I The Behrend Beacon
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religiow MAW)
tight of the people peaceably to assemble, aril to petit on The Goverlitriefftr
Penn State Erie,
The Behrend College
Reed Union Building
THE BEHREND
4701 College Drive, Erie PA 16563
EACO
Room 10H
Telephone: (814) 898-6488
Fax: (814) 898-6019
FOUNDED ►N 1948
There's only one kind of Nittany Lion
By Lenny Smith
news editor
Irsso46(d'psu.edu
Let's take a journey back to your senior year of high
school when you made your college decision. You were
probably very excited about being accepted into Penn State
Behrend and couldn't wait to graduate from high school
and get away from all that drama.
"Hey Len, where are you going to college next year," a
friend asks. "Penn State Behrend," I reply. To my dismay,
I am not met with any congratulations. No, I simply get the
look of discomfort and then the response, "Oh, you could
n't get into Main, huh?-
Yes, I didn't get accepted into University Park for my
freshman year, but that doesn't mean that because I go to a
commonwealth campus I am any less intelligent. This
seems to be one of the worst misconceptions among Penn
State students, primarily those in State College.
There are numerous reasons why a student would choose
Behrend over University Park. Behrend has a lot to offer
on its own right, aside from the Penn State degree.
They have smaller class sizes, which means a smaller stu
dent to faculty ratio, award-winning professors and pro
grams, as well as the greater opportunity to participate in
athletic programs.
University Park also has its highlights, too. You are right
in the midst of everything that is Penn State. All your needs
are met within walking distance, and there is a greater
opportunity to find who you are in the very diverse envi
ronment.
I initially had my heart set on University Park and after I
was diverted to Behrend I was pretty upset. However, I
have grown to really like it here in Erie. I have been
involved in a large number of programs and clubs and aca-
...... t
S
..,
. u bfit,,i, s, sii o n Gtt 1 1
Letters should be limited to 350 words and commentaries should be limited to_
_7o( , :t * 01 4!) . ..
concise the submission, the less we will be forced to edit it for. space concerns and the !soy.
„Rare 47,
to run the submission.
The Beacon does not publish anonymous letters. Please include your major, afte faculty, or f ; )r athribikaitili s _
position and semester standing. Deadline for any submission is 5 p.m. Tuesday
the Friday issue.
, .
The Behrend Beacon reserves the right to edit any submissions prior to publication.
Please keep complaints as specific as possible.
Email submissions to cmbs3l3@psu.edu or drop them off at the Beacon office. , '
If you think of a title, then put it here
By Chris LaFuria
editor-in-chief
cslsoos@ osu.edu
If you don't like the president, then
vote for someone that you do like.
If you don't like the way Behrend is
run, then join SGA and change things.
If you drink underage on campus, then
you will get caught and be punished.
If you do drugs, then you will be 45
years old pushing a shopping cart along
Peach Street.
If you have sexual relations that are not If you spit your gum on the sidewalk,
consensual, then you will encounter the then someone will step on it, getting it on
their sneakers.
same scenario in prison.
If you cheat on your exams, then you If you don't like paying too much for
gasoline, then you should carpool or
will not learn anything and will be push gasoline,
other modes of transportation.
ing shopping carts along Peach Street.
If you dream something, then you canlf you say "Thank you," then people
achieve it. will be more likely to assist you in the
If you train dogs to fight, then the law future.
will bite you. If you party too much and neglect your
If you don't read a newspaper, then studies, then you should learn how to say,
you will have no idea what's going on. "Welcome to McDonald's. Would you
If you appreciate art, then you have care for a Value Meal?"
If you have nothing to believe in, then
••e_••• • • • • • •
_•_•••••••••••••••••••• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
• Beacon Thumbs Up Beacon Thumbs Down e •
• •
• . A . I A •
•
ea. 4 10 em. 4zo •119.04. •
~ i ) •
1 • 4. • ' .• i•• • " ) - ."
•
N •
(40t, err wl. yr qmoub .
