I The Behrend Beacon Battle of the Bands strikes a chord Drive-Thru Records hand I Am The Avalanche performed at this year's Battle of the Bands By Matt Burneisen & Jonathan Evans staff writers mrhso6 I psu cdu & 1nc25.2(P roi.edu From the ecstatic stage presence of Tommy Magik and The Wonderfulls to the unique sound of Tricycle Bicycle Cycle, Battle of the Bands 'O6 at Penn State Behrend was an exciting event. Several students and music fans checked out the event throughout the day, hut Erie Hall was most packed when Tommy Magik and the Wonderfulls took the stage. Early on in the day, the small crowd was more into the free hot dogs and hamburgers than the music. Mas Nova opened up the event with a small hut loyal hometown crowd in Erie Hall. The hand played impressively and set a stan dard of professionalism for the more experienced hands to follow. Kevin Jackson, who worked security for the event, stated that the competition "started as a slow event, but picked up as the night went on. - There's Always Tomorrow was scheduled to perform at 3:30 p.m., but ended up not making it. It turns out they had their final show as a band the night before at a local venue called The Hangout in Edinboro, Pa. Next up was the psychedel ic sounds of Tricycle Bicycle Cycle. They are a Pittsburgh area band who recently played at Allegheny College in Meadville, Pa. They only recently formed. though they say that they "all go way back." Not as traditional as other rock bands, they implement other instruments such as the tambourine and the cow bell. Their lyrics stray from normal rock topics into, "songs about Mexican wrestlers. mesca line, and monkeys." Led by the on stage acro batics of Dave Trusso and Eric Speeth, Everything Ends brought a high level of energy There's only one this year's Beacon! ideas and articles E-mail the Student Life Editor at smm4Bo@psu.edu. rNir and more fans into Erie Hall. Their brand of post-hardcore and punk rock made them stand out. This Jamestown crew plans to release a new EP entitled "Chasing the Ever Alter - today. Playing fourth, Dust 'n Ashes not only brought along a great sound, but also a tighter crowd than previously seen throughout the battle. David Dubowski, a Behrend student and talented local musician said, "They per formed well and showed to me that they have been pre forming together for quite a while. They definitely had their act together. The bass player (Matt Green) picked up his role in the hand quite well and really held down the low end. He also kept the rock style that they were looking for going strong.- Duhowski's statement proved correct when the three judges awarded Dust 'n Ashes first place in the Battle of the Bands for their spiritual per formance. Bringing the rowdiest crowd of the night. Tommy Magik and the Wonderfulls were on stage during the first ejection of the night. Kevin Jackson. who earlier said, "Everybody was behaving was proven wrong during their performance. A herd of their drunken fans gathered and started crowd surfing, which led to the dis missal of one of the fans. Ben Winfield. who joined the Pittsburgh-based band in December of 'O5, said. The arrangement for the show was a little different than other similar events I have been to. We had ten minutes to set up with only about twenty min utes to actually play our set afterward. We had to wait the whole ten minute setup time before we could begin instead of just playing when we were ready which was a little dif ferent.- Their progressive rock sound and Behrend campus ties made them a crowd favorite of the night. Winfield [J_DEi jlr also said that the band is cur rently writing and recording a new CD that will be released before the end of the year. As Tommy Magik and the Wonderfulls exited with the majority of the crowd, the next hand, the Sandlot Heroes. took the stage. They still have four shows still to play in April, beginning with a show at the Hawk's Nest, which is located at the University of Hartford. They then will travel between New Jersey and Pennsylvania for the rest of May. Next to perform was anoth er Pittsburgh band called California After College, also known as "Cali AC." The pop punk licks of their song "Tracing Chalk Lines" caught the judges attention but was overshadowed by their tight rhythm section. Cali AC's next stop is at the Nativity Church/School in South Park, Pa. Next on the stage was Phantasm. This Jamestown based group boasts a packed tour schedule throughout the Northeastern United States this coming Spring. They have scheduled stops in Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New York and Ohio. They also performed at Bruno's Café last night. Finally, Audio Imagery took the stage to close out the battle portion of the evening. This hip hop/rap/rock group brought their unique, crowd pleasing unique sound to the stage. They are a very experi enced band who have played with artists such as Rusted Root, 11l Nino, Fall Out Boy, Oleander, Sponge, The X- Ecutioners, Freeway (Rock-a- Fella), Bowling for Soup and