Grudge
review,
Men's Soccer,
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The Behrend B§scon
Friday, October 29, 2004
peel on WPSX
By Teresa Nicolia
staff writer
Behrend’s own Dr. Robert Speel is ex
'd to speak this Tuesday in a special
m of Pennsylvania Inside Out on the
ic of the upcoming presidential election,
show will air at 7 p.m. on WPSX-TV
. last for one hour.
Penn State University has generated a list
experts in the Penn State system on the
ic of politics and elections on which
s name is located. He has offered his
tise in many situations and it has
the opportunity to be a guest on
ve been quoted in newspapers as far
'as California,” said Speel it’s fun.”
lough Speel has spoken on local televi-
WPSX. He is not anxious since the show
will be taped by remote TV in the WQLN
studios, taking away the pressures from an
audience. He is prepared to discuss all po
litical issues important to Pennsylvania, our
role in the election and other topics involv
ing the Bush/Kerry race.
“Pennsylvania is a competitive state in
this year’s presidential election.. .the news
papers and press are interested in hearing
from us. The presidential election might
depend on how Pennsylvanians vote,” said
Speel.
Pennsylvania Inside Out is a new public
affairs show put on by Penn State Public
Broadcasting. Hie program, airs regularly
Monday through Friday on WPSX-TV
(channel three) at 7 p.m. Tuesdays are re
served to be live, call-in programs in which
people, such as Speel, are featured to an
swer questions from the public on a particu
lar topic.
Halloween festivities, STUDENT
LIFE, Page 11
A look at Kerry and Bush, NEWS,
Page 4-5
CONTENTS
News 1-5
Editorial 7
Student Life 9-12
Sports 13-14
CONTACT US
Newsroom: 898-6488
Fax: 898-6019
E-mail: behrendbeacon@aol.com
Our offices are located down
stairs in the Reed Union Building.
While on the air, Speel is also likely to
discuss how the two largest regions of the
state of Pennsylvania are trending in oppo
site directions. For example, the majority
of the Pittsburgh suburbs are leaning repub
lican where as the majority of the Philadel
phia suburbs are leaning democratic.
“Pennsylvania, historically, has been
around the national average in elections. Our
population seems to represent fairly well the
split between Democrats and Republicans,”
he said.
Speel was bom into a family heavily in
volved with politics, so it is no wonder that
he has become a specialist in the area. In
the 1960’5, his parents participated in pro
tests against the Vietnam War and were ac
tive in the Civil Rights movement. Living
with his grandparents, Speel was exposed
arguing about political issues.
He eventually attended college in Phila
delphia and began working on many cam
paigns. It was during this time that he real
ized that particular line of political work was
not what he wanted to do for the rest of his
life.
“Instead of doing politics, I teach it,”
Speel said.
From there he went on to study at The
University of Pennsylvania where he re
ceived his B. A. Later, at Cornell University,
he earned his Ph.D.
Speel is the author of “Changing Pat
terns of Voting in the Northern United States:
Electoral Realignment 1952- 1996 ” Heia*
currently associate professor of political
science at Penn State Behrend. This semes
ter he teaches the introduction to American
national government and American cam
paigns and elections courses.
ID Cards set for release
By Jenna O’Block
staff writer
Penn State is distributing new Id+ cards
on Nov. 1-5. All students and faculty will
need to pick up their new ID cards from 8
a.m. - 5 p.m. in Reed 116 outside of the ID
office. When you pick up you ID card you
will need some form of official photo identi
fication, such as your driver’s license or a
passport.
You will also need to know your social
security number, however, it will be only used
under strict circumstances. The whole rea
son for Penn State issuing new ID cards to
everyone is because now students’ social se
curity will be kept much safer.
“I feel very safe knowing that my social
security number is protected every time I use
my ID card” said Breanne Bogdanski, DUS
01.
Even though the cards are being issued
very soon, the cards will not be used until
Jan. 1. In the last two weeks of December,
Penn State is asking you to cany both the old
and the new ID+. On Dec. 19, your social
security numbers in online systems all
through the university will be removed and
be converted to your new PSU ID. To re
strict the use of your social security number
it will only be contained in one Central ID
Repository (CIDR) file at PSU.
“We are setting up a system so less people
A Penn State Erie Student Publication
Professor of medieval history Dr. Daniel Frankforter spoke to a captive Smith Chapel audience on Tuesday evening. His
presentation covered the dynamics of Christian fundamentalism.
