..I.it'littitb--Tollegliadtt VOLUME XXXV NO. 4 ,;~;~., - , u ' ~'K:, Commuter Council Gathers Steam In an attempt to re-instate the Commuter Council, newly elected President Leslie Dukstein has planned a major organizational meeting for Thursday, October 18, at 8:00 PM in the RUB Lecture Hall. This will serve as a forum for com muters and their concerns. As president, Ms. Dukstein has set_ for_liersOf and her officers: Rich Bra:und, Vice-Pre - sident; Fred Langer, Treasurer; and Rick Stetzler, Secretary, - two main goals. First, she would like to see an increased student in volvement in the Council; and next, the establishment of a new bus route from 38th St. to Behrend. At present. the Council is heading a campaign to keep the 7:15 AM Erie Metropolitan Transit Authority (EMTA), bus line that travels from E. 38th and Behrend Collegian is looking for advertisers COMMISSION IS PAID! By Marc Woytowich In a tense scene from "The Glass Menagerie," Tom (Dan Roscher) throws his coat on the floor in anger. It devastates the tiny glass animals Laura (Maryann Ronksley) has been playing with. Everyone in the theatre cringes—cast and crew wince with pain for the broken pieces. The scene ends, and Director Paul Iddings smiles at the prop man. "Start glueing," he says. —That is all you really need to know about Paul Iddings- 7 —and how he has handled Tennessee Williams' revealing melodrama. He is out to achieve a single ef fect--realism—and busted props are part of the price he knows you sometimes pay. Every detail must come off exactly as it would in real life. Even though Paul has never seen "The Glass Menagerie" onstage, his artistic eye is trained well enough to pull off any trick. After the final scene, he sits in a chair on center stage and reads notes to the actors. "Dan, make that fall look real. You tripped before your foot slipped." "Mina, stutter on the last President Linda Schweinitz Briggs to Behrend. Ms. Dukstein urges those who live in that area to take the bus 2 to 3 times a week. In order for EMTA to continue this service, 20 to 30 students must board the bus each morning. Ms. Dukstein estimates that approximately 90 Behrend students could regularly use this bus. The Council is pushing to keep, this linc•pcn to show EMTA that a' regular route from" this area could be profitable. Ms. Dukstein also mentioned that the Council plans to pen a Constitution. With such a written document, the Comniuter Council will have a clear set' of goals and procedures. Ms. Dukstein said of the future effectiveness of the Commuter Council: "The success of the Council depends, on commuter involvement." She hopes they will respond. , • "Menagerie" Masterpiece `Betty'." "You mean the fourth 'Betty,' Paul?" `•How many are you saying?" he asks. "Four." "Then make it three, and stutter on the third 'Betty'. I want to hear 'Betty? Betty? Who's B- Betty?' " He scratches each note out as he goes onto the next. Soon there are four pages of crossed-out notes lying on the floor next to him. "Dan, stop moving so much on those final lines. You look like you need to use the rest room." Someone runs up to Paul with a dozen scarves in his hands. "Which ones are for scene two?" he asks the director. Paul proceeds to name each scarf by color, then assigns them to their respective scenes. It seems that he is aware of every cigarette Tom has smoked. In fact, he changed one script because of mis-directions calling for a cigarette to be lit a second time. Paul has had his share of problems since taking on "The Glass Menagerie." The most unusual of these was finding an accurate script. There have been Published by the Students of the Behrend College of the Pennsylvania State University MEE Station Road, Erie, Pa. 16563 President Schweinitz looks ahead to more effective government Gene Grygo In a recent interview, Student Senate President Linda Sch weinitz outlined her plans for the upcoming year. She stressed the need for a more convenient bus service for commuters and an improved security system for the Residence Hall students. President Schweinitz, who was re-elected to her post in Sep tember, claimed that last year the Student Senate's major ac complishment was its, "tran sition to a more effective student government." She expressed a desire to continue this trend of government involvement which she described as "more of a Cabinet-like government than that of a high school one." As for the concerns of her constituents, Ms. Schweinitz issues were major: a quality education, students should be "getting out what they're putting into their education."; "Com muters have problems that need attending to."- inadequate bus service and parking facilities; and a belief that, "security was a good idea but it's not working." Ms. Schweinitz made several proposals to help ease these situations. On Thursday, October over a hundred changes with actors' lines. In one night Paul and Assistant Director Sue Klein added 93 lines to the play. When asked why the play had been changed so much, Paul Iddings replied, "The scripts have been watered down to suit high school productions. There is some harsh language in the original version; apparently words were substituted or taken out to suit the audience." He made assurances that nothing would be "watered down" with his production— —more proof that Paul Iddings watches every detail. He was kidded about listing his credentials again, and he said it wasn't necessary. Which is fortunate, they would take up half the type in the Collegian. And if his stage successes were also listed, the Collegian would need an eight-page paper to carry them all. Concerning "The Glass Menagerie," Paul Iddings has gone all-out to create another masterpiece. He brought the glass animals and orginal soundtrack from New York. He is devising special lighting effects to create moods in the audience. 18, in the RUB Lecture Hall at 4 PM a meeting has been set up for commuters to voice their com plaints. President Schweinitz mentioned that she will attend the gathering, as well as Leslie Dukstein, head of the Commuter Council. Also, Ms. Schweintz stated that she would support a petition calling on the Erie Metropolitan Transit Authority, (E.M.T.A.) to begin a regular route from 38th St. to Behrend. At present, a bus line has been running from East 38th and Briggs, but only one-way at 7:15 in the morning. Also, the lack of student support for this route has kept its future in jeopardy. In dealing with the problem of security, Ms. Schweinitz hopes to implement a stricter dormitory visitation policy and changes in the overall security system. One of her chief responsibilities as President was the selection of students for the jobs of treasurer and secretary. Ms. Schweinitz has asked Donna Guss, a seventh term business major to serve as treasurer for the Student Senate. To fill the secretary's position, Sue Shepherd, also a seventh term business major was chosen. Ms. Schweinitz emphasized that, Above all, he is drilling his cast and crew so that they will,put on a sincere performance. He is looking to touch his audience through real-life characters. For accurate characterization, a director needs good actors, and Paul Iddings has some pretty fine ones for "The Glass Menagerie." Actress Mina Eisenberg does a superb job with the role of Amanda. Her sharp gestures and vocal tones act like knives aimed at her two children, Tom and Laura. Her constant brow beating of Laura has taken its toll. Laura is crippled more in spirit than in bone. She cannot hold her head up, she can never look anyone in the eye. She looks away, almost as though she hopes to go around any reality that is too harsh for her. Tom avoids Amanda's reality by going to the movies. He comes home drunk, and more than once his patience gives out as he at tacks his mother and her nagging fantasies. It soon becomes apparent that Tom will leave Amanda just as her husband did. Their explosive fighting acts like a replay of the horror Laura witnessed fifteen years before. Unlike Tom, Laura October 11, 1979 "both the secretary and treasurer have to work closely with myself," and she's confident that "both are qualified." One other issue that beleagures the Student Senate is the revival of the Inter Club Council ( 1.C.C.). Ms. Schweinitz will, in the future, conduct a meeting of all Club Presidents. From this meeting, hopefully an Executive for the I.C.C. will be elected by the group. Through the 1.C.C., Ms. Schweinitz wants to achieve a better dialogue between the Student Senate and Behrend's many clubs. Above all else, Linda Sch weinitz wishes to modify the attitudes of students who insist that Behrend is a "stop and go college." She would like to see more attractive Baccalaureate degrees offered at Behrend along with a "worthwhile placement department that could provide good career information for graduates." By attempting to meet the special demands of commuters and dormitory students, Linda Schweinitz hopes to enhance the credibility and effectiveness of student government at Behrend. cannot leave. Instead, she runs away to the glass menagerie. The play reaches a climax when Amanda pushes her daughter into a confrontation with a '•gentleman caller." He turns out to be Laura's old high school flame, and she must en dure a long moment alone with him. As the gentleman caller Jim, David McNeil does a fine job of being a sincere fellow endowed with the gift of gab—and slightly conscious of both. He is the symbol of the real world to the Wingfields—a world that does not easily fi . : into their household. Though the over-all theme is a somber one, the actual production contains many laughs. "It's painful," Paul Iddings says, "But we've learned to laugh at painful situations. Pain is actually the secret to good comedy." To see what Paul means by that statement, students will have to attend a showing themselves. Three free performances are on October 16, 17, and 18. The show will then run that weekend, and Wednesday through Sunday of the next week Reservations can be made at the Studio Theatre Box Office.
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