\\ The Daily
Collegian
Published independently by students at Penn State
QB list narrows
By Andrew J. Cassavell
COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER
There may not be a more pressing
question in Happy Valley these days
than who will start at quarterback when
Penn State kicks off its season against
Youngstown State on Sept. 4.
And there may not be anyone who
wants the answer more than the man
who ultimately has the power to make
that decision: football coach Joe
Paterno.
Despite the quarterback race being
narrowed from four to three last week
The Penn State Nittany Lion mascot helps welcome freshmen at the Be A Part From The Start pep rally in Rec Hall Sunday.
welcomes freshmen
By Alyssa Sweeney
COLLEGIA*-; staff writer
Thousands ot first-year students
stood shoulderdo-shoulder, shouted
Penn State light songs and cheered as
the Nittanv Lion mascot raced through
14 one-armed pushups for the Class of
2014 at the Be A Part From The Start
pep rally last night.
The event, held at Rec Hall and spon
sored bv the Lion Ambassadors, kicked
off this year's Welcome Week.
'All the hype is crazy. I've never seen
Officials visit a house during last year's LION Walk,
Officials to
LION Walk
By Colleen Boyle
IOLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER
A special “welcome back” from university and
State College borough officials will greet some off
campus students on their doorsteps tonight.
Penn State President Graham Spanier, State
College Mayor Elizabeth Goreham and other
notable figures in the Penn State community will
kick off the 2010 fall semester with LION Walk
For three years, the Living In One Neighborhood
(LION) Walk has given officials a chance to rub
elbows with students and distribute information
about being a good neighbor in a community where
college students and permanent residents co
exist.
“This is a terrific collaboration between the uni
versity and the borough,” Penn State spokes
woman Lisa Powers said. “We know that there are
sometimes issues that arise in the neighborhoods
where students and residents need to co-exist, and
this is just one step in finding some common
ground, creating mutual respect and fostering
good old-fashioned neighborliness.”
freshman Paul Jones apparently the
odd man out after the coaching staff
reportedly opted to redshirt him no
decision has been made on Kevin
Newsome, Matt McGloin or Robert
Bolden being the starter. And that deci
sion may not be announced until next
week.
“There isn’t anybody with any experi
ence out there,” said Paterno, who has
n't seen a true freshman start the
See QUARTERBACKS, Page 2.
A look ahead at this year’s football sea
son | SPORTS, Page 18.
anything like this back home,” said
Charlise Harris (freshman-division of
undergraduate studies) after she took
part in her first Penn, State wave.
Charlise was one of about 7,000 to
8,000 freshmen that hiked to West cam
pus to watch the Lionettes, learn fight
songs, and of course, meet the Nittany
Lion mascot.
“Hold on tight, freshmen. Your jour
ney begins now,” yelled a Lion
Ambassador as the rally began.
Performers ranged from members of
the Lionettes, Penn State Glee Club and
See WALK, Page 2.
Friends and family
remember student
By Brendan McNally
COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER
Penn State student Tom
Richards dreamed of going to
law school and becoming a judge
one day a goal his father said
he had no doubt his son would
have accomplished.
Richards’ dream was cut
short last week when he died in
the early morning of Aug. 16
after suffering a seizure, Penn
State spokeswoman Lisa
Powers said. He was attending a
retreat at Camp Blue Diamond
Matisyahu to perform acoustic set on lawn
By David Strader
COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER
If you’ve never seen a Jewish ortho
dox reggae rapper, now is your chance.
Matisyahu will perform an acoustic
set at 5 p.m. Sept. 1 on the HUB lawn.
The musical performance will be the
main attraction for the Jewish Life
Festival, which will host an assortment
of Jewish traditions, such as kosher hot
dogs and Challah bread, among other
attractions.
The Chabad Jewish Student
Organization will host the event, and it
is free to everyone.
Niki Hetchkop, a member of the event
organization committee, said the event
Courtesy of Robert Bolden
Robert Bolden makes a run during one
of his high school football games.
Penn State Blue Band
leaders and majorettes.
“We’re the spirit of Penn State it's
our job to help create the energy,” said
Lionette Kayla Weaver (sophomore
journalism).
