Paige Miles, Editorial Page Editor The Behrend Beacon I’uhli'.h, il ii rrklv h\ the s lii.Jenl s of I’cnn Slate i.rie. Ihe Hehretiil ( allege News Editor Erin McCarty Assistant News Editor Jen Henderson Sports Editor Scott Soltis Assistant Sports Editor Lauren Packer Editorial Page Editor Pa ig e M i,es Beacon Features Editor Karl Benacci "A newspaper by the Staff Photographers sludents f° r the students ” Jeff Hankey Heather Myers The Beacon is published weekly by the students of Penn State Erie, the Behrend College; First Floor, The J. Elmer Reed Union Building, Station Road, Erie, PA 16563 The Beacon can be reached by calling (814) 898-6488 or (814) 898-6019 (FAX). ISSN 1071-9288. The real world starts... RIGHT NOW It is from my own experiences that I know how much the members of your average college community (let’s say, for in stance, Behrend) love to define things. They love to classify problems, pick out key words to define, answer questions and constantly pick at their surroundings for new information to help them better understand what, they may or may not already know. Now let’s think for a minute about the kind of world that surrounds the average membe r college community. Reality-based TV sf fellow students preparing themselves for “real world,” and real lessons being taught in the classroom are just a few things that come to mind. One word sticks out of that list more than any other - the word “real.” If you were to ask 100 people to de fine that word, you would probably get 100 different responses. In using the above list to define the word “real,” I can only tell you this. Reality-based TV is anything but reality, the real lessons taught in the class room are for the real world, but the real world isn’t some far off and distant place that we hope to enter someday. The real world is now. Reality is all around you - it’s all real. Reality began the day that you were bom and lasts for as long as you want it to. It won't start when you graduate from college or when you get your first “out of college” job, or when you finish paying off school loans - it’s right now. With this in mind, let’s look at college life through “real world” eyes. You have a large 9am meeting tomorrow, where your boss George Bush is ‘American Idol' With war looming on the horizon like a black storm cloud, there is one thought on the country’s mr will be the next American I< This is not to say that Ami stupid. Well, yes it is. Let War is depressing and pol are downright confusin’. W would anyone want to woi about that when we can lai at people screeching like dy cats on “American Idol?” This war is interest because the American pu! has the luxury of not tak. _ interest. Look at World War 11. Kevin Fallon The country made huge —— sacrifices both at home and abroad. During the Vietnam years, thousands marched in protest. But this current war, many can just change the channel to “Joe Millionaire.” And for those of us who care about the conflict, we don’t know whom to believe. Personally, I don’t know what President Bush is thinking, and I sure as hell don’t trust Saddam Hussein. The rhetoric coming from the Bush Editor-in-Chief Kevin Fallon Managing Editors Rebecca Weindorf Robert Wynne Professional Publication Mgr. Dave Richards Advisor Cathy Roan The Beacon encourages letters to the editor. Letters should include the address, phone number, semester standing, and major of the writer. Writers can mail letters to behrcoll2@aol.com. Letters must be received no later than 5 p.m. Monday for inclusion in The best project that solves the problem in the most complete way will earn its creators a pay raise and a chance to move up in the company within the next few weeks. The worst prob lem solving ideas will earn their creators nothing the first time, iut future and more frequent bad ideas will only lead to an ill-expense paid trip to the unemployment office. I just described the average college class, but in “real world lingo.” Imagine if you treated every project and as signment that you received in your cases as though it would be rewarded with a pay raise and future advancement, instead of just a letter grade and the freedom to take the next level class and move up to the next Just a little side note semester standing. Christine Kleck But when you think about it, in reality, ex- hibitors of quality work always receive a raise and a chance for advancement, whether its pay related, education-related, grade-related, or corporate-based. The "real world” always appreciates a real effort and a real job, well done. administration has been vague up to this point. In his State of the Union address, Bush addressed he possible war, but did ot provide concrete that usually support us do not have our backs on this one? If Bush thinks war is the best solution to the Iraq crisis, he needs to do a better job to convince the public. After all, he does have Simon from “American Idol” to compete with. Perhaps Bush should take a lesson from Simon. He should get on TV and diss Saddam, “American Idol” style. It SHITORIAL Advertising Manager Christine Kleck Calendar Page Editor Erinn Hansen A&E Editor Daniel Stasiewski Humor Page Editor Mike Butala Associate Editor Courtney Straub Distribution Manager Scott Soltis that week’s issue will assign you a problem-solving project, so you better get a good night’s sleep. Once in your meeting tomorrow, you will divide into departments under the larger organization to com plete the project effectively, creatively, and in the allotted amount of time. So the next time you are faced with a project and you think to yourself, “I don’t need this,” “this isn’t going to prepare me for the real world,” or “this isn’t going to make me any real money” - it’s all real, and a really good job leads to really great rewards. The real world is now. evidence Call me a cynic, but I expect my leaders to provide sound reasoning before launching an unprovoked assault. Most of the international community agrees. Does -anyone else find it odd that countries Friday, January 31, 2003 life lewmN6Bwnsj. Vs;?