the Penn State-Behrend
APRIL 16. 1987
Wilson's lecture amus'
1 ) .7 . -.' .::. at's in a -name?
by Barb Byers
Collegian Staff Writer
name change is actually not a
change," Cornweel continued,
"but reflects the position we are in-
The Behrend College will now we are Penn State," and now peo
officially be known as The Penn- ple will recognize that easily.
sylvania State University at Erie, "We think of ourselves first and
The Behrend College. The name foremost as Penn State. The 'Penn
change was recently approved by State at Erie' name helps us further
Penn Sate University's Board of our graduate and research mission
Trustees, and it "reflects our and identifies us with northeastern
(Behrend's) mission as a growing Pennsylvania," Dr. John Lilley,
graduate and research institution," provost and dean said. "The
PENNSTATE
institution," Cornwell said,
On a broader scale, Penn State
now has a new logo, or "mark"
that will allow people to identify
the institution at a glance. The new
mark includes a rendition of the
words "Penn State, " and also
contains a blue shield depicting the
traditional lion sculpture with the
date 1855 under it, the year Penn
State was founded.
The mark which graphically
represents Penn State, will be seen
on publications, letterheads,
business cards, signs, and "printed
materials that go out externally,"
Cornwell said.
"Essentially, the graphic identity
Behrend College, as the second system is intended to get everyom i
according to Linda Cornwell, part of our name, continues to 'singing from the same songbook, 7 ;
Associate Director of Development honor the Behrend family, who - University President Dr. Bryce Jor-1
and University Relations. donated their estate to the universi- dan said.
This name change is significant ty," Lilley continued. The old university seal resembles -•
in that it will help ,to "recognize Along • with -this change, too many other things, and was not
Penn State as one institution," and Behrend's sports teams will be call- easily recognizable as being related
where one can find "the same ed the Lions instead of the Cubs, to Penn State, Cornwell said. The
quality, caliber of education, and effective June 1, to "further reflect new graphic mark will eliminate
student," Cornwell said. "This the unity of the entire (Penn State) such a problem in the future.
Dr. George receives summer st i pend
WM Erie The Beh rend
,:.8 5 5 College
by Mary Stewart
Collegain Staff Writer
"I am very aware that I am participating in a process
that will largely determine how Anne Sexton is read for
the next twenty years," said Dr. Diana Hume George in
a recent interview. "I take that responsibility seriously
because she is a fine mid-centuty poet who is still speak
ing very vitally and about very important things to the
contemporary reader."
The National Endowment for the Humanities, the
major funding source for humanistic scholarship and
research, has granted Dr. George a summer stipend. The
stipend is a small grant which allows the writer or resear
cher to focus their efforts on completing a project over a
several month period. "It is so you don't have to paint
houses or fix cars," Dr. George joked.
Dr. George, a professor of English at Behrend, 'and
Diane Wood Middlebrook, a professor at Sanford
University, have combined efforts to co-edit a volume
of selected poems by Anne Sexton. The completed
manuscript will be submitted to Houghton Mifflin in
September and will be published in 1988.
This book is part of a group of works Dr. George is
doing on Anne Sexton. She is editing a collection of
critical essays, Essays on Anne Sexton, for The Univer
sity of Illinois Press. She is also writing a book on Anne
Sexton and Maxine Kumin, both Pulitzer Prize winning
poets. The book is a study of their influence on each
other's work.
Dr. George has had previous experience editing Anne
Sexton's work for the panthology Reconstructin
American Literature for D. C. Heath and Company.
This panthology will by published in 1988. This is "a
massive project that is trying to offer a major alternative
source for anthologies of American literature," she
said, "that will represent minorities and women very
differently."
• Dr. George has been doing the background and
prepartaion for this new project for 10 years and has
worked many hours each week on it since December.
The stipend will allow her to finish the manuscript for
publication. During the stipend period she will go to
The University of Austin, Texas to work in the
Humanities Research Center. The center "is a first-rate
collection of modern and contemporary poets' archival
material," she explained. Such material would include
items pertaining to a particular poet's career that are not
available elsewhere: personal letters, rough drafts, un-
published_ works, etc. •
The process of working as co-editors is a different but
rewardig experience, Dr. George explained. As with any
edited collection of poems the personal biases of the
editor will be reflected in the selections. With co-editors
there is the advantage of having each other as checks on
each's biases.
For example, as Sexton's biographer, Diana Wood plaination of the story line of the poems, the editors'
Middlebrook "tends to want to include or exclude a criteria for selection, Anne Sexton's achievements that
poem because she knows the story behind it. She knows characterize her as the fine poet she was, and a
how it connects with the poet's life: how it represents an chronology.
attractive or unattractive aspect of the poet's life," Dr. What's next? Dr. George is prearing to work on a
George explained. "That might prejudice her from' book about Anne Sexton and Marilyn Monroe. The
reading it in a purely literary sense." "I function as a purpose of the book will be to focus on the - "parallel
check on her tendency to be editing from a biographical uses to which our culture has put these two beautiful
bias," she continued. women and special artists." "Dr. George continued,
"She in turn acts as a check on my tendency to edit "What prostrated ourselves infront - of? What did we do
from a critical bias," said Dr. George. "That is, I tend -to the people when we were busy turning them into
to select poems, not bec a use they are biographically in- • cultural symbols that reflect our needs and desires?"
Dr. Archie Loss and Lord Harold Wilson
teresting, but because they are interesting in some
theoretical or literary critcal kind of way."
Dr. George stated it is important that "editors and
critics always be aware that all they can offer is inform
ed subjectivity." They should be honest about what
kind of standards they apply to the subject matter.
Dr. George was trained in the school of what she call
ed the old "new criticism" of the 1950'5. This school
put forth a model of judgement which values subtlety,
irony, language play, verbal complexity, symbolic
richness, wit, and in some ways values darkness.
Anne Sexton broke out of the traditional forms; she
wrote from "the open, mystical, wild, prophetic sense,"
said Dr. George. Sexton wrote about Geneis, the life of .
Christ, and her religious visions. "I have to be careful
because I tend to look at those poems as sloppy writing,
bad writing," Dr. George explained. "I've had to open
myself to the possibility that my biases are too narrow."
Our standards are not value free; they come from our
historical context. Years from now the standards may be
different, she said.
Dr. George said she and Middlebrook have a huge
area of agreement but in the areas they disagree the
work is more productive. Because when one disagrees,
that position must be defended. Each must verbally
define what makes a poem "good."
Another issue Dr. George has had to deal with in the
editing process is feminism. Although Sexton wrote
poems that were claimed to be feminist by feminists, she
did not identify herself as a feminist. For example,
"toward the end of her life she became an intense
religious person; she had visions, and the God she mov
ed toward was a very traditional Father-God," Dr.
George said. "She moved toward what feminists regard
as patriarchal values or sexist values in reference to
religious orientation."
"Feminist scholars hve tended to lok at those poems
and say these aren't good poems; she is just capitulating
to a masculine, sexist idea of God," said Dr. George. "I
share that value judgement of those poems. Then I have
to back up and say since when do my poetical convic
tions get to dictate what I think about the quality of the
poetry of a woman who saw God very differently."
Dr. George feels there is no such thing as value free
discourse. "We are political animals as well as linguistic
animals, " she said. "It is a little too convenient to find
a poem either good or bad, wanting or wonderful
because it agrees or doesn't agree with your own
politics.," she continued. "I don't regard that as an
adequate standard of judgement."
"What I am trying to do is keep myself as honest as
possible about the editing process. I am learning," she
said.
George's and Middlebrook's book will contain 144
poems - and a critical introduction. The introduction will
contain a biographical sketch of Sexton's life, and ex-
1
,P rk! 213 200/ '
:'
STATION ROAD, ERIE, PA 16563
historical for Behrenad community
photo by Paul Duda
by Michele Miller
Collegian Staff Writer
While lounging on a settee in
Windsor Castle, one man said to
another, "Harold, I will never
forget this evening. Here am I,
started life in my father's store in
Minneapolis. And you started in
humble surroundings in Yorkshire.
And here we are, two old friends
drinking the Queen of England's
whiskey."
"Harold" is Sir Harold Wilson,
former Prime Minister of Great
Britain. The man who spoke of
their fate with such incredulity was
Hubert Humphrey, former vice
president of the United States.
Humphrey's quip was one of many
sprinkled through Lord Wilson's
address to a full house April 7 in
the Reed Lecture Hall. His talk
spanned a colorful 50-year career
that began with a position as an
economics lecturer at Oxford's
New College and includes such per
sonalities as Charles deGaulle,
John Kennedy, Mao Tse-Tung,
Leonid Brezhnev, Richard Nixon,
Gerald Ford, Golda Meir and Lyn
don Johnson. Said Wilson, "LBJ
was instrumental in persuading the
Texas Legislature to make me an
honorary citizen of Texas. I should
add that I'm also a 'citizen' of
Dallas. My word, that means
something in Britain. In the even
ing my wife watches the television
and there's nothing but Dallas."
Born in 1916, Wilson was
graduated from Jesus College in
Oxford. Before his election to
Parliment in 1945, he served as a
top advisor to Winston Churchill
and worked in various governmen
tal ministries. He served four terms
as Britian's Prime Minister, longer
tnan any of the country's other
peacetime leaders. Elected in 1964
at the age of 48, he was the
youngest in Britain's history•ever to
receive this position. In 1977, he
was knighted by' Queen Elizabeth;
and in May 1983, he retired from
the political scene after having,
served in the House of Commons.
Wilson began his lecture by
discussing events during World
Cathy Rigby highlights
the Health and Wellness Fair
by Vicky Sebring
Collegian Staff Writer
speaking at colleges across the is actively pursuing an acting and
country in an effort to vocalize the singing career.
devastating effects they have on the In what seemed to be a string of
body and mind. never ending battles for her, Cathy
The Health and Wellness Fair's She offered help to the loved Rigby McCoy has won the war
keynote speaker, Cathy Rigby Mc- ones of the anorexia and bulimia
Coy, shared her own personal ac- victims. "Accusing statements like;
counts of two eating disorders, `You're losing weight', `You've
anorexia and bulimia, during an been making yourself throw-up',
entertaining • and inspirational or 'You're not eating' just pushes
presentation on Wednesday, April them away. They close the doors of
Ist. communication," says McCoy. In-
Involved in gymnastics since the stead she says that a bond must be
age of ten, Cathy is aware of the developed. "Developing a trust,
pressures put upon young athletes. where you can open up your inner-
Although she doesn't limit the most hurts and fears,is the way to
disease to just athletes, she feels help." Cathy gives most of the
that an athlete's life is "fertile credit for her recovery to her hus
ground for setting up such band who patiently stood by her
factors." and devolped such a trust with her.
The intense training, the cons- "Sometimes he says he's created
tam dieting, and the drive to obtain a monster," she joked, "because
and maintain perfection pushed her now when something bothers me, I
into a damaging condition from let it out instead of keeping it in
which she suffered for 12 years. side, all bottled up."
Ironically enough, in what Ms. Mc- McCoy considers herself on a
Coy described as "the worst times 'continual recovery basis'. Like the
of her life," she was the dominant alcoholic and the chainsmoker,
figure in womens' gymnastics to there is always the chance of slipp
the American public. ing back into old habits. But Cathy
"The target area is women, bet- maintains that she can control
ween the ages of 13-25;" says herself and the disease now.
Rigby, "20-25% are coed college Her life has stricken up a much
students." Recognizing these different path since those times of
diseases as "reaching epidemic struggle. Although Cathy is a full
heights" in our society, she is time wife and mother of four, she
Inside this issue...
Election results p. 2
Even more meanderings p. 3
•
Mating rituals p. 3
Procrastination p. 5
Wilson in Hall of Fame p. 6
Behrend's Best p. 7
War 11. "When the war broke out I
was called to Whitehall as the
economist advising the Anglo-
French Coordinating Committee.
But when Hitler blasted Paris and
the French sued for peace, I was
moved to the War Cabinet Office—
Economics Department proper—
under Winston Churchill, who by
this time had replaced Neville
Chamberlain (as Prime Minister)."
Churchill sent Sir - Wilson to
Washington "with some arrange
ment relating to the forthcoming
attack across the channel which we
were expecting. That was the attack
on France_ Now, war in
Washington, if you'll permit me to
say so, has to be seen to be believ
ed. For every major war council
and most minor ones, there were, I
later calculated—very carefully—at
• least five separate departments, the
heads of which had never heard of
the existence of the other." After
meeting with a, seemingly endless
barrage of these government of
ficials, Wilson said he "dictated a
memoraridum on how Britain did
deal with the problem, and as each
successive chieftan came to call, I
had to give him a copy of my
script. This same distribution of
power, of course, made my
negotiatons on my assigned task all
the more difficult after I'd sat in
litigation with one after another
who claimed to be in unique
charge, yet another came to the
door. Well I had work to do. For
one, I wanted to get home. Mary
(his wife) and I were expecting our
first child."
Wilson continued with
reminisences of his associations
with the Soviet Union. He has met
every Soviet leader since WWII ex
cept Stalin, who once invited
Wilson to lunch. "I knew why," he
claimed. "I was in Russia to get a
trade agreement. We were buying
grain—starving though they were,
but willing to supply at a relatively
low price. While I was there, I
received a telegram from some
clown in the British Foreign Office
to say that they'd get all we needed
from Australia." Stalin's luncheon
VOLUM E . XXXV, NUMBER 13
invitation was an attempt to per
suade Wilson to stay in the country
for a while longer, hoping Greai
Britain would purchase the Russian
grain. "I refused, saying I was
under orders from my Prime
Minister, who had organized a din
ner party to be attended by the
younger cabinet members in order
to meet the newly enthroned happy
pair—the then ptincess, now Queen
Elizabeth and her husband-to-be.
So you see, I toll them, I have to
return to London."
As for today's Soviet leader, "I
fmd Gorbachev very interesting,
sensible, and well informed. I feel
that if he is allowed to do so, he
will bring his country forward
many years. However, I don't want
to be too vehement in my praise for
fear that if this were to appear in
your local paper, they might can
him."
Wilson had a word of praise for
U.S. foreign relations, most
specifically with the Soviet Union.
"The United States has been play
ing its cards with great skill and
subtlety... Still, it would be a shame
if a project such as Star Wars were
to drag down any agreements."
Wilson feels that sticking to the
dictates of peace is a necessity--one
that requires a joint effort--and
would like to see the world powers
return to the type of negotiating
seen during the Helinski talks.
Other topics of concern Wilson
touched upon were problems caus
ed by a British economy
characterized by rising interest
rates and the unemployment of 3.3
million people. He also stressed the
importance of improved relations
with China and third world coun
tries. To achieve this end, Wilson
established the War on Want
Movement in Great Britain. The
organization is still active in help
ing backward and starving coun
tries by providing food and in
dustrial equipment.
A question and answer period
followed Wilson's lecture, after
which the audience had an oppor
tunity to meet him during a brief
reception.
Cattily Rigby McCoy
photo by Holly Lew