Friday, April 28, 2006
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religbn, Or ProhiPiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the
right tif the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the d6vemment for a redress of grievances. - The First Ammendment to the U.S. Constitution
The Behrend Beacon
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Beacon
BEHRENI)
beacon
Penn State Erie,
The Behrend College
First Floor, The J. Elmer Reed Union Building
Katrina Katrina
By Pat Webster
managing editor
September 16, 2005
There have been few times in my life as an
American that I was as appalled at my country's gov
ernment as I was when I observed the depressing
response time to aid those hit by Hurricane Katrina.
While I witnessed many acts of individual heroism
and an outpouring of national generosity, I was left
with the distinct impression that the government real
ly dropped the ball.
The government failed on many levels, in many
ways. Let's start on the local level.
The Mayor of New Orleans, while justified in his
righteous anger toward FEMA; which we'll get to in
just a moment, don't worry; was a poor planner in
terms of disaster response. The now-famous photo of
several dozen school buses sitting unused in flooded
downtown New Orleans led many to ask why these
were not used to evacuate citizens. However, I have
difficulty accepting that anyone could have done a
very good job after the fact, no matter what plan they
had, considering that there was no power, communi
cation or transportation that was viable once the city
flooded. Among other things, he issued a mandatory
evacuation order the day before Katrina hit and 80
percent of the city evacuated itself. Mayor Nagin
gets a C.
Governor Kathleen Blanco transmitted her formal
request for federal assistance on August 27, fully two
days before the hurricane hit. There is a lot of misin
formation floating around out there that the Federal
government did not step in in a timely matter because
they had not received state authorization. This is
totally untrue. The Congressional Research Service
issued its report on Tuesday than Governor Blanco
took all "necessary and timely" steps needed and
informed the federal government that "the incident is
of such severity and magnitude that effective
response is beyond the capabilities of the State and
affected local governments and that supplementary
Federal assistance is necessary to save lives, protect
property, public health and safety, or to lessen or avert
the threat of disaster." This was acknowledged and
accepted by the government on August 28, the day
before the hurricane hit. Governor Blanco gets a B+.
This leaves us with the federal government. While
we're at it, we may as well start at the top, with the
president. Mr. Bush in no way caused the hurricane,
but his decisions compounded the disaster that was to
follow.
Mr. Bush declared Louisiana in a state of emer
gency after receiving Ms. Blanco's request the day
Can't stop
The other day I was watching "Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle"
when I had a realization or rather an epiphany. If you are not familiar with
the movie, the premise of the movie deals with two minority, college-aged
students and the endeavors that they encounter as they travel to a seem
ingly elusive destination of White Castle. Throughout the film, the
Chinese Harold and the Indian Kumar come across and deliver many
stereotypes of other races and ethnicities. As a metaphor for our current
social status, these stereotypes hinder their journey.
As the movie ended and I was filled with many blatant stereotypical
ideas about different races and ethnicities, I began to consider the many
stereotypes and prejudices that our society has against other countries.
Stereotypes such as: Why do Irish people love green beer? Why is it a
German's instinct to drink beer with every meal? Why do all Indian peo
ple want to be American doctors? Are all Middle-East people terrorists?
Is Frank Sinatra the epitome of an Italian? Is school the only activity asso
ciated with Chinese people? Are all Russians eternally drunk off of
Vodka?
Annie Sevin, Editor in Chief
Patrick Webster, Managing Editor
Courtney Kaplin, Advertising Manager
Randy Martell, Public Relations Manager
Kim Young, Adviser
News Editor
Jennifer Haight
Sports Editor
Chris LaFuria
Opinion Editor
Daniel Mitchell
Distribution Manager
Robert Frank
Station Road, Erie, PA 16563
Contact the Beacon at:
Telephone: (814) 898-6488
Fax: (814) 898-6019
By Chris LaFuria
sports editor
Novemer 18, 2005
Pii\fi
Student Life Editor
Sean Mihlo
Calendar Page Editor
Siobhan Conway
Copy Editors
Kate Kelecseny
Rachael Conway
Justin Plansinis
Jordan Gilmore
Photography Editor
Michelle Vera Suroviec
Katrina ..
before, still a day before the hurricane even hit. What
I can't fathom or even begin to understand is why
federal assistance was authorized by the president to
all parishes (counties) except those in the coastal
region most likely to take the most damage.
I'm baffled. Furthermore, it took days for any sig
nificant federal disaster relief to appear. They saw
the hurricane coming days in advance, federal help
was requested days in advance and yet FEMA was
caught flat-footed and totally unprepared. This is
inexcusable.
Core to FEMA's problems was the Bush
Administration's restructuring upon his inauguration.
Bush removed the previous administration's FEMA
leadership, which included several professional dis
aster relief figures, including the department head,
and replaced them with campaign fundraisers / for
mer college roommates. Five of the top eight new
leaders of FEMA had very little or no disaster man
agement skills whatsoever, including Michael
Brown, FEMA head, whose previous work experi
ence consisted of being the commissioner of the
International Arabian Horse Association. His vast
management and leadership skills ensured that feder
al response took three days to reach the area. Thirty
seven percent of all Louisiana and Mississippi
National Guard troops were in Iraq, with another
third getting ready for rotation, yet no consideration
was given to how this would affect state and local
efforts.
