DEHItEHD DEflCOn
Friday, March 28, 2008
Students from Behrend pose in front of a house they helped restore in Mississippi
Students travel to Mississippi
on Alternative
By Angelica Stoltzfus
staff writer
anssls4(apsu.eciu
During spring break 28 students and
seven faculty members from Penn State
Behrend traveled to Gulfport. Miss, for the
Alternative Spring Break trip to help rebuild
the area from Hurricane Katrina.
For 2007’s trip, Behrend sent a group of
seven students and two faculty members
into the aftermath of Katrina, but this year
attendance skyrocketed. Kelly Shrout, an
intem-Associate Director of Student Affairs
and Craig Berger, Resident Life
Coordinator, were very excited when they
returned in 2007 to start setting up promo
tions for the spring of 2008.
Freshman Marc Powers said that the
“experience was really life changing. The
attitudes of the Katrina victims were so pos
itive and selfless; it really put things in per
spective for me.” Powers also said that he
was encouraged by Berger that if “he had
the opportunity and the financial ability to
go, there was really no reason not to."
Berger readily took on the challenge of
organizing the trip last year without any pre
vious knowledge of the Penn State
University Park’s involvement. He acknowl
edged that “neither I nor an)' of the other
members even knew of the other Penn State
students” but he certainly was not surprised
at their willingness to serve those less fortu
nate.
Hurricane Katrina was the deadliest storm
in the history of the United States with
deaths surpassing 1,800 people. The storm
produced devastating damages throughout
News
Opinion
Humor.
Spring Break
the coastlines of Louisiana. Miss, and
Alabama. Carrie Barr, a student that is going
on her second alternative spring break said.
"I assumed things would be the same as last
year. I. however, was very wrong.” Barr
retold a tragic story of a homeless man run
ning after them as soon as the entered the
area. She assumed most of the victims from
Katrina had been taken care of and the ren
ovations almost completed. Barr was aston
ished when she found out the organizations
they worked under will be continuing to
dedicate their lives to the reestablishments
of Katrina for approximately another five
more years.
Freshman AJ Cadman exaplained a typi
cal work day, “Every morning we wake up
in coccurgated plastic box at 6:45 a.m. We
ate a breakfast prepared by volunteers and
then travel to the beach where our work spot
was for that particular day. We worked each
day for about eight hours with a nice lunch
break. After our work was completed, we go
back to our residential location and have a
meal again provided by volunteers. We then
took our showers in some what larger cur
gated plastic boxes then headed back to our
'bed - before 10 p.m. each night."
Berger explained that the students were
very willing to join the cause and "acted
positively.” The jobs assigned to the volun
teers were random but Berger admitted. "We
do what they need done.” The lodging for
the Behrend students is nothing exceptional
ly wonderful, but there are “hot showers on
demand" said Powers. Berger described the
beds themselves as “interesting": but the
students and volunteers accept
See SPRING on page 2.
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Democratic representative hopefuls visit Behrend
Bv Marcus Yeagley
stuff writer
mj> 5012(“ psu.edu
While the race for the Democratic
Presidential Nomination is lighting
up Pennsylvania with political activi
ty. the competition to decide Phil
English's opponent for his House of
Representatives seat remains in the
background for Democrats. Some
candidates in fact are traveling to
local college campuses such as Penn
State Behrend to garner support.
An Erie resident and business
owner. Kathy Dahlkemper. is one of
them and came to talk to the College
Democrats about her bid for the
Democratic nomination to face
Representative Phil English on
Tuesday. One of her competitors.
Mike Waltner. visited the student run
political club last week.
Dahlkemper is one of four
Democrat contenders looking to be
nominated in the upcoming
Pennsylvania primary to try to
dethrone the current long running
Republican Representative Phil
English, who has held the seat since
1994.
Arriving late and out of breath.
Dahlkemper suffered from a miseom
muniealion as one of her advisors
inadvertently told her the meeting
was one hour later than it was actual
ly held. Regardless, she came ready,
willing and prepared to make her
Mercy hurst’s student-run
newspaper, The Merciad,
required to cut political ads
By Lenny Smith
news editor
lrs.So46(s psu.edu
Mercyhurst College's student-run newspaper. The
Merciad. has stopped running political ads after Bishop
Donald Trautman of the Erie Diocese sent a letter to the
college regarding the church's political neutrality.
Bishop Trautman was prompted to write a letter to the
college after the newspaper ran an ad from Sen. Barack
Obama's campaign asking college students to register to
vote for the upcoming Pennsylvania primary on April 22.
The Diocese is afraid that political affiliation will affect
the nonprofit status of the church.
Sheila Coon, the college's director of marketing, said
that the college does not currently have a policy regarding
the use of political ads. The college is organizing a com
mittee because there is no policy in place.
The editorial board of The Merciad are at odds with the
college president and Bishop Trautman.
According to Merciad editor-in-chief. Joshua Wilwohl.
the newspaper "understands that the bishop has a certain
responsibility, but we don't understand how it applies to
our newspaper."
We are now on the Web!
Visit us online at www.thebehrendbeacon.com
appeal to the students in attendance
about w'hy she feels she is the best
candidate prepared for the job.
"When I look at some of the big
issues we have to deal with in this
country, that is where 1 think that my
breadth and depth of experience will
really help me." said Dahlkemper.
who graduated from Edinboro
University with a dietetics degree and
currently runs a landscaping compa
ny.
She also discussed her thoughts
about education: "I think we need to
be looking at increasing the federal
grant program." she stated after criti
cizing the lack of funding for No
Child Left Behind. "We will never
regret in this country investing in
education. I believe that education is
the backbone of our country, the
backbone of a strong economy, and if
our students are not prepared to com
pete locally and globally, our country
will continue to have many many
problems."
When asked what made her policy
unique from the other Democratic
candidates, she responded by stating
that "what 1 think makes me different
is that I believe I have a much greater
breadth and depth of experience in
many different areas. I've got the
healthcare experience. I've got the
business experience. I'm the only one
who has actually raised children and
deal with the college issues and high-
Penn State officials to
test PSUTXT system
By Lenny Smith
news editor
1r55046(s psu.edu
Penn State will test its emergency text messaging system,
PSUTXT, on Monday, March 31 in an effort to make certain
the system can handle a real emergency. The messages,
which will clearly be marked as a test, will be sent at 1:30
p.m. to validated subscribers at all 26 campuses.
“Testing of the system also raises awareness of the system,
increases the confidence of responders and provides insight
into the weaknesses and strengths of a plan." said Annemarie
Mountz, assistant director of Public Information. Penn State
University Park. "Testing will help to proactively identify
and resolve any issues."
Mountz said that they want to assure that the e2Campus
server, which hosts the PSUTXT sy stem can handle such a
large demand. "e2Campus is aware of the test." Mountz said.
Many students think that they have subscribed to the serv
ice but have not validated their service. "They are not set up
to receive PSUTXT messages although they may think they
are." Mountz. said. "This test also will help to make those
people aware that their PSUTXT accounts arc not active and
they need to complete their subscription validations."
Students who think they are registered for the service but
do not receive a test message on March 31 should go to
http://newswires.psu.edu/ and then click on the "PSUTXT
Login" button to update their subscription status.
Vol. LIV No. XIX
er education
The previous week, one of
Dahlkempcr's eompetitors. Waltner.
also talked to the College Democrats.
Waltner. a former Director of
Operations at the Interfaith Center
and another Erieite who has not held
public office, stated that he believes
his unique background and dedication
to service makes him the right candi
date. Raised b\ onl\ his mother and a
former member of a seminary.
Waltner believes he can bring the dis
trict and Congress together.
"1 think we need a person in
Northwest Pennsylvania who under
stands the values and concerns people
have here." stated Waltner. who has
the largest grassroots operation in the
district.
Additionally. Waltner said "I
believe 1 have the most bold plan on
healthcare” after he in a asked what
issues are most important to him. In
addition, he stressed his locus on edu-
cation. wishing to reduce interest on
student loans
Three other candidates are in the
field wishing to take English's seat in
the House of Representatives.
Democrat Kyle Foust, an Erie city
councillor. Democrat Tom Myers, a
part owner of the Erie law firm of
Nichols & Myers. PC., and
Independent Steven Porter, who ran
and lost to English in 2006. all also
wish to challenge for the spot.