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The Behrend Beacon
‘Buck Nighf starts spring right
by Ryan Russell
advertising manager
The month of April signals a few things in Erie.
It signals the end of bad weather (for the most part)
and the start of another season of Erie Sea Wolves
baseball. Tying in with the start of the season, the
Sea Wolves and Behrend are proud to continue
offering students, faculty members, staff and their
families another great reason to attend a game at
Jerry Uht Park: Behrend “Buck Night.”
On Monday night, the Sea Wolves will welcome
students, faculty and staff to Jerry Uht Park for
Behrend “Buck Night.” Reserved-seat tickets to
the game against the New Britain Rock Cats, which
starts at 6:35 p.m.,are only $l. In addition, certain
foods and beverages will be available to the Behrend
masses for a measly dollar as well. They are also
welcoming campus-sponsored clubs, organizations
and athletic teams to participate in the evening. All
New E-board
by Jonathan Meyn and Ryan Astor
contributing writers
Next year’s president and vice
President, Scott Soltis, GAS 06, and
Justin Curry, GAS 06, respectively,
talked about the need for more student
involvement on Wednesday in the SGA
office. Increasing student involvement
in SGA, from active club members and
the general student body alike, is an
important issue facing next year’s
executive board.
“We need to work with committee
chairs to utilize committee money to
recruit for committees,” said Curry.
He continued, “we also need to be
more accessible to students because
students feel that we are above them. We
need to get rid of that image.”
One of the big ways students can reach
SGA members is through their office,
located next to the Back Room in Reed
Union Building.
Currently SGA consists of 23
members who are required to fulfill
Poker tournament for the kids
by Ben Raymond
staff writer
Students gathered in McGarvey
Commons Monday night for the first
ever Niagara Hall council poker
tournament.
There have been poker
tournaments popping up more often
on television, and this phenomena
has made its way here to Behrend.
There were 40 participants on hand
as well as a handful of spectators for
the no limit Texas hold ‘em poker
tournament. The event started at 6
p.m. and went on late into the night.
Entrants in the tournament had to put
up a $5 buy in.
“This was a lot of fun and a great
way to raise money for charity. There
was a lot of friendly competition and
it was a nice break from schoolwork,
especially since it’s almost the end
of the year. I‘m not sure if I will be
able to attend the next one, but I
would encourage anyone who is
remotely interested to give it a try.”
said Jeff Wemmell, DUS 02.
The tournament was set up with
four tables and started with 10 players
at each table. Each of these tables
groups who have already pre-purchased tickets in
advance will receive recognition at the game by
public address announcement.
Discounted tickets are offered to Behrend
students for this night only. While the deadline for
clubs, organizations or teams to purchase tickets in
advance has passed, don't think the fat lady has sung
yet. If you miss this deadline, or are not going with
a group or organization, you can still get a ticket
for a dollar at the game the night of the game with
your Behrend ID card.
“Buck Night" is one of the best traditions of the
Sea Wolves, who have been in Erie since 1995. They
began as a Pittsburgh Pirates affiliate, then switched
to the Anaheim Angels and are currently an affiliate
of the Detroit Tigers. They play in Jerry Uht Park,
a 6,000-seat stadium located downtown, convenient
to State Street and the Erie Civic Center. Students
have been looking forward to not only the start of
the Sea Wolves baseball season, but to the much
gives SGA facelift
between one and two office hours per
week. This semester there was no
specific time the hours had to be
completed and not all of the senators
satisfied the required hours.
When asked if they plan on setting a
time when students could reach them in
the office for next year, Soltis said, “That
is something we will have to look at this
summer.”
Curry said, “We need to plan events
to get students out to show them we are
just normal college students just in
leadership roles.”
Soltis added that next year he would
like to see SGA nights set up at every
varsity-sporting event.
“We could even have a SGA
intramural team,” stated Soltis.
The plans for recruiting the general
student body are incomplete. Curry
expressed his hopeful feelings when he
discussed next year’s secretary, Natalie
Lytle, BIOBD 06.
“We plan on utilizing Natalie’s skills
and wealth of knowledge on
continued playing until there were
only two people left. The final two
from each table were seated at the
championship table, where they were
competing for a variety of prizes. In
the no-limit style that students were
playing, they had the ability to bet
all of their money. This led to a
number of upsets and made for more
excitement among the participants
The top prize, which went to Matt
Grant, was a $ 100 gift certificate for
Best Buy, which was purchased by
the Niagara Hall council. Everyone
at the final table received some sort
of prize. The other seven prizes were
donated by local restaurants and
businesses such as the Texas
Roadhouse or Dahlkemper's Jewelry
Connection.
“It was awesome,” said Grant, MIS
08. “It was definitely worth playing
in, and I plan on entering the next
tournament. I think that the only that
would make it better would be bigger
chips.”
Having a good time and playing
poker was important but it was not
the main reason for the event. This
was the Niagara Hall council's spring
charity fund-raiser, and the $2OO that
' J Sm IW®
Friday, April 23, 2004
recruitment," said Curry.
Lytle is next year’s Panhellenic vice
president of recruitment. Lytle
commented on her plans to boost student
participation in SGA: “(We will) utilize
the Public Relations committee to
promote SGA awareness.”