Many Lion Ambassadors spent the
summer in State College planning the
rally to make sure the freshmen started
the year off with a bang.
See RALLY, Page 2.
More coverage of new students' first
weekend on campus | NEWS, Page 4.
in Petersburgh, Pa., with the
Schreyer Honors College’s
Leadership Jumpstart class,
Powers said.
Richards
father, also Tom
Richards, said
he would have
loved to see the
day his son
accomplished
his goals.
“He was going Klct,ards
to do it,” his
father said. “He didn’t think that
See STUDENT. Page 2.
If you go
What Matisyahu to perform at the
Jewish Life Festival
When: 5-8 p.m. Sept. 1
Where: HUB-Robeson Center Lawn
Details: Free
is the ideal way to help kick off the
school year.
“It’s the beginning of school and
freshman kids want to get involved, so
this should bring a fun event to Penn
State for them,” Hetchkop (senior-com
munications) said.
Leaders
question
THON
structure
Top student leaders say they disagree with the
THON overall committee's decisions to select
greek liaisons without greek input and to not
release complete fundraising totals
for the second consecutive year.
Interfraternity Council (IFC>
President Max Wendkos said the
Interfraternity Council Panhell
enic Dance Marathon overall com
mittee is making policy decisions
without soliciting input or inform
ing students, but THON Overall
Chairwoman Kirsten Kelly said the " enaKOS
committee's decisions are what's
best for the children they raise money for.
Wendkos (senior-marketing and psychology)
said the THON overall committee recently e
mailed IFC and Panhellenic
Council (PHC) officials to inform
them that they will not be part of
the selection of the Greeks 4 Kids
liaisons to the THON communica
tions committee this year.
Wendkos, who said he is not
speaking on behalf of the IFC exec
utive board, said the e-mail about
the selection changes was "dis- Kelly
turbingly nonchalantly" phrased.
"At this point, [Greeks 4 Kids] doesn't have a
clear enough direction to warrant having input on
our communication captains," Kelly said.
And for the second consecutive year, only the
fundraising totals announced during THON will be
posted online part of an effort to decrease com
petition among groups. Kelly said.
But vVendkos said that competitive spirit is vital
to raising money for THON.
"What would Kirsten Kelly prefer?" Wendkos
asked. “A THON with less competition that raises
less for the kids or a THON with the usual amount
of competition that raises more for the kids?"
He said THON needs more internal checks and
balances, as there are “red flags everywhere”
regarding internal THON issues.
plus cheer-
Last year, the IFC, PHC and THON overall com
mittee jointly selected the communication liaisons
from the greek community' Wendkos said.
But this year, the overall committee will select
the liaisons without IFC or PHC input.
Greeks 4 Kids which was formed last year to
unite greeks in THON-related issues is not yet
recognized by the university, Kelly said.
The liaisons replaced the two greek associate
vice president positions on the THON overall com
mittee in 2009.
PHC President Sara Linkosky (senior-political
science) said the THON overall chairperson holds
too much power, and THON should be held
accountable like other student organizations.
The controversy surrounding the Greeks 4 Kids
liaisons isn’t the only change garnering criticism.
Upholding last year's policy change, THON offi
cials decided that only the fundraising totals
announced at THON will go online, Kelly (senior
marketing) said.
“That is an effort to take focus away from com
peting with each other and focusing on the kids,"
Kelly said.
For Wendkos, the worry is that students aren't
being made aware of the changes.
"I don’t understand why the THON overall com
mittee which is representing the thousands of
students who are passionate about THON is
making such impactful decisions without consider
ing that dynamic," he said.
psucollegian.com
@dailycollegian
By Megan Rogers
COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER
To e-mail reporter: mers2oo@psu.edu
Hetchkop is especially
for Matisyahu’s acoustic per
formance. ■
“It’s a really unique oppor
tunitv for students to see a
Jewish rapper that's one of a
kind, and it’s going to get a
lot of attention,”
Hetchkop said.
Penn State’s
Chabad has brought
Matisyahu to Penn
State before, but organ
ization leader Rabbi A. )
Nosson
said this time
have a much more
See RAPPER, Page