Courtney Straub & Justin Curry, News Editors
by Heather Peterson,
Question of the Week staff writer
Behrend choir performs at Warner Theatre re-opening
by Dana Vaccaro
staff writer
On April 10, 1931, the Warner Theatre opened
its doors. With its famous design and elegance,
it is a cherished regional landmark. With seating
over 2,500, the Warner Theatre serves as a venue
for concerts, seminars, Broadway shows and the
Erie Philharmonic Chorus. Throughout the
years, the Erie Philharmonic has played with
many well-known musicians.
The Warner Theatre had been closed since
April 1, 2003, because of renovations. The
interior of the reconstruction of the Warner
Theatre was completed by finishing the seats,
carpeting, electrical, lighting and stage
specialties. Also, the new structure of the
building was connected with the old structure
Construction Update
information provided by the Office qf Student Affairs
Senat Hall Sidewalk from Aquarius Drive
Senat Hall is approximately three weeks
behind schedule, but is still due to open
in the fall of 2004.
Research and Economic
Development Center
(REDC Building)
Bids will go out in approximately two
weeks on the REDC building with con
struction beginning in late spring.
Traffic patterns to
change next week
by Kyle Schroeck
contributing writer
The traffic patterns at the entrance of campus
will soon change, again. For the fourth time in
the last two and a half years, commuters,
professors, staff and residents of the general area
will have to adjust the way that they come on and
off campus.
Erie's Eastside Parkway, along with the
Wintergreen Gorge Bridge, is expected to open
the week of Nov. 17. When this section of the
highway opens, it will run from Interstate 90 at
exit 32 down to McClelland Avenue, just north
of East 38t h Street.
"That will sure make my drive to school much
easier," said Tim Denial, a commuter student and
a resident of the Fireside Park subdivision on the
eastern part of Erie. "I have a couple of friends
that have crashed cars on Cooper Road on their
way to and from Behrend. This will make their
commute safer and less time consuming."
When arriving at campus from the city of Erie,
drivers will face an onramp-like road from the
eastbound lanes of the parkway to bypass the
traffic light at the intersection at the entrance of
campus. Students leaving campus will
now be permitted to make a left turn onto the new
section of the highway that will take them through
Behrend Fields and across the Wintergreen Gorge
of the building.
On Saturday, Penn State Behrend's choir
performed with eight other choirs to celebrate
Erie Philharmonic's anniversary and the
reopening of the Warner Theatre, under maestro
Hugh Keelan.
Behrend's choir had been practicing for the
re-opening of the theater since the beginning
of the school year. The choirs together
performed Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 which
includes "Ode to Joy."
Dr. Daniel Barnard, choir director at Penn
State Behrend, said the music was "a huge
sound," with 150 chorus members and between
60 and 80 orchestra players.
"It's incredible, the power that stems from that
many people contributing to it," Barnard said.
It's such an energizing feeling to be part of that
The sidewalk is near completion, and
should be finished no later than the be
ginning of next week.
New Location Signs
New signs have been erected on campus,
directing first-time visitors to commonly
used 'locations such as the Reed Union
Building, the Residence Halls, and the
Academic Building. The signs will be
come permanent next spring.
Bridge, which was the most expensive part of the
stretch of road.
According to PennDOT, the bridge was
designed to blend in with its surroundings. That
is the reason why the steel underside of the
structure looks rusted.
Vinny Albano, originally from Brooklyn, N.Y.,
has been placing overhead street lights as well as
traffic signals along the highway for the past year
"This road is going to be a useful tool for Erie.
When the whole Parkway opens, there will be a
straight shot to downtown, no matter which side
of town you are on," Albano said. "I go downtown
a lot. I have season tickets to the Erie Otters, and
getting to the Civic center will be a piece of cake."
The project is still under construction in two
phases. The next phase will run from McClelland
Avenue. to Broad Street. behind the Perry Plaza.
The last piece of the highway will slice through
town from 12 Street to Broad Street completing
the six mile, $ll5 million link from Interstate 79
down along the Bayfront up through the east side
of town, across Behrend's campus and to 1-90.
This is not the only new road to open in the
area. Recently, the Harbor Park Bridge opened to
much fanfare. This bride is about a mile and a
half north of campus on Nagle Road. It passes
over the CSX and Conrail train tracks. This bridge
carries vehicles over the busiest railway corridor
in the region.