OPP ki v., •
I NO 1 if N. •
•
- Smashed pumpkins •
- Hummus at Bruno's
- Cage season starting
- Halloween
- Wes Anderson
Executive Board
Christopher LaFuria, Editor in Chief
Mike Sharkey, Co-Editor in Chief
Tiffany Flynn, Advertising Manager
Kim Young, Faculty Adviser
imagination.
If you don't like snow, then you
shouldn't be in Erie.
If you drive your car too fast, then you
will get in an accident or get a speeding
ticket.
If you look at child pornography, then
you better get used to saying, "Hi, I'm
your new neighbor. I'm a sexual preda
tor."
If you ask questions, then you will find
answers.
o P ri\fl [lol\ll
Editorial Staff
Lenny Smith, News Editor
Chris Brown, Opinion Editor
Andrew McLachlan, Sports Editor
Matt Waronker, Sports Editor
Scott Muska, Student Life Editor
Ryan P. Gallagher, Student Life Editor
Matt Schawenbauer, asst. Student Life Editor
Janet Niedenberger, Head Copy Editor
Mike Sharkey, Humor/Photography Editor
Jennifer Juncosa, Copy Editor
Rachel Reeves, Copy Editor
Evan Koser, Entertainment Editor
Connor Sattely, Entertainment Editor
demically, the smaller class setting has definitely been an
advantage. However, I do plan on transferring because I
cannot finish my degree at Behrend.
What really makes me mad is when the students at
University Park feel like they have the right to demean all
the students at commonwealth campuses. A remarkable 60
percent of first year students start their degrees at a campus
other than University Park. Any of these students that are
in good academic standing have the option of changing
their campus assignment to University Park.
Behrend students deserve the respect of their fellow Penn
State students. We have some of the best academic pro
grams in the nation, including our Plastics Engineering
Technology major.
This year, one of UP students' main argument against
commonwealth students is their right to football tickets.
They think that they should have first dibs on student sec
tion seating because there are in State College. They
believe that we should not even have to option to purchase
tickets because all we supposedly do is sell our tickets for
a profit. I was fortunate enough to buy season tickets and
have attended every game that I can. Over the course of the
season, I will have only sold two tickets. I know a lot of
people at University Park that have student tickets, but
have not felt like going to the game and have left their tick
et to go unused. What is worse, a ticket going unused or a
ticket from a commonwealth student being sold?
At the end of our tenure, we will all have a diploma that
reads "The Pennsylvania State University." There will be
no way for anyone to know where you began or even fin
ished your degree. The commonwealth campus system
gives students from all campuses valuable resources from
all over the state. We are all one Penn State.
you have nothing to live for.
If you never say "I love you" to the
people you care about, then don't expect
to be loved.
If you play with fue, then you may
experience the heat.
If you smile in the direction of at least
10 people, then you have changed 10
people's lives.
If you don't believe in miracles, then
expect the unexpected.
If you can read people's cheesy
bumper stickers, then you're driving too
close.
If you spend hours on your appearance,
then you should register for Extreme
Makeover: Soul Edition.
If you have no friends, then you're not
friendly.
If you start a sentence by saying "I'm
not trying to be a bitch," then you're
going to say something that renders you a
bitch.
If you read this entire piece, then I
hope you learned something.
- Rain
- Wildfires
- Everwood
A time for change
By Chris Brown
opinion editor
cmbs3 13 @psu.edu
When I first heard about the wildfires
in California, my thoughts went to the
residents there, hoping that no one was
killed or injured. My second thought,
possibly a testament to where our socie
ty puts its priorities, was who is going to
pay for this? With over 500,000 people
displaced, a number dead, and the dec-
laration of a national emergency I also
began to think about the similarities
between the fires and Hurricane
Katrina. Though the devastation may be
where the similarities end with Katrina
and the forest fires.
Perhaps the greatest difference
between the two will be the response
from the federal government. Southern
California is much more powerful polit
ical and economically than New
Orleans. When all is said and done,
there will be a noticeable difference
between the way aid from the govern
ment will be distributed, and I can guar
antee that there won't be over $45 bil
lion in unspent aid waiting to be distrib
uted over two years later.
