! Monday, Dec. 7, 2009 Congressman Glenn Thompson, R-Pa., talks to students about Israel and other political issues at the Pasquerilla Spiritual Center on Saturday. Thompson talks Israel, politics By Megan Rogers FOR THE COLLEGIAN Visiting with a small group of students Saturday afternoon, U.S. Congressman Glenn Thompson said he counts Israel as an impor tant ally and supports its status as a Jewish nation. Penn State Hillel President Miehal Berns (Junior-media law and policy) organized the event, inviting Thompson, R-Pa., so stu dents could hear their legislator’s opinion on the issue. The event was attended by members of College Republicans, College Democrats, Hillel, University Park Undergraduate Association, Students for Justice in Palestine and several other groups and stu dents. Thompson began the round table discussion by recounting the weeklong trip he took to Israel this past August. Thompson called the trip where he met with govern ment and military' leaders, as well ■ c-rvday citizens an mUti. rung experience." Visits : . midrens playground with a b;;: ,i> shelter, border settlements and a home that helped children who had lived through war all made an impression, he said. Thompson joined 60 other freshmen congressmen on his trio. We came away very committed to supporting Israel." he said. After hearing about Thompson's trip to Israel, the audience asked the congressman questions about the Middle East and other topics, including nuclear weapons, changes in the missile defense system and whether Israel should be allowed to continue as a Jewish state. “My commitment is that we support [lsrael’s formation] as a Jewish nation,” he said. Students had varying reactions to Thompson’s stances on issues. “I thought Congressman Thompson gave good, balanced answers,” said Samuel Settle (sophomore-political science and history), the executive director of the Penn State College Republicans and a volunteer for Thompson’s campaign in 2008. But members of Students for Justice in Palestine said they were disappointed with the congress man’s presentation. “I was annoyed he doesn’t sup port international law,” the group’s president David McLaughlin (senior-electrical engineering) said of Thompson’s stance on border settlements. Thompson also shared some thoughts on “Climategate,” tuition increases and the locally proposed tuition tax, which he called a “ter rible idea.” “This certainly is what democ racy is about, being able to listen to other people’s opinion whether or not you agree with them, but they all have the freedom to express them,” Berns wrote in an e-mail. LOCAL NOW awards local women By Evan Trowbridge COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER State College Borough Council President and Mayor-elect Elizabeth Goreham was one of three women honored by the Pennsylvania National Organization for Women (NOW) Saturday at the Nittany Lion Inn during the organization’s biannu al state convention. In its first convention held in Centre County in more than 25 years, Pennsylvania NOW pre sented three Molly Yard Woman of Courage Awards to Goreham, State College Police Department Detective Deirdri Fishel and Peggy Lorah, director of Penn State’s Center of Women Students. Goreham received the award in recognition of her work with the State College Human Relations Commission and for supporting State College’s employment anti-discrimination ordinance, which was passed in December 2007. “I’m really quite humbled by it,” Goreham said of the award. She emphasized the role that Pennsylvania NOW President Joanne Tosti-Vasey had in help ing her with her work for the bor ough. When presenting Goreham Runners endure cold for charity By Megan Rogers FOR THE COLLEGIAN Despite the cold and ice from Saturday’s snowfall, the 26th annual Nittany Valley Half- Marathon had more runners this year than ever before. About 500 runners came out for the race, which was spon sored by the Nittany Valley Running Club. Profits from the race are donated to the Centre Volunteers in Medicine, a local non-profit group providing no-cost health care to uninsured people in cen tral Pennsylvania. A final count of the donations was not available as of press time. “Fundraisers like this are what keep us going,” CVIM board of directors member Tom Cali said. Jacob Loverich, of State College, finished first with a time with the award, Tosti-Vasey said the anti-discrimination ordi nance Goreham supported was one of the “most comprehensive in the state, if not the country.” After receiving the award and giving Tosti-Vasey a thankful hug, Goreham briefly spoke on how her attendance at the convention has helped her gain insight on some of the issues facing State College and Centre County. “I learned a lot about my com munity and our needs, but also the amount of dedicated efforts that are being put forth here,” Goreham said. Specifically, the future mayor mentioned learning about how Centre County is one of the worst areas in the state for finding affordable housing for low-income people. Fishel was recognized for her work in reducing domestic vio lence in Centre County as the case manager of the Center County Victim Centered Inten sive Care Management Unit. “I can’t tell you what this means to be recognized individu ally for what I always think is a team effort,” Fishel said. “If you guys keep pushing us forward, we’ll keep doing it.” Lorah, a member of the Centre County Task Force on Sexual and Relationship Violence and Penn State’s Coalition to Address of 1:17:43. Molly Ritter, of Arendtsville, Pa., was the first female finisher at 1:28:17. Ice was a problem for some runners, race director Dave Eggler said. Runner Jackie Rohrbeck said she saw several people fall because of the ice. “In spite of the snow, a lot of people came,” Eggler said. The majority of runners were from State College, but many also came from New Jersey, Delaware, Ohio and Mai viand. The race began at 10 a.m. in the Snider Agricultural Arena parking lot and ended in the Centre County Visitor's Bureau parking lot, making it a 13.1-mile trip. The course was run mainly on university service and rural roads, with runners looping around the service roads twice and running past the University Park Airport before heading back The Daily Collegian Relationship and Sexual Violence, was recognized for the award based on her work in the Penn State community. Tosti-Vasey touted Lorah’s resilience in facing Penn State’s administration concern ing women’s rights issues. In 2006, Lorah even helped lead a call for the resignation of Joe Paterno, citing some of the coach’s past comments as derogatory to women. The namesake of the awards, Molly Yard, was a former presi dent of NOW from 1987 to 1991 and a Pittsburgh resident. Other events at the convention included unison phone calls to Pennsylvania senators Arlen Specter and Bob Casey to advo cate single-payer health care and a videoconference with congress man and Senate hopeful Joe Sestak (D-Pa.). During the convention, elec tions were held to determine positions for the next two years in Pennsylvania NOW Centre County residents to receive elected positions for the organization include Tosti-Vasey, of Bellefonte, who will continue as president, and Shani Robin, of State College, who will be an at large member. To email reporter: edtsoo7@psu.edu toward the stadium on Porter Road. “It was challenging, but chal lenging in the right spot the end,” said Tom Fanning, who ran the race with six other members of the Indiana Road Runners Club. The hills are all in the last three miles of the race, with a 160-foot rise in the last mile and a half. Nicole Irizarry (sophomore veterinary and biomedical sci ences! said the end was miser able and that she was thrilled to sec the finish line. 'Temperature-wise, it was colder than ideal, but that’s what you get for running in State College in December,” she said. Runners said the wind and ice were problematic but that the landscape was gorgeous. It was beautiful with all the snow the scenery was great.” Rohrbeck said.
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