Page 2 — LION'S EYE — December 6, 1995 Gay Awareness Movie Festival A Sure Fire Hit By Pete Howard How many of us have gay friends? If you found out that your best friend was gay, how would you react? Most people would be shocked by the news of a loved one’s homosexuality. But why? To be alarmed by someone's lifestyle is to be ignorant towards that lifestyle. PSU Delco’s “Aspects of Human Sexuality” program held a film festival in November once a week showing films that dealt with homosexuality. The films shown were Philadelphia, The Crying Game, and Six Degrees of Separation. All three films deal with homosexuality in a different way. Philadelphia shows how one gay male deals with AIDS and AIDS discrimination. It also deals with homophobia, another important issue. The Crying Game is about a man who is looking for a woman, falls in love with her, then discovers “she” isa man. And Six Degrees of Separation is about a gay street hustler who uses his wits to alter the lives of some well-to-do families. The purpose of this festival, presented by the Office of Student Life, is to introduce these lifestyles into the mainstream on campus. The need for this is due to “ disinterest, ignorance, and even intolerance within the campus community about diverse aspects of human sexuality”, according to the organizers. “To be alarmed by some- one’s lifestyle is tobe ignorant towards that lifestyle.” In the spring, a panel of members of the Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Student Organization at University Park will speak, followed by a discussion. Later in the semester, there will be a showing of The Wedding Banquet followed by a discussion. Everyone is encouraged to attend any of these events, especially heterosexuals, because the purpose is to open the eyes of the people who only see or hear (or say) scattered and misconstrued things about homosexuals, and don’t know the facts. : Justin, don’t sell that Subaru yet, pal. You may have the key to the brand new BMW you won from Star 104.5, but your fifteen minutes of fame is over. Incredibly high taxes and insurance rates made sure of that. Literary Cafe Unearths Students’ Hidden Talents by Laurie Koechert The mood was set with a devil- stick thrower, glowing cow candles, new age music, coffee, and homemade goodies. Of course the most important components were those who shared their talents with others by reading poetry and performing music. And learning how important it is to introduce college students to AIDS testing and counseling. Wednesday, November 8, Nick Felici and others held the Literary Cafe in the Vairo Lounge during which about 50 students and faculty had the opportunity to express their thoughts, views, and experiences. Jacky Reis assisted with an AIDS network brochure table, and also brought in a spokeswoman from the Delaware County to encourage students to get tested for the AIDS virus and to be more educated about safe sex. The Cafe was open to everyone, although not many people were aware that it was possible to just take the microphone and be the artist. “lI had an idea to alter the atmosphere and the general lifestyle of this campus. Just for an hour or two. And in that limited amount of time, a great deal was accomplished. Many feelings were expressed, many talents demonstrated. This campus Rich Schaffer Leaves Delco; Students Express Gratitude By David Whiteman Friday, November 3 was a sad day here at Delco. After several years of dedicated service to the campus community, Security Guard Rich Schaffer was let go due to his relative inexperience in the security field. He was considered by many students as a great guy. Doug Petersen, Undeclared, called Rich a “pleasure to know... he was a really nice guy.” In an interview the day before he left, Rich expressed his feelings on- leaving the Delco community. “I'm sad to leave this place; I love the people . here.” He also spoke about his future plans. “I'll probably try to get work in the security field elsewhere, maybe at Sears as a Security Detective.” Schaffer, himself a Penn State graduate, talked about relating to student problems. “I see both sides of the fence,” he said. “I was a student here for two years before moving on to University Park. I can really put myself in the shoes of today’s students.” | Rich Schaffer was employed at Delco for more than two years. He was considered a hard worker and an excellent role model. Mark Stanley, College of Engineering, summed it up ‘best by calling Rich “a real class act.” A permanent replacement for Rich had not yet been named, but a temporary campus guard has already taken over the job responsibilities. Many students expressed sadness on the departure of their friend. “Rich was a great guy,” said Mike Mosely, Undeclared. “He will be missed by all.” experienced a change, and I think it appreciated it,” said Nick (third semester, Liberal Arts- English) A surprising number of students took the opportunity to read their work. The poetry, short stories and essays were not only expressions of the author but definitely revealed a lot of talent. The Literary Cafe turned out to be a fine success. Rich Carbone (third semester, Film and Video) read a poem and a few songs that he and his band wrote. “I thought it was a great opportunity for artists, writers, and poets to get their word across and, in turn, an opportunity for people to open up their minds.” Another reader, known by many for her poems, was Cora Surratt (first semester, Art). “Nick did a wonderful job with the Literary Cafe. 1 hope we get more chances to share our talents with others. The readings were very spontaneous. I was impressed with the huge turnout.” And Pat Boyle (third semester, English) summed it up with, “The Literary Cafe was a great opportunity for students to openly express their thoughts and feelings through words.” The Literary Cafe will, hopefully, be held again next semester. “Next time I think a universal theme should . be introduced to the cafe,” said Nick. “Maybe a re-creation of an old coffee house in Paris, or a modern poetry slam pub smilar to those in London. Perhaps this would be even more appealing.” "And it would be amazing to have it in the evening, and read under the stars." Rich Schaffer, security officer, checking student vehicle tags on Delco Campus. Bookstore Move On Schedule For Main Building By Janine Furillo The campus bookstore move is occurring as you read this. The new location is on the first floor of the Main building. “ Tentatively the move is planned for the week of November 21, barring any unforeseen delays,” said James Edmunds, District Manager of Barnes and Noble, the company that operates the bookstore. However, during this move it will be necessary to close the Bookstore to complete physical relocation of merchandise and equipment. “We will make every effort to keep this period of closure to a minimum and apologize in advance for any inconvenience it may cause,” said Edmunds. Other major changes are occurrung at the bookstore. On Friday, October 27, Marcus Parker served his last day as the Bookstore Manager. He decided to leave his position to pursue other career and educational opportunities. At his request there was no announcement made prior to his departure. However, an internal and external search has begun for a new manager. Until then Edmunds will be overseeing operations for the Bookstore. : Also, many textbook requests have been received for the spring semester. Steve Spinosa ( First semester) said, “I hope all of the books I need are in on time for next semester.” Students are reminded they can return their books back to the bookstore at the end of the fall semester during “Buy Back” days. ; Many students are happy about the new location of the bookstore. “I think the new store will be of better convenience in the Main building. After all, most of the classes held are in there,” said Michelle Corse ( First semester). semester) said, “I think it’s a good idea because more people hang out in the Main building. Also, the new lounge ( in the Commons) will offer better recreational activities.” Visit the Lion’s Eye Homepage: www.de.psu.edu/ StudentsLionsEye/ LionsEyeohtml. Photo by Wes Tomlinson Nicole Brauer ( First
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