"Our quick starts allowed us to establish good lead. Another big
actor was Kevin Buczynski. He played extremely well." rape. Basically, Petroski has decided that rape isn - t it, iy.
- Dave Niland, its necessary."
KeFIVE I S
Head Coach for Men's Basketball, .. - Janet Niedenber t ,o ,
)age 9 01 Opinion Page Edit,
i'ri • ~. ~,..,/ . page
• .. .
tbrerttllti, 1 tarot"
Friday, Febrary 9, 2007
Christopher
LaFuria gives
opinion on
music,
and old.
page 4
Anna Nicole
Smith, 39, was
found dead in
her hotel room.
page 7
i
l o i l i
Les''
Behrend's Lady
Lions' Basketball
team continues to
excel.
page 10
orate nts
News.
Editorial
Puzzle...
Humor
Student Life..
Sports
Contact. Us
Newsroom
898-6488
Fax:
898-6019
E-mail: cslsoos@psu.edu
Our offices are located down
stairs in the Reed Union
Building.
new
Behrend commuter students are having trouble driving to classes, saying the snow-covered roads make driving to early morn
ing classes especially dangerous.
Students are forced to face bitter cold
Many Penn State Behrend students have complained about
the bitterness of the cold weather. With severe, freezing tem
peratures and wind chills throughout the area, how cold is
cold? Behrend remains open for classes and students continue
to struggle to walk across campus. Meteorologist Mike Abair
at the National Weather Service in
Cleveland states, "Temperatures will
remain below normal during the month of
February." Abair also explained that this
weather is not very common for this time of
year. He continued to say, "The causes of
such extreme cold conditions are the jet
streams that have shifted south from
Canada and allowed the cold air in." The
National Weather Service predicts the tem
peratures will reach the 20's in the middle
of next week.
Behrend students that commute to cam-
pus are still having great difficulty traveling. About 53 percent
of students commute to campus each day. With the wind
blowing and the snow drifting, commuters are arriving late to
campus. Commuter Beth Schreiber, a senior, took longer than
usual. "Roads were packed down with snow and they were
slick," she said. "About one third of my 8 a.m. class was late."
Under hazardous road conditions, is it safe for students to
travel to classes? Andrea Briney, a commuter student
Behrend offers HPV vaccine for women on campus
In Texas, school-age girls are now required to be vac
cinated against the human papilloma virus (HPV) which
has been proven to cause cervical cancer. Penn State
Behrend women can also find comfort in receiving the
vaccine from Behrend's own Health and Wellness
Center. According to Patty McMahon, director of the
Health and Wellness Center and Nurse Practitioner, HPV
has been active among humans for centuries, but only in
recent studies has it been proven to cause certain types of
cervical cancer.
...7-8
.9-10
The HPV vaccine, Gardasil, is the first and only vac
cine that can protect against the certain cancer-causing
strains of HPV. The federal government approved
Gardasil in June of 2006, along with a nation-wide rec
ommendation for all girls to get the shots between the
ages of 11 and 12. The idea behind vaccinating girls so
young is to have the protection in their systems before
they become sexually active.
For women who are over this age, and who may
already be sexually active, receiving the three shots of
Gardasil has also been highly recommended, says
McMahon. "It's important for women to know that over
70% of sexually active people have already been
exposed to the virus. And for those women who have
already been exposed or have received an abnormal pap
smear, their chances of contracting cervical cancer are
dramatically increased," said McMahon.
There has been a lot of controversy over Governor
.. • X:- . . -:: .. •,1 .r,
By Laura Cook
contributing writer
By Ashley Bressler
news editor
A Penn State Behrend Student Publication
+~ ~.~,`
„~,.
.. ."cy~~.y~+
41
oi
I,
"I did five 360 degree
turns at the intersec
tion of Twelfth Street
and the Bayfront.
Thank God I'm alive."
explained, "I did five 360-degree turns at the intersection of
Twelfth Street and the Bayfront. Thank God I'm alive."
Due to the freezing temperatures and intense wind chills,
the Health and Wellness Center has posted signs throughout
campus to inform students of the warning signs of frostbite.
