I FRIDAY, OCT. 29, 2010 Young Americans for Freedom chairman Samuel Settle (junior-polit ical science and history) holds a sign outside the HUB-Robeson Center during Vice-President Joe Biden's visit. Local group receives national recognition By Alexa Agugliaro COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER The Penn State Chapter of Young Americans for Freedom was selected as Chapter of the Year for the first time at the orga nization's 19th Biannual National Convention in Orange County, Calif. on Oct. 16. Samuel Settle, chairman of YAF, said the organization is one of the oldest and most prestigious youth groups in the country, and he thinks it is a great honor to be recognized as the best in the country "I'm incredibly proud of the everything our chapter has done, - Settle (junior-political sci ence and history) said. "It speaks to the hard work and dedication that every member has shown." YAF National Chairman Erik Johnson said an exclusive com mittee of top alumni leaders selected the 2010 Chapter of the Year. Chapters were judged on the criteria of how the chapter interacts with its university, the state and the country as a whole. Whether playing an active role in the community meeting with elected officials or organizing leadership conferences, the YAF Penn State Chapter is consistent ly delivering powerful messages, Johnson said. He said this honor typically goes to the chapter that epitomizes the values of YAF or has significantly advanced the cause. Feed Your NM PSU football Party! 1112 S. Atherton • 814-212-5100 "Essentially we felt that Penn State has done a fantastic job," Johnson said. "They demonstrat ed what we would like to see every chapter do.- Johnson said this year's National Convention marked the 50th Anniversary of YAF, and to be honored at such an event is something Penn State should be very pleased with. Penn State YAF Vice Chairman David Carr said the honor came as no shock to him because of all the hard work and dedication the group members have been putting in. He said the protests over the -Clirnategate controversy in February gained the organization national atten tion and definitely contributed to the honor. "The award is well-deserved," Carr junior -economics) said. "We're really getting our name as well as our views out there to the public." YAF has also been heavily active with debates and protests, including Vice President Joe Biden's recent visit to campus, Carr said. He said another con tributing factor for the honor was the memorial organized to com memorate the tragedy of 9/11. Settle said the chapter is "col lectively keeping the movement going forward" and has every intention of receiving the award again in the future. To e-mail reporter: amas4s3@psu.edu Stop in any Simply Tan Location and register to win 1 of 25 prizes The Grand Prize is ONE FREE YEAR Of UNLIMITED TANNING No purchase necessary See store for details LOCAL Program provides jobs to disabled Karen Kline, manager for stu dent health insurance at Penn State, speaks highly of Colleen McKay, a staff assistant who has been working in her department for four years. "She's a great asset," Kline said of McKay, who is responsible for answering phones and speak ing with students about insurance claims, along with other clerical tasks. But McKay isn't the average staff assistant. McKay is nearly blind. She has to use special equipment and soft ware to magnify documents on a computer screen, Kline said. - At first I was apprehensive about someone with low visual acuity working in the office," she said. "But how could I not hire the person who best suits the job?" McKay was hired through the Opportunity Network for Employment, a program that helps qualified people with dis abilities to find a job at Penn State. Since 2001, the program has helped match hundreds of quali fied individuals with disabilities with jobs in Human Resources, Students transition to main campus For Matt Bercaw, attending Penn State Abington felt like attending 13th grade. Bercaw (junior-telecommuni cations) said some of his class rooms were the same size as his high school classes, with as few as 15 desks. The Abington campus only has four buildings, he said. Now halfway through the semester, Bercaw said he's finally adjusting to life at University Park, despite receiving little help from the university during his transition, he said. For some students, the transi tion to University Park can be dif ficult and overwhelming, with University Park having more than 37,000 undergraduate students. All Commonwealth Campuses combined have less than 28,000 students, according to the Penn State Fact Book Council of Commonwealth Student Government President Mohamed Raouda (senior-history and international politics) said he understands the difficulty of tran sitioning from a commonwealth campus. Originally starting at Penn State Altoona, Raouda said he By Mary Schultz FOR THE COLLEGIAN By Emily Battaglia FOR THE COLLEGIAN Fully Furnished, Luxurious and Affordable Student Living • _ ........, 7:277 : - ...... ' .7 " ''''.. • Off ice Hours: ........ .... . . . ...„. ...--..... . Mon-Fri 8:30-5 --.....;.-- ._.. . - A - t - • . I]-:'vr . Sat 11-4 . ... .........__ ..,. gnrealty.com -119 S. Burrowes St., University Park- (814)238-1878 "Everyone who comes to work here through the ONE program is a great applicant and a great employee." Housing and Food Services. Office of Physical Plant. Hospitality Services, University Libraries and other locations on campus, ONE Program Coordinator Marianne Karwacki said. "There's plenty of work to be done on campus," she said. ONE provides vacancies with disabled persons who are interested and capable." ONE evaluates the skills and abilities of its participants, then assists them with the application and interview process for jobs they are qualified to do. ONE reaches out to managers of departments with unmet staffin2, needs, Karwacki said. ONE is sometimes able to pro vide employers with partial salary support for employees hired through the program. she said. It's a win-win partnership: she added. ONE participants are able t. map out their on-the-job need: C stateuniversity con , Students from commonwealth campuses are finding it hard • transition to University Park had to come to University Park for his major. When he came to University Park, ltiouda had 3.93 grade-point average. but a major dip after his first semi ter, he said. Raouda said that on average . student who graduates iroin University Park after start ing at a Commonwealth Campus 2rlciu ates with a GPA difference of o when compared to students '‘k started at University Park. Raouda said he thinks so students struggle with the trans tion because of how acadentH are assessed. "In a 20 person class. prob.'s sors can give an essay exam. THE DAILY COLLEGIAN Rob Harris Human resources musuger at University Libraries and list techniques and services that will be helpful to them in the workplace. Karwacki said. They are also provided with additional support and training such as job coaching, if it is needed. Everyone who comes to work here through the ONE program is a great applicant and a great employee. said Rob Harris, man ager of human resources at niversi h. - Libraries. Harris said most ONE employ ees library work part-time oraniiing books on shelves and clicckmL; books in and out. Thou u,ll t rNE helps people with cikahilii to explore job opportu nities and placement, its partici paio, .1111 arc held to perform ance liii(lards and expectations, stid Ktrwacki. • - lt - s not ;.1 charity'' she said Them. people working that would!) i be it it wasn't for the >NE .riun. Someone is advo i ;iii• so that they are independently" -iati - Essays give you , th)i k. in(l insight into what th, nillicrstands.- junior-neuro- —tilt - led at Penn State .1,1. Ile said at Lehigh i. t \tfins provided more ; I,n for earning good uttd— he said is not avail tthic 11 - ;tfo,::11 multiple choice exL:in:- J 1 I tfi\ ersity Park. For %hit selies. the first round of the most difficult part f; transition. After adjusting ornhit of classes, things .tet t Mg easier, he said. his personal expe difficult transition is to help others going situations. 'ommonwealth s!lit lents can participate program that gives pair Huge of-campus stu d( ~p portunity to tour 1 ni,cr-;:, Park and meet with ;ic,Afit representatives of their ~‘. V..ifiala said. ul last year. only 300 participated in the pro- u. 1. 1 .11 1' :- , 1! iii, program is not reach ,ll ('(SG is in the creating a mentoring for change-of-campus kat ent rw - =‘. eluxi Two Bedrol at Park PI and Grad t- a % _~__ ~ }
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