behrcolls@aol.com
Question of the Week by Jen Henderson, associate editor
"My best Christmas gift •
this year urns a fleece robe. •
My house is so cold!" •
Brenda Perry •
Comtniniications, 02
LEE
ft Spike lee Joint: career highlights
Spike lee
when they chose a profession they did not
love." He emphasized the notion that
effort is just as necessary to achieving a
career goal as passion or talent.
“People are tricked into thinking
someone's gonna discover them,” said
Lee, complaining about such shows as
“American Idol" and “Star Search.”
“They think they don’t have to do any
hard work.” He assigned some of the
blame for this widespread ambivalence
to current American culture. When he was
growing up. lie said, he and his friends
looked up to African-American men who
possessed one or more of three qualities:
athletic ability, a way with women, and
intelligence
“Today, if you try to raise your level of
consciousness, you’re ridiculed,” Lee
said. Blacks who are well-spoken are
accused by members of their own
community of trying to sound white.
“What has happened for us to equate
ignorance with being black and
intelligence with being white?”
“Values are dispensed through the
Ad targets SUV drivers as supporters of terrorism
by Lauren Packer
staff writer
If you drive an SUV or a gas-guzzling
car, then you support terrorism, claims
ads aired in major cities, including the
motor city Detroit.
The Detroit Project, founded by
Americans for Fuel Efficient Cars, fo
cuses it ad campaign solely on SUVs
because of their poor gas mileage and
the overwhelming number of Americans
who drive them. Currently, more than
20 million Americans drive SUVs and
that number is quickly rising.
The main idea of the campaign is not
to attack SUV owners, states Detroit
Project founder Arianna Huffington.
Huffington told CBS “the campaign
is not designed to demonize SUV own
ers. We want to encourage customers to
connect the dots and make socially re
sponsible consumer choices.”
In its ads, the Detroit Project depicts
sequentially how an American driving an
SUV supports terrorism. This is a tran
script of one of the Detroit Project’s ads,
which began airing Jan. 12: “This is
George. This is the gas that George
"My ’vette!"
Mike Alabran
PLET, 05
home, but most importantly through the
media,” Lee said. “The reason the USA
is the most powerful country in the world
is because of culture. You control the
media, you can influence how people
think. You influence how people think
and you don’t need bombs.”
He said that Americans need to be more
careful about what they watch, avoiding
the drivel that is so prevalent. He
especially criticized the current trend of
reality television and such hits as “Joe
Millionaire,” as well as situation
comedies.
Lee’s own contribution to American
culture has been significant with such
films as “Malcolm X,” “Do the Right
Thing,” and “Jungle Fever” and, for the
younger set, the PBS show “Ghostwriter.”
“I try to make thought-provoking films
with some humor in them," said Lee,
noting that historically films have been
about the degradation of minority groups.
Even films by African-American
directors usually fall into timeworn
categories set by the Hollywood
bought for his SUV. This is the oil com
pany executive who sold the gas that
George bought for his SUV. These are
the countries where the executives
bought the oil that made the gas that
George bought for his SUV. And these
are the terrorists who get money from
those countries every time George fills
up his SUV.”
In 2001, the U.S. imported 588 mil
lion barrels worth of oil from Saudi
Arabia and imported 289 million barrels
of oil from possible war-opponent Iraq.
Edwin Masteller, professor emeritus
of Biology at Behrend, not only shares
the same viewpoint of The Detroit
Project but also practices what he be
lieves. Dr. Masteller rides his bicycle to
work, only using his vehicle when the
weather is inconvenient. The odometer
on his 1997 Ford Ranger reads around
40,000 miles, proof that he practices
what he preaches.
Masteller also believes that it is un
fortunate that Americans are involved in
numerous international problems but are
not willing to decrease the use of petro
leum.
“We drive these gas-guzzling vehicles
\ , '*'l 1 -m
life J J>J
Friday January 17, 2003
“My front teeth!"
Kim Moses
MIS, Gettin' Out
gatekeepers, those who decide which
films get made and which don’t. He
praised “Antwone Fisher” and Drum
Line” as exceptions while criticizing
“Barbershop” for the derogatory jokes
made about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
and Rosa Parks, especially because these
remarks were made by the man who was
supposedly the wisest character in the
film.
“I don’t know how we could laugh at
that,” he said. “These are the things we
have to think about."
Many of Lee’s films tackle
controversial issues, and he is not afraid
to speak his mind. But his fiery reputation
was largely absent from the calm manner
in which he addressed questions from the
audience. The one question that seemed
to ignite his ire was a rather belligerent
demand as to why he is taking part in
advertising for the Navy, whom the
student accused of sending minorities to
fight for imperialist nations.
“It’s amazing how African-Americans
then try to save countries with oil that
we deem feasible,” said Masteller.