What students should do to prevent getting frostbite, and what
should be done if a student would have frostbite.
to the Health and Wellness Center, frostbite
looks like a heat burn. Some of the warning
signs are pain, swelling, white skin and numb
ness. The Health and Wellness Center recom
mends students wear multiple layers of clothing
with a combination of thin layers and one bulky
layer. Also, students should wear mittens on
their hands instead of gloves and should cover
their heads with a hat, hood or a scarf. Finally,
students should avoid being exposed to the
extreme cold whenever possible.
There are some tips that the Health and
Wellness Center recommends for students to do
if frostbite has already set in. Students are
According
- Andrea Briney
advised to soak the affected area in warm water, stopping
when the area becomes red. Remember to never massage a
frostbitten area, and elevate it when possible to increase blood
flow. Most importantly, students should avoid alcohol, nico
tine, and other drugs that may affect blood flow.
If students have any further questions or need to seek imme
diate medical care, contact the Health and Wellness Center at
898-6217.
Rick Perry's decision last Frida:
making it mandatory for all girl
entering sixth grade in Texas
receive the vaccine Gardasil. Evei
though this new law has also made i
possible for all women ages nine
through 18 to receive the vaccine
no cost (if it is not covered undo
their medical insurance), many cot
servative Texas families are ow
raged at the state's mandatory vacci
nation decision. Most of these com•
plaints have been based on the ids
that the vaccination will promos
sexual activity among the girls who
receive it. Opposing families aro
also offended that they are no ,
being told how to raise their chi
dren, saying the decision to vacci
nate or to not vaccinate their chi
dren should be the right of the par
ents, not the state of Texas.
While moral and religious values
have been extensively debated, the
creators of Gardasil, Merck & Co., have stated their vac
cine is not a matter of ethics, but a national health pre
caution against cervical cancer. McMahon said, "I don't
believe a vaccine will cause people to do certain things.
And taking this step of prevention will in no way encour
age promiscuity."
Cervical cancer is not particularly high among college-
"This article is disgusting, and it trivializes, as well as mocks,
led thv' " - ist oka• but
Mike Sharkey/THE BEHREND BEACON
With a series of three injections of the Gardasil vaccine, women can protect
themselves a.ainst cervical cancer.
Behrend student
experiences China
assistant news editor
The country of China is a world away from the
frigid temperatures and endless precipitation of
Erie County, but Michael Long has found a way
to he connected to both sides of the planet. Long
is a sophomore and normally a student at Penn
State Behrend, where he studies Chinese and
Political Science, but he has been able to escape
the harsh Erie winter this year by participating in
a study abroad program that has landed him in
Beijing, China.
Long's trip across the seas is a program that
will last an entire year. and he just departed for
China again after finishing his first semester
there. Long lives with a Chinese host family that
only speaks their native language of Chinese.
Long said that "they are very patient" with him
when it comes to dialogue and speaking his sec
ond language.
He also has a group of bilingual friends who
are native to China that help him gather a more
expansive knowledge of the Chinese language.
"They're bilingual, but mainly speak to me in
Chinese," said Long. "If I don't understand
something, they'll explain it to me in English
and then repeat it in Chinese."
During the fall semester in Beijing. Long stud
ied the Chinese language, and completed what
would amount to two-and-a-half semesters of it
in a period of three weeks. Long had tour hours
of Chinese class during the (Ly fiir four days
each week. He said, "We completed four lessons
in three days and had a test every Friday." He
also took anthropology classes, along with gov
ernment classes.
Long's trip was made possible by his reception
of the Benjamin A. Gilman International
Scholarship, which aided his trip financially.
This scholarship was given to him by the U.S.
Department of State, Bureau of Education and
Cultural Affairs, and the Institute of International
Education. Since the founding of this scholar
ship in 2000, Long has been Behrend's first
recipient. "I would not have been able to partake
in an international program without this scholar
ship," said Long in an interview conducted in
August of 2006 before the commencement of his
year abroad. "I don't come from a family of priv
ilege and didn't have access to the same oppor
tunities others did. Knowing that there is help
out there gives me faith in the education sys-
Behrend's director of the Learning Resource
Center
age women, says McMahon, but the HPV virus can be
dormant anywhere from five to seven years before any
abnormal signs are noticed, so receiving the necessary
protection now is crucial. "Just as it is important for col
lege age women to receive this vaccine, it is absolutely
necessary for them to get annual pap smears done. If
something is discovered early on, the right steps can then
continued on page 2.
Vol. LIII No. XV
By Scott Muska
continued on page 3