The Collegian : the weekly newspaper of Behrend College. (Erie, PA) 1989-1993, December 07, 1989, Image 12

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    f .r ?' Page 12
Student Objects to Off-Campus Graduation
Dear editor,
I rounded the corner in the
Science Building and smiled to
myself; there were only four
people ahead of me for advanced
registration. The line moved
surprisingly fast as I hurriedly
filled in my course numbers,
class abbreviations, and class
times.
"Next, please," said the
woman behind the counter.
I walked over and handed her
my almost completed registration
form and my I.D. card.
She began to methodically
calculate the number of credits
that I had signed up to take and to
figure out my semester standing
when all of a sudden...it
happened.
She turned my card over,
raised her eyes up to mine,
paused for a moment and asked,
"Are you graduating?"
Am I graduating? _Am I
graduating? Am I graduating?
I was so deliriously happy
that I had to do a double take.
"Am I what?" I asked in a daze.
"Are you graduating this
semester?" she inquired again,
pointing to the back of my
registration card.
Yes, yes, yes, yes!
What a great feeling: For But now I have discovered that
those of us that are graduating all of my daydreaming has been
this coming Spring semester, as far off from - reality as a person
this last registration process was can get. What does that mean?
probable for the first time, an Well, I'll tell you: The graduating
enjoyable one. Some of us have class of Spring 1990 will not be
been here for all four years (or graduating from Behrend College.
more!) and after a lot of hard Instead, it has been decided by
work and a lot of good times, we Dean Lilley and Associate Dean
have earned the right to graduate Burke that our class will graduate
from Penn State-Behrend. in The Warner Theater in
Every time I think about downtown Erie. I know, I know,
graduation, I have to think about this building holds a lot of
all of the things I've done here at sentimental and emotional
Behrend and the people that I feelings for me too. I've spent a
have met. I think back to my lot of time there; it's where I met
freshman year and remember with most of my friends, and where
fondness all of the dorm parties, I've taken some of my best
the snowball fights, Dr. Feel classes. How about you?
Goods, and trying desperately to A lot of us have relatives
find a ride to Stonehouse on coming to see us graduate...at our
Friday nights. Then came school, that they have never seen.
sophomore year; living in the And they probably never will see,
apartments, Thursday Night because if we have to drive into
Happy Hours at Heaven '0 Six, town, find a parking space, walk
Fall Foliage/Spring Fling, to Warner Theater, go through
Dunkel Quarters, and working at commencements, wait in traffic,
Dobbins. Junior year brought try to figure out how to get to
two new roommates, my twenty- dinner, and then eat dinner, there
first birthday, Brookside lunches won't be time for Aunt Millie,
(that usually turned into dinners Uncle George, grandma, and
too!), and - sadly enough, the grandpa to see where we've spent
graduation of most of my closest the last four years of our lives.
friends that I had made here at From what I understand, the
Behrend. And now, in my senior decision to hold graduation in the
year, even though I still have one Warner is because of construction
more semester left, I have-othat will be taking place in Erie
memories of Wednesday nights at Hall. What I don't understand is
the Village Pub, living off- why the construction cannot wait
campus for the first time, to be started the day after
visiting my old apartment, and graduation? It's been waiting
taking Anthropology as an since my sophomore year, what's
elective! another couple months? I'm sure
Even though most of you that there is a way around this
can't relate to the personal dilemma-it's just going to need
memories that I have recalled, some time and some plan
whether you're a freshmen or fifth changing. You remember that
year senior, you probably can saying -where there's a will,
think of your own memories of there's a way. Well-I definitely
great times here at Behrend. The have the will, along with a lot of
great times definitely outweigh other people that I've talked to
the bad ones and I know that I about this, so now we have to
will never forget them. I've spent find a way. Since we, the
four of the best years of my life students, are the ones who are
here at Behrend and I know a lot directly affected by this problem:,
of you have too.
Of course, we've done our
share of complaining about
Behrend (who doesn't find things
wrong with their own school?).
We've criticized the insufficient
parking spaces, the long lines in
the finance office, Police and
Safety, the lakes that form when
it rains in front of Turnbull and
the Reed Building, the incredible
waiting lines for registration, our
Spring Break that starts during
ski season, the teachers and
classes that we just can't seem to
deal with, and, of course, the
weather. But compared to all of
the good things that we have or
have done at Behrend, these seem
trivial-and insignificant. When it
comes right down to it, we like
Behrend; it has given us a lot and
we feel a certain loyalty and bond
to it. Whether we want to admit
it or not, we do. So won't it be a
great feeling to be sitting on the
grass in front of our library in
May at our graduation recalling,
once again, the many happy
memories that we have had here
at Behrend? Since I have attended
my first graduation here at
Behrend three years ago, I have
thought about the day that I
would be graduating.
we should have a major impact
on resolving it, right? Well, we
weren't and I think that this is
inexcusable.
So, since the administration
obviously feels that our opinions
shouldn't make a difference with
this decision, we're going to have
to show them that they do. There
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The Collegian Thursday, December 7, 1989
is going to be a petition started
to protest the 1990 class
graduation, the Warner Theater. I
encourage anyone (especially
graduating -seniors, faculty
members, and undergraduates) to
sign this petition.
If you would like to help
with the petition please call
Randy at 898-6977 or mvself at
How'reyou going to do it? PS/2 it!
To Order COntact:
Micro Computer Order Center
Penn State - University Park
(814) 865-2100
453-4801.
Nan Quatchak
Editor's note: Dean o
Student Services Chris
Reber has pointed out t
this will be the only ye
in which graduation wil
be held in the Warner
Theater.