DEIIREfID DECO
THE
Friday, September 21, 2007
Read this
year's SGA
candidate plat-
forms on
Page 3.
Who was
victorious
Kanye or 50
Cent?
Find out on
page 6.
Behrend
hockey hits
ice this
the
weekend.
Details
Page 9.
Miss the
VMA's?
It's all recapped
on page 5.
Contents
News..
Opinion
Humor 5
Entertainment 6
Student Life 7-8
Sports 9-10
Contact Us
Newsroom
898-6488
Fax:
898-6019
E-mail: cslsoos@psu.edu
Our offices are located downstairs
in the Reed Union Building.
Behrend students shocked by
death of Mercyhurst teen's baby
Old main on the campus of Mercyhurst College, where Teri Rhodes attended, is a gathering point for students on campus. Police allowed Rhodes
18, to return home whale they thoroughly investigate the death of her baby. Officials say first-degree murder charges will not be pursued.
By Scott R. Muska
student life editor
srmsoB2 (9' psu .edu
A new development came about on Sept. 18 regarding
the case against Teri Rhodes, an 18-year-old former
Mercyhurst College student who allegedly murdered her
daughter 10 minutes after giving birth to her in her on
campus apartment.
The announcement was
made by Erie County First
Assistant District Attorney,
Robert Sambroak, Jr. during
Rhodes' bond hearing. He
revealed that the D. A.
office will not push for first
degree murder for the teen
when the case goes to trial.
"We do agree that this
young lady is not a flight
risk," said Sambroak during
the hearing. This statement
allowed the County Judge
presiding over the case to
release Rhodes on a $25,000
bond, since she is consid
ered neither a flight risk or a
first-degree murder defen
dant. She was allowed to
return home to Commerce,
MI with her parents.
District Attorney Brad
Foulk said at the bond hear
ing that his office did not
believe it had enough evi
dence to prove first degree murder at the bond hearing, but
that every case continues, investigative-wise, up until the
time that the case goes to trial.
"[Rhodes] is charged with a general charge of criminal
homicide, concealing the death of a child, endangering the
welfare of a child, recklessly endangering another person,
and abuse of a corpse," said Sambroak. After saying that
the DA's office would not seek a first-degree question, he
Plastics Training Academy strengthens School of Engineering
1-3
By Rachel Reeves
staff writer
rcrsos7@psu.edu
The plastics industry is practically exploding with
new work, new people, and new money. Penn State
Behrend is moving ahead in this giant opportunity,
while putting its new Research and Economic
Development Center to good use, with the Plastics
Training Academy: a continuing education program in
the field of engineering.
The Academy is made up of short courses in plastics
technology. These courses cover topics from experi
ment design, to processing and design, to project man
agement. The focus, is injection molding, and 40-45%
of the courses cover this subject. Injection molding is
when molten plastic is injected into heat-tempered alu
minum or steel molds. After the plastic hardens, a part,
ranging from bottle caps to a car panel, can be extract
ed from the mold. The Plastics Training Academy is
concentrating on injection molding because this is
what most of the local plastics industry is involved in.
"There are more injection molders than there is any
thing else. That's where the demand is," explains Dr.
Brad Johnson, who currently chairs the injection
molding division of the Society of Plastics Engineers.
A Penn State Behrend Student Publication
"I think it is a
tragedy. Things
like these are hor-
rific, and she defi-
nitely should have
gotten first degree
murder."
said, "I have a good-faith basis to argue third degree, or,
you know, manslaughter. So we are sticking with the gen
eral charge of homicide. We are not going to amend it at
this point, at least until we have a preliminary hearing."
Penn State Behrend students reacted to the District
Attorney's announcement with shock. Chris Oehme felt
that the DA's office was being too lenient by not pushing
for first-degree murder. "I think it is a tragedy. Things
-Chris Oehme
Freshman
tect them and give them the care that would be necessary.
It is speculated that many athletes may abort their babies
in fear that they would lose their scholarships.
This may have been a deciding factor in Rhodes'
actions, since she allegedly denied her pregnancy twice;
once to her coach and once to a doctor during her pre-sea
son physical.
Since the Plastics Training Academy is a continuing
education program, most of the courses are held in the
summer, although there are some in the fall and maybe
more during the week of spring break. Companies
send employees of every age and level of experience,
from new hires to people who have been with an
organization for decades. Engineers come to keep up
with the rapidly changing technology or broaden their
horizons beyond their specific field. Designers will
attend to better understand the production process, and
processors will attend to better understand design. The
summer and early fall scheduling makes it easy for
companies to send whole teams over at once. The pro
gram even gets many repeat customers who like to
participate often so they can easily keep up to date.
