Page 10
The Behrend Beacon
Seattle’s Worst:
a coffee addict
by Kristen Schrum
contributing writer
As a diligent student at Behrend,
sometimes 1 have to pull the dreaded all
nighter in order to complete what is ex
pected of me. Papers, projects, and
studying for tests until the wee morning
hours makes me crave one thing: Cof
fee.
But 1 have just a few gripes about the
brand of coffee that has taken over our
school; It's strong, it’s bitter, and several
of those little flavored creams are needed
to make it go down easier. Because this
is a free country, I decided to boycott this
coffee and go for the coffee in the
machines that are so conveniently
located in almost every building in the
school. Every building, that is, except
for the 24-hour computer lab, where
there is not a single coffee machine in
sight for those students who are up all
night slaving away at the computers.
Interesting, huh? Anyway, I thoroughly
enjoy the French vanilla cappuccino that
is available in these machines. And
what’s more, it’s only 40 cents for a cup
of this delicious brew.
Going Through Withdrawals
One day, after pulling an all-nighter
working on a paper, by my third class I
was dragging. I needed a pick-me-up
real bad. Because I knew I couldn’t
stomach “that other coffee," I decided
to get a cup of that delicious French
vanilla cappuccino. Those machines
Act now: advice
a Super-Senior
by Sarah Elson
contributing writer
Everybody has character flaws.
Sometimes these flaws present them-
selves in a manner of which an individual 1 wanted mv Drofessors to take an active
can learn and grow. Once these flaws have interest in my development as a student and
surfaced, a person makes a decision as to an adult. There were times I had scheduled
how to act —whether to change the exist
ing behavior or continue on with the same
destructive behavior.
I came to college with many flaws.
Someone who did not possess the same
faults as I did might even say 1 screwed up.
I did the stereotypical college thing: drank
(a lot), smoked pot, skipped class, etc., etc.
It took me almost to the middle of my se
nior year to alter my behavior. I am not per
fect now. I still love to party, but I work
hard and then play hard. Since I wasted so
r mmmm
-1 rl Wanna try something new?
; E-mail behrcoll@aol.com or call 898-6488.
Join the Beacon! Write for credits, meet profes
sionals, build your resume, and tell your parents
you actually did something in college.
take regular money, but they will also
accept the little chip that is on our ID
cards. And like most students, I don’t
carry around change because I have
money on my card for convenience.
So I entered the Reed Building, passed
the computers, and went straight for the
coffee machine. I slid my card in and to
my disappointment it read, “FAILED TO
PROCESS.” I mustered up some energy
to try the card again. Once again, the
card did not work.
So, I marched up to the ID office and
explained to them the problem. The lady
at the office was very nice and said, “We
will just print you out a new card."
So I took my shiny new card back
downstairs and tried again. Same results.
By this time, I was ready to cry. My
hands began shaking and my mouth was
dry. I needed the caffeine in my veins.
Now, I’m forcing my card into the
machine and cursing loudly at the damn
thing. All of the onlookers at the
“computer circle" gasped at the
obscenities coming out of my mouth.
But I couldn’t help it; I was not myself
anymore. I was an addict. My strength
was deteriorating, and I decided that 1
must resort to begging.
I exclaimed to the group, “Would
someone please take pity on a girl who
just wants one freaking cup of coffee?!”
Luckily, there was a kind man in the
group, and he offered me some change.
much time in the previous years, I felt stuck.
I had no connections for job opportunities
and no close association with my profes-
However. I was learning.
PHOTO COURTESY OF KRTCAMPUS.COM
meetings with professors and the first words
out of their mouths were, “Well, I only have
five minutes.” Now, how was I supposed
to schedule classes, choose a profession, and
excel in life on a five-minute budget? 1 was
frustrated, but I decided to move on and
develop relationships with professors I
never had for class and teachers outside my
major.
1 believe it is important to remember that
just because an advisor is assigned to you
on paper, there are other options available.
Friday, December 13, 2002
tales from
Getting the Fix
I put the change in and carefully made
my selection. I stared at the machine
with anticipation. Then, I turned my
head for just one tiny second, and I
looked back just in time to see the
machine spit out my coffee cup
SIDEWAYS.
Three-quarters of my long-awaited
coffee slipped down into the drain. I
fell to the floor sobbing. It wouldn’t be
long before someone found me there
and threw me into detox, so I decided
to pick up the measly cup of coffee and
devour it. Luckily, this was enough of
a fix to last me until I could get to a
more cooperative coffee machine.
I dragged myself to my next class but
the teacher told me to go home because
I looked terrible. I went to the bathroom
to look at myself in the mirror. My eyes
were bloodshot and my face was pale.
This is when I realized I had a problem.
