SGA
Update
By SEPIDEH SAFAEE
Staff Reporter
SOSSO34@PSU.E DU
SGA gets little accomplished and
this article is going to have the same
facts with minor improvements.
Refer to the SGA minutes, which
are not updated on the Web site to
anyone's surprise.
SGA holds $17,201.62 in their
restricted accounts, $4,703.41 in
their unrestricted accounts and
$3,195.72 in their FAA account.
The SGA president was not
accounted for, due to a doctor
appointment, but the meeting still
went on with the vice president
taking responsibility.
Oct. 18 was the last day SGA
treasurer Sheila Ongeri would
accept the polo money orders.
Canning weekend was Oct. 19-21.
Thanks to the people who helped
out.
Canning also went toward the
senator's office hours. They canned
near 2nd street, the Hershey Outlet
and the Palmyra Wal-Mart.
1.0.4 h int;
ihis , t h e, , to w
money ttiiied to
.. t conning weekend
was 1
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Family and Friends Day, the
open house that allows incoming
freshmen to see the Penn State
Harrisburg campus, went great.
Kids Corner went well.
There were arts and crafts for
elementary school kids. Kappa
Alpha Psi won the paint-a-pumpkin
contest.
Senator Oliver Eisler is revising
the SGA constitution because of
grammar mistakes and incorrect
information.
There were not enough senators
for a voting session and the meeting
almost came to a quorum.
SGA did not go over any new
information and the ASL Proposal
will be voted on during the next
meeting.
Fall Fest went well though they ran
out of materials.
Pictures an SGA member took are
posted on the SGA Web site. Thanks
to all who helped out.
SGA allocated $119.22 to the
Engineering open forum, which was
open to all students during Fall Fest.
They did not order enough food
and more professors than students
showed up.
In the Gallery lounge, a forum for
Burma was held. SGA allocated
$lOO from the RA account funds to
host the event.
Only seven people showed up
the first day; they were all SGA
members
Students should support their
schools by going to events.
Middletown food drive needs
canned goods.
The cell phone drive needs old
cell phones, which the YWCA will
give to women who are in danger of
domestic violence.
Turn cell phones in to Donna
Howard at the Student Activates
office.
The impeachment letter was read
on Oct. 11 and given to Chief
Justice Paul Fogle a week before
the meeting.
Senators asked for copies of the
impeachment, but the executive
board is not sure if they want to
give the impeachment to all of the
senators due to fear of allegations
of Marques's actions being leaked
to the student body. Charges were
presented last Thursday.
The impeachment is still in
investigation. Studen is are not
given enough information to be able
to discus the impeachment process.
Show off your diamonds at PSH
By ADAM PORTER
Staff Reporter
AWPSO3B@PSU.EDU
The THON 2008 slogan "Hope
finds a way" could not have more
true meaning for Craig Dewalt
(senior-marketing). Dewalt was first
diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma
when he was only 11 years old.
"I noticed an unusually large mass
growing on my uvula, the thing that
hangs down in the back of your
mouth," said Dewalt.
After a biopsy, he and his parents
heard the words they feared most: It
was cancer.
The cause of this fifth most
common childhood cancer is still
unknown, but has a 70 percent long
term survival rate when treated with
surgery followed by chemotherapy
and/or radiation, according to the
Penn State Children's Hospital's
website.
After a grueling seven hours of
surgery to remove the cancerous
cells, Craig awoke to "the friendly
face of my Four Diamonds
Specialist, Jennifet."
Depression Screening Day
By ROBERT KABATA
Staff Reporter
RFKI2S@PSU.EDU
On Monday October 22", PSU
Harrisburg held its Depression
Screening Day, with over 50
students participating in the
event.
Depression affects
about 18.8 million
'Americans, with a
majority of those
in the ages of
18-45. It has
no boundaries,
affecting all
races, economic
classes, ages and
both sexes.
The Depression
Screening Day
was sponsored
by Counseling
Services, whose
offices are located
in the Student
Assistance Center,
Olmsted W-117. The
questionnaire and follow-up
interview focused on screening
for depression and also mania, or
extremely elevated emotions.
"By the age of 24, one out
of four people will have a
depressive espisode. That is
something which occurs over
a tiro week period involving
changes in a person's mental
state."
By the age of 24, one out of four
people will have a depressive
episode. That is something which
occurs over a two week period
involving changes in a person's
mental state. Moods may change;
a person may suffer a loss of
interest in something that usually
brings pleasure, or a disruption
in a sleeping or eating pattern. A
person may also suffer from a lack
of concentration, an inability to
focus, a feeling hopelessness, or
a lack of energy. There are other
signs, but basically any significant
unexplained change should be
noted and questioned.
