THE DAILY COLLEGIAN Holocaust survivor mspn-es students By Matt Scorzafave COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER More than 200 students gath ered Wednesday night in 26 Hosler • Building to hear Holocaust survivor Judy Meisel tell her story of tragedy and tri umph. Meisel spoke to students about individual responsibility and making a difference. "I hope students walk away inspired - Aaron Kaufman said. Kaufman, the executive direc tor of Penn State Hillel, also emphasized the importance for students to hear Meisel's mes sage. "Holocaust survivors are aging rapidly and unfortunately won't be around much longer." he said. "I hope students get a good insight and understand some of what someone like her has gone through." Hillel. as well as a number of other organizations sponsored the event, including Schreyer Honors College. Center for Ethics and Religious Affairs, NAACP and the Presidential Leadership Academy Students said they were excit ed to hear Meisel's story. "I'm looking forward to learn ing more about a topic I'm not Wheelchair basketball held for Disability Awareness month By Paul McMullen lan Davis walked into the White Building m Wednesday night wearing a shirt that dis played a simple message: Keep staring, I might do a trick. Davis (senior-material sci ences engineering) says that despite the stares. he is just like any other Penn State student. except for his disability which hinders his ability to walk with *ate Help of crutches. But on the hardwood court none of that matters. Get ready for the student White-Out )lan this weekend! Holocaust survivor Judy Meisel speaks on "Individual Responsibility and Making a Difference" Wednesday night in Hosier building familiar with and to see how Meisel was able to overcome such tragic events," Katelvn Mullen (freshman-division of undergraduate studies) said before the speech. The event opened with a 45- minute film that profiled Meisel's life, and included a question and answer session at the documentary's end. We shot the film in 1998. We retraced my steps through Europe. - Meisel said. The film detailed Meisel's journey from her home in Lithuania to a Jewish ghetto. and then to Stutthof concentra tion camp. where Meisel said she narrowly escaped death. The hardest part of the Holocaust is that none of us thought we would survive to tell our story. - she said in the docu mentary. Meisel. who is also a civil rights activist, said that after surviving a Nazi concentration camp in Poland with her sib Davis and others wheeled themselves around the basket ball court in the White Building gymnasium last night, as they participated in weekly wheel chair basketball practice. which is being held as a part of Penn State Disability Awareness month. This is an extremely eve opening experience for people who have not given adaptive ath letics a try - he said. - It shatters a lot of the stereotypes that peo ple have about sports adapted for those who are disabled." Davis said that most people lings. she was ready to share her story with the world. "I was very involved with civil rights in Philadelphia." Meisel said. - I had the privilege of working with Martin Luther King. Jr.... she said. Meisel said she was compelled to relive her account to remem ber those who died. "We promised ourselves that whoever survived must tell our story to the world. - Meisel said of her and her fellow survivors." Brad Smith said he was look ing forward to gaining a new per spective on the Holocaust from Wednesday's event. - Ibu always learn something new with a personal story. both emotional and factutil. - Smith (junior-film) said. Kaufman agreed - It's unbelievable and inspir ing that she turned her tragedy into good, educational work." Kaufman said. To a ma ,l .rt- , mrss429@psu.edu believe that wheeic•hair basket ball is a step below able bodied basketball in terms of intensity. Although that is a popular belief. he said. it is one that people make without giving it a try Resides the obvious differ ence of playing from a wheel chair the sport is the same if not harder than able-bodied basket ball,- he said. "Not only do you have to worry about steering the chair, you have to he aware of your surroundings so that you don't Ni.i•eck into other chains." Teri Jordan, disabilities recre ation program cimrdinator and Pipe holds HUB town hall meeting After graduating from Penn State in September of 2009, Michael Pipe thought he had given up ener* - drinks for good. But after the last few days of campaigning for Pennsyhania's sth district U.S. Senate seat. energy drinks have found their way back into Pipe's routine. he said at a town hall meeting in the HUB-Robeson ('enter Wednesday night. K;r2 Between 12 town hall meet ings, seven candidate forums. and working as the ass !-,tant manager at Five Guys Burgers. 226 W College Ave.. Pipe said he's been busy. henee i he ivtarri of the energy drinks. "With six days left before the elections. I'm excited to see the end result. - Pipe said. Though he didn't :let t;, hold these town hall meeting; in all the places he wanted to. Pipe said he still made time to hold a question and answer-style meet ing with Penn State students to listen to and address their eon cerns. He took question , ahout Aiarcellus Shale. Pennsyk job market. and stud. reform. He said he is in tavo! of moratorium on drininL, and believes that there is still some serious research that di eds be done regardim2, risks the environment and the owe:dial for water conlaininatit: ability athletic , ( o;)(:11 : believes wheelchair 1 , , t; i!' a great experience that people know about hat a become more familiar She said the evciii is ii both able-bodied people as those with Participating in th( every bit as important and beat finial for those with di , ;:iblir it is for those who arc nor fined by a disabilitv she s;;id Adam Fisher ation. park and ton; isvn menft who ably been participatinL; in t h e (.1 By Katrina Wehr COLLEGIAN STAFF IAP.TER 'lt 1- MEEINE THURSDAY, OCT. 28, 2010 13 said he also supports a sever ance tax for the industry to encourage drilling companies to hire workers from Pennsylvania. Pipe's other ideas for increas ing Pennylvania's job prospects span from tax brcelks for com- panies just start ing up to further exploring green enet * Investing in green technolo gy is key:' he said "Those jobs Pipe ti ill be around for many decades to come Rob Ghormoz. president of the Penn State College Democrats. asked Pipe about student loan reform that passed with the healthcare bill last March. Pipe said the loan reform. which includes a cap on monthly repayments and increased availability of Pell Grants, is in danger if the Republican Party lakes back control of Washington. ('hris Shanahan, an attendee at the meeting. said he supports Pipe because he breaks the ereot,pical politician mold. similar to us: Shanahan (senior-political sci encei said. He's a recent college gradu ate and he's in the same boat as a lot of us kmws34o@psu.edu 1 - 0.,) years and has more fun trom a wheelchair than typical basketball. he MIII Ti - )ugh he admits he was intimidated at first, players like I )an. is welcomed him and provid od z; unique athletic experience. Playing with those who are disai - ded has been inspirational tor me. - he said. it is awesome in, see that the disabled are not n; :1 sitting back and they are d,:inl2, something they love. !1-,4ardiess of their disability.- phmso3o@psu.edu
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