4 I FRIDAY, OCT. 15, 2010
Race to kick-start THON
By Megan Rogers
COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER
Some students may don cos
tumes a few weeks early this
year not in an attempt to snag
some free candy, but to celebrate
the spirit of THON.
A Nittany Lion and a robot may
be present at Sunday's race
and there's no real limit on what
to expect at the 10th annual
Interfraternity Council/Panhell
enic Dance Marathon 5K THON
Special Events Overall
Chairwoman Mary Dowd said.
She said she even heard a rumor
some Blue Band members may
run in full uniform.
The THON 5K is the first big
THON-sponsored event of the
year, THON Public Relations
Overall Chairwoman Jony
Rommel said and a glimpse of
what THON weekend is actually
like.
This is the first year the THON
5K will begin at the Bryce Jordan
Center, the dance marathon's
home during THON weekend.
The starting line has moved from
near the Intramural Building
fields to the BJC.
Because of how large the event
Walk to benefit heart research
By Danae Blasso
FOR THE COLLEGIAN
When beauty pageant winner
Sophia Medairy walks this
Saturday: she won't be walking
down a runway in high heels.
Instead. Medairy the 2010
Miss Teen Pennsylvania
International will walk in the
2010 Centre County Heart Walk.
The three-mile walk will take
place Saturday afternoon, and its
proceeds will go to health educa
tion to prevent heart disease in
future generations.
The American Heart
Association is holding the event
at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.
The no-fee registration begins at
noon, and the walk kicks off at 1
p.m.
"This event raises funds to
fight heart disease and stroke,"
said Rachel Zacharie, division
director of the Central
Susquehanna Valley/Centre
Division of the American Heart
Association.
Zacharie said The association
uses money from the walk to pro
vide free public places, walking
trails, better nutrition and better
education in schools.
Medairy said the disease hits
close to home.
If you go
What -HON 5K
When: 11:30 a.m. Sunday
Where: The race starts at the
Bryce Jordan Center.
Details: Fun run is $l5; race
with timing chip is $lB.
Students may register at
thon.org.
has grown, a location move was
needed, Dowd (senior-journal
ism) said.
People come out to the event
decked out in all sorts of cos
tumes, Rommel (senior-philoso
phy) said. Overall, it's a colorful
event.
"You definitely feel the THON
spirit around," she said.
Rommel said some costumes
are funny while others are just
touching. Last year, she saw a
THON child dressed up in a lion
costume, which she said sums up
to her what THON is all about.
Eddy Barringer (freshman
engineering) said he's excited to
see what all of the hype is about.
He's planning on running the
If you go
What: Centre County Heart
Walk
When: 1 p.m. Saturday
Where: The walk starts at
Medlar Field at Lubrano Park
Details: The walk is open to
the public.
"My grandmother died in 2005
of congestive heart failure. I want
to teach children how to prevent
themselves from being prone to
getting heart disease," she said.
"It's a very preventable disease."
Medairy isn't the only one
impacted by heart disease and its
effects.
Jordyn Colao (junior-biobehav
ioral health), the 2009 Miss Teen
Pennsylvania International, also
worked with the American Heart
Association.
"It's great to spread aware
ness because people don't know
the risks for heart disease,"
Colao said. "People don't know
the symptoms and they need to
know when to get help."
Many survivors will also walk
for the cause, Colao said.
"There will be tons of survivors
LOCAL
race with THON special interest
group Pillar.
The largest 5K in Central
Pennsylvania is hoping to contin
ue to grow in size, Rommel said.
"THON events grow so much
from year to year," Rommel said.
"We're definitely hoping to have a
big turnout on Sunday."
Registrations for the THON 5K
are only 650 less than last year's
record-breaking 5,150, Dowd
said.
About 4,500 runners have
signed up for the race so far, she
said but registration will be
open up until the start of the race.
By noon on Monday all of the
runner bags had been claimed,
Rommel said. That's the norm
for the popular race, she said.