Finding out if someone has
depression is not easy since
everyone is different, and
everyone's normal values are
different from the next person's.
There is not one simple test for
depression, unlike identifying
high cholesterol 'Oh, your
triglycerides are high, take this
With a calming presence
during an impossibly
stressful time, Jennifer
explained that the Four
Diamonds were there to
help.
"My parents wanted to
spend all the time they
could with me, so they
needed time off of work,"
said Dewalt.
This would have left
his parents in extreme
financial strain. Some
of the chemotherapy
treatments can cost
several thousand dollars
each. But the Fund is
able to cover any medical
expenses that a parent's
insurance will not,
largely through donations
to THON.
What the Four Diamonds
provides is not all
financial, though.
"Not only did the Four Diamonds
help me financially, they helped me
emotionally as well. I formed a tight
friendship with Jennifer as well as
pill.' Identifying depression
involves the interaction of a person
and a counselor, and the ability of
an individual let one's guard down,
to be open and honest.
Counseling Services' Maria
Murphy headed the
screening
ounge.
Photo couortesy of google com The screening
consisted of a person filling out
the questionnaire, then a private
meeting with a counselor to
go over the responses and if
necessary, a referral of the person
for more counseling or possibly a
physician's consultation.
Murphy said that the one of
the goals of the screening was
to, "Increase awareness and
destigmatize, because any one of us
at any time can be affected. Mental
health doesn't discriminate." She
also stressed the need for people to
be honest with themself and not to
be afraid to ask for help.
If someone missed the screening
day and feels that they may be
depressed, there are plenty of
options available to get assistance.
The person can call Counseling
Services at 948-6025, stop in the
Student Assistance Center, or visit
the Counseling Service's website
at http://php.scripts.psu.edu/dept/
iit/hbg/studentaffairs/counseling.
php to get more information. The
counseling is free of charge. They
also have a list of organizations that
provide services in the community,
for those that may find it easier to
seek help away from campus.
A screening day is a reach out to
offer help, but it is only as effective
as someone's willingness to accept
it. There are many stressors
in our daily lives, and no one
should be afraid or embarrassed
to have questions or want to talk
to someone about what is going
on. Remember that in a 12 month
period, nine percent of college
students considered attempting
suicide. If you feel you need help,
don't hesitate to ask
self, but now helps other children at THON
Greg, another specialist.
"During my first battle with cancer,
the Four Diamonds Fund not only
kept me alive, but kept my family
alive financially."
Penn State Harrisburg
Gospel Choir
Tuesdays 9pm
Town Scivare
THE CAPITAL TIMES
That's right, first battle.
"My cancer came back when I
was 13, but I had a more pleasant
outlook thanks to the Four
Diamonds Fund. I knew that I
would have friends at the hospital,
and I knew that I would get the
best medicine possible, regardless
of the amount of money my family
had."
Remembering his first trek to State
College for the THON experience,
Dewalt said, "I was very shy and
very sick, so I didn't spend a lot of
time at THON, but the time that I
spent there was simply amazing."
Sharon Minnaugh, a mother of a
Four Diamonds child, said, "It's on
the calendar with Christmas. You
have Easter, you have Valentine's
Day, you have Christmas, you have
Dance Marathon."
Expressing his desire for more
involvement on the Harrisburg
campus, Dewalt said, "I am one
of many people in this world that
can say the Four Diamonds helped
save my life. I want each and every
Penn State student to know that
we are the backbone for the Four
October 29, 2007
Diamonds Fund. The money that
is raised from THON goes straight
to Four Diamonds and straight to
saving lives."
Talking with Dewalt gives a person
a real perspective on how lucky he
or she is to be healthy and have
family and friends. Facing the stark
reality of a life-threatening disease,
especially at only 11 years old was
immensely difficult, and "without
Four Diamonds, without THON
and without Penn State students'
dedication, I may not be here today,"
said Dewalt.
Nine years after his two battles with
cancer, he finds it simply incredible
that the Four Diamonds Fund is
still keeping tabs and staying in
touch. Last year Dewalt was able
to give back to the organization
that helped him and his family
during such a demanding time.
He was Harrisburg's THON Chair,
increasing the funds raised on
campus by 238 percent.
"I only hope that we can continue to
get the ball rolling, keep spreading
the word and keep bringing in the
money."