The Daily Collegian
Speakers
address
homeless
struggles
By Sarah Peters
COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER
When Eric Sheptock was eight
months old, his parents beat
him and left him to die in a hotel
room.
After spending time in the fos
ter care system, he was taken in
by the Sheptock family and grew
up as their fourth adopted child of
ten children. Growing up,
Sheptock lived in a mansion in
Chester, N.J.. and in two homes in
Florida with pools and acreage.
But he became homeless as a
young adult when he had a falling
out with his boss and walked off
the job.
Sheptock is currently living in a
homeless shelter in Washington,
D.C. He's a blogger and political
activist.
Last night, Sheptauk, John
Harrison, Jr. and Michael Stoops
brought the issue of homeless
ness to the forefront of the minds
of attendees at the Memorial
Lounge of the Pasquerilla
Spiritual Center.
John Harrison, Jr„ has been in
and out of homelessness since he
was laid off from a successful
company in Maryland that he
worked at shortly after graduat
ing high school. After he lost his
job, his house burned down. His
neighbors let him live in their
shed for a little while before he
Athlete speaks to students about homophobia issues
By Matt Scorzafave
’OUEGIAN staff writer
When Brian Sims came out to
the quarterback of his
Bloomsburg University football
team in 200(1. his friend had only
one question for him.
"OK. Do you think I'm hot 0 "
Sims - then the captain of the
team said the quarterback
asked.
Sims, now a lawyer based in
Philadelphia, spoke Tuesday night
at the HUB Auditorium on being
an openly gay athlete.
Peter Tesoriero/Collegian
John Harrison, Jr. speaks about
the challenges of being homeless.
began living in his car. When his
car broke down and was towed,
he became homeless for the first
time.
"When I turned homeless, it
seemed like I turned invisible,
too," Harrison said.
Stoops, cofounder and commu
nity organizer for the National
Coalition for the Homeless, said
he feels good that he's stuck with
the issue for so long but feels that
the system has failed, consider
ing homelessness is still an issue
in 2010.
Stefan Richter (junior-account
ing) said he's planning to partici
pate in an Urban Service
Experience over Thanksgiving
break. Richter said the message
was worthwhile, and he wishes
more people came to hear it.
"It's a good message that they
had. and it was eye-opening."
Richter said.
"Being at Penn State and the
hometown I grew up in. I didn't
come in contact with homeless
ness much."
To e-mail reporter: svpso7l@psu.edu
Penn State's LGBTA Student
Resource Center sponsored the
event, titled "Homophobia in
Sports."
Brian Patchcoski. the center's
assistant director, said it is impor
tant for students to know that
there is help available and
resources to turn to.
"As a Division I school, w ; e need
to look at the many identities of
the student body," he said. "A lot of
students may be worried about
coaches and teammates knowing
that they are gay.”
Patchcoski emphasized the
L C) C A L
Redifer ATM set on fire
By Zach Geiger
COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER
An on-campus ATM was set on
fire at about 5:35 a.m. Tuesday in
what Penn State Police are call
ing a case of arson that resulted
in more than $5,000 worth of prop
erty damage.
The fire started early Tuesday
morning inside of Redifer
Commons near Louie’s conven
ience store, located off of McKean
Street, Penn State spokeswoman
Annemarie Mountz said. L
An unknown accelerant was
thrown on to the machine and set
ablaze, causing damage to the
Highlands housing discussed
By Nathan Pipenberg
COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER
Vice President for Student
Affairs Damon Sims said at
Tuesday night's Highlands Civic
Association Meeting that he's
looking for creative solutions to
residents' frustration over stu
dent housing and town-gown
issues in the Highlands neighbor
hood.
Sims told association members
that since increased sanctions
and alcohol education have only
had marginal success, he's been
looking for better ideas.
"By the third drink, students
are not reflecting on the conse
quences," he said.
The Highlands, which stretch
es between University Drive and
Atherton Street east to west, and
is bordered north to south bv
importance of self-identity, no
matter what the circumstances.
"We want students to recognize
that they don't have to sacrifice
one identity for another. There are
other LGBT athletes and no one is
alone in this." he said.
Sims said that while he strug
gled with his identity quite a bit. it
was a rewarding experience to
come out to his team.
"I've received such awesome
support." he said. "People don't
always realize that 81 percent of
college students support gay
rights."
PNC Bank ATM, she said.
No students were harmed in
the fire, Mountz said.
But the ATM damaged in the
blaze is lost beyond repair and a
replacement machine will cost
$16,000, she said.
An automatic sprinkler in the
area extinguished the fire within
minutes.
But it left residua] water dam
age in the surrounding area.
Mountz said.
Water flowed into common
areas in Redifer and Louie s
store, but most of the damage
occurred in storage rooms locat
ed below the lobbv. she said
Beaver Avenue and Easterly
Parkway, is a section of town
where community members and
students often live side b\ .ride
Students make up 7<> percent of
the population in the Ih-iJands.
which includes Framrnitv Row
Tuesday night's meet!
venue for comnumiH members to
discuss how they could achieve
peace and quiet. esix-cially at
night, when most of the eranmai
behavior occurs.
Residents acknowledged that
so far. efforts to d< '<> hav.- been
unsuccessful.
Sims was joined a! the moehni’
by mayor Eli/ab.-th ( h
council president Hon •
and council tuemhr
Rosenbcrger. all Hmitlar.
dents
One fix Sims :-i;:jge>a
convince students and i’<
Sims stressed thn
allies are a key support
gays.
Katy Wick i.senior n-mmunu
tions) and Mike El Saleh. imU
marketing) both studf-n! r - ■>;
sentatives in (he stad-.-u \U:
Advisory Board, .--aid h 1 i;.
agree.
"This was realh im;
straight people to heai
said.
Wick said she v...- h
that Sims' teammate
him.
It's important in >t
learn well live well
lionscrossing.com
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mttanycrossingpa.com
collegeparkpa.com
Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2010 I 3
Louie’s was temporarily closed
as a result of the cleanup process
from the sprinkler system, South
Food District Assistant Director
Jim Richard said.
All other areas in Redifer
opened on time and Louie’s was
opened later that day, Richard
said.
Penn State Police are looking
for witnesses who were in Redifer
at the time of the fire or recently
had an accelerant stolen.
Anyone with information about
the arson is asked to call universi
ty police.
To e-mail reporter: zjgsol2@psu.edu
faculty to live closer to campus.
Rosenberger agreed, and
added that there should be an
effort to "tie a stronger string to
students living off-campus.”
Rosenberger also suggested
forcing students who violate ten
ant agreements in apartments to
forgo their leases and return to
living on-campus.
But Sims said that increasing
on campus housing is “more
complicated than it appears”
since it would be a large expense
tor the university.
Sims, who has spoken out
against a proposal to build a stu
dent apartment high-rise at 254
Beaver Ave. as a resident, not on
behalf of the university, said the
problem has "vexed” university
officials.
mail reporter: ndpso4s@psu.edu
can be .supportive of our fellow
i(‘animates." she said.
Along with speaking as a gay
rights activist, Sims is also the
president of the board of directors
at FqualityPA.
HqualityPA is an organization
i hat seeks to achieve equality for
L< ;BT individuals in Pennsylvania
through educational campaigns
and policy reform.
He is a chairman with the board
of directors of Gay and Lesbian
1 .awyers of Philadelphia .
o e mail reporter: mrss429@psu.edu