Friday November 14, 2003
cumulative energy."
This was not the first performance for the
Behrend choir at the Warner Theatre. In the
spring of 2002, the choir was asked to perform.
Tony DiPlacido, ELISH 07, had the opportunity
to sing at the Warner Theatre more than once.
"Both occasions it was wonderful (to
perform) because of Hugh (Keelan)," DiPlacido
said. "His understanding of this piece
(Beethoven's Symphony No. 9) was
staggering."
While DiPlacido spoke warmly of Keelan,
other choir members where excited to share
their experience of performing on the Warner
Theatre stage. The same stage that many well
known names, such as Bob Dylan, Tori Ams,
and BB King, performed on.
"It was really exciting and a really intense
Students find out if they
can 'Stump the Chump'
From left: Leßoy Ladson, Joe Bradshaw, Mick McGinnis and Michelle Previte form a
panel to answer student-generated questions concerning issues of religion.
by Lauren Packer
editor in chief
Mick McGinnis sat quietly and adjusted his
glasses. Michelle Previte smoothed her outfit.
Leßoy Ladson and Joe Bradshaw looked over the
crowd from behind their table on the stage in the
McGarvey Commons.
The four guest panelists seemed rather calm as
the audience anxiously awaited their chance to
assault the panel.
But this wasn't your typical confrontation. Stu
dents, faculty and guest panelists came together
this past Thursday to participate in "Stump the
Chump," an event sponsored by Inter Varsity
Christian Fellowship.
"Stump the Chump" provided students with an
opportunity to pose questions to the panel con
cerning any aspect of religion.
Questions fielded from the audience covered a
broad range of topics and some posed an inter
esting challenge to the panel. At times, the panel
told of personal stories to enhance their answers.
Other times, the panel discussed passages of scrip
ture. The panel seemed to welcome every ques
tion with great enthusiasm. At one point, the en
tire panel thought of the same passage in response
to an audience member's question.
"We want those that do not know Jesus Christ
as Lord and Savior to come into a relationship
with him," said IVCF member Cassie Willey,
MEBD 07. "We want those that are in a relation
ship with Jesus to know him more and more ev
ery day. We also want those that are fully com
mitted to Christ to serve him and reach out to oth-
IVCF member Tim Perkins, MEBD 03, ex
plained that the panel was chosen to have as much
diversit as • s ssible and include as man denomi-
The Behrend Beacon
experience," said Christy Copen, MKGG, "It
was a real privilege to sing with a large amount
of people."
Copen continued to comment on how it was
unique to be on stage watching an orchestra
from a different point of view.
Lauren Wagner, PSYCH 03, said that it was
a "good experience and I'd definitely do it
again." She said it was easier to perform with
a large group of people because it was easier
to pick up some of the parts the others were
singing.
While everyone was concentrating on the
lyrics, Copen did not forget to admire the
beauty of the Warner Theatre renovation.
"The renovations they did are beautiful,"
said Copen. "It is such a beautiful building."
nations as possible to avoid bias.
The panel consisted of a black male, a white
pastor, a woman, and a high school biology
teacher.
"We believe that the Bible is truth, so we se
lected panelists who could communicate that,"
said Willey. "We wanted people who knew the
Bible and also know reason why it is reliable."
Previte, the lone female panel member, is no
stranger to IVCF or Behrend. Previte, along with
her husband, Joseph, are the faculty advisers to
the group in addition to being professors of math
ematics on campus.
"The best part about the event for me was sim
ply the privilege of being invited," said Previte.
"It is a very great honor to have the opportunity
to encourage God's children in their faith and to
point those - who are outside of His family to the
amazing reconciliation with God."
Perkins adds that in addition to having the
Prevites as advisers, it's nice to have them both
as professors and friends.
"I have Joe as one of my professors and it's
neat to know that I can go with one of my profes
sors to pray with and associate with outside the
classroom," said Perkins. "It adds to my experi
ence at Behrend."
IVCF is in the midst of adding another dimen
sion to its experience at Behrend. While most
students will be hitting the clubs and beaches of
exotic locations, IVCF members have commit
ted themselves to a mission trip to the Domini
can Republic over Spring Break.
Both Willey and Perkins have completed mis
sion trips before, with Willey traveling to China
and Perkins to Russia.
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