$NMps allocate ftattireltef funds 'V- . ':*<&. A • ■'-'c O'** WV. LOCAL; Page 4. W The Daily Collegian Published independently by students at Penn State Later loop draws riders By Paige Minemyer COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER As the first month of the White Loop extension comes to a close, ridership data shows consistent use of the buses in the early morning hours. Extended weekend White Loop hours running until 4:30 a.m. on Thursday. Friday and Saturday nights were approved by the University Park Undergraduate Association on Jan.l3 and went into effect two days later. The Centre • Area Transportation Authority (CATA) has been monitoring the number of riders during the past month, and officials are pleased with the results. "It's too early to say if this should be permanent." service development manager Eric Bernier said. "But we think the early results are encouraging." The number of students using the extended hours has remained consistent during the first four weeks, averaging 1.281 riders per weekend, according to a CATA report. In fact, the only time the number of riders dropped below 1.000 was the sec ond week a canning weekend. UPUA President Gavin Keirans thinks warmer weather will bring even more riders. "I think we're going to see a major uptake in numbers in the second half of the semester." he said. UPUA continues to employ ambassadors to monitor these extended hours including some non-UPUA ambassadors and members from greek and other student organizations. "I hate to be cheesy, but I would call it a success." UPUA Student Life and Diversity- Chairman Christian Ragland said. Ragland (junior-political sci ence) said he initially thought being an ambassador would be boring, but the ambassadors found ways to keep up morale including meeting a diverse cast of students and bus drivers. To e-mail reporter: pemso6B@psu.edu. Another one rides the White Loop The first month of the CATA extension maintained a consistent number of riders. Source: Gavin Keirans-CATA Ashlev Rickard/Collegian Professor still positive in face of hardships By Pete Dombrosky COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER On any given day, Penn State tested again. His doctor found a kinesiology instructor Mike spot on his spine two weeks ago Morse can usually be found deep could be cancerous, could be in a story in front of a class of nothing. wide-eyed students who can’t Regardless, Mike underwent believe what they're hearing. the eighth major surgery of his Mike has been struck by light- life Monday forcing him to take a ning, hit by a drunk driver and three-month medical leave, survived cancer. While these Leaving his students behind events nearly killed him, they also will be the hardest part, he said, left the 56-year-old with a mental See PROFESSOR. Page 12. THON LOVE AND B-BALL Beth Carey is a family relations captain, basketball player and Four Diamonds Fund child | WE ARE, Page 14. State Patty's Day T-shirts are on j sale in People's Nation. The holiday will be on Feb. 27, Steve Migliore (sophomore-veterinary and biomedical sciences), Jim Smith (junior-kinesiology) and Mark Rubin (junior-psychology) i shuffle through the snow at the Pattee Mall on Monday night. After last week’s snow storms, a new layer added to the previous accumulation ; i but did not keep students indoors. According to accuweather.com, State College will see more snow in the coming days. Alumni to return, dance at THON By Sarah Peters COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER i Getting married, having chil dren and dancing in THON : these are the experiences of a | lifetime, said Stacey Bingler Forbes, president of the Dance Marathon Alumni Interest Group (DMAIG). Forbes, Class of 1995, served as the overall THON chair woman in 1995 and has been involved with the Inlerfraternity Council/Panhell-enic Dance Marathon in almost every way imaginable, including as an alumna dancer. When she danced as an alum toughness and an optimism he passes down to his students. That toughness is about to be Prof, demands end Dennis Shea asks peers to stop State Patty’s By Laurie Stern COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER Professor Dennis Shea is call ing upon the Penn State faculty to demand an end to State Patty's Day. saying it is the only responsi ble thing to do. A health policy and administra tion professor. Shea has frequent ly posted on the wall of the "End The State Patty's Day' Tradition" Facebook group, engaging other group members about the harm the day can cause. The group had na in 2000, Forbes said many of the student dancers asked her how dancing in Rec Hah was dif ferent from organizing THON in the White Building as an overall five years earlier. The biggest difference? Moralers are even more impor tant, she said. 'lt s a different kind of experi ence, because when you dance as a student, you know everybody,” See THON. Page 2. Mike Morse watches as students in his KINES 0908 (Introduction to Team Sports/Indoor - Basketball) class do drills Thursday morning. PARTY TIME State College prepares for subdued Mardi Gras LOCAL, Page 3. more than 1,100 members at press time and aims to stop at nothing less than ending the event before it "brings a bad name to the area again." "We absolutely have to talk about this,” Shea said. “The impact of this type of stuff goes way beyond the students. It impacts alumni, faculty and the university community in every way. I think part of the problem is faculty- don't talk out about this." Shea, who lives just outside of State College, recalled one con THON dancers participate in the 2009 line dance in the Bryce Jordan Center at last year's THON. psucollegian.com versation he had with a member of a local church who was consider ing changing the date of a major fundraiser because many mem bers won't venture downtown on State Pattv's Dav. "It's really important to talk about appropriate behaviors." Shea said. "If we re not really will ing to talk about those sort of things, we're stepping away from our ability as faculty to be respon sible." Though some students may feel See STATE PATTY'S. Page 2. UPUA closer to finishing manual By Paige Minemyer COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER As the University Park Undergraduate Association (UPUA) moves toward its planned deadline for the fresh man handbook, members looked to the past for inspiration. The handbook committee invited alumnus Ben Bronstein, Class of 1961. to its Monday night meeting. Bronstein worked on the handbook when he was at Penn State and came to advise the committee. He said he was glad to see the handbook coming to fruition after several years of stalled plans. “I congratulate you guys on finally making it happen." Bronstein said. Bronstein addressed several issues with the potential hand book. including the fact that it is to be printed instead of put online. He said the committee just has to try out the different alter natives. “I think it's a good idea and you have to test it and see how it works," he said. Samantha Miller, UPUA See UPUA. Page 2.
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