A. ,- - , - The Behrend Beacon April 4, 2003 wiemin Pages a tli lli t) Vol. L •9i Tmi 1 / 4 4 - (ilt - 't ;'it' . 1 / 4 , tlici'fit ' i A IL-ono' 4 APR nfi- Z23No. 18 - y.r IifiREND Cc. Campus experts weigh in on world politics at war forum by Kristen Schrum staff writer Five professors spoke about the war in Iraq before packed house on Tuesday in Nick 171. The classroom was overfilled with people who wanted to become more informed about the war. Students stood along the wall just to have a spot in the room. "The forum was a great idea and I appreciated it. The professors were knowledgeable, but they needed a bigger room," said Chris Strayer, 02. Each professor used his or her area of discipline to explain different issues dealing with the war. Among those who spoke were Dr. Leigh-Ann Bedal, archaeology; Dr. John Rossi, U.S. business history and Behrend professors (from left) Dr. Leigh-Ann Bedal, Dr. John Rossi, Dr. Michael Christofferson, Dr. Michael Aleprete, and Dr. Zachary Irwin talk politics at Tuesday's war forum. Professors approached the topic from different standpoints and discussed such issues as the archaeological value of Iraq, the opposition of France to the war, and the United Nations' role in the conflict. PHOTOS BY ROB WYNNE / BEHREND BEACON Campus Q & A A new series spotlighting newsworthy members of the Behrend community This week: Jack Burke by Jen Henderson assistant news editor Dr. Jack Burke, senior provost and dean, is an interesting man with many goals and ambitions for his life. He began his ser vice at Behrend as interim provost and dean FILE PHOTO When Jack Burke is not busy working as the dean, he likes to spend time with his friend the Behrend Lion. when Dr. John Lilley left in July of 2001. However, he has been at the college since 1981. On March 21, he became Erie's campus executive officer and dean. Burke obtained a bachelor's degree in geography from the State University College which is located in Oswego, N.Y. He earned his master's degree and also Ph.D. from the State University of New York at Buffalo. He also earned a certificate at Harvard University's Institute for Educational Man agement in 1986. Q: What is your favorite part of your A: I like to work in Bruno's whenever I can. It gives faculty, staff and students the opportunity to talk to me as they pass through, and I find my time there very pro ductive. Q: What is your favorite movie? A: A tie: "A Christmas Story" and "The Princess Bride" Q: Who is the most interesting per son you have ever met? Or who would you like to meet if you had the chance to NEWS 1-3 SGA 4 EDITORIAL 5 meet anyone? A: This may sound strange, but I think I would like to meet my great-grandmoth ers and grandfathers it would be very interesting to know who they were, what they were like basically, I'd get a better picture of my gene pool. Q: If you had to sum up your job and your experience here at Behrend in a few words, what would you say? A: In my job, the only constant is change. The College has become much larger and more complicated with each passing year, and it is very challenging to keep up with the change. Q: How do you feel about the recent issues that have been raised against the high tuition rates at Penn State cam puses? A: Naturally, I am very concerned about this issue. No one wants to see higher tu ition, but nationally we have seen a shift in attitude among governmental leaders, a shift that views higher education more and more as a private good rather than a public good. As a consequence, there has been a long and steady shift of support away from tax BURKE Inside FEATURES 6 CALENDAR 7 U.S. foreign affairs; Dr. Michael Christofferson, modern French history; Dr. Michael Aleprete, theories of international relations and conflict processes; and Dr. Zachary Irwin, comparative politics. Each professor used his or her knowledge of foreign affairs to intelligently discuss war concerns. Bedal discussed how the war threatens many important archaeological sites in Iraq that have layers of civilization and are a part of history. Bedal also shed light on how the war affects not just those involved, but the whole world. "The war being waged in Iraq is of grave concern to everyone," said Bedal. "In addition to the immediate threat to the lives of Iraqi civilians and our allied soldiers as well as to the endangered cultural heritage of this 'cradle of civilization' the likely SGA candidates begin campaigning Elections for the Student Government Association (SGA) will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday, outside of Bruno's. Students will have the opportunity to vote for who they want to govern Behrend for the 2003-2004 school year. "The elections are a crucial part of the student government and the student body," said Jen Crawford, SGA Elections Chair. "The more students vote, the more the student body has a voice, which is very important." One President, one Vice-President, one Secretary, one Treasurer, and 11 Senator positions are open, however, the Treasurer will be the only position not on the ballot. That position will be appointed by members of the Elections Committee. Members include Jen Crawford, Chairperson and Representative for Joint Residence Council and Elischia Fludd, SGA Secretary. "We are looking for people who are PAGE 2 A&E 8-9 SPORTS 10-12 aftermath of regional instability and retribution will result in a hostile environment for all." Rossi explained that one of the goals of the war, according to the President, is to create a liberated, peaceful and democratic Iraq. He discussed how America's attempts to liberate other countries in the past have failed. Christofferson discussed France's opposition to the war and helped dispel some myths about why France is opposed to the war. Aleprete discussed the question, "Why the war and why now?" He explained why some reasons for war offered by the administration should be insufficient. Irwin discussed the United Nations and Iraqi opposition and how the war has become socialized. Behrend student Rafael Scarnati, 04, attended the forum. He said the large turnout at the forum was by Erinn Hansen calendar page editor NEWSROOM: 898-6488 E-MAIL: Offices are located FAX: 898-6019 behrcolls@aol.com downstairs in the Reed Union Building willing to communicate back and forth between SGA and the students," said Jennifer Sutter, SGA Senator. "We also need people who are going to work hard, do what they are supposed to do, and put in the hours and the time that it takes." On March 17, the campaign began, and the candidates could start putting up posters and getting help from their friends, as well as the elections committee. However, no more than 150 campaign posters were allowed. On March 25, students, faculty and staff had the opportunity to meet all of the candidates in the Reed Wintergarden, followed by a question and answer session for the President and Vice- President the next day. The position for Treasurer, however, is a little bit different. "The candidates had to not only fill out an application, but also had to submit a résumé," said Sutter. "They then have to go through a whole process of interviews and will be appointed by the SGA Elections Committee." SGA is the governing body of the student population, striving to voice Contact Us good because it showed that people wanted to be there to become more informed. Scarnati said that the professors who spoke made a lot of points against the war. "I thought it was very informative, but they could have had someone that had the other point of view. It is good for people to be shown both points of view so they can make their own informed decision," said Scamati. The large turnout for this event made a statement that the Behrend community cares what is going in the world. Professors and students alike were there to become more informed by professors who took their own time to share their knowledge with others, student opinions on all issues that contribute to the betterment of the social and intellectual life at Penn State Behrend. Students can become involved in SGA by running for the Council through elections, and weekly meetings are open to everyone. Regular open forums are also held to hear student concerns and act upon them. Members of SGA believe that this is going to be a good year for the elections, and hope for a good turnout. "I think that it is going to be a really good year for the elections, especially since it is the first year of doing it online," said Sutter. "I think that the elections will run smoothly, for we have a good Elections Committee and there has been a lot of hard work put into it," added Scott Soltis. "I have been very impressed with the response from the students and the candidates and I hope to see a great turnout," said Crawford. Results should come back by Wednesday evening. All the candidates hope for your vote, for every vote counts.
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