“They have to stop and think that some
body is going to lose their life in these
fights with those countries.” By using
less petroleum, there are obvious ben
efits: cleaner environment, less need to
buy foreign oil, and of course, less need
to go to war to protect foreign oil invest
ments.
Why not do something as simple as
make our cars and SUVs more fuel-effi
cient? Like others who want more fuel
efficient cars, Masteller thinks that the
new legislation that is trying to be passed
is ridiculous. The fuel efficiency stan
dard for SUVs, along with vans and light
trucks, is 20.7 mpg. Under the new leg
islation, standards would be forced to rise
to 22.2 mpg by 2007. Cars would not
have a change in miles per gallon and
would remain at 27.5 mpg.
“I wonder how much the petroleum
industries have a hold on American gov
ernment,” states Masteller.
In 2000, more than $35 million was
spent by automakers to lobby in Wash
ington.
What do SUV drivers on the Behrend
, • “Sleep, I hibernated for about n
• week. "
Francis Hayes
Biology, 02
are held to different standards," Lee said.
He noted that historically African-
Americans have been eager to defend this
country. Now that the Navy is making
an effort to reverse its reputation for being
racist, Lee wants to help bring the
message across. He is also involved in
two pet projects that involve major
African-American athletic figures.
Lee infused the evening with humor
and advice for the audience members,
particularly students.
“Find out what it is that you love,” he
stressed repeatedly, and think about the
signals that the media is sending. Both
were messages everyone could take to
heart as they dispersed to face the frosty
night.
Lee was the first of this semester’s
guests in the Penn State Behrend Speaker
Series. The next guests, Peter Hillary and
Jamling Norgay, are sons of the men who
conquered Mount Everest. They will
speak on March 20 at 7:30 p.m.
campus have to say about their so-called
“support” of terrorism?
Sixth semester student Amanda Brown
does not agree with the accusations of
the Detroit Project. Brown, whose fam
ily owns a Ford F 250 Truck and a Ford
Expedition, says that America is in love
with SUVs and their power and status
symbol. For Brown, it is not a question
of power or status symbol rather it is a
necessity.
“They [the SUVs] are more spacious,
and my mom enjoys hers for when we
travel. My dad uses his truck for haul
ing things back and forth when needed
for his job,” said Brown.
“Also, in our case it is easier to drive
in the winter weather with an SUV where
we live.”
Masteller understands Brown’s needs
and states, “People need to consider if
they need that size of vehicle all the time
when it comes time to purchase an SUV.”
And with fuel currently around $ 1.50,
Brown realizes that the Expedition her
family drives does consume a lot of gas,
but she does not believe that she and her
family support terrorism.
“I think that fuel is too high right now
The Behrend Beacon
• “I got a CD player for my cai
• from my fathei-too bad my car
• rarely runs properly.
• PeAitin Walker
I’sychologu 02
THON
rapidly
approaches
by Jen Henderson
assistant news editor
Fundraising for THON is in full
swing this semester as the day of
the event rapidly approaches.
Efforts thus far have brought in
almost $4OOO. SGA members are
hoping that the number will go up
even more by Feb. 21.
“We appreciate and thank all of
the student organizations that have
supported this wonderful
philanthropy that helps the kids."
said SGA President Brandi Hovis.
Dancers who will represent Penn
State Behrend in this year's THON
are Michelle Riizzb' and Jennifer
Sutter. The event will take place
at University Park on Feb. 21 to 2.1.
This weekend the two will be
attending a retreat at UP associated
with THON.
The retreat is an effort for all of
the dancers from the various other
commonwealth Penn State
campuses to meet each other. They
will all get a chance to know one
another and do many activities to
prepare for the THON weekend.
Since THON is a 48-hour dance
marathon, it can be tiring. Anyone
who would like to send dancer mail
to our two representatives is
appreciated
The dancer mail can include
cards, letters, signs, toys, etc. The
dancer mail is delivered to the
dancers at a certain time during the
forty eight hours to give them a
smile and a morale boost.
If interested in giving dancer
mail, drop it off in the SGA office
to Brandi Hovis. Fundraising
efforts are still underway for this
incredible event and student,
faculty, and staff support is needed.
and my mom does limit her driving
because the Expedition uses up a lot of
gas. 1 do not believe that we are sup
porting terrorism just because we drive
an SUV. SUVs are not the only vehicles
that require gasoline to run. so why is
all the blame placed on that specific car'.’
If people feel it is such a big issue then
why don’t we use our own resources."
said Brown.
While the use of our own resources
certainly seems like a good idea in
theory, in reality it is having a hard time
catching on. Drilling for oil off the coasts
of California, Florida are not allow ed and
drilling for oil in Alaska is also banned.
Masteller suggests taking simpler,
smaller steps that will reduce the num
ber of drivers and cut down on the use
of petroleum.
“Why not try to use public transporta
tion, if you get it to be more convenient?
Honda and Toyota have come out with
hybrid cars. Somehow, you just have to
make the effort."
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