Page 4
Faculty Profile: Dr. Clarence Bonnen reads some
literature in preparation for one of his philosophy classes.
Faculty
of the
by Rob Moffett
Collegian Staff
Dr. Clarence Bonnen was bom
in East Lansing, Michigan,
where he lived until 1981. He
attended Michigan State
University, majored in
philosophy, and worked on horse
farms with Arabian horses
donated to the University by the
Kellogg Corporation.
As a graduate student he taught
at the University of Texas and
Austin Community College.
He now teaches philosophy at
Behrend and has been on the staff
since the fall of 1990.
Bonnen's wife Susan works for
the Public Defenders' Office.
They have a two-year-old boy and
a four-year-old girl. Bonnen is 35
years old.
When asked if he had any pet
peeves in his classroom, Bonnen
said that he doesn't have any pet
peeves, but would like to have
his students interrupt more often
with questions and comments.
"It is only when one is active
in playing with ideas that an
understanding is gained." Bonnen
said that this is not a pcl-pccvc,
but is "an invitation to travel."
Bonnen continued, "When a
student makes a connection that a
teacher doesn't, it brings a fresh
perspective to the topic. That is
when the student teaches the
professor."
He added that those situations
are what keeps many professors
going.
Bonnen said, "Teachers should
be curious and disciplined enough
to follow that curiosity and find
the answers."
Bonnen doesn’t like to present
only the facts, but feels
Profile
Week
"memorization is an important
foundation in the learning
process."
He continued, "One must
memorize things in order to think
critically about that topic. You
have to know something before
you can discuss it."
Concerning philosophy, Bon
nen said, "We have come to an
impasse in contemporary moral
theory: what are the foundations
and justifications for moral
principals?"
Bonnen said that he considers
there to be different types of
philosophers.
He said those with a
naturalistic foundation of ethics
argue that there is a
sociobiological reason for how
we think. "Sociobiologists
would say that your genes
determine your sense of right and
wrong."
Bonnen continued to say that
naturalists include utilitarians
who base everything on pleasure
and pain, desire and emotions,
and the satisfaction of desires.
"Non-naturalists, or super
naturalists, feel that there is a
transcendent being whose
commandments, laws, or
thoughts determine our
morality."
Bonnen includes himself with
the intuitionist. He describes
this philosophy as one based on a
belief in intuition as to what our
basic moral properties or facts
may be.
Bonnen's interests include
playing with his children,
basketball and handball. He said
that he likes to read fiction and
non-fiction, and has recently
developed an interest in
biographies.
mm
PSU quiet on
and Noble
by Kim Burger
and Corey Gesford
Daily Collegian Staff Writers
University administrators have
not commented on the ethics of
accepting paid trips from Barnes
& Noble, despite reports of
extravagant perks for officials at
other schools.
During negotiations of a $lO
million contract with Texas
A&M University, Barnes &
Noble paid for at least four trips
for school officials to New York
to finalize the deal, including
hotel stays at the Waldorf-
Astoria and the New York
Helmsley Hotel, limousines and
Broadway show tickets.
Penn State signed a 10-year
contract with Barnes & Noble in
May to run the Penn State
Bookstore on Campus and all
commonwealth campus book
stores (including Bchrend and
Harrisburg).
While deciding whether to turn
the bookstore management over
to an outside company, Penn
State staff i *,mbers made trips
paid for by Barnes & Noble,
Director of 1 blic Information
Bill Mahon said in a news
release. Associate Vice
President for Business and
Operations William McKinnon
said in an earlier interview that
• Instructional
Communications
Center
he and several other members of
an operating committee,
including Assistant Vice
President for Business Services
D. Lewis Mothersbaugh, visited
the bookstores at Texas A&M
and several other schools.
Mothersbaugh is currently on
administrative leave while an
investigation into funds
misappropriated for personal use
takes place in business services.
A president and vice president
resigned from the University of
Oklahoma earlier this year after
an investigation into conflicts of
interest arising from trips
financed by Barnes & Noble, as
well as other things. The two
officials denied the investigation
was the cause.
Mothersbaugh said he could
not comment because of his
situation and referred all
questions to McKinnon, who he
said headed the negotiations at
that point. McKinnon and
James Wagner, and assistant vice
president for business and
operations, would not comment
on details of the trips taken
because they said University
officials agreed to communicate
only though University Public
Information.
Mahon said the staff members
made the trips to review services
and other schools.
Resumes
Tvp ese tting/Layout
Transparencies
Black and White/Color
FAX Machine
Federal Express
Printing
Copies
Black and White/Full Color
Venda Cards
Large Posters
Laminating
Library Building - Room 75
Telephone - 898-6121
Thursday, November 4, 1993
Barnes
issues
“There was no cost to the
University so we didn’t think we
had anything to lose,” Mahon
said.
Wagner said he was not
concerned that there may be
problems.
“Barnes & Noble is an
excellent company and we’re
very pleased with the program at
Penn State,” Wagner said.
Bookstore operations were
investigated in the business
services inquiry, said University
Police Director Tom Harmon.
“At this point in lime,
nothing has come to our
attention of any criminal
misconduct that involves the
bookstore,” Harmon said.
Editor’s note: Reprinted with
permission from the October 27,
1993 issue of The Daily
Collegian.
H *¥*
Correction: In last week's
issue in the "Students
teaching Students" article,
Kimberly Epps was
misquoted. Her quote should
have said, "It's equally
beneficial to the tutors.”