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April 4, 2003 wiemin Pages
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Z23No. 18
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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.