But those who didn't get a
THON runner bag with the
THON 5K T-shirt aren't out of
luck
For the first time ever, t-shirts
will be sold at the race for $lO,
Dowd said.
Even if it doesn't have more
registrants than last year, the
race's spirit will continue to
climb in size, Dowd said.
To e-mail reporter: mers2oo@psu.edu
and a lot of them are little chil
dren that were born with congen
ital disease," Colao said.
"Even though they struggle
with it throughout their lives,
they have a huge future ahead of
them."
Zacharie said the American
Heart Association works with
local health care providers to
educate them regarding medical
advances and new treatment
guidelines.
"We work with many of the
businesses in the community to
not only support the AHA, but
also support awareness,"
Zacharie said.
The top sponsors for the event
Mount Nittany Medical Center
and the Pennsylvania State
Employees Credit Union will
have educational materials on
heart disease and stroke avail
able.
"It's a day to promote aware
ness of cardiovascular disease, -
Zacharie said. "It's the No. 1
killer"
The American Heart
Association invests $132 million
nationwide for research of heart
disease and strokes.
"You're walking for something
you can't see, but still touches
you in your life," Medairy said.
Kelsey Morris /Collegian
Leah Levine (freshman- biological anthropology) throws a ball past Tim
Gonzalez (freshman -physics) during Quidditch practice.
Students to swoop
to Quidditch Cup
There's still hope for Penn State
students who have always
dreamed of winning the Quidditch
World Cup.
Penn State's Three
Broomsticks Quidditch team will
travel to Philadelphia Saturday to
compete against 10 other teams
for the Philadelphia Brotherly
Love Cup at Chestnut Hill College
sponsored by the International
Quidditch Association.
Three Broomsticks President
Megan Seidel (junior-telecommu
nications) is such a diehard fan of
the Harry Potter books that the
club had an influence on her deci
sion to attend Penn State.
I found out about the club
when I was researching colleges
and instantly knew I was going to
join," Seidel said.
Bianca Bancroft's love for
Harry Potter has even extended to
her pets.
ve been obsessed with
Harry Potter forever, so when I
heard about the club at my
FTCAP I immediately knew I had
to join." Bancroft (freshman-histo
ry) said. "I even named my dog
Luna."
The International Quidditch
Association began as an intramu
ral league at Middlebury College,
and the first Quidditch commis
sioner altered the magical ele
ments from J.K Howling's "Harry
Potter" series to make the game
playable on ground, Magical
Games Committee head Mary
Beth Henry said.
gnrealty.com -119 S. Burrowes St.- (814)238-1878
By Jessica Tully
FOR THE COLLEGIAN
THE DAILY COLLEGIAN
There are more than 400 colle
giate and 300 high school teams in
the International Quidditch
Association. Henry (junior-theatre
design and technology) said. But
the Quidditch rules have been
altered for Muggles.
- Basically, the chasers play bas
ketball, the beaters play dodge
ball, and the seeker plays hide
and-seek." she said.
"It's three games in one which
is what makes it so fub because
we can change positions and play
a new game within the same
game."
Quidditch features one cross
country runner playing the role of
the golden snitch.
The runner has a sock attached
to his body at all times, and he
must keep away from the seeker,
who is trying to end the game by
"catching the snitch," Henry said.
Staying true to the book, there
are three chasers who try to shoot
the quaffle through one of three
hoops, and a keeper who tries to
defend the hoops. There are also
two beaters who throw dodgeballs
at their opponents to help their
team's chasers keep the quaffle,
Henry said.
Players must have a broom
between their legs or their team
does not receive any of the points
they had.scored.
Currently. the Penn State
Quidditch team plays pick-up
games on Mondays, Thursdays
and Sundays on the lawn behind
Old Main. Henry said she is hop
ing to play inter-house games
between the 80 members of Penn
State's Quidditch chapters.
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