4 I Friday, Oct. 1, 2010
THON fundraising kicks off
By Megan Rogers
COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER
For some students, Oct. 1 is a
holiday.
THON’s fundraising season
begins today and some student
organizations are excited for the
chance to exercise their passion
for the Interfraternity
Council/Panhellenic Dance
Marathon through some friendly
competition.
As a kickoff celebration, three
special interest organizations are
hosting an arm wrestling compe
tition.
ArmWrestleMania is spon
sored by special interest organi
zations Atlas, Springfield and
Ohana.
The event takes place this
afternoon at 2 p.m. in Redifer
Commons.
Attending students pay $3 for
their chance to partake in the
competition.
Winners will receive Berkey
Creamery gift certificates, Atlas
Executive Chairwoman Meg
O’Rourke said.
Ohana Executive Chairman
New store reaches out to gamers
By Vince D’lmperio
FOR THE COLLEGIAN
State College video game fans,
rejoice: Gamers Arena will hold
its grand opening today from 3 to
8 p.m.
The new store will allow cus
tomers to buy, sell and trade their
video games, among many other
services offered at the one-stop
shop for everything games.
“Some of the things we provide
give us a competitive edge,”
store co-owner Derek Canova
said. “We hold tournaments here,
as well as give our customers the
ability to rent games.”
The store, 421 E. Calder Way,
also provides gaming console
repair service, disc resurfacing
and hosts private parties.
Free food from Arby’s and
Dairy Queen, game tournaments
on large flat-screen monitors and
prizes including store gift
cards and T-shirts will be
available at today's grand open
ing.
The event will also be broad
cast live on 894.5 from 6 to 8 p.m.
Canova and Jeremy Gibson
the owner of computer repair
shop PCQuikFix, 1318 W College
Ave. are behind the new store.
Gibson, also a Gamers Arena
co-owner, said PCQuikFix did
some work in repairing video
game consoles, but he wanted to
make his business more accessi-
T.C. Cawley said the groups are
hoping to fill all 64 spots in both
brackets.
The event is more than just a
fundraiser, he said it’s a kickoff
party for THON fundraising,
lasting all way to THON week
end.
There are separate brackets
for men and women, Cawley
(senior-accounting) said.
Members of the THON Overall
Committee and even the Nittany
Lion may be in attendance,
O’Rourke said.
The event is a way to get stu
dents pumped for THON season,
O’Rourke (senior-life science and
psychology) said.
The three organizations
worked on the event together to
show their solidarity in support of
THON, Springfield Executive
Chairwoman Meg Barnett said.
“We really want to bring our
organizations together to show
case that we’re not totally com
petitive and are working for the
same goal,” Barnett said.
But Barnett (junior-market
ing) said it's still a friendly com
petition.
“The people that live here are always looking
for ways to provide venues without alcohol.”
Derek Canova
Gamers Arena co-owner
ble to the average student living
downtown, as his other store is
located past Atherton Street.
He said Gamers Arena will fill
a niche market not currently
being met in the area.
“You can’t buy or rent games
anywhere in downtown State
College,” Gibson said. “Gamers
Arena is in a great spot.
Everything around here is stu
dent housing.”
The store officially opened on
Sept. 10 and was initially sup
posed to launch its grand open
ing in conjunction with the mid
night release of Halo: Reach the
following Tuesday.
But due to a distribution error,
Gamers Arena did not receive
copies of the new game in time
and had to postpone its grand
opening as a result.
But the shipping error did not
prevent the Arena from holding a
successful Halo tournament that
night and other game tourna
ments in the week that followed.
Fliture tournaments will focus
on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
2 on Oct. 2, as well as a Madden
11 event on the following day.
Despite opening the store only
LOCAL
“I’ve been joking that I’m going
to win,” she said. “But I’m
extremely weak so hopefully
nobody takes it seriously.”
Starting today any alternative
fundraisers, online fundraisers
or fundraisers through THON
can be credited to a group’s
organization total, THON Public
Relations Overall Chairwoman
Jony Rommel said.
Those hoping to earn spots as
independent dancers can begin
raising money as well, Rommel
(senior-philosophy) said.
She said THON has seen other
creative fundraisers —like talent
and fashion shows in recent
years.
To e-majl reporter: mers2oo@psu.edu
If you go
What: Arm Wrestle Mania
When: 2 p.m. today
Where: Redifer Commons
Details: Cost to compete is
$3 and open to all students
three weeks ago, Gibson and
Canova said they’re optimistic it
will be successful.
They already have plans to
open new stores in other college
towns.
But for now, the storeowners
said they’re focused on ensuring
the State College location will
become popular with Penn State
students.
“The people that live here are
always looking for ways to pro
vide venues without alcohol,”
Canova said.
“Gamers Arena gives people
the option to have fun without the
use of alcohol.”
If you go
What: Gamers Arena grand
opening
When: 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. today
Where: Gamers Arena, 421 E.
Calder Way
Details: Free food from Arby’s
and Dairy Queen will be avail
able. T-shirts and store gift
cards will also be awarded.
Andrew Dunheimer./Coliegian
Christopher Tomaszewicz, known as Farrah Knight from Long Island,
performs at last year’s Coming Out Week Drag Show.
Dance, rally planned
for Coming Out Week
By Jessica Wabara
COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER
Halloween and football games
are not the only two events to look
forward to in the month of
October.
For more than ten years, the
Lesbian. Gay, Bisexual,
Transgender and Ally (LGBTA)
Student Resource Center has
organized events for National
Coming Out Week, which falls in
the month of October.
And this year, officials from the
organization said it’s more impor
tant than ever for people to partic
ipate.
“Being a minority is important
and it is important to have a time
in the year to celebrate your
minority status,” said Julian Haas,
vice president of Delta Lambda
Phi, a fraternity for gay, bisexual
and progressive men.
National Coming Out week will
begin Oct. 9 and end Oct. 15.
The LGBTA Student Resource
Center will kick off the week with a
coming-out dance.
“People can bring partners and
not have to worry about being
judged. It is a safe space and some
people don’t have that,” said
Allison Jones, Rainbow
Roundtable president. “The event
will give visibility to our communi
ty”
The main purpose of the week
long celebration is to provide the
LGBTA community and those still
in the closet an opportunity to
have fun and feel comfortable with
The Daily Collegian
other people who share similar
values.
“We have a center but people
think that by walking in they are
automatically labeled as gay,”
Jones (senior-marketing) said.
“We want to give students the
voice and space to talk about their
accomplishments and struggles
about coming out."
One event will include a HUB
takeover where gay students will
display a large rainbow arch, in
addition to a drag show hosted by
Undertones.
There will also be a rally on the
steps of Old Main.
“Anyone who is LGBT has come
out thinking they are alone. These
events let people come out and
feel comfortable with them
selves,” said Kirstie Hartman
(junior-marketing), a member of
the Rainbow Roundtable and pro
gramming and events intern at
the LGBTA Student Resource
Center. “You're not alone and
we’ve all been where you are.
When you’re in the closet it is nice
to hear there are other people who
feel the same as you.”
For the first time, the LGBTA
community will be participating in
the homecoming parade with
LGBTA alumni. Jones said the
LGBTA will be wear
ing T-shirts that say “We
are... Family.”
“No matter if you choose to
come out or not. the LGBT family
is here for you,” Jones said.
To e-mail reporter: jdws2B4@psu.edu