The federal government's actions in a resource sense
are no better. The money for levee maintenance has
been cut 50 percent since 2001. FEMA's budget had
been reduced by 1/3 last year alone, all in the name of
streamlining it's efforts by making it a part of the
Homeland Security Department.
This is from the government that campaigned on
protection from terrorist-based disasters and response
and claimed to have been improving our ability to
react. If the response is this poor to a disaster we saw
coming days beforehand, I cannot imagine how terri
ble the government's response would be to a terrorist
bombing, chemical, or gas attack on a major city
would be with no warning. Our government
response was worse than the Indonesian response to
the tsunami, for which there were mere hours of
warning. If I were president, and I admit that Ido not
know all the circumstances, I would be irate. I would
not be telling Brownie he was doing a heck of a job
or assuring Trent Lott that his mansion would be
rebuilt while thousands of poor New Orleanians are
struggling to survive.
The federal government gets an F.
the wild stereotypes
Many people who read that last paragraph may have been extremely
offended. As a matter of fact, I was offended by writing it. However,
denying that those stereotypes exist is perpetuating a silent killer that has
more casualties than most wars. Some people may claim to be innocent
of such accusation but having a stereotype of another country is not the
only stereotypes that exist.
Aside from the mass number of stereotypes aimed at other countries,
here in America, every aspect of society uses a stereotype, whether they
are cognizant of it or not. How many times has a black actor been por
trayed as a criminal in a movie? How many women or minorities have
been denied a job because of a preconceived notion that their state of
being is inferior? Why are homosexual people always immoral? How
many "adults" use their stereotypes of teenagers to make vivid, inaccurate
assumptions? The innumerable answers to these questions precisely
reflect the nature of our country.
In the vast, boundless search for an end to such deliberate hatred and
ignorance, people have begun to place the blame on the wrong people. In
the component of Hollywood, surely there have been Caucasian directors
creating stereotypes of black actors in a negative sense. Similarly, male
actors give demeaning roles to some women actresses, but these contrast
in 1 ~ •u . aren't the sole . i vider in much of the unconstructive stereo-
Social Cues and
By Jennifer Haight
News Editor
September 9, 2005
There are certain things that a
person just does not do when he or
she is either in the presence of oth
ers or in a more public setting,
especially a college campus, name
ly Behrend. These things consist
of: sitting on the steps in front of
Perry Hall, smoking in the elevator
and the elevator stairwell, walking
in groups of four or more wide on
the pathways, etc.
There are two sides to the steps
in from of Perry Hall, presumably,
one to go up and the other side to
go down. This is a very high traffic
area and is usually pretty easy to
get through, except when those few
boneheads block one side and
could care less. This causes frus
trations for everyone trying to get
from the top to bottom or from the
bottom to the top. So for those of
you who make it habit to use these
STEPS as chairs, please, have con
sideration for the thousands of
other people who use these steps
and MOVE.
Smoking; Enclosed: spaces.
These two don't really go together,
do they? Think about it people,
there are a lot of us who use the
elevator behind Senat Hall. Just
. Bush
The wedding also had a profound effect on my
parents. My mother and I had always been extreme
ly close, so I wasn't surprised by how marrying off
her first child, her baby girl, was exciting and happy
to the point of tears. It brought me great pride to
escort her in and out of the church for the ceremony.
But my father and I have had our differences. I've
never really had the chance to see his more emotion
al side except when he and I bashed heads. The wed
ding brought out a sort of calmness in his face that
made me sort of relax more, watching him interact
with my new brother-in-law, Randy, accepting him
into the family whole heartedly. As I stood at the
front of the church watching him escort my sister to
the alter, and then sitting with my mother, I saw him
start to well up with emotions, and start to tear. All
the small indifference that he and I have had from
time to time seemed to melt away and not matter to
me for the moment.
Friday morning, before setting up the church and
going to the rehearsal, I made the extra effort to
drive down to Philly where I grew up; I went to visit
my grandparents, Nan and Pop, who I'm very close
Cherish the good times
By KJ Margraff Jr.
staff writer
February 24, 2006
There are several moments in life that seem to
stick out as benchmarks and cornerstones. It's a lot
like the song "100 Years" by Five for Fighting: "I'm
22 for a moment..." Last week I had a rare chance
to get a view of all these points in life at the same
time. It was as if I was watching a movie picking out
all the important scenes, and it made me realize just
how short life is.
I made the six hour drive to the Allentown area on
wednesday for my sister's wedding. It was a unique
experience for me because my sister had never been
much of the "girlfriend type," yet she now acted
with a new purpose and motivation in life; it was
evident in everything she was doing, even the small
things. I was able to see all the elements of selfless
ness and love in her, in a way renewing my trust in
the idea that, for lack of better terms, everything is
supposed to 'work out' in the end. My sister had
changed herself, and some of her characteristics, for
this man who was to become her husband. I was
proud to share in the moment with her as one of the
groomsmen, and besides, the food at the wedding
was phenomenal.
because one person can't put off
his nicotine addiction for a two
minute ride up the elevator, doesn't
mean the other people in the eleva
tor should have to suffocate. The
other day I was waiting for the ele
vator to come back down so I could
take it up and then someone comes
up next to me with a lit cigarette;
he then had the nerve to tell me
that he wouldn't take any hits
while he was in the elevator car.
No, he was just going to let it burn
and still fill the elevator up with
smoke. We're in college here folks;
why not just put it out? Save what
ever of the cancer stick that went
unused and burned in the elevator,
simultaneously creating a copasetic
environment for all those using the
elevator.
Smoking in the stairwell is
objectionable, but not as much.
Please keep in mind that the entire
structure that holds the elevator is
closed in, with the only fresh air
coming in through the doors at the
top and bottom of the building. The
smoke lingers, causing it to really
stink. This is one of only three
ways to get from the learning part
of campus to the residential part:
don't make it uncomfortable for
others because you're too lazy to
put out your cigarette for two min
utes.
The endless problem of stereotypes has been enabled and promoted by
people in the specific race, sex, or ethnicity themselves. Actor/comedian
Dave Chappelle places a negative image of African-American people in
his comedy show. Likewise, comedians such as Carlos Mencia and
George Lopez have made derogatory statements about their own Mexican
heritage. Comedian Ellen DeGeneres once said, "I think they should have
a Barbie with a buzz cut." This is a blatant mockery of herself as a homo
sexual female.
When dealing with such stereotypes, one must observe two different
vehicles for such ignorance. The average person must stay perceptive of
such stereotypes; furthermore, people who have the creative power to pro
duce our nation's entertainment need to be as aware that their message of
ignorance and hatred does have an affect on the people of American soci
ety. Even though the aforementioned Hollywood entities are making a
dollar and creating humor, they are simply perpetuating the cause of evil
that is destroying lives and reputation. Finally, the next time a friend
comes up to you and says, "I just heard the funniest
black/gay/woman/Asian/Polish/etc. joke," don't express interest. You'd
only be fuelling blatant hatred and ignorance.
The Behrend Beacon I
Dont's
First of all, let me differentiate
for you what I mean by "wide" and
"deep." Four people wide means
walking in a group of four (maybe
more) people who are lined up next
to each other, key phrase here
being "next to," whereas four
(maybe more) people deep means
walking two by two perhaps in a
sort of filed line, key phrase here
being "filed line." When people are
short on time and have to make it
from room 41 in Kochel and have
to go to room 37H in Hammermill
in ten minutes, it's a mad dash on
the big path that goes from one end
of campus to the other. It is espe
cially hard trying to make it on
time when people are walking four
or more people wide, blocking a
big majority of the path. This is
why people who walk "widely"
should learn the ways of the "deep"
walkers and make it easier for
everyone.
There are going to be things in
life that we're all going to have to
put up with, but for now, while
we're in college, let's all just meet
half way and make everyone's lives
a hell of a lot easier. Be respectful
of everyone around you, be aware
of your situations and what others
are trying to accomplish and most
importantly, do for others what you
would want done for you.
to. Every holiday, especially Christmas day, has
been spent at their house, which I account for giving
me my strong family values. Unfortunately, my
grandfather's health is not at its best. having a long
list of heart problems and double kidney failure, Pop
relies on dialysis treatments to live, and the whole
family can see its effect on him. Recently the hospi
tal found a infection in his blood requiring extra cau
tion with his regular treatments, and personally, it
scares me because I do not want to lose this impor
tant person in my life. My grandfather has always
been a strong example for me throughout my life.
He was the typical Italian man who enjoyed work
ing in his garden and spending time with his family,
so it hurts me to see him in pain. Despite the pain he
is in, the same strength and love I remember as a
child glows brightly in his eyes like fire. I can only
hope that when I reach his age that I will be like him,
still loving and strong despite personal difficulties,
always giving in any way possible.
The last moment in time I was able to witness was
the joy and excitement of a new baby. One of the
other groomsmen was Randy's brother Ryan. Ryan
and his wife were recently blessed with another
child, and watching them interacting with this tiny
little baby at the reception made me realize not only
how innocently we begin our journey through life,
but also how much a new child can affect a family.
While I never had the chance to meet Ryan or his
wife before that day, I felt that their marriage and
love seemed to have a fresh renewal due to this new
child.
I guess what I'm trying to say in this mess of
memories and emotions is that life is short, and
these moments in life need to be cherished; time is
fleeting. A lot of times we, as college students, can
lose sight of the big picture and get caught up with
the stress and worry of classes, exams and projects.
This is a point in our lives where we are not kids
anymore, but we are still not quite adults it's good to
focus the fact that there is so much in store for us in
the future, and we should enjoy this time we have in
college as a step in that direction. I also hope that, as
dumb as this may sound, we can all remember how
important our families are and remember to tell our
loved ones just how much they mean to us.
Personally, I got a recharge from the trip home,
despite the ungodly amount of driving that I had to
do, and the memories of the week will stay with me
for a long time.