The Behrend eacon November 22, 2002 ' &WM, Pages 111110 Vol. L , 4„ *NOV 2 No. 5 National Fuel move to Knowledge Park would benefit Behrend students by Rob Wynne managing editor Penn State Behrend would help play a major role stopping the Pennsylvania "brain drain" if National Fuel Gas Company decides to re-locate its headquarters to Knowledge Park. Earlier this month National Fuel announced that it had cut its list of six possible building sites down to three, with Knowledge Park still in the running. The other two • •tential locations are in Buffalo, `l'm glad I'm here fighting for my country' Behrend student, former Beacon member serving at Af ha 111stani base by Becky Weindorf managing editor Imagine waking up at 6 a.m. every morning with a weapon by your side. This weapon, which remains loaded and ready to use at every minute, stays with you when you eat. It stays with you when you do your work. It stays with you in the bathroom, during your recreational activities, and again when you fall asleep at night. Jeffrey Miller has lived this life for the past month and a half. The Army called Miller, a Behrend student and former managing editor of the Beacon, for active duty in March. After months of training in Seattle, he flew to the Bagram base in Afghanistan in mid-September. Because there are only 15 phones and 12 computers for the 8,000 soldiers that are at the Bagram base, the Beacon interviewed Ann Marie Havey, Miller's girlfriend, about his experiences. The time limit for the phone is 10 minutes per soldier; for the computer, it's only 30 minutes. "He'll wait in line for over two hours just to talk on the phone," said Havey. "There are lines for everything. He waits in line for the phone, the computer, the chow hall, even the PX hall (the convenience store). "He said he would never vacation in Disney World because he never wants to wait in line again!" she added with a laugh. Most of the area around the base is run by drug and war lords, some of whom are hired to do smaller jobs, such as picking up trash, around the base. They are paid about $2OO for their work, Miller says, which is more than they've seen in a lifetime. "It's a Third World country," Havey said. "The kids are the biggest problem because they steal or beg all the time, and it's hard. Some locals take the keys to the Army vehicles and ask for 'five dollar, five dollar.— Privacy is a precious commodity almost non existent —on the base. The tents on the base fit I 0 people and are 20 x 8 yards. Miller's space consists of one bed, the s 'ace underneath the bed, and a 2x2 Cardboard City raises awareness, money for homeless by Melony Burnom staff writer "Can you please donate money f0r..." began the student who occupied a cardboard box early this week. "Sorry, I don't have any change," came the prompt reply Some weren't lucky enough to get responses equally polite. The grass was muddy, it was snowing and raining and Behrend students sat in, next to, or on top of cardboard boxes, asking people for change. This was all for Cardboard City, a national event to increase awareness of hunger and homelessness in our society. Each year the Smith Chapel sends out announcements to all of Behrend's student clubs and organizations before Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week asking for their participation in the national event. However, this year was the first year that Cardboard City was overnight, so many student clubs that participated in it last year opted not to this year. Students from Trigon, Alpha Phi Omega and Tri Beta all spent 24 hours in a cardboard box to raise money for foundations that deal with hunger and homelessness today. Alpha Phi Omega donated its money to Safe Net, a center for abused women and children, and Tri Beta donated its money to Habitat for Humanity. Throughout the night each box had students from their organization rotating shifts during the 30- degree weather. One member from the Trigon box, which was set NEWS 1-4 EDITORIAL 5 ADS 6 Inside GREEK SUPPLEMENT 7 ERIE SUPPLEMENT 8 CALENDAR 9 FEATURES 10 where the company's headquarters have been located since 1958. "For the past few months we've visited dozens of sites featuring a variety of landscapes. We have been pleased with the interest so many communities have shown for welcoming our headquarters and workforce and we will now spend the next few weeks scrutinizing the viability of just a few locations," said David F. Smith, President of the Company's utility segment, National Fuel Gas Distribution Corporation. Y i ,~. ~~ ~.. Jeffrey Miller, standing second from right, is serving in Afghanistan. He is shown here in August during training at the CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Yacaman Desert, Washington sq.ft. space on the wall. The only true privacy that soldiers have is in the port-a-johns on the base. Most Behrend students couldn't imagine what life would be like without modern conveniences. Almost none could imagine what it is like to live on an Army base among a field of land mines and wrecked Russian military planes from the Cold War. "Jeff's camp is right next to the airport, so he hears the bombers and fighters taking off all night," Havey said. "There are also Norwegian and Polish troops that are removing all the mines, but if they can't remove them, they have to set them off. He doesn't even notice [the explosions] any more. They can also see the Russian fighter planes shot down during the Cold War, when Russia was up outside of Bruno's, called it "no sweat," proudly saying the club raised $l3O. However, the fundraising wasn't so easy for Delta Sigma Pi members who gave in to the rainy weather after only 12 hours and abandoned their box, while others stuck it out for the lot run. This was what Two of Alpha Phi Omega's co-ed fraternity brothers, Elizabeth Marton and Nicole Bowser, bundle up against the cold as they sit in a cardboard shelter to raise money for Safe Net, a local safehouse for abused women and children. The service fraternity raised $131.22. HUMOR 11 A&E 12 SPORTS 13-16 If Knowledge Park were favored, however, there would be many internship and career opportunities for a number of students in many different majors; among the top would be business, communications, and science. "We've got a shot at it," said Jack Burke, Interim Provost and Dean. "Certainly the business situation in terms of running a business are better right now in Pennsylvania." He also said that one of the main reasons Knowled:e Park is still bem considered is because attempting to take over Afghanistan as a warm water port." Miller's training in Seattle prepared him for the dangers on the base. He took classes in sanitary precautions (such as keeping out rats) and is required to take a pill every day to prevent malaria. At the base, soldiers rotate tower duty, which requires them to watch the base at night for any kind of threat (snipers have already attacked the base; no one was hurt.) Not everything is weapons and waiting in lines, though. The base hosts a morale program every month, which has included a visit from the Washington Redskins' cheerleaders and actor/ comedian Robin Williams. participants at one box wanted, making the event sound like survival of the fittest, saying it was a "competition." Other student organizations collected varying amounts of money. The profits were donated to help the hur and homeless. NEWSROOM: 898-6488 E-MAIL: Offices are located FAX: 898-6019 behrcolls@aol.com downstairs in the Reed Union Building Contact Us National Fuel is looking to move out of downtown Buffalo because of space and security issues. According to Burke, though, Knowledge Park could accommodate its space concerns, which involve mostly parking. "Our immediate interest was focused on the workspace needs for the segment of our employee base now at 10 Lafayette Square, but as we evaluate KNOWLEDGE ,x ifs , "He got to shake [Williams] hand," Havey said. "He was great. He was supposed to do a standup routine but he didn't leave until he talked to every single soldier." And Havey does send plenty of packages full of Twizzlers, books, and even a Halloween package with a trick-or-treat pumpkin bucket. It usually helps ease the pain of being overseas for the largest holiday season of the year. Miller is not due back in the States until next March. "He reads a lot. There's really not much to do the only recreation they have is a weight room and AFGHANISTAN Marketing Club new to Behrend by Jen Henderson associate editor If you are looking for a way to expand your port folio with a little experience in the field of market ing, look no further. Penn State Behrend sports the newly formed Marketing Club, started this semes ter by Tom Medovitch, Kristy Wessel, and Erin Nichols. The three found each other when they realized that they all wanted to start a club of the same inter est. The constitution was passed unanimously by the SGA this week. It is now one of the fastest grow ing clubs on campus. With approximately 50 members already and steadily growing, the club has a variety of ideas for the remainder of this semester and next. "With the start of the Behrend Marketing Club, we hope to bring together business majors who are interested in marketing as well as build a strong group of students who can identify with each other," said Nichols. "I think the Marketing Club is going to be a great way to get involved on the Behrend campus and work side by side with different pro fessors and other student organizations." Throughout the United States there are roughly 300 collegiate chapters of this group. The AMA, or American Marketing Association, is a highly re- MARKETING continued on- page 2 ==ol continued on page 4 continued on page 4
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