Penn State Middletown Campus Gospel Choir to Host Haiti Benefit Concert
By VINCENT DANGOLOVICH
COPY EDITOR
VWDSOO6@PSU.EDD
The Penn State Harrisburg Gospel Choir, Sounds of Praise,
will hold a "Night for Haiti" benefit concert on Feb 24
at 9:15 pm at the Stacks Stage in the lower level of the
Olmsted building.
The twelve-member choir will accept donations of
cash and clothing to help the island nation following the
devastation of the earthquake on Jan. 12. The evening will
include spirituals including "Draw Me Lord," "How Great
Though Art" and "How Excellent" as well as spoken word
Poetry.
While the group always intended to perform, the focus
of the concert changed when inspiration struck Behavioral
Science major and club treasurer Kayma Freeman, 20.
"I was watching 'Hope for Haiti," said Freeman, "and I
though this is really breaking my heart... I though about
our concert and thought we should make it bigger."
Admission is free although donations are strongly
encouraged. Light refreshments will be available.
Williams creates awareness for eating disorders
BY BRIAN ROBERT ERICKSON
Elaine Williams, a
STAFF WRITER comedienne, life coach
BREso33@rsu.EDu and eating disorder
survivor, initiated eating disorder awareness week at Penn
State Harrisburg with an inspiring and incredibly funny
presentation focusing on her own difficult experience with
body image and bulimia.
Eating disorders are a growing problem and manifest
themselves ptimarily in middle school, high school and
college. According to a poll of freshmen college students,
5 to 18 percent of females and 1 to 3 percent of males admit
to struggling with an eating disorder during their first year
at college. What starts as culture and social pressure to
look attractive can escalate into a serious illness.
Williams overcame' a severe case of bulimia she became
afflicted with in elementary school. Difficult family life,
alcoholic parents and unrealistic Texan standards of
beauty brought about this eating disorder so early in her
life. Her disorder was largely unrecognized and untreated
until she reached college when her roommate questioned
her about her use of laxatives to lose weight, a practice she
borrowed from Karen Carpenter, a popular singer. With
a new awareness and with encouragement from her close
friends, Williams began to understand her eating problem
and build the courage to seek help from both professionals
and from herself. Today, she spreads awareness and uses
her story to motivate others.
In her presentation, Williams shared some techniques she
found helpful in her struggle. She became familiar with
emotional and unconscious eating and became able to
recognize the motives behind why she eats. She developed
mindfulness and understanding of her disorder, so she was
us Life
Pictured above the PSH Gospel Choir practices for their upcoming concert.
at Penn State Harrisburg
able to both fight against and work with it to recovery.
Eating disorders are difficult to identify because of their
secretive nature, but they are characterized by three main
factors. First of all, a person afflicted with an eating disorder
may engage in out of control binge eating. Secondly,
that person may purge or undertake similar methods to
compensate for the binge. eating. Thirdly, the person will
be burdened with obsessive thoughts and intense emotions
regarding their body shape or appearance.
Williams and Penn State Harrisburg Counseling Service
encourage all students to seek assistance if they or someone
they know are troubled by an emerging or active eating
disorder. On February 25, there will be an anonymous
eating disorders screening and information table in the
Olmsted Gallery Lounge W-107 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.,
sponsored by the Penn State Harrisburg Counseling
Services. The Counseling Services are located in 109
Swatara and provide free, confidential and professional
assistance to all students.
For more information about eating disorders or to see
some funny stand up comedy, visit Williams at her website
at www.elaine-williams.com.
THE CAPITAL TIMES
Februa 17 2010
Pictured left is E
aine Williams during her lecture
)ove is Williams' poster for
r lecture,