However, this does not mean that the
government is corrupt, or the system is
broken. It will not be because
Republicans are evil, Democrats don't
support the troops, or because as Kanye
West said, "George Bush doesn't like
black people." In fact, I'm not entirely
sure anyone deserves the blame because
if California gets more than New
Orleans it onl means
that the system is I doubt California and our children will
working. have more opportu-
This is a system that will have a difficult nities when this is
rewards the politicians
that bring home the time obtaining
bacon to their con- federal
stituents. Instead of aid
representing ever rebuilding after
potential voter, our
congresspersons have Wil dfires
time and time again
shown that this is not the case. Instead,
they represent the constituents that elect
them. And in today's elections this does
not even include voters in some respect,
but the businesses and power brokers
that supply the money to campaigns. A
politician is more likely to get elected
today because s/he has more money
than their opponent, even if their stance
on important issues leaves something to
be desired. Substitute power for money
and the American political system
makes sense. Those that have money
have the power and those that have
power get the money. One only needs to
look to the Presidential primaries for an
example of this. No Presidential candi
date could ever expect to win an elec
tion bid supporting the removal of farm
subsidies. They would lose badly in
lowa, limiting the prospects of their
success in winning their party's nomina
tion for President and many other votes
in farming states. A funny outcome con-
sidering that these subsidies force a
larger number of Americans to pay over
$25 billion on food due to inflated
But this is the system we designed,
we live in, we embrace. It is one based
on free market principles, but practiced
Quote of the Week
"The bottom line is that to the extent the
spending is not offset by higher taxes or
reduced spending elsewhere in the budget,
and therefore simply adds to the deficit, the
total budgetary impact of the war, including
spending to date, possible future spending,
and higher interest costs would amount to
between 1.7 trillion and 2.4 trillion dollars
through 2017."
Peter Orszag, the head of the Congressional
Budget Office
Friday, October 19, 2007
•
treetkvl of speech, or of the press; or the
*, US. Constitution_ _
by egoist power mongrels :•1,1 of us
included. Everyone wants something for
nothing, everyone else be damned.
After Hurricane Katrina hit, there was a
sense that it was the residents of New
Orleans' fault for living in a city below
sea level and not evacuating. That they
should somehow pay their own way out
of the tragedy, because after all, every
one knows how well off they were
before the hurricane hit. I wonder if the
same pundits will mount the same accu
sations at the people of Southern
California for developing an area histor
ically prone to forest fires.
I doubt California will have a difficult
time obtaining the federal aid for
rebuilding after the wildfires. In my
opinion it boils down to limited
resources and maximizing production,
and in that equation California wins
every time in comparison to New
Orleans. When it comes down to it, how
much is the birthplace of the Blues
worth in comparison to MTV Cribs in
America?
Chaos Theory tells me that if a butter
fly flaps its wings in England there will
be a thunderstorm in Kansas, and
Economic Theory tells me that the best
way to distribute scarce resources in the
midst of unlimited demand is the free
market. It is easy to forget that when it
comes down to it, Capitalism (egoism
may in fact be a better term to describe
our current situation) can be wrong,
just like every theory. For many it is a
foregone conclusion that our lives will
be better than the lives of our parents
lapsing because businesses and individ
uals gave too much money to charity.
Political scientists use statistics and
experiments, economists graphs, and
mathematicians equations, all to con
vince me that the way things are today
is the way things will always have to be.
That our current situation is a fact that
can't be debated. But, when it comes
down to it, no matter what race, creed,
ethnicity, culture, or nationality you
identify yourself with, something just
does not seem right about our govern
ment, about money, about jobs, about
education, or anything else these days.
We may not be able to agree on the
causes of this feeling, or the solutions to
the problem, but we all agree that some
thing needs to change. These feelings
don't make you un-American or any of
those other dirty words usually ascribed
to those that question the current estab
lishment, in fact it makes you more
human.
No matter what the 'experts' tell me, I
like to think this gut-instinct, developed
over millions of years of evolution, that
something is fundamentally wrong with
the values of society today carries a lit
tle more weight than what some scien
tist, politician, or economist says.
not necessarily the
th e case. Things can get
worse or things can
for get much better than
thanyone has ever
e imagined. I've never
heard of an economy
or civilization col-