4
National Campus
News...s-6
Editorial... 7
Humor...B
Features... 9
Calendar...lo
A & E... 11
Ad5...12
Sports...l3-16
NEWSROOM: 898-6488
FAX: 898-6019
E-MAIL: •
behrcolls@aol.com
Offices are located
downstairs in the
Reed Union Building
Rev. Bernice King speaks at
PHOTO BY JEFF HANKEY / BEHREND BEACON
Rev. Bernice King, daughter of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., discusses the
decline of civility during the first lecture in the Behrend Speaker Series.
Behrend students travel to South
Africa for UN Summit
by Kevin Fallon
assistant managing editor
While most students were relaxing on
summer vacation and getting ready for
classes to start, two Behrend students
were getting a lesson in human rights.
In August, Banchiamlack Dessalegn
and Tracie Morell traveled to
Johannesburg, South Africa for the
United Nations Summit on Sustainable
Development. There, students observed
the tragedy of poverty.
The experience gave the students an
up-close view of the poverty that many
South Africans face everyday. In places
the air was so toxic that some students
said it was almost impossible to breathe.
It was the same place where children
played and starving people searched for
food.
Part of the trip included traveling
through the city with The Environmental
Justice Networking Forum. It brought
students to a waste dumpsite.
"It was horrific," said Dessalegn.
La Pena celebrates Spanish culture
by Erin McCarty
news editor .
Students who enjoy Spanish language
and culture now have the chance to share
their love with other students on campus.
Last spring, students felt a need for those
with no access to Spanish away from class
formed the Spanish Club, La Pena. At the
head of this group was Jackie Cavicchio,
English 08.
"'La Pena' translates into 'the rock,' or
'the foundation, — said Cavicchio, who is
president of the club. "We hope that La
Pena, Club de Espanol, can provide a
strong foundation for those who are
interested in deepening the knowledge they
learn in Spanish language and history
classes and sharing it with the student
body."
Since last semester, club members have
participated in special events including a
Spanish Mass at St. Steven's Church and
the end-of-the-year fiesta, complete with
tacos and Latin music. This semester
kicked off with a Freshman Fiesta, where
new members mingled in Bruno's while
enjoying Spanish food and music.
"[The party] was off to a slow start [but]
ended up being a success," said Cavicchio.
"We listened to music in Spanish and
enjoyed punch and tacos that were made
possible through SGA's generous funding.
The Fiesta was a chance for new members
to get acquainted with the existing
members and officers in an informal
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Banchi pesAalegn poses with a statue and tour guide in South Africa.
She was one of 14 students who traveled to Africa for the United
Nations World Summit.
"There is smoke coming out of this waste
dump site and then there are people there
looking for food in the waste."
setting. Many new smiling faces showed
up at the party, which we hope to see more
of."
On Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.,
the club will present Encounter of Cultures,
which is being held in honor of Hispanic
Heritage Awareness Month and Columbus
Day, outside Bruno's.
"We hope it will promote awareness of
Spanish heritage by depicting the historical
representation of the encounter between
Spain and (New World) South America,"
said Cavicchio. "On a lighter note, the club
will also be serving hot chocolate, a result
of the merging cultures, in celebration of
Hispanic Heritage Awareness month."
While La Pena is intended for students
of all backgrounds and at all levels of
Spanish skill, another club, the
Organization of Latin American Students
(OLAS), caters more specifically to
students with Hispanic heritage. The two
clubs are working together on Tropical
Temptations, an event that will occur Oct.
19, a Saturday evening. Tropical
Temptations will provide information on
the cultures of such spring break
destinations as Spain, Mexico, and several
South American countries.
"I feel that working side by side with
OLAS will provide both clubs with a
rewarding experience as well as... [be]
beneficial to the student body," said
Cavicchio. La Pena will also present a
Spanish reading on Nov. 19 during which
by Kassi Hindman
staff writer
The Rev. Bernice King, the youngest
daughter of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,
used her father's famous motivational
speaking style for a crowd at the
McGarvey Commons at Penn State
Behrend on Tuesday. This first lecture in
the Behrend Speaker Series also marked
the official opening of the Janet Neff
Sample Center for Manners and Civility.
King, a minister in Atlanta and author
of "Hard Questions, Heart Answers:
Sermons and Speeches," started the
evening by trying to lighten the mood with
a joke. She knew that some of the
audience members may have had a
stressful day and her philosophy was,
"Laughing is jogging on the inside."
At the end of the speech there were
many words that came to audience
members' minds; some described her as
kind, encouraging, caring, and
motivational. However, at the very
beginning of the speech, the first
impression she gave was humility.
"I am not going to speak to your head.
There are many more intelligent people
SUMMIT
continued on page 2
students will read various selections in
Spanish and share Spanish food.
Cavicchio is especially excited about
presenting El Carnaval, the Spanish
version of Mardi Gras that is characterized
by elaborate costumes, in February. The
festival will feature Spanish and South
American food and entertainment typical
of the festival.
"La Pefia asks that other clubs and
organizations help make this event a
success by dressing up in costume as one
would actually wear if they were
participating in El Carnaval," said
Cavicchio. "Ideas for costumes are
PHOTO BY ERIN McCARTY / BEHREND BEACON
Spanish enthusiasts gather in Bruno's last Thursday during La Pena's Fresh
man Fiesta. The fiesta was just the first of many events sponsored by the
Spanish Club.
Behrend
than me here," said King "I do not want
to compete with your intelligence. I am
going to try to bypass intelligence and
move into the heart."
The first part of her speech told how
there must be something wrong with this
world. She said that if kids are being
abducted, the divorce rate is climbing, and
road rage is a growing problem, then
something is wrong.
"People are in a rush to go nowhere,"
she said. She believes that these problems
are a result of the world being spiritually
dead. To cure these problems, then, we
need to bring the spirit of kindness into
our lives, she said.
The second, and main, point of her
speech was that there are three causes of
incivility and those are arrogance,
selfishness, and materialism. These are
"the cause of man's inhumanity to man,"
she said.
King said arrogance is the cause of
racial and class tensions and also the cause
of our war with Iraq.
"We are all intertwined and what
happens to you ultimately happens to me,"
King said.
The second cause she spoke of was:
selfishness.
"Selfishness is the reason rap artists can
put out the lyrics they do and not worry
about the effects on the public," said King.
"I would refuse to put anything out if it
would have a negative effect on even a
single child."
King said that materialism, the third
cause, could be why people are spiritually
dead.
"We are in a society where money is
first and God last," said King.
Members of the audience said that they
walked away with at least something to
think about.
"I think the speech was worthwhile,"
said audience member Megan Loncaric.
"She brought up a lot of good points and
it really made me think." King said that
there are many things that college students
can do if they want to put her words into
action.
"It all starts here. Begin to be a little
more conscious in your daily dealings then
maybe you will realize how your actions
are affecting other people," said King.
King's appearance, which was free and
open to the public, was sponsored by the
Office of Student Affairs in conjunction
with the Sample Center. The Speaker
Series continues on Nov. 26 with Dr.
Hunter "Patch" Adams, founder of the
Gesundheit! Institute.
Not only can students speak with one
another, experts are on hand to ensure they
are speaking correctly. Club members
include native speakers, and students can
also 'seek guidance from advisor
Guadalupe Alvear-Madrid, Dr. Juan
Fernandez-Jiminez, or Dr. Soledad
Traverso.
Spanish speakers of all skill levels are
invited to attend meetings, which are in
Reed 113 on Mondays at 12:30 p.m. For
more information on the club, contact
Cavicchio at jmc4o7@psu.edu.
20M