Black Thought (The Roots) just to name a few. Other Penn State students will have a chance to enjoy their music when they play at The Crowbar in State College on April 24. Overall, the profes sionalism of the bands and the quality of their performances made for a successful event issue left of Get your in today! Homelessness prevelent in Erie By Chris LaFuria sports editor c 5150050 psu.edu You see them everywhere. They push their belongings in shopping carts. On cold nights, they huddle around various heating vents throughout the city of Erie. They sit on street corners, clutch ing their Styrofoam cups, waiting. Waiting for generous donations. Waiting for simple kindness from passersby. These are the faces of the com mon homeless man or woman who can easily be found throughout the city. They could be your uncle, your brother or your co-worker. Even though they are homeless, many of them possess the same qualities as other people. These are the invisible attributes of homeless peo ple that describe the epidemic that has greatly affected the country. The issue that most people in the Erie area fail to realize is that the problem is much deeper than what is visible. According to Chuck Knox, the Director of Development for the Erie City Mission, there are over 2,000 homeless people that live in the city of Erie, even though the state's representation of the number is approximately 60. Knox said that homelessness is an "invisible" problem in the city because many people are unaware of the epidemic. While many people have images of homeless peo ple finding shelter by street heating vents and on park benches, Knox claims that homeless people find their shelter in abandoned houses and in homeless shelters such as the City Mission. In addition to these living conditions, homeless people in Erie also form several small communi ties throughout the city. Clusters of homeless peo ple gather by the former International Paper build ing, near the Bayfront Highway, and along State Street. Even though groups of homeless people live in such close proximity, they each maintain an independent identity, completely separate from people within their community. Through his work with the City Mission, Knox has dealt with many different types of homeless people. He said that the main issue with the home less people that live in Erie is that they are dual diagnosed. Many of the men that enter the City Mission arrive with an addiction to drugs or alco hol and a mental disorder that affects their every day lives. Many who remain at the shelter for a PENNSTATE id ill F I LM Erie The Behrend ► 3 5 5 College lengthy period of time struggle to overcome their drug addiction and are unable to function in the workplace. Due to this problem, the City Mission offers drug and alcohol rehabilitation and classes that adhere to the needs of the homeless men. A major goal for the Erie City Mission is to help serve the homeless people throughout the city. According to recent statistics, there is an 80-bed shelter that houses only men at an estimated 450 men per year. In addition to the shelter, the Mission serves approximately 4,500 families per year with roughly 140, 000 meals served to people. A recent program that has seen much success is the "New Life Program," which consists of pro grams such as Anger and Rage Management class es, Spiritual Life Development, Drug and Alcohol Addictions Recovery, Vocational Activities, Financial Planning, and various other programs. Many men throughout Erie have benefited from this program. "We now have five or six men from the New Life Program who are now in college, doing exceptionally well," Knox said. While the Samaritan Housing program houses only men, there are other programs that benefit families, including women and children. The City Mission provides a Family Care Ministry that pro vides food and clothing, and the homeless can find the supplies they need. It also has a Spiritual Support Counseling Program, which aids in spiri tual recovery for the people. As the City Mission works to aid the homeless people in Erie, it releases an annual budget that they must comply with. For the 2006 year, there is an estimated $2.7 million budget with more than half of the budget coming from cash donations from residents and citizens. The Mission depends on donations of cash, food and clothing to support the many people that frequent the establishment. People from all over Erie County donate their goods for a good cause. From the seemingly nomadic wanderers that panhandle their way throughout the city to the homeless men and women that struggle with full time jobs and a family, the problem with home lessness in Erie is practically invisible to the citi zens but felt by many. With organizations such as the City Mission and other groups, the problem will not be eliminated, but made better to those who are affected. and Awards Convocation Sunday April 23, 2006 2:00 p.m. Erie Hall Friday, April 14, 2006 sth ual nors
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers