Jleltretiii Collegian
VOLUME XXXII NO. 2
WINTER
Frat fights for
campus space
The national fraternity, Alpha
Phi Delta, is looking for ten men
to start the Gamma Beta chapter
here at Behrend. They have full
administration support, and are
now recruiting for their pledge
program. “All we need here are
ten good men,” said Spinner
Johnson, one of four men from
the Gannon Beta Rho chapter of
APD.
The student turnout for the
numerous Alpha Phi Delta'
meetings has been poor. At one
meeting, a total of two people
showed up—one of them a
Collegian reporter. Lewis
Biacchi, an APD alumnus and
member of the Erie Alumni Club
(also supporting the fraternity
drive) suggested that the current
apathy is due to the old image of
frat houses in people’s minds.
“There was a bad image created
in the social-conscious sixties,
involving strangeinitiation rites,
paddle beatings, and monstrous
beer gluttons. This leads to a bad
stereotype,” he said.
. “However,” he went on,
“students are turning inwards
now in the late seventies. The
fraternity system is revitalizing .
. . making a comeback. Right
now our national organization is
on three other campuses.”
Expressing optimism when
asked if fraternities could sur
vive at Behrend College, he
replied “We won’t be the only
fraternity; we’ll be the first.”
Alpha Phi Delta was
established in 1914. For 51 years
it had an Italian-American
background. Then in 1965 it
opened its doors to other ethnic
groups. It has always been
characterized by small chap
ters —approximately 16 brothers
in contrast to 30 or 40 brothers in
other fraternities. According to
Spinner Johnson, this leads to
greater brotherhood bonds. “You
develop a closeness that con
tinues all through life,” he said.
“Social life was such that there
was always something to do; I
never wanted to leave.”
There mav be no chance to
Published by the Students of the Behrend College of the Pennsylvania State University
develop that comradeship if the
fraternity cannot get off the
ground here at Behrend. The only
obstacle to Alpha Phi Delta
getting established is lack of
student support. The national
office of APD is pushing for it, the
administration is in favor, and
some faculty members, like Dr.
Sweeting, Athletic Director of
Behrend College, support it with
enthusiasm.
Sweeting addresssed the
housing problem as being of no
major concern. It is possible that
a section of one dorm could be
assigned to the fraternity
brothers —if there are any.
Against the argument that the
fraternity would be no different
than the floors themselves, both
Johnson and Biacchi wanted to
stress the differences between a
fraternity and agroup of dorm
students. Whereas floors were
formed at random, and have no
official program for actitities, the
fraternity is built on .a system.
Alpha Phi Delta is an established\
organization having a national
charter. With alumni guidance, it
will have a specific direction,
offering activities other school
groups cannot.
Why haven’t fraternities tried
Behrend before? Biacchi gave
this reason: “You’ve only
recently become a four-year
school. Before, there was too
much transition.” Two other
efforts for fraternities on other
branch campuses have failed—
because of the “two-year”
problem.
Of interest to all at the first
meeting was. what APD could
offer the social life at Behrend.
The Gannon chapter of APD
sponsors projects for the aged
and handicapped, annual din
ners, and special parties. Biacchi
assured them that a Behrend
chapter, if formed, would in
troduce variety into campus life.
Anyone interested in Alpha Phi
Delta should contact Mark
Minnaugh at 452-2417, or Lewis
Biacchi at 833-5910.
Station Road, Erie, Pa. 16510
Disregarding a miserable rain,
on January 20 several dozen
Behrend students took to the icy
slopes above campus to celebrate
what has now become an official
Behrend College tradition —
Winter Weekend. The rain could
not hamper spirits, as a frozen
hillside surface made it possible
for high speeds and common
collisions.
As if on a hot summer day,
students arrived with innertuhes
to challenge the slopes in raftlike
formations; interlocking hands,
as many as fourteen people
soared down the hill—until the
inevitable break-up near the
bottom.
Students spilling out or tum
bling head over heels were
common sights—so were per
sons steady enough to guide their
sleds to the parking lot far below.
Plastic sleds and innertubes were
the most popular transportation,
although many people slid down
the hill without anything as well.
Traction was slick because of the
frozen rain.
Elsewhere on campus, groups
of creative students worked on
snow sculptures, rarely
producing an ordinary snowman.
The weather conditions were
very good for snow packing, the
temperature being up in the 20’s.
Couple dances
to state disco
Joan Ahbel and Mike Mixon,
the couple who took first place at
Behrend’s Muscular Dystrophy
Dance Marathon, will be going on
to State College, where they will
compete with other couples in a
48 hour marathon. One couple
from every branch campus has
been invited to attend, plus other
couples representing State
College itself. Funds from this
affair go to Hershey Park
Medical Foundation, and local
support for Joan and Mike can go
to Jay DiFrank. Donations will
be accepted at the office behind
the RUB desk.
WEEKEND
Gay day
at
Penn State
The Homophiles of Penn State
(HOPS), .a local homosexual
minority rights grouD. declared
January 10 as ‘Gay Blue Jeans
Day.’ Former HOPS president
Jean C. Guertler said that it “will
be a day when gays and sup
porters of gay rights can show
their support by wearing blue
jeans.”
Psychologist Dr. Jo Ann Fan
spoke that day in the HUB
Assembly Room on the topic of
homophobia fear of
homosexuals.
HOPS held a similar day in the
previous year at State College.
“It really made people think
about what they could wear in
stead of blue jeans,” said
Guertler. She said it forced
people to consider the issue of
gay rights and sexual
stereotypes. “I think it is good for
people to feel —even for a
moment —some of the op
pression that gays feel every
day,” said Guertler.
|Thursday, January 25, 1979
ROTC
Scholarships
All sophomores at Behrend
College are now eligible to
compete for two-year Army
ROTC scholarships, whether they
have taken an ROTC course or
not. If you are physically fit and
interested in an Army officer’s
commission, see Captain
Withere! in the basement of the
Administration building, or call
899-7028.
Above, “Be
rtram Groun
dhog,” a wily
creation by
(from left)
Gary Svetz,
Judy DiFrank,
Cliff Caldwell,
and Jan Gam
pf.
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IgpL.
offered