Page 3 The Lion’s Eye March 2, 2011 Eve on Campus SGA (: continued from page 1) Presidential candidate Stephen latesta feels that the leadership given by sitting president Jerry Fokas was more than adequate. “I believe that Jerry was a great president. He spoke to the rest of the SGA with the utmost sin- cerity and integrity that indeed provided great lead- ership. I hope I can attain such qualities from him as the next president. In regards to my term as presi- dent, I want to emphasize the value of time by cre- ating strict deadlines to have more tasks completed. As Governmental Affairs Chair this year, I, along with a few others, have made significant changes to the constitution which includes the expansion of the SGA to create more cooperation of tasks to take place on campus. Moreover, with the new expan- sion, I hope to build more communication with the students and faculty to discuss issues concerning our campus by simply speaking with students individu- ally and conducting surveys that will meet the inter- ests of the school.” When questioned about their campaign promises from last year, Vice-President Bobbi Ca- price focused on the idea of improving school spirit. “I certainly think that was accomplished and was probably one of the most successful things we got done this year” Caprice says. Using the ex- ample of the pep rally held in the fall of 2010, Ca- price explained that the gym was filled with students and more than 50 staff members. Caprice does admit that communication be- tween the SGA and student body was a downfall on their part. “We did send out numerous e-mails to stu- dent body about every event we held, along with hanging numerous signs around every campus build- ing,” she states. “However, I will say it is something we could have done a little bit better, and that is why I put that as one of my party objectives for the fol- lowing year.” Caprice also admits that SGA took a very hands-off approach with the topic of promoting diversity on campus. She says that the current ad- ministration felt that the campus was already very diverse, so therefore simply supporting the current organizations was the best way to go. Many club presidents, even those who are not attached to diver- sity issues, however, felt that the approach was too hands-off and felt neglected by the SGA. Former SGA President Brittney Walker re- lated her experiences about running SGA and about the communication issues between the campus and the SGA as a whole. “A key part in the success of any organi- zation on campus is to communicate clearly with students, faculty and staff. My board and I made it a point to work closely with everyone on campus, especially the students so that they knew who was representing them and speaking on their behalf. I can’t take the credit for the success of the 2009-2010 SGA because I had 11 other people to help me,” says Walker. She also believes that cooperation and hav- ing the same goals are crucial to both a successful government and to why so many parties wanted to run in last year’s election. : “We all worked together and were on the same page most of the time. We focused on issues and made it our goal to try and make a difference. Students saw the work we did and I believe this is why so many parties were interested in running for the 2010-2011 academic year,” says Walker. Dr. Matthew Shupp, advisor to the SGA and Director of Student Affairs, believes that the SGA did a fair job of maintaining the SGA sound-offs, started by Walker’s administration during her tenure. Shupp is optimistic that if the Pride Party is put into place within SGA again, they could be successful under - their newly revised constitution, which eliminates several positions from the original draft. Shupp also mentioned that he believes that it is a great idea that the Pride Party decided to in- volve more people in the SGA with the new SGA Senate which calls for 50 students to sit in on a board of advisors to the main SGA cabinet. SGA President Jerry Fokas and Treasurer Vincent Gallo did not respond to The Lion’s Eye’s request for comment with regard to this article. Exhibition of Undergradute Research, Enterprise, and Creative Accomplishment ‘Student Deadline: 4/8/11 The Event: 4/19/11, 11:30-1:30 pm, in the Gym For more information contact: Dr. Asad Azemi -- axa20@psu.edu Dr. Phyllis Cole -- pbe2@psu.edu THON Date Auction By Emily Cleveland - The Lion's Eye Staff Writer efc5051@psu.edu Spring is in the air! And you know what that means! Birds chirping, flowers blossoming, and students auctioning themselves off as dates to raise money for charity! Sound preposterous? If you were anywhere near the Lion’s Den on Wednesday, February 16th during com- mon hour, you would think otherwise! Around 12:30 PM, Martina Gill, Brandywine’s THON chair, burst into the den exploding with animation and school spirit as she led stu- dents in a vivacious chant; “WE ARE ... PENN STATE!” Nittany pride instantly filled the room and erupted through the walls! The Lion’s Den was over flooded with students eagerly awaiting the arrival of a parade of beau- tiful young women. It was the THON date auction and fourteen young ladies, (and gentlemen!) generously auc- tioned themselves off in order to raise money for the Four Diamonds Fund. The fund is a financial support system that helps families who have children being treated at Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital. By offering “superior care, comprehensive support, and innovative research”, as it’s website states, the Four Diamonds Fund creates a sense of hope for about 100 new families a year. When the chanting calmed down, Gill left the auctioneering in the hands of “DJ Cupid”, aka Alexandra Morson, a Junior working on her Corporate Communica- tions major here at Brandywine. The first brave soul that DJ Cupid introduced was Sandy F., a pediatric nurse major. Following Sandy, came Meata, a bartender interested in art and fashion; Jessica, a paint enthusiast who works at Color Me Mine; Nicole, a Junior who enjoys Italian food and long walks on the beach; Jackie, a Freshman cheerleader; Jessica, Laura, and Nettie. The girl’s bids ranged from $11.00 to $60.00 and raised the incredible amount of $223.50. As the eight young ladies who signed up ahead of time prepared to be swept off their feet by their bidders, Gill kept the fun going by welcoming volunteers from the audience to courageously step up and extend the auction. First to support the cause was PJ, a lucky young man who found himself in the middle of a bidding war be- tween, not two, not three, but five ambitious young ladies! For the sake of charity, the girls ended up splitting the cost for PJ, leaving this charming gentleman to embark on an enchanting date that will certainly be out of the ordinary. Next to jump to the stage was Rich B. His bidding didn’t last long though. After hearing that this adventurous boy enjoys such activities as spending time on the slopes and playing ice hockey, former auctionee Nettie yelled out a bid of $25.00 that could not be beat! Bobby Harper and “Sunshine” then stepped to the floor. They provided the audience with both a good laugh; and an incredible offer! “It’s a package deal!” says Harper, “two for one”. Martina G. could not resist and bought the boys for a whopping $18.00. Mo was next to approach the floor. He was kind enough to provide his own auctioneer, who announced, “This toned Egyptian has a muscular build that is sure to lift you off your feet!” This tempting offer caught the attention of four girls who split the date for $5.00 each. As time began to close in, Gill announced last call for auctionees. Edson and Yema were the last two to be auctioned off; Edson to Nettie for $10.00, and Yema to Edson for $10.00. The selfless acts of the Brandywine students at the date auction helped in raising about $337.00 for THON. All of the proceeds from the event go directly to the Four Diamonds Fund. Because of the students’ philan- thropic contributions through creative, fun events, such as the date auction, over $2,300 has been raised by the Penn State Brandywine campus alone.
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