Friday, April 4, 2007
Political apathy prevalent on campus
By Matthew Schwabenbauer
(is\i\iani new s editor
It'lO 'S psll.Ciltl
With politics so scarce on campus, and many stu-
A quick look around campus reveals a vibrant and dcn(s dearlv umn f orme(l on the current election, it s
youthlul community, a community with an extreme- surprisi that stU(lent po i itica i organizations are
lv diverse siudem body, encompassing many dtller- mn ai ing more aggressively. One way for
cm backgrounds and walks of life. From students po|itjcally uninformed students t 0 get more
playing Frisbce outside of their dorms, studying at involved wjth , he current election is t 0 suhscribe t 0
the library or passing around fliers out
side of Bruno's. Behrend has an
extremely individualistic student body.
With any collection of diverse
young people usually comes an equal
ly diverse collection of political v iews,
but political affiliations are not readily
communicated around campus. At
most universities, political signs are a
common sight- especially so close to a
presidential election. Unfortunately.
Behrend is severely lacking in any
lorm ol political expression.
However, it is impossible to say that
there is no political awareness on cam
pus. There is the occasional button on
someone's clothing, and tables sup-
porting candidates ami distributing pamphelts out
side of Bruno's have garnered some attention, but
most students are not aetively supporting any of the
presidential eandidates.
An explanation for this politieal passiveness is
dillieult to locate. For some students, the eurrent
presidential eandidates are to blame. "I don't sup
port any of the eandidates. and I really don't have an
explanation win. I guess none of them stiek out to
me." said Ciarx Cooper, a freshman Plasties
Engineering major. "I'm not too happy with the
ehoiees for this eleetion."
.Apathy max be an excuse for some, but during an
election \\ lth such extreme supporters for eaeh can
didate it can't be the sole explanation for the lack of
politics on campus Some students are simply too
unfamiliar with the current candidates to make a
decision one wax or the other. "I don't really know
100 much about any of the eurrent candidates.'' said
freshman Shane Appel, a Plasties Engineering
major. "I don't think anyone should support a politi
cian unless they are one hundred percent sure about
them. Fxen if someone know s nothin" about a cer-
tain politician, their vote counts as much as some
one who knows polities inside and out."
A lack of an outlet to support a certain candidate
T !7D]£i IT L'"
n r
is causing detriment to some. "I xvould put up signs
for a candidate, but I just don't know where to get
them." said freshman James Svolos. a Psychology
“l don't think anyone should
support a politician unless
they are one hundred percent
sure about them. Even if
someone knows nothing about
a certain politician, their vote
counts as much as someone
who knows politics inside and
out. ”
~Shane Appel
information, or having rallies in support of eandi
dates. the word is being spread about the eandidates.
Recently, interest in certain eandidates has drawn
small groups of people to booths outside of Bruno's,
but nothing on the level of a rally.
Student politieal organizations meet weekly, but
many students are completely unaw are of where or
when these meetings take place. "I had no idea that
College Democrats or College Republicans had
meetings." said Matt Kirkpatrick, a freshman
Plasties Engineering major. "I've never seen any
information on how to get involved with these
organizations. You'd think things like that would
have a bigger presence on campus."
With any luck, the politieal apathy currently
plaguing our campus should end as the eleetion
approaches. As more students become educated
about the eandidates, hopefully that will be reflect
ed around Behrend. If enough people decide to start
projecting their politieal views by putting up signs,
distributing pamphlets or organizing rallies, then
eventually Behrend may look like a typical college
campus. More people supporting their eandidates
will inspire others to air their politieal views and
take an active stance on the future of their country.
mailing lists for College
Democrats or
Republicans. Signup
sheets for eaeh organiza-
tion can sometimes be
found outside of
Bruno’s, but other than
that there are few oppor
tunities to get involved.
At many uni
versities. members of
student politieal organi
zations are frequently
informing students on
the eurrent election.
Whether it be giving out
buttons, or pamphlets of
comin
• Alternative rock band Third Eye Blind will be performing on Friday, April 4 at the
Junker Center. Tickets are now on sale at the RUB desk and are $l5 for students and
$2O for the general public. Doors will open at 7 p.m. and the concert will begin at 8
p.m. Lead singer Stephan Jenkins
• There will be a Magic: The Gathering sealed deck tournament on Sunday, April
6 to celebrate the release of Morningtide. The tournament will begin in Reed 114 at
noon. There is a $25 entry fee that will get each contestant will get five booster packs.
E-mail kozsooo@psu.edu for more information.
• There will be a cornhole tournament on Friday. April 11 at 6 p.m. in Erie Hall.
There will be free food and drink provided and prizes will be awarded to the winners.
Students can pre-register for $lO and at the rood for $l5. Pre-register by sending an
e-mail to Patrick Walling at prwsoo6@psu.edu witth a name for your two-person
team. The event is a fundraiser for the mens volleyball club team.
• Environmental strategist and author Andrew Winston will be on campus as part of
the Speaker Series on Monday, April 7. He will be speaking at 7:30 p.m. in McGarvey
Commons and is free to both students and the general public.
• There will be a Wii Tournament Tuesday, April 22 starting at 5 p.m. in McGarvey
Commons. Teams can sign up during Senior Salute days on Monday, April 7 and
Tuesday, April 8 in the Reed Wintergarden. The event is being held to celebrate 25
days until graduation.
• The Percussion Group Cincinnati will perform as part of the Logan Music Series
on Thursday, April 24 at 12 p.m. in the McGarvey Commons. Admission is free to
students and the public.
• The students vs. faculty basketball game will take place on Monday, April 14 at
the Junker Center. The game will start at 6 p.m. Along with the game there will be t
shirt sales, a Chinese auction and a pie-throwing contest. The game is being held as
a fundraiser for the Make A Wish Foundation. To sign up to participate in the game
call (814) 504-0974.
• William Witherup will give an Organ Recital on Thursday, April 17 at 12:15 p.m.
as part of the Smith Music Series. The event will be held at the Smith Chapel Worship
Space. Contact Christa Morris at cdbl2@psu.edu or (814) 898-6609 for more infor-
mation
events on cam
The Behrend Beacon I