Wednesday, April 25, 1990
Erie Hall renovation: A "Band-Aid’* at best
by Sue Cepicka
Collegian Staff Writer
Behrend's inadequate athletic
center is getting a facelift.
Erie Hall was built in 1953
from community funds that
amounted to $300,000, and, at
that lime it was a key addition to
the overall aura of the campus. It
was also quite sufficient for the
needs of the then much smaller
Behrend College.
"Although it's nice
that we're getting
Erie Hall renovated ,
it is not what we
need and it is not
what we planned."
-Dr. Roger Sweeting
Erie Hall had all the important
features. In addition to the
basketball facility with a parquet
floor and wooden backboards,
there were pool and ping pong
tables and a bowling alley
downstairs. Later on, the tables
were removed and replaced and the
bowling alley was also taken out
so that a weight room could be
installed. This project was done
solely by students. The materials
and extra funds that were needed
were provided by Penn State
University, but the labor itself
was provided by the students
alone.
Erie Hall has changed over the
years, but all of this is miniscule
Softball team keeps playoff hopes alive
Squad looks to make postseason for second year in a row
by Robert Kitchen
Collegian Staff Writer
The women's softball team
suffered a tough week, losing
three of four games. Their record
is 13-9.
The Lady Lions lost both ends
of a double-header to the Lady
Gators of Allegheny College last
week.
In the opener, Behrend lost by
the score of 7-2. Melanie Dunn
and Darcie Bradley led the offense
with two hits apiece. The Lady
Lions committed six errors in the
loss.
Allegheny tossed a one-hit
shut out against the Lady Lions
in game two, 1-0. The first six
innings were scoreless. In the
bottom of the seventh inning,
Allegheny scored the winning run
with two outs. Michelle Hoover
handled the mound chores in the
low scoring affair, allowing five
hits.
The Lady Lions rebounded on
Thursday by splitting a twinbill
Sports
next to the facelift that will be
completed in the fall. The total
renovation has been budgeted at
1.3 million dollars. The project
has exceeded this budget, and
forced Behrend to go back and ask
the University for an additional
125 thousand dollars. The new
total for the Erie Hall project has
now reached 1.425 million. The
funds for the renovation are being
paid by the University itself out
of a special fund geared for such
projects.
The improved Erie Hall will
sport a brand new NCAA
regulation size basketball court
that will be shifted downward to
move the court away from the
stage. This is being done solely
for danger factors, and it will
decrease the number of injuries
due to insufficient run-off space.
Also included in the upstairs
renovation will be a concession
stand for half-time relaxation, and
a handicapped lift to help the
disabled to and from the games.
Although there are no new
bleachers in the plans, there is a
possibility more seating will be
added later.
The downstairs was totally
gutted the first week of
demolition and will be
completely unrecognizable after
completion. There will be new,
more bearable, locker rooms, two
for varsity and two general locker
rooms for the students to use.
There will also be a bigger
weight room. Although no new
equipment will be bought, the
room will be more comfortable
and will have better ventilation
with Westminster College.
Behrend dropped the first game
in extra-innings, 2-1. Erika
Renwick weaved a one-hitter, but
still took the loss. The Lady
Titans scored an unearned run in
their half of the eight inning to
snatch the victory, despite being
out-hit by the Lady Lions 5-1.
The nightcap saw Behrend on
top, 7-2. Hoover again pitched a
superb game, yielding four hits.
On Saturday, the Lady Lions
played St. John Fisher. The game
was played on the road and
Behrend walked away with a 4-0
win in the opener. Erika Renwick
pitched a shutout victory in the
first game.
The second half of the double
header proved to be St. John
Fisher's turn to win.
Behrend lost this game by one
run. The final score was 9-8.
The Lady Lions had the tying
run on third base during the 7th
inning, but they were unable to
The Collegian
photo by Julie Tibolla
Getting a facelift: Erie Hall is getting a much needed change.
The only indoor athletic facility on campus, the 47 year old
gymnasium is receiving over one million dollars in additions
than before.
About one half of the bottom
floor of the new Erie Hall will be
devoted to office space. All of the
athletic associated faculty will
have more comfortable
surroundings in the new building.
The Erie Hall renovation will
be an improvement, but in the
eyes of the athletic staff here at
Behrend, it will not even come
close to satisfying their real
needs. The proposed sports
get the runner home to tie.
On Sunday, Behrend took on
Clarion, an NCAA Division II
school. The Lady Lions lost in
the first game, 4-1, and came
back to win the second game
with a wide margin of 13-2.
Monday, Behrend lost to the
number one team in the region,
Mount Union.
Mount Union has a record of
24-8 and is considered to be the
finest team around.
Behrend played them away and
took two losses, the first was 11-
1, and the second was 4-1.
In the second game, Beth
Balizet pitched well, going all 7
innings. Head Coach Brett Banker
said, "Of the four runs scored,
only two were earned."
Banker's squad still has a
chance to get in postseason play
for the second straight year. If
Behrend wins at least four of their
last games, they will be
considered for the playoffs. The
bids go out on May S.
complex that is waiting to be
built will replace the existing
Erie Hall, but the construction of
that is a long time in the future.
Tricia DeMarco, who is
coordinator of public information
for Provost and Dean John Lilley
said that we are "putting a band
aid on the situation." This feeling
is shared by Dr. Roger Sweeting,
a 25 year Penn State employee
and honored basketball coach,
who stated that, "Although it's
Netters' disappointing
season winds down
by John Musser
Collegian Sports Editor
Men's Tennis Coach Mike
Grignol put the 1990 season in a
nutshell before Monday's re
scheduled match with Indiana
(PA).
"We haven't gotten everybody
playing outstanding on one day,”
"We had some real
tight matches. It
could have gone
either way."
- Mike Grignol
Tennis coach
said the third year coach. "Some
(players) are playing good, and
some are struggling."
As an example, Grignol used
his top two seeds, Bill Schmitt
and Chuck Keenan. "Chuck
started out well, and then he
struggled," said Grignol. "Bill
had a slow start, but he has been
coming on lately."
Before the opening of the
Page 11
nice that we're getting Erie Hall
renovated, it is not what we need
and it is not what we planned."
The Erie Hall renovation is
not expected to remain forever.
Athletic director Herb Lauffer,
said that it was merely "an
interim step" until the badly
needed all-purpose complex will
be funded and started.
season, the team was optimistic
about improving on last year's 6-
8 record. After suffering a 1-5
start, the Lions have been unable
to get on track.
"We had trouble going from
indoors to outdoors," said
Grignol. "With the (bad) weather,
I think we lost our edge. We
couldn't hit as much as we liked
to."
Although the weather has
been nice enough lately for the
netters to get their hitting in, it
didn't help them Saturday
afternoon on the road in Nazereth.
The Lions won two of the six
singles matches. Schmitt (6-1, 6-
1) and Steve Smith (7-5, 4-6, 6-
3) collected wins for Grignol's
squad.
One factor in singles play was
the absence of third seed Ken
Gierl. "I didn't know if we were
going to play," explained
Grignol. Because of weather
conditions, there was a
possibility that the match would
have been canceled. Gierl had a
commitment to a class, and the
(continued on page 12)