The current public relations chair of
SGA is Erin Strayer, MKTG 08.
A graduating senior, Strayer had this
piece of advice for next year’s
recruitment campaign: “good luck and
have fun with that.”
Soltis and Curry have all summer to
work on their plans for increasing student
involvement, and the two seem excited
and up to the challenge.
“Right now we are beginning to work
on the recruitment process, but it is
something the four of us will have to
work on this summer,” said Curry.
Next year’s executive board has some
other ideas in the works for Fall 2004.
According to Curry, they are planning
on coordinating and funding club rush
next year.
was collected was donated to the
Make-A-Wish Foundation. Beside
the tables was a display of children
that have benefited from the efforts
of Make-A-Wish. Pictures and
information was available and always
in view to remind the competitors that
they were really playing for the kids.
The Make-A-Wish Foundation
helps to grant the wishes of children
with life-threatening medical
conditions. There are several ways to
help and volunteer with the
organization, such as fund raising or
actually helping to grant the wishes.
Anyone interested can get any
additional information online at
www.wishwestempa.org.
The Niagara Hall council will be
holding another tournament on
Monday. There will be a $5 entrance
fee again, but plans are being made
to allow more participants. After
holding the first tournament and
getting a feel for the way things are
run, the hall council is looking to have
a better turnout and a more fluid
system of playing. There is a sign-up
sheet at the information desk on the
lower level of the Reed Union
Building.
anticipated “Buck Night” as well.
Scott Soltis, SGA president, wants the Sea Wolves
to pull the game out. “I’m excited about ‘Buck
Night,”’ he said. “This will be my first chance to
see the Sea Wolves, so I hope they pull out a W.”
Other students can’t wait for the national pastime
to kick into high gear in Erie as well.
“I’m geeked to see these guys do their thing. The
players are the real deal,” said Nick Benkovich,
GAS 06. “They play for pride, not for million-dollar
contracts or shoe deals. They get dirty because they
like to, not because they get a bonus for a stolen
base,” he said, echoing the sentiments of other
students. “Not to mention, it’s nice to get some
food and a ‘beverage’ for only a buck.”
Silas Kotsopodis, ME BD 09, was happy for
Behrend “Buck Night” to come back, and for the
baseball season to start. “Dude, “Buck Night”
always gets me fired up,” he said. “I love ‘Buck
Night.’ With beer and food for a dollar, how can a
SAY GOODBYE TO BOOKS & HELLO TO
BOOK BUYBACK-
> WHERE:
BEHREND BOOKSTORE
> WHEN:
STARTS NOW, BUT WILL HAVE
THESE EXTENDED HOURS FOR
FINALS WEEK:
MON-THURS BAM - 6PM
FRIDAY BAM - 4:3OPM
> BRING US YOUR BOOKS:
IN CURRENT EDITIONS
IN GOOD RESAL ABLE CONDITION
ACTWHYfEE.™.. happen without using SAP funds.
Milter emphasized the strict
s safeguards that are in place to prevent
abuse of the fund, and said that money
from SAF cannot be moved to any other
budget in the college.
But even Daquelente sees the
tending of Reed renovations solely for
oifice space as a problem.
“I don’t have a problem with SAF
tends in terms of minor renovations,”
saMDaquelente. “But in terms of major
renovations for nonactivity related
events, I don’t think that’s permissible.”
Daquelente said such use took away
move from actual activities. Because
LEB event attendance is up and the
organization is doing well, Daquelente
felt cutting funding for LEB’s activites
wasn’t justified.
Nacalaban, however, agrees with
Miller.
"I think that the Back Room
renovation is necessary,” said
Nacalaban. “1 think it is a good
NEED A FEW EXTRA sss FOR SUMMER
* Equals
Justin Curry & Angela Szesciorka
news editors
poor college kid go wrong? Seeing players who
are still approachable is nice, too. They haven’t
been turned by all the fame and money that playing
in the majors brings out. And did I mention the
beer?”
As the school year draws to a close, the weather
finally begins to improve, and baseball season
begins, students need to remember, there may not
be many days left at school where the weather
decides to allow outside activities.
Behrend “Buck Night” is a great tradition that is
not only a cheap night, but one that also gets
students off campus where they can show their Lion
On Monday, make sure you take advantage of
the nice weather, show your Lion pride, and enjoy
a night of baseball with some friends for only a
dollar on Behrend “Buck Night.” And if you do
enjoy some of the dollar “beverages," please make
sure you don’t drink and drive.
investment”
“The fax machine that MCC wanted
to be funded is direly needed for the
actual council,” said Nacalaban. “Going
bacfcaWd the office and
, the RUB desk takes time that members
don’t have due to classes.”
And getting money for such
purchases is almost essential, according
to Miller.
“One Using that 1 think is really
important to note about the Student
Activities budget and (the Student
Affairs) budget is that ire don’t see
increases,” said Miller.
Miller said his budget hasn’t seen
any permanent increase since he
became director of student affairs in
1998.
Lambert, however, said that is the
exact reason why the funds, in his
opinion, ate being abused.
“Nationwide student enrollment is
«g>, hut the economy and funding is way
down ” said Lambert. 1
When it c