11 The Daily
Collegian
Published independently by students at Penn State
JoePa: Lions lack experience
By Brendan Monahan
COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER
Joe Paterno isn't betting his
whole stack of chips this weekend
at No. 1 Alabama.
Paterno will treat Saturday’s
game as a learning experience
because Penn State isn’t at
Alabama’s level yet. At his weekly
press conference Tuesday, the
Nittany Lions coach said the
opportunity to play a big game on
the road against a team like
Alabama is something for his play
ers to soak in and a reason why
players come to Penn State.
“That doesn’t mean a miracle’s
going to happen,” Paterno said.
“We come home, and we’ll be a
better team for having played the
game.”
Hosseini
to speak
at series
‘Kite Runner’
writer booked
By Hannah Rishel
COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER
Khaled Hosseini, the Afghan-
American author of “The Kite
Runner,” will bring his unique
view on Afghanistan to Penn
State later this month.
Hosseini will speak as part of
SPA’s Distinguished Speaker
Series at 8 p.m. Sept. 30 in
Eisenhower Auditorium.
Tickets for the event will
become available Sept. 16 at all
Penn State ticket locations dur
ing regular distribution hours.
Admission is free, with two tick
ets available per Penn State stu
dent ID. General admission tick
ets will go on sale Thursday,
Sept. 23.
“He’s been a person we’ve
been very interested in for a
while,” said Emily McConnell,
Distinguished Speaker Series
chairwoman. “We've never been
able to book him before because
he’s so difficult to get. We got
really lucky.”
Unlike the traditional
Distinguished Speaker Series
format, where the lecturer
speaks and does a short question
and answer session afterward,
Hosseini will take part in an
hour-long moderated question
and-answer session. Attendees
will be able to submit their ques
tions online prior to the event.
“The content of the event will
be determined by what ques
tions students ask him and how
much he elaborates on them,”
McConnell (junior-economics)
said.
Hosseini became an interna
tional best seller with his debut
novel “The Kite Runner.” He fol
lowed up with his sophomore
novel, “A Thousand Splendid
Suns.” Both his novels involve
his homeland and the issues that
go along with the country. Before
his books were published, he
worked as a physician, according
to his official website.
And fans said they are very
excited for the author’s visit.
Ashley Stryker is a fan of the
book, calling it a “frightening
novel” that helped her reevalu
ate her view of
Afghanistan
“It wasn’t
See AUTHOR,
Page 2.
A key part of Patemo’s reason
ing: The Nittany Lions lack experi
ence, while Alabama doesn’t.
The inexperience doesn’t show
on paper. The Crimson Tide
return 10 starters while Penn
State has 12 coming back from
their 2009 teams. And Alabama
will be without defensive lineman
Marcell Dareus, who won’t play
Saturday because of a two-game
NCAA suspension for accepting
nearly $2,000 in improper benefits
during two trips to Miami.
Paterno said Alabama’s depth
comes from the experienced play
ers who didn’t start last season
something lacking in the Penn
State offensive line, the unit
Paterno singled out as a major
concern heading into Saturday.
See FOOTBALL Page 2.
Students wait in line to receive some cake as part of the Schreyer Honors College’s 13th birthday.
SHC heralds 13 years
By Julia Anselmo
COLLEGIAN STAFF-WRITER
Schreyer Honors College
(SHC) students and staff gath
ered in the HUB-Robeson
Center’s Heritage Hall Tuesday
to celebrate the college’s 13th
birthday and commemorate the
success and prestige of the col
lege at Penn State over the years.
SHC students and staff min
gled, talked and enjoyed cake
and the Berkey Creamery’s new
signature ice cream flavor,
Scholar’s Chip.
State Theatre leader to step down
By Lindsay Cryer
COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER
Mike Negra, who has helped
renovate and direct the State
Theatre since 1999, stepped down
from his position Tuesday after
noon.
Negra, who served as the exec
utive director of the State
Theatre, 130 W College Ave.,
since 2006, did not comment on
the reasons behind his resigna
tion.
Negra said he is uncertain
about who will fill the position—it
will be up to the State Theatre’s
board of directors.
His projected last day at the
theater is Sept. 21 and he is will
ing to help the downtown venue
Andrew Dunheimer/Collegian
Joe Paterno speaks to a small crowd gathered in the Beaver Stadium
media room about the upcoming Alabama game on Tuesday.
Christine Arbutina, SHC’s col
lege relations coordinator, said
the purpose of the event was held
to celebrate and recognize the
students and staff of the honors
college.
“We started this last year as a
way to commemorate the col
lege’s founding to celebrate
the past, present, and future of
the honors college,” Arbutina
said.
SHC Dean Christian Brady
gave opening remarks and said
the honors college has always
been a special place for talented,
transition into new leadership, he
said.
“I’ve put too much of my life
and there’s so many people in the
community that have helped
make the State Theatre what it is
today,” Negra said.
“I could never walk away from
it in a huff. I gave them two weeks
and hopefully that’s enough time
to help them transition into new
leadership.”
There were no board members
available for comment by press
time Tuesday.
Negra said he has no specific
plans for the future, other than
relaxing, working on his family’s
goat farm and potentially travel
ing. His main concern is to aid in
the theater’s transition, he added.
hard-working students and facul
ty to share their gifts with the
Penn State community.
“The Schreyer Honors College
is a place of life-long, life-chang
ing significance,” he said. “Today
we recognize the rich heritage of
honors at Penn State and cele
brate the special gifts of time and
talents given by many.”
Three SHC students were then
called forward to talk about the
important role the honors college
has played in their lives and edu
cation at Penn State.
See SCHREYER, Page 2.
“It’s all about the State
Theatre,” he said.
State College Mayor Elizabeth
Goreham said Negra’s work in
finding funds and dohations for
the State Theatre —as well as his
energy and “tremendous effort”
have been wonderful gifts to
State College.
“He’s contributed to the cultur
al value of our town and he’s cre
ated a venue that is a point of
pride for all of us in State College
and in the area,” Goreham said.
“He should be commended and
we need to honor him in some
way.”
Negra worked with the State
Theatre since its inception in
1999, when he was also the
See THEATRE, Page 2.
psucollegian.com
@dailycollegian
HOMECOMING
Court
gets
house
calls
By Megan Rogers
COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER
The 2010 Homecoming Court
was finalized Tuesday night, and
Homecoming officials said they
believe those selected for the
court best represent the student
body.
Members of this year’s court
are Danielle DaSilva, Marina
Johnson, Katherine Larimer,
Jessica Pelliciotta, Katy Poole,
Dan Cartwright, Dan Florencio,
Curran McCready, Jared
McKnight and Justin Ross.
The ten students were chosen
because of their dedication to
Penn State, Homecoming Public
Relations Director Caitlin Rush
said.
“It’s really nice to see all of
these students who have done so
much with their time here at
Penn State being rewarded for
all of that,” Rush (junior-market
ing and public relations) said.
Court member Curran
McCready, who found out in the
HUB-Robeson Center that he
had made the court shortly after
the selections were finalized,
said his initial reaction was
excitement. McCready (senior
finance), the THON Donor and
Alumni Relations overall chair
man and a Lion Ambassador,
said he was surprised to be nofti
inated to the court. He said he’s
looking forward to Homecoming
week already.
“I’m excited to share the expe
rience with the rest of the mem
bers of the court,” he said.
The other members of
Homecoming Court were
informed of their selections via
late-night house calls from the
Homecoming
Committee, Rush said
Homecoming Royalty
Director Dave Belliveau said the
committee hoped for a court that
was focused on students who
excelled in the areas of philan
thropy and diversity.
See HOMECOMING, Page 2.
Court picks
■ Dan Cartwright
■ Danielle DaSilva
■ Dan Florencio
■ Marina Johnson
■ Curran McCready
■ Jessica Pelliciotta
■ Jared McKnight
■ Katy Poole
■ Justin Ross
Collegian file photo
Mike Negra will leave his position.
Overall