Fighting Towards Recovery
Two months later, I have not fully
recovered from this incident.
Sometimes, I stay awake all night,
thinking about trying my card in that
machine just one more time. But I know
this is not healthy, and I need to move
on. Thanks to CA (Caffeine
Anonymous) I have now been off coffee
for one month, 28 days and 12 hours.
My advice to the other students who
love the coffee in those machines: They
are useless, so just give up. Stick with
Seattle's Worst.
rom
Do not think you are bound by restrictions.
I just started talking with anyone who
would listen. 1 don’t think it matters if you
start small and work big or vice versa. Just
getting your name and accomplishments
out to anyone is vital. This is networking—
the key to a progressive career. I started
by contacting a family friend who works
for the USA Today. He was
more than happy to help me
and in turn gave me a list of
people to contact. I tried it
and every last person re
sponded to me. I began go
ing on the Internet and post
ing my resume. I also con
tacted managers and editors
who had no idea who I was,
but they still got back to me.
I talked to more people and
received more feedback
than I did in the previous
four years. It is not even dif
ficult to do. You just need a
bit of enthusiasm to get the
ball rolling.
Take advantage of
what the university has to
offer. When you are in class,
out at a bar, in church, liter
ally anywhere, talk with
people about your interests.
You will make a connection
with someone that will em
power you to activate your
life. It only takes one person to make a
difference in your life.
However, if you wait for opportunities
to come to you, you may waste a lifetime.
All that you have to do is love what you
do, always be willing to learn more, and
pretend you have motivation—even if you
don’t. Start talking to others and never for
get to listen closely to what people have
to say. Knowledge is located in crevices
and can often be passed by.
I ”1
i Through the looking glass
by Mike Pingree, KRT Campus
After being convicted of driving without a license for the third time,
a man left the courthouse in Hamburg, Germany, got into his car and
drove off, followed in short order by the police officer who had just
testified against him.
The cop caught up with him and took away his car keys.
HOLD ON, OFFICER, I HAVE A CALL
Police saw a man rob a woman of her cell phone at gunpoint in East
London, South Africa, and chased him down, but he told them he
didn’t have it. So one of the cops called the number. They heard the
phone ring in his underpants.
A warm summer in southern Norway has led to an unusually bounti
ful growth of fruit but, because of the early winter, much of it has been
left to ferment on the trees. As a result, moose in the region have
gotten very drunk from eating apples from the branches.
They have been spotted staggering through the forest, and some
have become aggressive toward people passing through.
DITHERED TW?TS by Stan Waling
www.dtwits.com
“Ingenious. And what do you call
your invention, Mr. Barfbag?"
Crossword
ACROSS
1 Ovine remark
4 Mediocre
8 Endured
14 H.S. subj.
15 “Diana" singer
16 Black Sea port
17 Color changer
18 Coffin stand
19 Welcomes
20 Robin Hood's
weapon
22 Uttered
23 Of Chilean
mountains
24 Wedding
scatterings
28 Intended
29 Is able
30 Fall behind
31 BTUword
34 Submerge
35 Vegetable ball
38 Rained icily
40 Guitarist Paul
41 Vessels for ashes
43 Czech Republic
region
45 Prepare to take
notice?
47 Spanish article
48 Sweater type
52 Intensify
54 Puzzling
question
55 Departs
56 More
domineering
57 Climb
60 Caron title role
61 Shaft projection
62 Stirred up
63 Toast topper
64 Angle starter?
65 Respectful knee
bend
66 Gull relative
67 Sonic boomer,
briefly
DOWN
1 Pandemonium
2 Tennis partner?
3 Order of
business
4 Days of worship
5 Vidalia, e.g.
6 Distort
7 Shell propeller
Karl Benacci, Features Editor
OK, WHAT DID I DO THIS TIME?
WHAT ARE YOU LOOKIN’ AT!?
The Wedding Rings
/ txo
you sar
*MV SKS
FAT GROSK
. WeDOINGV.
All right! rMorvtd.
8 Boston airport Solutions
9 Floating freely
10 Sowers
11 Half a fly?
12 Winter hrs. in
Boston
13 Kapital"
21 Chap
22 Instrumental
compositions
24 “Titanic" director
25 Missing part of a
Manx
26 Prong
27 Kinds
29 Louisianans of
French ancestry
32 Shade tree
33 Third bk. of the
Bible
35 Shove
36 Pennsylvania conjunctions
port Calls
37 Not in favor of Decrees
39 Arithmetic 50 Frees from
operation suspicion
42 Propose 51 Henson’s frog
44 Common 53 Trustbuster
by Sprwgtlrotyer* Peel*
Roosevelt
54 Slugger Marls
56 Peevishness
57 Circle segment
58 Old coin
59 Mongrel
60 Acquired