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EDITORIALS
Behrend Goes X-Rated
So, Behrend College is planning an X-rated movie, huh? Sounds
interesting, at least conceptually it is. As far as enjoyment of an art
form, I can't say much for the idea.
This sounds like the product of one of those brainstorming forums
they teach you about when you're becoming a leader. Some guy
from the_back of the room chides in something about, "Let's show a
porn flick," and all of the boys laugh hysterically, but dollar signs
flash in somebody's eyes up in the front, and though most of the
crowd shrugs it off and rolls their eyes, someone in the crowd still
believes it's a real money-maker.
So that's how the wheels begin to turn, and isn't that just like
business? Surely, I can understand the need to make ends meet.
None of the organizations on campus ever gets the money they feel
they need. That's just the way it goes. Running a club or an
organization is comparable to a three credit course in improvising. It
is probably one of the most important lessons you'll ever learn about
financial matters. It's not what you have, it's how you use it.
Anyway, this whole X-rated movie deal has the campus buzzing.
There are those who say it isn't Christian, those who say it isn't con
gruent with the ethics of the college, those who say it is blatant ex
ploitation of women
Well, they are all right, and all entitled to their own opinion, and I
am in total agreement with all of them. Especially the part about the
exploitation of women. But whether or not I am in agreement with
these factions or not, the bottom line is that it is, indeed, a money
maker. More students are going just because they are curious. That's
o.k. too, because whatever the reason for the projected large atten
dance, they money will roll in. And isn't that what campus clubs and
organizations are all about?
Come to think of it, maybe the Collegian should run an all
pornographic issue, just to get the readership up. Maybe the adult
bookstores in the Erie area would consider bolstering our advertising
budget. But then, maybe sex should be seen and not read.
There is a great deal to be said for the issue at hand. There is also a
great deal to be left unsaid. One way or the other, it is sure to keep
the students on their toes, give those who are interested something to
do this weekend.
As far as this editor is concerned, entertainment certainly is taking
a new look at Behrend College. SUB insists that this is the one and
only time somthing like this will be shown. That's comforting. I
guess X-rated movies are comparable to prime time television.
Another case of "give the people what they want." By the looks of
"what the people want," there is certainly no challenge to program
ming. Quality is not the question. So public television struggles on,
and I'm sure, if you'll allow me the chance to project a little, SUB
will take a tidy sum to the bank next week.
For those of you who wonder if I ever take a solid stand on
anything, I try to be as objective as possible, and this is one of those
cases where I'd like to give each faction the benefit of the doubt. If
you really are curious about my stand on this issue, well, read bet
ween these lines. Buried somehwere in there are the words, "It's a
pretty cheap shot guys, but at least its your organization and not
mine."
Behrend Collegian
Assistant Editor: Risa Glick
Eosin's* Manager: Rod Luery
Sports Editor: Joel Campbell
Advisor: Robert Di N icola
Jeff Bedford
Elizabeth Gillian
Dave Harrington
Mary Hickin
Michael Kitchen
Edward J. McCloskey
Thomas. Miller.
Stdve Nesbit -
Mailing Address-Behrend College, Station Road, Erie, Pa. 16510
Office-Student Offices, Reed Building
Office Phone: 898-1511 Ext. 221
Opinions expressed by the Editors and staff of the Behrend Col
legian are not necessarily those of the University Administration,
faculty, or the student body.
By: Claire DeSantis
Editor: Claire DeSantis
Staff
Justin Panson •
Lisa Pavadore
Ken Sonnenberg
Cynthia Stiparicic
Sarah Tamilin
Marge Tomczak
Ann Weunski
BEHREND COLLEGIAN
Give The Senior, A Break, Oak.?
I am a senior in a freshman
course - at least most people take
this course as freshmen. Needless
to say, we are sorely out
numbered. I wouldn't even be in
this particular _course if it wasn't
absolutely necessary. But I want
to graduate as soon as possible,
and this is one of the only courses
that seems to consistently come up
again and again during scheduling
time.
Well, since we seniors are so
Letter To The Editor
Dear Claire:
By now you will have
discovered that I withdrew the
third revision .of this letter. In
light of the letters in the
November 11 Collegian, and Dr.
Wolford's appeal to me to focus
my topic on education, I felt com
pelled to reiterate my opinions. In
my original letter I addressed the
problem of an apparent loss of the
sense of obligation in children 8 to
14 years old. However, it has
become painfully clear that the
sense of obligation is missing
from college students and adults
as well. In order to demonstrate
the importance of obligation to
society and thereby explain the
reason for my concern, I have
formed the following allegory.
