PAGE TWO OPINION PAGE An Interview With Tom Miller On Thursday, The Collegian had the unique opportunity to interview Tom Miller of the Veterans Office. He first pointed out what exactly the Veterans Office does. He went on to explain that the office deals with timely receipt of benefits under the G.I. Bill and as a liaison between the veteran community and the Regional Office in Pittsburgh. He next explained that the staff also function as part time counselors for the veterans for any problem they might have with benefits. This he feels is a tougher job because veterans are usually older than the typical college student and that they are also dealing with their moneys. Another function of the Office is to try to make the adjustment from a military life to that of a college life as smooth as possible. One of the biggest problems facing veterans is the ad ministration. The reason this is said is - a single veteran now receives $311.00 a month for educational benefits. Out of this money, the veteran must pay for tuition, rent, food, upkeep of a car, books, school supplies, and other basic necessities. "Not even the greatest economist could stretch this budget to cover these expenses. For a veteran to survive at all about the only options are to carry a second or third shift job, full time, or marry into money," quoted Tom Miller. When asked about the enrollment of veterans at Behrend, Tom replied, " I per- sonally feel that the high attrition rate of veterans is due to the very low income which is afforded by the V.A. What hurts a lot of veterans is that being a full time student makes them ineligible for unemployment and many are too proud to go on welfare. I'm more concerned with this problem than most because a Bill was introduced to raise the veterans benefits and as of yet no Congressional action has yet been taken. This is extremely important because the last raise in V.A. benefits was two years ago." Is Organized For You? So students, you say you ployees flooding da organized always wanted to be involved in crime job market. Yeah, most of organized crime but didn't know da recent employees were sh how to get the experience? Well, mucks, ya know? Now, all youse now you can major in Organized can enter da job market an Crime-General or Organized operation wid some criminal Crime Management. experience. Youse can obtain an An interview with the Dean of associate degree in O.C. Organized Crime, Dr. Joe (Organized Crime) and start off "Bugsy" Jones revealed the in a lower position in da family or reasons why the new majors youse can go for a four year were added. program and start o ff just a few "Youse guys should see all da positions from da Godfather lousy hitmen and_ other em- hi ms af. ~, By Laura Seman When asked what he thought the difference between veteran freshman and regular freshman, he stated that the biggest dif- ference between them is the fact that most freshman (not all) are right out of High School, living with or being supported by their parents. Where as veterans have been on their own for ap proximately four years, is self supporting (or even supporting a family), and the adjustment back into an academic climate is probably more difficult. What kind of activities are available for veterans here on campus? "Right now we're in the process of organizing a Veterans Club. It's primary function will be to bring the veterans together and to find something which is common to all of them. As I know of right now, the President of the club, Chris Baer, has informed me of a few of the goals of the club: 1) A few veteran get together (keggars), 2). To establish tutorial assistance for eligible veterans, and 3). To try to make the adjustment to a college life as easy and free flowing as possible. "I hope that the club is a success, it has been attempted in the past and all have been in vain. This year there seems to be a sincere feeling of support of the veterans towards the club." quoted Tom. One special note about the club. The club is not restricted to veterans, membership is open to all Behrend Students. Are there any final comments? "Speaking for the college as a whole, not strictly from a veterans viewpoint, is the problem of apathy on campus. I grew up in the late 60's and was somewhat involved in the radicalism of the 60's. And the 60's were a time to speak out and student involvement was high. Then came along the decade of the 70's and a call for in dividualism, every person for themself. I strongly feel that there is an urgent need to bring back the - -oup participation of the 60's." Crime By Joe Englert BEHREND COLLEGIAN School of O.C.professors, Vito da great inner hall rivalries that Corleone and "Fingers" would develop to see who would Lefkowitz then made some in- be Godfather? Truly this would teresting observations. "Just fink bring out da students' best of all da advantages" chirped corruptive tendances." Lefkowitz. "You can practice all This reporter attended one of da Syndicate techniques right professor Vito Corleone's lec here on campus. For instance, if tures. He was interesting from deres a little guy on your floor the time he said "Dis is da way to you make him pay you and a handle a machine gun, "boys and couple of guys to protect him. gals," To, "For homework, go You could take bets on the soccer out and practice harassing small and basketball games. Da businesses for "protection". possibilities are endless, as you Also, I advise youse to brush up can see. Just imagine da great on knucle breaking techniques gang land warfare you could for da exam on Tuesday." wage. Couldn't