/ tfifo/flF''* ** ims' 'iis;Jig&t m MI 4%s§®@Ss. iSPSI SB|t*t vYi'-vV^ - ’!> -! Kleck’s column appears every three weeks. might not be the smoking gun, but people would listen when Bush says, “What’s the story with the mustache? You are horrendous.” Hussein would say, “Thank you.” Then Bush would say, “That is not supposed to be a compliment. You are the worst leader in the world.” Then Hussein would say something like, “You ain’t my momma and you don’t pay my bills.” Colin Powell is set to speak to the United Nations Security Council next week to make his case for war. He is the Paula Abdul and that other guy to Bush’s Simon. Bush talks all the noise, but Powell has to be the rational one and explain why Hussein can’t go on to the next round.. .1 mean should be attacked. Actually, some of those American Idol contestants are the ones the U.S. should attack. Maybe we should drop a bomb on that kid who sang “Like A Virgin.” mil?! * * ' "t-, i*7 >',i ' •/ i 1 5 , k '*?s*s f&t ' v Keep Barrett at Behrend I do not know how many of you are interested in the arts, but I wanted to bring something to everyone’s attention. Last year, Paula Barrett was hired to re place the former theater instructor. Her contract was only for one year, because as is the practice here at Penn State, a nation wide search f' teacher was to take placi now, the staff at Behrend if ing different instructors over the country. Barrett teaches theate jors at Gannon, as well teaching Theater 100, Honors Theater 100, and Theater 102 at Behrend. However, she Maria Barron is not simply a teacher. Barrett is the director of our on campus theater productions. This means spending several hours a day at rehearsal with the cast and countless hours at home developing the play. She is an amazing woman. She is an instruc tor, a teacher, and last but definitely not least, a friend to her students. Even though there is no doubt in my mind that the administration will dis cover that she is the best person for the job, I do not want to leave any room for something tragic to happen. It would be a tragedy for this University to lose Barrett. She is an insightful, energetic, and brilliant woman. Barrett was a pro fessional actress in New York City for several years before retiring to instruct a new generation of actors. I know sev eral people who are seriously consider ing acting as a career largely due to her contagious enthusiasm, myself included. As cliche as it may sound, she makes learning fun. She is an invaluable asset to this school. Letter to the Editor Dear Editor, I am writing to express my admiration, as well as my pride, of the Behrend students —all women I believe —who braved not only Saturday’s frigid weather but worse yet Peach Street traffic and snowmounds to collect donations for Thon. There may be Penn State Pride, but I was certainly Behrend Proud when I saw their efforts. They deserve our thanks and our respect Yours, Michael D. Chiteman, Head Division of Undergraduate Studies 20 Erie Hall Send all Letters to the Editor to Behrcoll2@aol.com Include your name, major, and semester standing ■"’■‘wSfiSSSt, Kill? JUS# '■ r<V>’'r'; *•' Because Behrend is a small school, theater is not offered as a major here, which is unfortunate. Barrett is our the ater department. She has hands-on ex perience in the theater; her techniques are unique and exciting, while she inte grates skill with imagination. 1 have e from her than I have my other classes here administration to show them how im portant our beloved teacher is to us, even though she has only been here for one year. I hope that you will all sign it and show your support. Even if you do not know Barrett, come and see the on-campus production of “R.U.R” at the end of February and you will see how brilliant she is. She has transformed not only the Studio Theater, but also the outlook of her students and the atmosphere of this university. As the student body we should have some say in who our instructors are. Please realize this power and sign the petition to keep Barrett here at Behrend. If our voice is loud enough, it will be impossible for the administration to ig nore our loyalty to Barrett, and more im portantly, our loyalty to the arts. The Behrend Beacon *‘ u ' •* r'; i .•;*. .* • 'V,r;, . , r** now for the reason I nging this national r ch for a new teacher to 'our attention. I am go ing to be passing around a petition to keep Barrett here at Behrend. Barron’s column appears every three weeks. Page >e pre- sented to the
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers