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The Behrend Beacon
WEEKEND WEATHER
SATURDAY SUNDAY MONDAY
Rain/Snow Mix
High: 32°
Low: 18°
BEHREND BRIEFS
UCN deadline approaches
The deadline to sign up for the summer program at University College
Northampton in England is approaching. UCN hosts a five-week program in which
students can take up to nine credits in courses ranging from Art History and En
glish to Biology and Theater. Students stay in the dormitories at the college and
are given the opportunity to meet peers from a variety of countries and travel
throughout Europe.
Day trips organized by the program include Oxford, Stratford-Upon-Avon, and
Althorpe. Many other scenic destinations, such as Windsor Castle and Cambridge,
are within an hour or two of Northampton by train and are ideal for independent
day trips. In addition, students will spend a week at one of three locations
London; Florence, Italy; or Scottish Cairngorms depending upon their course of
study. During the three-day weekends, students can also organize their own trips
to European countries.
The trip itself costs S2,(XX), which includes accomodations and all program
sponsored trips and activities. Each three-credit course costs an additional $6OO.
Questions about any aspect of this program may be directed to Ruth Pflueger at
x 6140 or Dr. Dean Bald win at x 6214.
Behrend extends challenge to playwrights
Behrend’s Studio Theatre will host a 10-minute playwriting competition for all
lose brave and daring enough to test their drama writing skills. How much can
ou say in 10 minutes')
This competition offers an ideal opportunity for all those who have ever consid
red creating for the stage. Playwriting possibilities are limitless. Earth could be
lestroyed or transformed in ten minutes. Aliens could invade, or a 32-year-old
irchitect could fall in love
The only stipulations are that the play must be complete in and of itself (not a
section of a longer play). The performance time must be limited to 10 minutes.
There is no submission fee, but there are cash prizes for first place and runners-up.
If interested, send a letter of intent with contact information and two copies of the
:ompleted script to Paula Barrett, Studio Theatre Director, 1.35 Kochel Center, at
Penn State Erie, The Behrend College. The deadline for submissions is Feb. 28.
For more information call Barrett at 814-898-6209, or visit the Penn State Erie
website: www.pserie.edu/hss/theatre/10minplavcomp.htm.
Penn State appropriation cut
For the Fourth time in 16 months, Penn State's appropriation is being
cut by the Commonwealth. Total cuts have amounted to $29 million over
this period. Gov. Ed Rendell announced $ 120 million in spending reductions across
the state on Thursday afternoon, with about $3.2 million of
those cuts coming from Penn State's appropriation. The cuts follow
several earlier cuts made hy his predecessors to deal with revenue
shortfalls over the past year and a half. Gov. Schweiker cut Penn State's appropria
tion $3.2 million in December 2002; and now Gov. Rendell has cut Penn State an
additional $3.2 million.
POLICE AND SAFETY
01:00 Complainant reported somebody hit her vehicle and took off.
13:20 Complainant wanted to make a harrussment report. Found to
be out of P&S jurisdiction.
2/12/03
2/14/03
22:30 Officer was dispatched to apartment quad to speak to Duty RA
regarding an illegal substance. While en route to deal with the
call, officer caught a student trying to hide a bottle of beer. He
2/14/03
was under 21
Duty RA reported underage drinking in Perry. Officer arrived
found several individuals on east side of the second floor. Two
individuals were arrested for underage drinking. RA took care
of referral, and notifying student affairs.
2/15/03 01:40
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Chance Showers
High: 25°
Low: 17°
CLASSIFIED
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Snow Likely
High: 22°
Low: 15°
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Friday, February 21, 2003
A visiting elementary school student catches a few Zs during the performance of the Moscow Chamber Orchestra
Wednesday.
Theta Phi Alpha members
support THON
Members of Theta Phi Alpha (from left) Jen Sutter, Nichole Lemke,
Michelle Rizzo, and Angie Arbuckle pause for a picture during their
canning compaign on Jan. 24 and 25 to help support TFION. Rizzo
and Brandi Hovis will represent Behrend at the dance marathon.
FOCAL POINT
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Erin McCarty, News Editor
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
behrcolls@aol.com
Dubious Taste
celebrates
off color, bad
writing
bv Erin McCarty
news editor
Each year, Behrend brings in a
variety of accomplished writers to
read their best work, and offering
students and faculty opportunities to
read theirs. But once a year, everyone
is encouraged to bring the worst
writing they can find to share at the
Evening of Dubious Taste.
“Dubious Taste began in the early
’Bos." said English professor Dean
Baldwin. “We started it in part as a
way of lightening up the usual poetry
readings we have around here.”
Baldwin noted that most normal
readings tend to lean just a bit toward
the depressing side. Dubious Taste is
a night of pure - or rather, impure -
fun.
“Typically people read bad stuff,”
Baldwin said. “Bad” refers to both
poorly written works and off-color
works. Presentations lean heavily
toward poetry and prose, but offerings
also range from television excerpts to
songs.
For instance, last year, evening
highlights included a dramatic
storytelling about F.nglish professor
Greg Morris’ secret life, a satirical
play about the end of the world by
then-student Andy Sydlik; a critical
reading of a poem led by Baldwin;
and a video of a Japanese boy band
presented by Morris. Morris,
incidentally, is the reader of the
evening’s final and most anticipated
offering, a story titled ‘The Flash of
the Knife.”
“The story was bequeathed to us by
Jim Davis, a former professor, who
found it in a graduate writing class,”
said Baldwin. “He was trying to
write a horror story, but it turned out
to be quite the opposite. It’s hilarious.
1 call it the worst short story ever
written.”
Once everyone has proven their
dubiousness, they share a buffet of
questionable food that has included
such items as brain Jell-o (flesh
colored and placed in a brain-shaped
mold), cheese from a can, and Vienna
sausages.
Participants can let Baldwin know
what they intend to present before the
reading starts in the Studio Theatre
on March 4 at 7:30 p.m.
“Dubious Taste is an evening of
unwholesome entertainment and we
all need that once in a while,” said
Karen McKim, president of Round
Table, Behrend’s literary club, which
is sponsoring the event.
“We like to celebrate whatever is
in iffy taste or kind of on the
borderline,” said Baldwin. “And it’s
a chance to see your professors make
fools of themselves!”