"At first I didn't want to he a dancer, but over Thanksgiving break, my
grandfather died from cancer. That really inspired me and kept me going time. However, I don't feel we need to get to that point to make it
for the 46 hours." good season. but it would he a very nice ending
- Mike Mclean.. - Rot Fornat
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Freshman Student Government Association Senator. col T3RWF,4o2ftetball head coat
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Friday, February 23, 2007
Erie City Council strives to
keep college students in area
By Danielle Brown
Erie City Council is working to make the downtown
area a more appealing and livable place for young peo
ple.
City Council passed a new zoning resolution on Feb.
21, which will allow the development of taller build
ings downtown. The area involved is between 14th
Street and the Bayfront Parkway from Peach Street to
Holland Street.
Even though there are many higher education options
in Erie, some people feel that there aren't many jobs
available for students after graduation. City Council
woman Jessica Horan-Kunco says she believes that
buildings such as condominiums and new businesses
might help keep people in Erie.
"The new zoning ordinance will hopefully motivate
people to move back into or stay in the downtown area.
The resolution may help rebuild the Erie population,"
says Horan-Kunco.
In 1960, there were 138,000 people living in Erie.
Today, the number has decreased to 103,000. Horan-
Kunco says she believes this population decline may be
fixed by revising buildings downtown and providing
new ones. "If the buildings could be more than two sto
ries high, people could live in the upper-half and devel
op their business in the bottom-half. This could bring
more job opportunities to the Erie area," says Horan-
Kunco.
Pent , State Behrend senior accounting major Lindsay
Ethridge says she believes job opportunities are limited
for hei in Eiie. "I am an accounting major searching for
work in my field in Erie," says Ethridge. "There is
nothing here with a decent starting salary or benefits
that would fit what I am looking for."
Ethridge says she is moving South when she gradu
ates to make the most of her accounting degree. "In
North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida, I have
found many decent jobs. There are a lot more options
is other cities. Erie just isn't what it used to be when it
comes to the number of jobs with reasonable salaries,"
says Ethridge.
Family is a big part of the reason Ethridge says she
would consider staying in the area. "I have lived in
Erie my whole life. My whole family is here. If Erie
had something to offer, I would definitely take it to stay
closer to them.-
Ethridge also says she believes that she isn't the only
person who would benefit from the new businesses.
"Look at how many good colleges are in the area:
Behrend, Gannon, Mercyhurst, and Edinboro. There
are so many people here with good degrees, but noth
ing for them. I'm sure many of them have family here,
too, and would like to stay. Erie just needs to find a
way to keep some of these people here," says Ethridge.
Executive Director of the Erie Regional Chamber
and Growth Partnership, Jake Rouch, and his team are
working with approximately thirty companies that wish
to grow and expand in Erie.
Continued on page 2
litenl!N:
News 1-3
Editorial 4
Crossword 5
Humor 6
Student Life 7-8
Sports 9-10
tontm Cs
Newsroom:
898-6488
Fax:
898-6019
E-mail: cslsoos@psu.edu
Our offices are located downstairs
in the Reed Union Building.
sports editor
Behrend students participate in THON
By Lenny Smith
assistant news editor
Penn State's Interfraternity
Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon came
to a close Sunday in the Bryce Jordan Center.
The largest student-run philanthropy in the
world raised a record $5,240,385.17 this year
for The Four Diamonds Fund.
According to the official THON website,
"The mission of the Penn State
IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon is to con
quer pediatric cancer by providing outstand
ing emotional and financial support to the
children, families, researchers, and staff of
The Four Diamonds Fund."
Since 1972, The Four Diamonds Fund has
helped children who were diagnosed with
pediatric cancer at the Penn State Children's
Hospital in Hershey, PA. About 90 new fam
ilies are added annually to the 2000+ families
that have already been helped by The Four
Diamond Fund. The fund was established by THON directors show the record-breaking total of $5,240,385.17
Charles and Irma Millard. They established
The Four Diamonds Fund after their son, For 35 years, the students affiliated with THON
Chirstopher, was diagnosed with cancer at the age of have raised over $46 million for children and families
11. to help their fight against pediatric cancer. Students Continued on page 2
A Penn State Behrend Student Publication
Winning the conference championship is our goal at this point in
Dr. Aquila honored
Penn State Behrend's own Dr. Richard Aquila is
deeply involved in making a name for thc universi
ty through his own individual performance as a tal
ented professor and lecturer. On Feb. 12, the direc
tor of the School of Humanities arid Social Sciences
was invited to serve as an Organization of American
Historians Distinguished Lecturer.
Aquila is accepting this honor from the OAH
Distinguished Lectureship program for the second
consecutive time, and he will be serving his second
term as a Lecturer. Aquila stated that "The fact that
they've invited me back for a second term is an
honor not just for me, but also for Penn State
Behrend.-
To put into perspective the magnitude of such an
honor, since the creation of the Lectureship
Program in 1981, statistically, about one percent of
the nation's certified historians are invited to
become one of the Distinguished Lecturers. Most
of these historians are only invited to serve one
three-year term, whereas Aquila will be serving his
second three-year term, a feat that is almost unheard
of.
Aquila's lecture specialties center on U.S. social
and cultural history, and he has researched mainly
recent American culture, the American West,
American Indians, and American popular culture.
He has written four books titled "Home Front
Soldier: The Story of aG. I." and "His Italian-
American Family During World War II", "Wanted
Dead or Alive: The American West in Popular
Culture", "That Old Time Rock and Roll: A
Chronicle of An Era, 1954-63", and finally "The
Iroquois Restoration: Iroquois Diplomacy on the
Colonial Frontier, 1701-1754." He is currently
working on his latest book called, "Crazy, Man,
Crazy: The Birth of Rock & Roll and 1950's
America," and expects to finish it this summer.
Aquila's expertise of various types of history do
not stop at his passion for writing, as he has also
been involved in the production of numerous docu
mentaries that have aired on NPR. He has written,
produced, and hosted these shows, and from 1998 to
2000 he engineered the public history series "Rock
and Roll America," which was nominated for the
illustrious Peabody award. It was aired on NPR and
NPR Worldwide.
As part of his title as an OAH Distinguished
Lecturer, Aquila has the opportunity to travel the
country and give public speeches at many universi
ties. He has lectured on subjects that include, but
are not limited to, the American West, Native
American History, rock and roll as history, and the
role of music in the public memory of the tragedies
of Sep. 11, 2001.
Aquila received his prior education from Bowling
Green State University and Ohio State University,
and now provides Behrend with quality lectures and
education. By receiving this honor for a second
time, he helps to show the adeptness of the Behrend
teaching staff and the potency that the college has
academically.
Vol. LIII No. XVIII
By Scott Muska
student life editor
fundraise throughout the entire year. The
final amount fundraised is announced at
the end of THON Weekend, a two day
event where participants neither sleep
nor eat, just dance. During the 46-hour
event, organizers have numerous activi
ties for the dancers to keep them busy
and their minds off of sleeping.
Activities include themed hours, live
bands, pep rallies with the Penn State
football team, and guest speakers like
PSU alum and Miss Pennsylvania, Emily
Wills.
Freshman Student Government
Association Senator, Mike Mclean, was a
dancer at THON this year. "I first
became involved in THON when I was
elected as an SGA Senator. You have to
be involved with two committees and
there was a THON committee."
A selection process was held at
Behrend to choose who would represent
the campus. Behrend's dancers included
Juniors, Erin Kiesel and Daniel Frankel
and Freshmen, Mclean and Vicky Straub.