Behrend's exceptional processing facilities are what
draw in employees from all over the country and the
world. The School of Engineering is one of four
accredited engineering programs in the country, and
the processing facilities are the best nationwide. This
is due to years of influence by the region's heavy con
centration in plastics. Behrend specializes in hands-on
workshops available to everyone. "This facility was
built with industry in mind," says Johnson.
This Academy means only good things for Behrend.
For one, the whole program is entirely self-sufficient.
like these are horrific, and she defi
nitely should have gotten first
degree murder," he said.
"This is terrible," said Kim
Hayes. "Something should be done
so she gets convicted."
Other students were not as
concerned with the legal implica
tions of the case as they were
shocked that such a devastating
story happened so close to home. "I
think it is unbelievable that a
tragedy like this happened so close
to Behrend," Mindy Geibel said.
Not only is the story affecting
Behrend students and the Erie
locals, but is also garnering nation
wide attention. It has caused the
NCAA to review its guidelines on
pregnancy with a possibility for
change because of their concern
that athletes may feel pressured to
have abortions for athletic reasons.
It has come to light that many col
leges do not have guidelines for
pregnant athletes or policies to pro-
Vol. LIV No. IV
ROTC Club
offers adventures
for Behrend
students
By Carly Smith
staff writer
cass422@psu.edu
Everybody has some activity or hobby that
they love to do when they get bored. It is just
part of human nature to want to do something
fun or exciting instead of just sitting around
doing nothing. Some may get online and chat
it up until three in the morning while others
curl up in a comfortable chair with nothing to
look forward to but the adventure that a good
book is about to take them on. Whatever a per
son's interest may be, here at Penn State
Behrend there is a club for just about every
thing and everyone.
Some clubs have just started their activities
and are still looking for new members to sign
up. The ROTC club is a group that is worth
looking into if you would like to have a fun
time doing awesome activities and get
involved with a different group of people.
The club has many different and exciting
activities planned for its members this year.
An adventurous white water rafting event is on
the schedule, as well as an invigorating game
of paintball. Fundraisers will be involved in
the list of activities for the club. The money
will directly benefit the ROTC Club. There is
word of a Push-Up-a-Thon, which will give
people the chance to sponsor participants for
every push-up they complete, a donation will
be made towards the group. Also, on the par
ents' weekend that is coming up, the group is
looking to put together a pie-throwing activity.
A person can pay one dollar and throw a pie in
the participant's face. All of these activities
are possibilities for fun and excitement.
The ROTC Club is not to be confused with
the ROTC program that the campus offers.
The Army ROTC is an elective course here at
Behrend. It is not a major by itself, it is only a
course designed to make a person's leadership
and management skills better. The ROTC is a
course that is beneficial to any area of study
and it also looks good on a job application.
The ROTC Club and the Army ROTC class
are both exceptional activities for any student
to be involved in. The class is going to train
and educate you. It will provide useful skills
for your future. The ROTC Club is a group
made to have fun. With all of their activities
the club members are bound to have a good
time.
The club is not for members of the ROTC
course only; any student who wishes to partic
ipate in the activities is allowed to join the
group. To support the fact that the club is not
just for students that are taking the class, the
club is trying to change its name to the
"Pathfinders Club." They are still looking for
new members to jump in. Libby Pascuzzi, a
freshman here at Behrend, and also a new
member of the ROTC Club is looking forward
to the activities that they have planned. "It is
going to be a good time for all," she says.
Each participant pays for each class, with prices rang
ing from $6OO for one day to nearly $3,000 for ten
days. The cost is usually out-of-pocket for companies
or individuals. However, there is a lot of outside grant
money available for the program, and many people
take advantage of that.
Not only is it financially strong, the Academy can
prove useful for students looking for a job after grad
uation. Sometimes students help faculty with the
workshops, and this introduces them to employers
from all over the country. Many students can find
work based on the connections they make with this
program.
On a larger scale, the Plastics Training Academy
makes the Behrend Engineering School well known
nationwide. When organizations are looking for a
good place to send their employees for continuing edu
cations, Behrend is one of the top names on the list.
This draws attention to facilities and graduating stu
dents entering the workforce. Johnson sees this as
only a good thing. "For the undergraduate program, it
gives it a lot of exposure," he says. "We get companies
from all over the country, all over the world."