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Editorial
Penn State suspends intolerance policy
First Amendment rights and acts of intolerance are in the
news once again. Last Wednesday, the Weekly Collegian
reported that Penn State had suspended, indefinitely, the
University's policy on intolerance. According to The
Collegian , the policy increased the amount of punishment a
student would face in the event that he or she violated the
University's code of conduct and were motivated to do so
by an intolerance of another person's race, gender, color,
national origin, sexual orientation, political or religious
beliefs. All of this comes after a Supreme Court ruling
which states "hate crime" laws are unconstitutional.
It's about time we wake up to the fact that intolerance
and hate won't go away by restricting free speech on
college campuses. Instead, we must play the role of
educator. College affords students the opportunity to truly
speak their mind, perhaps for the first time in their lives.
Tolerance and freedom of speech are two entirely different
issues. We can’t mix them together.
Violence brought on by intolerance is already punishable
by Pennsylvania and federal law. In fact, a person can be
charged with ethnic intimidation, if he or she commits a
criminal offense which is motivated by a hatred of another
individual or group.
For the past two years, Behrend has had no violations of
the code of conduct involving intolerance. This is not to
say that racial intimidation, sexual harassment and other
forms of intolerance do not exist. It does, however, prove
that it's not necessary to suppress our rights to expression.
Congratulations Penn State...for doing the right thing.
Restricting freedom won't change intolerance.
The Collegian
Published weekly by the students of
The Pennsylvania State University at Erie, The Behrend College
Editor
Vicky Snyder
Business Manager
Karen Major
The Collegian's editorial
opinion is determined by the
editorial staff, with the editor
holding final responsibility.
Opinions expressed in The
Collegian are not necessarily those
of The Collegian or The
Pennsylvania State University.
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Loretta Russ
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Craig Campbell
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Matt Cissne
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Collegian Staff: April
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Coughenour, Shawn Gallagher,
Abby Greenberg, Amy Herb, Gary
Johnson, Sue Kass, Rick Kastan,
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Toubakaris, Teresa Turley
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Sousa, Iris Spinier
Photographers: Amel Balcita,
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Guldner, Dan Jaecks, Darren
Schilberg
Advisor: Cathy Mester
Columnists: Andrew Festa,
Alicia Hartman, George Hiegel
Letter Policy: The Collegian
encourages letters on news
coverage, editorial content and
university affairs. Letters should be
typewritten, double-spaced and
signed by no more than two
persons. Letters should be no
longer than 400 words. Letters
should include the semester
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The Collegian reserves the right to
edit letters for length and to reject
letters. Letters should be submitted
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published weekly by the students of
The Pennsylvania State University
at Erie, The Behrend College; First
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Opinion
Thank You
On behalf of the Community
Blood Bank, I would like to
thank all of the students who
donated or Died to donate during
Behrcnd's Fall Blood Drive. One
hundred and twenty seven units
were collected during the two day
period.
Maintaining a safe, adequate
blood supply benefits our entire
community. It assures that
blood and blood products will be
available for the patients who
need them. Because our medical
technologists separate the blood
into its components, up to four
lives can be saved with a single
pint. Our burn victims receive
plasma, our trauma victims
receive red cells, our cancer
patients receive platelets and a
fourth product called
cryoprecipitatc aids
hemophiliacs.
Also, a special thanks to the
brothers of Tau Kappa Epsilon
From the Hip
Let’s talk for a little while about
stress and anxiety (although tech
nically I'm writing and you're
reading, but that's not impor
tant). Lately, I've seen a lot of
people walking around campus in
a terribly bitter mood and acting
in a very unfriendly manner all
due to the fact that they have
some paper due or a HUGE test
the next day. All of this tension
can't be very good for the envi
ronment, so allow me (and my
infinite wisdom) to put things
into perspective for you.
I remember a long time ago,
when I was about six years old, I
was on a particular grocery shop
ping trip with my mom. We had
finished getting all the food we
needed to live off for the next
month and we were waiting in
the check-out line. Being a liny
tot the mere age of six, I quickly
grew bored with standing in line
and needed something more to
keep my attention. Thank gosh
the supermarket people have
enough sense to fill the check-out
line with all the impulse items
needed to drive a six year old
crazy. I grabbed a package of
Silly Putty and begged my mom
and the sisters of Delta Phi
Epsilon for their help.
We look forward to working
with the students at Behrend
again.
Lisa M. Graff
Donor Group Coordinator
The Collegian
Praised
I am happy to sec that The
Collegian has maintained the
traditions of journalistic
excellence in its aggressive
reporting on the up-coming
elections. As the editors know,
democracy depends on an
informed electorate. The press is
protected under the Constitution,
because the founding fathers
recognized its role in informing
and advising the country’s
citizens about their government.
That the current elections for
national and state officials will
have some impact on higher
education is obvious. Behrend
to buy it for me. She promptly
refused which threw me into a
pleading frenzy. I NEEDED that
Silly Putty! If I didn't get that
Silly Putty, I would DIE! The
Craig Campbell
Thursday, November 5, 1992
itself is part of a state related and
funded institution, Penn State,
and Penn State’s budget is being
cut. One wonders what the
position is of people running for
state government in the Erie area
on funding for higher education
in general, and for Penn State and
Behrend in particular.
In terms of the national
elections, the federal government
provides sources of funding that
many Behrend students depend
on. One wonders what the
positions of the candidates’ in
that Government are on higher
education and funding for it?
What is their record?
It is heartening to see that The
Collegian has given careful
thought to its role in the
democratic process and has
worked to inform its readers on
these issues of such importance
to them, particularly in its pre
election issue.
Pete Zenger
Ist semester MET
only thing in the world I cared
about was THE SILLY PUTTY!
She once again said no to the
Silly Putty and crushed me. That
Silly Putty was the most impor
tant thing in my life at that
point in time, and not getting it
stressed me out about as much as
a six year old can be stressed.
Of course, now I barely
feel any remorse about the Silly
Putty incident (probably because
I’m old enough to buy my own
Silly Putty now!) and most of
you are wondering exactly why I
chose to tell you this little tale. I
know it may seem a little point
less and stupid but look at it this
way. Who’s to say that ten years
from now I won’t be looking
back at how stressed I was over a
paper or a test and wonder what
the big deal was atl about, the
same way I view my need for
Silly Putty that fateful day. I'm
sorry I have to be the one to
break this to you, but there will
always be stress in your life. If
your life was stress-free, it would
be boring. All I'm trying to tell
you, the readers, is this: relax,
calm down a little...and buy your
own Silly Putty.