American Dream series concludes with Christianity
Behrend history professor final speaker in series
On Tuesday night, Dr. Daniel Frank
forter, professor of medieval history at
Behrend, presented last in the series for
the American Dream in the Smith
Chapel. His speech on Christian funda
mentalism summed up the religious
movement of the nation.
Frankforter spent part of the night
challenging the assumption that Islamic
radicalism equals fundamentalism. In
the Americans’ minds of post Sept. 11,
the term, fundamentalist, is almost al
ways preceded by the Islamic.
Describing religious fundamentalism
is as American as the proverbial apple
pie, Frankforter concluded that Ameri
can protestants persuaded Christians that
faith was incompatible with western civi
lizations.
Frankforter identified contemporary
Christian fundamentalism in the mega
churches that are popping up around the
nation.
“Christian fundamentalism is becom
ing a massive movement, it has devel
oped an extreme right-wing political
agenda,” claimed Frankforter. “It is su
perbly organized, and it is lavishly
funded.”
Frankforter explained that Christian
fundamentalist views run contrary to the
American government’s stance on sepa
ration of church and state. Fundamen-
have access to it,” said Mr. Randall Geering,
director of housing and food services at
Behrend. “It’s a big project”
“I think it is probably safer to just have a
student ID number instead of using your so
cial security number,” said Amy Drauch
DUS 01.
“It’s a nice change and it will protect our
privacy more such as privacy theft” said Eric
Reinstadtler, BUS 01 “Using our number for
all internal processes will be a lot better than
using our social security number.”
There is a lot of advertising for the new
Penn State ID+ card around campus. There
are many posters hung up and e-mails have
been sent out to everyone.
“We’ve been trying to get word out for
people to pick up the IDs” said Geering.
Throughout all Penn State’s campuses there
are 80 thousand plus cards to be handed out,
and this is why the new cards are being is
sued so early to students.
“Then at least 95 percent of the students
will have them,” said Geering. When students
and staff first pick up their new ID+ card, the
card will be swiped to see if it is working prop
erly. “That way if it’s not, then we have time
to get it fixed,” said Geering. The new ID
will not lode the same as the old ones either.
You can check out die posters around cam
pus to see they are now vertical and have a
blue Pain State background.
By Tiffany Mak
staff writer
talists take a literal interpretation of seg
ments of the Bible and believe that their
views on Christianity must be practiced
by all.
Frankforter further explained that
Christian fundamentalism is a tremen
dous impact on world politics and rela
tions among nations.
“Thoughts of Americans today are
filled with the material about the influ
ence of sometimes angry Islam, but it is
Christianity that will leave the deepest
mark on the twenty-first century,” said
Frankforter.
Indeed, the world began to change in
the 1960 s when fundamentalist leaders
started to organize their followers for
political action. By aligning themselves
with political and social conservatives,
they have become a major force in
American politics.
However, the support they now pro
vide for conservative politicians raises
questions about the future of the long
standing American belief that church and
state ought to operate in separate
spheres.”
Instead of working against and outside
the social and governmental system,
Christian fundamentalists work within
the system. Frankforter warned the
chapel audience that these radical
Christians are working to secure politi
cal offices, starting low, building support,
and moving higher. He also warned of
their covert nature; the fundamentalists
initiative to raise funds for the less fortunate.
Vol. UI No. 10
won’t reveal their political agendas un
til they’ve achieved power.
An attendee at both Islamic and Chris
tian Fundamentalism talks, Dr. Dean
Baldwin, assistant director of humani
ties and social sciences, felt both talks
were different and interesting. “They
were lucid, well-researched, elegantly
delivered and thoughtful,” said Baldwin.
He also agreed that religion and funda
mentalisms are dangerous; they are
blowing themselves up and creating vio
lence.
The founder of the speech of the In
stitute of American Dream, Rev. Charles
Brock, was satisfied with the series and
brilliant speakers.
“We are trying to analyze and reason
issues, not to promote the fundamental
isms,” said Rev. Brock. We are not say
ing what is right or what is wrong.”
Brock reinforces what Frankforter said
about the impact of all fundamentalisms
and the world.
“If any of them (Jewish, Islamic and
Christian Fundamentalism) takes con
trol, it will be very dangerous. It will
mark the end of the world. They are
going to destroy us because they want
the world,” said Brock.
Since the audience was very enthusi
astic and Brock got a lot of really good
comments; he expects some similar talks
next year, maybe, for instance, some
thing on Pennsylvania Dream vs Ameri
can Dream.