THE DAILY COLLEGIAN
Hillel welcomes students
By Matt Scorzafave
COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER
Students munched hot dogs, lis
tened to music and mingled with
new and returning members of
Penn State Hillel on the HUB-
Robeson Center's back patio at
the Jewish student organization's
second annual barbecue Tuesday
night. . . .
The group hoped to familiarize
both incoming freshmen and pre
viously uninvolved students with
Hillel, said Aaron Kaufman,
Hillel's executive director.
Hillel held its first cookout last
fall during Welcome Week
The event drew so many new
students that the group decided to
make the barbecue an annual tra
dition.
"We did a little bit of planning
over the summer and wanted to
continue the event, since last
Speaker advocates
assault awareness
By Sarah Peters
COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER
About 70 students became the
jury in a mock trial of a sexual
assault case in the HUB
Auditorium Tuesday night as part
of an awareness initiative.
Brett Sokolow, president of the
National Center for Higher
Education Risk Management, led
the initiative, entitled "Drunk Sex
or Date Rape: Can You Tell the
Difference?"
Sokolow, who's also an attorney,
outlined the murky details of a
sexual assault case on a college
campus thirteen years ago.
The case concerned two stu
dents, "Amy" and "Todd," who
met at a house party. Both had a
few beers, but later Todd offered
Amy Jell-O shots made with the
grain alcohol Everclear.
That meant those shots were
about 90 percent alcohol, Solokow
explained to gasps from the audi
ence.
The next morning, Amy woke
up to a note from Todd explaining
they'd had sex but she said she
didn't remember it.
"Guys, would that worry us?"
asked Sokolow. "Ladies, put your
self in Amy's shoes.
Writers:,
Take/ Note,
The Daily Collegian invites students
attend
interested in becoming reporters to
one of the upcoming tryouts. No experience
is necessary. You will be asked write a
short news story based on a set to
of fac ts.
lit
year's was so successful in bring
ing new people to the organiza
tion," said Hillel's THON chair,
Brittany Musaffi (junior - psychol
ogy).
Tuesday's two-hour event
allowed students to interact with
each other and learn about what
Hillel has to offer, with poster dis
plays of the group's various activi
ties and programs.
"Our goal is to create a welcom
ing, low-barrier opportunity for
Jewish students to connect to one
another and for all students to
learn more about opportunities at
Penn State," Kaufman said.
Returning Hillel students were
excited to meet potential new
members.
"I've just come back from Israel
and with that experience, I'm real
ly excited to meet more people in
the Jewish community at Penn
State," said Rachel Brown (sopho
How would that feel?"
The "jury" of audience mem
bers voted 60 percent to 40 per
cent to convict Todd of sexual
assault.
Audra Hixson, Program
Coordinator at the Center for
Women Students, said the pro
gram is timely because of the
high number of cases of sexual
assault seen in the fall, most
involving drugs or alcohol and
occurring between people who
know each other.
"I hope it, number one, increas
es their awareness of the links
between sexual assault and alco
hol, but also starts conversations
about sexual assaults among stu
dents," Hixson said.
Abby Yochum (sophomore
security and risk analysis) said
it's an issue that also hits close to
home.
"I know people who've been
date raped, and it really bothers
me," Yochum said. "I'm really
passionate about it."
Toward the end of the evening,
Sokolow revealed that the jury in
the real-life sexual assault case
had unanimously voted Todd
guilty
After serving prison time and
registering as a sex offender,
Whether it's sports, arts, campus events
or regional news, your stories will be
widely read by fellow students if you
are a Collegian reporter.
If you are interested in applying for
the Collegian's photography or
graphics staffs, watch for
upcoming advertisements.
LOCAL & STATE
more-human development and
family studies).
Jenna Heffler (freshman-divi
sion of undergraduate studies)
said she was excited to meet other
Jewish students at Penn State and
wanted to participate in the Taglit-
Birthright program a free trip
to Israel with Hillel. Aside from
traveling, Hillel has a consistent
following of students who practice
routine worship and attend Friday
night dinners, said Musaffi.
Kaufman said one of the cookout's
goals was to get students interest
ed in all of the opportunities the
group has to offer.
"While Penn State Hillel has
grown tremendously in the last
few years, some students are not
yet aware of the wide variety of
programs and opportunities we
offer," Kaufman said.
To e-mail reporter mrss429@pw.edu
The president of the National
Center for Higher Education Risk
Management spoke Tuesday
about sexual assault awareness.
Todd got an associate degree at a
community college. Amy dropped
out of school and attempted sui
cide. She couldn't bring herself to
cash a check for over $1 million
she received in a settlement with
the college.
The audience fell silent.
"There's no amount of money
in the world that can fix some
thing like this," Sokolow said.
Tanner Fitzgerald (sophomore
finance), a member of Men
Against Violence, said he was
pleased with the program.
"Really, all it takes is one per
son to hear, and [Sokolow] can
save two people's lives," he said.
"I was glad that there was a
majority [who convicted Todd],
but I wish someday it would be
100 to zero, not 60 to 40."
To e-mail reporter: svpso7l@psu.edu
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Lauren Schuchart, Director of Engagements for Penn State HI!lel,
passes out food to students at Hillel's barbecue.
Rendell disappointed by
federal grant rejection
By Kathy Matheson
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
HARRISBURG Gov. Ed
Rendell on Tuesday blamed
Pennsylvania's loss in the second
round of the federal "Race to the
Top" educational grant competi
tion on the lack of a special route
for midcareer professionals to
become teachers and inadequate
support for linking teacher pay
and tenure to performance.
Rendell said he was "very dis
appointed" that the state finished
in 18th place as the U.S.
Education Department doled out
$3.4 billion in funding to nine
states and Washington, D.C.
He had hoped the state would
receive up to $4OO million to help
more than 100,000 additional stu
dents reach grade level in read
ing and math; to halve the num
ber of students testing at the low
est level; and to ensure that at
least 85 percent of students in the
most struggling schools reach
proficiency.
The "Race to the Top" pro
gram, part of President Barack
Obama's economic stimulus
plan, rewards states for imple
menting ambitious changes to
improve struggling schools.
Tennessee and Delaware
Tryouts:
Monday. Aug. 30
Tuesday - , Aug. 31
Wednesday; Sept. 1.
2-3:15 p.m.
6-7:15 p.m.
Bring: A pencil and blue exam book
Where: 123 South Burrowes Street
Any questions? Call News Adviser
John Harvey at 865-3842
2♦ COLLEGIAN
co
BEAVER AVE.
Coll4lan
WEDNESDAY, AUG. 25, 2010 I
obtained grants in the competi
tion's first round earlier this year.
Rendell said some of the win
ning states announced Thesday
have made promises about merit
pay that they will not be able to
keep.
Pennsylvania's application, he
said, was more honest in how it
dealt with the restrictions of
union contracts.
He said other states provided
letters of support from all district
superintendents.
Pennsylvania, he said, instead
went district-by-district to obtain
agreements regarding the state's
plan to improve achievement.
Superintendents, school board
presidents and teacher union
presidents signed those agree
ments for 122 districts and 69
charter schools.
"We could have put in that all
500 districts are willing to do it
based on the supers' [superin
tendents] OK," he said at a
Capitol news conference, "but
that couldn't have come to pass."
The state's application pledged
to create an evaluation system
for teachers and principals with
input from school districts, char
ter schools and teachers unions,
as well as other professional
associations.
PSU CAMPUS
, COLLEGE AVE