Obligation plays an important
role in the act of civilization. In
the first scene, Obligation is a
young child being raised by her
parents, the royalty of early socie
ty, Necessity and Love. In the se
cond scene, Obligation and her
boyfriend, Guilt, explore their
future kingdom. They observe
their fellow actors (portraying
humans) who engage in senseless,
unorganized acts of immorality
Behrend: Positive Outlooks
by Risa Glick
The year 1984 is fmally upon us
and well under way.
Behrend College has seen many
positive occurrences during the
first month of the year.
Student enrollment at Behrend
has increased this semester.
I'm sure this doesn't do justice
for the already poor parking con
ditions . on campus, nor does it
help overpopulated classrooms. I
find it annoying to hear that
students have to sit on the floor
during class because there are not
enough seats in the classroom.
Why didn't the administration
make plans to accommodate the
increased number of students?
Surely they knew long before
registration what the projected
student enrollment was for the
spring semester.
I was pleased to learn of the
decision to build additional hous
ing facilities for-Behrend students.
Hopefully, the increased possibili
ty of obtaining on-campus - hous
ingmill persuade more students to
attend Behrend College.
Plans fol . the new science,
engineering and technology corn-
outnumbered, we are at the cons
tant mercy of those freshmen with
short attention . spans - who con
tinually interrupt the class with
sarcastic comments, bursts of
laughter, whistles, belches, and
anything else that pops into their
minds.
This is a plea to those people
who have nothing better to do but
interrupt those of us who want to
graduate. If you really aren't in
terested in being there, please
drop the course. It's a very impor-
and violence. These actions
arouse Concern (Obligation's
brother), and at the direction of
Necessity, Obligation and Guilt
are wed at the end of scene 3.
Scene 4 finds Obligation and Guilt
busy as parents, caring for their
newborn triplets: indenticial-twins
named Law and Order, and their
fraternal-twin sister, Morality. In
this scene, the other actors are
behaved and possess obligation
and a sense of guilt. They form
laws, organize governments, and
create moral codes .of conduct.
They educate their children, and
their children educate their
children in turn. But now, unlike
Love and Necessity who simply
vanished after their exit in scene
two, Obligation and Guilt die sud
denly, on stage at the end of scene
4, without apparent cause. Scene
5 finds the triplets shocked and
gravely weakened at the sudden
loss of their parents. Their fellow
actors begin to break the laws,
abolish -the governments, and
commit immoral acts. The triplets
and their efforts are lost, and with
this loss the first act of civilization
in the play of human existence
draws to a close.
plex have been finalized. This will
enable more students to stay at
Behrend to receive a college
degree.
So, as we can see, the
machinery of Behrend College is
running at full speed. Our ad-
The machinery at
Behrend College
is running at full
speed.
ministration is constantly busy,
engaged in a variety of edua,
tional projects. .
A good percentage of students
are involved in some type of
organization at Behrend. Our ad
ministration supports student
FEBRUARY 2, 1984
tant course for those of us that
want to leave college in the very
near future. A little bit of respect
is in order here, not necessarily
for seniors, but for all of the other
students in the course, not to men
tion the faculty member who is
teaching it.
So, please, try to give everyone
else a little consideration. Even a
little consideration is better than
the lack of it we are now
receiving.
Civilization resembles an act
from a play because its actions are
determined in the same manner
that an author determines the plot
of an act. Men control the course
of civilization in the same way
that the author writes. In addi
tion, obligation resembles a
character because civilization
can't exist without it (the way a
play can't exist without
characters). Obligation is tem
porary - in the same manner, an
actor stops playing his character
when the play ends.
It is this temporary existence of
obligation, combined with its
necessity to society that makes it
clear that civilization is both a
temporary and an unnatural state.
To quote Dr. Wolford:
"Civilization is an unnatural
state. All it takes is one generation
that doesn't care, one generation
without education, and we'll be
back in the trees."
Our society hinges on obliga
tion and sways back and forth
between the firmament of security
and the brink of disaster.
Much to my dismay, our society
continued on page 5
organizations because they feel
they are needed to help maintain
the distinctive identity that
Behrend College has, but these
organizations only involve a
percentage of Behrend students.
Where are the rest of our
students?
It is my hope that the increased
enrollment at Behrend will in
crease student participation in
campus organizations, especially
the Behrend Collegian. I have set
a goal to recruit ten new Collegian
staff members this semester.
Participation on the newspaper
staff is not strictly volunteer. All
staff members have the oppor
tunity to • receive one credit for
their involvement with our
organization:
If you are interested in becom
ing a Collegian staff member or
would like some information
about the Behrend Collegian,
please feel free to stop in the Col
legian Office located on the first
floor of the Reed Union Building.
I hope many of you at Behrend
will accept my, invitation to
become a member of the Behrend
Collegian.
The Ed.