Paige Miles, Editorial Page Editor News Editor Erin McCarty Assistant News Editor Jen Henderson Sports Editor Scott Soffis Assistant Sports Editor Lauren Packer Editorial Page Editor Paige Miles Beacon TH E eH R N 0 Features Editor Karl Benacci "A newspaper by the Staff Photographers students for the students" Jeff Hankey Heather Myers lOW •11111M11111111•1111•••••••••••1111 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. =IBM Affirmative On April 1, some Behrend students protested in silence for affirmative ac tion while the U. S. Supreme Court heard arguments over the constitution ality of the University of Michigan ad mission policy. In Gatz v. Bollinger, the arguments centered on the constitution ality of racial preferences for diversity purposes, specifically the University of Michigan point system. The U of M ad mission system awards 20 extra points, on a scale of 150, to applicants of dis advantaged minorities. The Supreme Court has some prece dence in affirmative action, especially admission policy. In the 1978 case of the University of California Regents v. Bakke, Bakke sued the University of California-Davis Medical School be cause he was not admitted in order to fill 16 minority spots, which were given to lesser students. His scores were higher than the minority students admit ted to fill the racial quota, therefore he was not admitted simply because Bakke was white. The Supreme Court ruled Bakke should have been admitted to the school and declared racial quotas uncon stitutional. Yet in the 5 to 4 decision, one justice, noted that race could be used as a factor in admission for diversity pro poses. This caused split precedence. The question is now whether or not the admission policy at the U of M is a Everybody loves imperialism Surprise, surprise. America won. Take that, world. I for one, feel a heck of a lot safer now. The nation, finally, was bumped down from "orange alert" (which stands for pray for to "yellow alert," for live life in elev . paranoia) At first, I must mit, I was against war. But now that are kicking ass, I on the war ba wagon. Last w U.S. troops marc into Baghdad promptly knocked over Saddam's regime, as well as a big statue. Knocking over the giant statue of Saddam in the middle of Baghdad was a very symbolic act, the United States likes to break stuff. After the statue fell many Iraqis started a wild celebration. And they went wild all right. It was like spring break in the desert without Snoop Dogg. Anyhow, it feels nice to show the world that the United States can do what ever it wants. And all those anti war protesters won't be complaining when gas is 75 cents a gallon this sum- 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 action—blatant racism racial quota. I believe, racial quota or not, that the policy is unconstitutional. I'm not alone in my opinion; Clarence Thomas, the only black justice on the U.S. Supreme Court has found race preferences unconstitutional also. How can an institution blatantly discriminate against whites (and Asians since they are not considered a "disadvantaged mi- nority")? Blacks, Native Americans, and other groups are awarded 20 extra points for nothing other than not being white or Asian. This is discrimination. In es sence, this is the same as taking 20 points away from whites and Asians for being white or Asian. This is blatant racism I remember studying about "Irish Need Not Apply" signs in our nation's early history. This was racist and out rageous. Now, years later, we should have "Whites and Asians Need Not Apply To the University of Michigan" signs. Am I the only one who thinks that the U of M admission policy is un constitutional and racist? Where does this idea of affirmative action come from? The answer is from President Kennedy. JFK coined the term "affirmative action" and described it as an attempt to integrate federally funded jobs. The idea and ultimate goal is to integrate all racial groups into all Everyone talks about imperialism like it's such a bad thing. But it has its benefits. For one, the United States reminded the United Nations who's the boss of this planet. And I'll give you a clue; it's not the French. Watching it live on television, I couldn't help but feel warmth in my heart for all the liberated oil. Oops. I meant people, all the liberated people. The Ira qis jumped around the streets thanking troops and rejoicing in their newfound freedom. But the love did not last long. They hate us again. Now that the United ~t i7tfs r' Lts j • U •I Pi building Iraq, may Iraqis, namely Shiite Muslim groups, are say ing "no" to U.S. government and Starbucks involvement in the new gov ernment. I understand the skepticism of many Iraqis. The United States may have ousted Saddam, but now it's up to the Iraqis to govern themselves. Iraq wants to maintain its own culture and customs. The main custom it wants to maintain is hating the United States. Perhaps Iraq thinks that the United States wants to set up a little America • :4 ThiTIJTLI! Advertising Manager Christine Keck Calendar Page Editor Erinn Hansen A&E Editor Daniel J. Staslewski Associate Editor Mike Butale Healthy Living Editor Courtney Straub Distribution Manager Scott SoNis that week's issue es mus Friday, April 18, 2003 If you read this editorial in the next 10 minutes, I'll send you another one at no additional charge! It's a warm spring night in a bedroom not too far away. and finally be admired by your peers. At 3 a.m. the lights and TV are still on, and books are But don't take my word for it. Just ask Daisy Fuentes, who sprawled across a bed that hasn't been made in a week. A uses Winsor Pilates to shape up her body. Everyone knows college student wakes up between the mess of notes and back in the 90s when Fuentes was a swimsuit model and a host books that he was engaged in; drool on page 325, that's on MTV she was just unbearable to look at. Thanks to Winsor where he left off. Then, the TV speaks words of hope: Pilates, Fuentes is now the epitome of firm and fit. 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If blacks constitute 12 percent of the US population, then they should make up twelve percent of the Look, here's how it is Guy Reschenthaler upper class, and so on. The idea is great and no one can argue with its good in tent. The dream is as American as base ball. But the methods used to achieve such dreams are unconstitutional, unfair, and anything but American. America should be a colorblind soci ety, a meritocracy, where nothing mat ters besides a person's merit. All should be judged not by color, creed, sex, or any other factor other than character, in- Jr. Someone should tell Iraq that we already have an America Jr. and its name is Canada. We don't want an other. Iraq is a desert; the United States doesn't want anything to do with rid ing it. Ruling is hard work; we just want the spoils of war. You know, the good stuff. But you also have look at it from the United States' point of view. What is the point of getting rid of Saddam only to have him replaced with someone just as bad? I am sure that as long as the new Iraq does exactly what America wants, whenever it wants it, I am sure the U.S. will not mind the Iraqis ruling for themselves. I mean, Iraq does not need to become just like America. It only needs to adopt a few universal truths of freedom such as: democracy, freedom of reli gion, free speech, free press, capital ism, consumerism, Christianity, mate rialism, obesity, Subway diets to battle obesity, McDonalds with freedom fries, Gap stores, Garth Brooks, the Backstreet Boys, pornography, Harry Potter, Pepsi, Ford Trucks, Wal-Mart, Hot Topic, Budweiser, Budweiser com mercials that show girls mud wrestling in their underwear, monster truck ral lies, Judge Judy, CSI Iraq, instant mes senger, Marboro Man, G.I. Joe, "Girls Gone Wild", and spoiled rich kids who ocus on re- ;'; , MI," tellect, and ability. Most who support affirmative action supported this notion in the 19605. Dr. Martin Luther King stated people should be evaluated "not by the color of their skin but by the con tent of their character." These were great words from a great American. Today, King's dream has been twisted and abused by Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, and other demagogues. These leaders and those supporting affirmative action wish to give minorities special treatment in admissions and hiring prac tices. This is wrong. These practices only offer short-term gains for minorities. A university can admit as many inner-city blacks as it wants, but if these college students lack the skills and knowledge of others, then they will never succeed in college or life. The problem of inequality lays not in admission, but in schooling. If all re ceived proper education and were given the knowledge and lessons needed to per form well academically, then there would be no need to offer applicants 20 points for being black. As obvious as this point is to others and me, the protestors did not understand and engaged in hypocrisy. The students were protesting a policy, hoping it will someday achieve equality, while all the policy does is discriminate against them. If I were a minority, I'd be outraged that drag their parents to Ambercrombie and Fitch and make them buy expen sive clothes that make the kids look poor, and MTV. It also should replace all statues of Saddam with statues of Rudy Guiliani, start New York Yankees farm teams, watch Opera to get in touch with its inner-self, go to war with random countries, set up all-you-can-eat steak buffets, start an "American Idol" spin off titled "Iraqi Idol," and give all women blond hair, fake boobs, and low-self esteem. Also, all children must own at least two out of three of the following: X Box, Game Cube, and The Behrend Beacon Wynne's column appeared every three weeks. the University of Michigan feels that I am so inferior intellectually that I would need 20 extra points just to keep up with whites and Asians. I'd be very insulted. The protestors will tell you that they are staunch supporters of equality. But why then do they protest for a policy of inequality? The protesting students are all against racism and prejudice when it is against them, but support racism and prejudice against whites. The hypocrisy is too much to take. Look, here's how it is: The protesters were protesting for an implied quota sys tem that deems them inferior. Now that is racist, un-American, and unconstitu tional. Trying to solve the problem of inequality with affirmative action is like trying to cut down a tree by tearing off the leaves. As a nation and a society we should strike at the root of the issue and try to better fund disadvantaged schools. We should try to have equality in edu cation, not racism in admission prac tices. Let us all hope that the Supreme Court will declare racial preferences un constitutional. Reschenthaler's column appeared every three weeks. Playstation 2. You know the basic hu man freedoms. Iraq just needs to keep one thing in mind: If the U.S. could topple a blood thirsty tyrant who had the country un der his iron fist in a matter of weeks, just image what it could do to the new government. On that note: Enjoy your freedom The Looter Page 5
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