ya just see The new program is trying to Lawrence, Perry, and Niagara in prove that practice makes an all out struggle for campus punfect, I, uh mean perfect dominence? Ah, and what about criminals. Course Credits Courses Offered No. Prof. 2 Knuckle Breaking 031 Derringer 3 Ad. Knuckle Breaking 021 Corleone 3 Harrasment 162 Corleone 3 Harrasment and Criminal Lingo 163 Dillon 3 Murder 400 Lefkowitz 4 Ad. Murder 410 Lefkowitz 3 Arson and Prostitution 300 Oillion 3 Drug Trafficking 310 Jones 2 Gambling from A to Z 320 Jones 3 Gang Warfare Tactics 401 Jones 4 The Life and Crimes of 450 Jones 5 Adv. Prostitution 069 Mme. Jacquin Diana George Praises Players"‘Equus" Paul Iddings and Randy Murzynski in the Behrend Players Summer 1979 production of "Equus". The Behrend College theater looks unimposing. In fact, it looks more like a men's shower room at a family camping ground than it does like a theater. Quaint and cute, but you simply know, as you pass, that nothing much could happen in those puny confines. So you are likely to need some convincing when I say that the Behrend Players present productions competitive in quality with the best of New York theater and when I suggest that you break a leg , your mother's heart, or a longstanding date to see their performance of Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie, which opens this, year's theater season. I won't bandy about a phrase like "the best of New York" without backing it up. (Any junior high school, by the way, can compete with the worst of New York.) This summer, the players presented Same Time Next Year, which I didn't see, and Equus. I didn't catch STNY because I was in New York to see the play right now acknowledged to be the best serious dramatic offering on or off Broadway, Pomerance's The Elephant Man. It was very good. But Behrend College gave me a better production of a better play, Equus. The two performances bear comparison for more reasons than the proximity of my viewing, times: like Elephant Man, Equus is about how nor mals (that's us) create and then ostracize our freaks, insisting on either their cures or their spiritual deaths, which are the same thing. Equus is a better piece of dramatic literature than is Elephant Man, and certainly that was part of the difference. But it's actually much tougher to do justice to a superb piece of dramatic literature than to do a pretty good one and tougher to do that in that in Erie, PA than in New York, where the support apparatus is limitless. So, saying 4! thituti c olitniau gip Pram Assattattint Mary Miseta Lonnie Gilbert Tom Pyne Russ Miller Bill Hegmen Ron Williams Mailing Address-Behrend College, Station Rood, Erie, Pa. 16563 Office-Student Offices, Reed Union Building Office Hours: 9'oo a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Mon., Wed., Fri. Phone 898-1511 Ext. 238 Opinions expressed by the editors and staff of the Behrend Collegian are not necessarily those of the University Ad ministration, faculty, or the student body. you can get dramatic offerings as good as New York's right here, cheap and-or free, is saying a very great deal. Let me parade a few credits from that first-rate production. Director Jack Wyman had his absolutely sure finger on the pulse of the play, and Becky Zellefrow's mime creation beat out that pulse for a hypnotized audience night after night. All the supporting roles were played expertly and comfortable, which means that I did not feel worried or wary about not believing in any of them, even momentarily: Mina Eisenberg, Bill Robbins, Bev Walz, A. J. Micelli, Heidi Miller, Maryann Ronksley it was my first time to see any of them on stage, and I want to see them again. (Ah, how convenient. See below.) The horses, played by Bill Ingersoll, Greg Petroff, Mike Nasca, and Dave McNeil, were real horses in my mind when they got through with me. The two leads, played by Behrend Players director Paul Iddings, and theater major Randy Murzynski, were flawless in the performance I saw; suf ficiently flawless that Randy, whom I knew only as a former student, is now a magic person for me. He still is the role he created in Equus, the mad seer and visionary, Alan, who blinded the horse-gods he worshiped. It takes a fine production and superlative acting, to make_ a perfectly sensible woman like — me lapse into awe and fear at the mere sight of a first-term sophomore. Paul Idding's interpretation of Dysart felt exactly accurate, and his performance would make it plain, if one did not already know, that Paul stays in Erie, PA because he wants to. He could be part of the east-coast theater world. But he doesn't do that; he stays right here, and he's yours. The actors in the Behrend stable deserve the superb direction they receive from Paul Iddings. -They grow into professional-level material under his guidance, and this would not happen so con sistently unless they were talented actors. Regard all of the above as shameless flackery for the coming production of The Glass Menagerie. You're too late to see Equus. Don't blow it again. Mina Eisenberg, Maryann Ronksley and Dave McNeill will reappear from the Equus cast utterly transformed, and Dan Roscher, award-winning Behrend stage veteran, plays Tom. Free student performances on October 15, 16, and 17 at 8:00 in the Studio Theater. The show runs from October 19-21 and 24-28. —Diana Hume George, Department of English Moniber of Laura Seman Editor-in-chief Karen Tyler Joy Savage Marc Woytowich Joe Holman Eugene Grygo Joe Englert OCTOBER 18,1979
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers