News
October 2008
BY) KEVIN MOMPLAISIR
Staff Writer
©. On Tuesday, March 19,
12008, members of the Mont
Alto council approved the
plans for off-campus student
housing on Slab Town
Road, which is only a block
from campus. This develop-
ment came about when the
students that needed housing
increased. When there are
not enough rooms available,
students are placed on a
waiting list. This year there
have been a lot of Penn
State students with out hous-
students that find themselves
without housing is an out-
dated off-campus list that
was last updated in Aly
2007.
Most apartments in the
area are unaffordable unless
one is able to find three or
more people to divide the
price of rent. The construc-
tion of this new townhouse
all of the students that can’t
find housing. It will bring
housing to 100 students
around the Spring of 2009.
‘this new housing, there are
some outraged members of
the community. To some
residents | of the area, Penn
loud noises, and act in a dis-
orderly way. Incidents like
last year’s riot on Verdier
Street where students
walked through yards, uri-
‘hate
BY JULIA RITCHEY
Editor-in-chief
THON is a year-long
THON is soliciting.
THON is canning. THON is
people. THON is dancing.
THON is pain. THON is the
children. Most of all, though,
THON is seeing real heroes.
Since 1972, The Four
Diamonds Fund has helped
over 2,000 families receive
financial and emotional help.
The Four Diamonds Fund
benefits the pediatric cancer
center of Hershey’s Penn
State Medical Center. The
fund was started in memory
of Christopher Millard.
The name Four Dia-
monds figuratively represents
the traits that Christopher
believed could help him beat
cancer. In a story that Chris-
topher wrote shortly before
he died at the age of 14, he
wrote a noble tale about a
knight who defeated a villain
by collecting four diamonds
during his challenges. The
traits he described in his story
are courage, wisdom, hon-
esty, and strength. The tail
still inspires children today
fighting cancer.
The money that goes to
THON goes toward a number
of crucial supports. The
thtee main components of the
fund are the medical ex-
penses and treatment support
for the families, the medical
support team, and the re-
search support.
Hershey Medical Center
focuses on the needs of the
patients in a unique way with
team of pediatric oncologists,
cology nurse specialists, psy-
chologists, child life special-
ists, nutritionists, pediatric
music therapists, the Hershey
Medical Center is able to pro-
vide, with the help of The
Four Diamonds Fund, opti-
mum treatment to its patients.
This year’s THON at
Mont Alto is already starting
collecting money to go to this
year’s grand total. Last year,
‘THON raised over $6.6 mil-
Chambersburg, Walmart in
Carisle, and Hershey’s
Chocolate World. While
canning, THON members
wear Penn State garb, signs,
and they carry cans for the
money.
In addition to canning
and fundraising, Mont Alto’s
THON hosts a blood drive on
campus. In February 2009,
THON will have canteen ta-
bles set-up to nourish the
blood donors.
Four Diamonds has a
mission to help conquer
childhood cancer, and with
continuing support, the
thon.org
lion for the kids. Mont Alto
THON raises money through
events such as Halo 3 Tour-
naments, Mr. Mont Alto,
Root Beer Pong, Date Auc-
tion, Toga Party, and other
events.
Aside from fundraisers
here at Mont Alto, the group
goes canning all around cen-
tral Pennsylvania. This
year’s canning weekends are
October 10- 12, November 7
- 9, January 23 - 25, and Feb-
ruary 13 -15. Canning loca-
tions that one can see Penn
State THON members at in-
clude Gander Mountain in
Chambersbug, Walmart in