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Published independently by students at Penn State @d
Weather upsets Valley
By Casey McDermott
COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER
The rain boots trudging through
campus sidewalks this week were
definitely warranted, according to
weather experts, as State College
saw more rain in one day than it
typically sees in an entire month.
Starting at 7 a.m. Tuesday, 3.02
inches of rain fell over a 24-hour
period, said Bill Syrett, university
lecturer and manager of the Joel
N. Myers Weather Center at Penn
State.
On average, State College only
From left, Mayor Elizabeth Goreham, women's volleyball coach Russ Rose and Rabbi Nosson Meretsky sing at a menorah lighting ceremony
Wednesday marked the first of eight nights of Hanukkah, the Jewish celebration of lights.
Hanukkah celebrations begin
By Caitlin Smith
FOR THE COLLEG A',
A nine-foot menorah stands
outside the State College
Municipal Building, a bright
reminder of the start of the eight
day Jewish celebration of lights.
Local residents and students
began Hanukkah celebrations
Wednesday evening at the 10th
Annual Penn State and State
College Community-wide
Menorah Lighting Cetymony.
Officials clarify rezoning issues
By Megan Rogers
COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER
Borough officials said fraternity
members may have walked away
from Tuesday night's
Interfraternity Council meeting
with the wrong facts about a
rezoning proposal -- but the mis
communication between the
council's student representative
is all a part of the growing pains of
the new position.
At Tuesday's Intel - fraternity
Council meeting. borough council
student representative Ben Pugh
sees 2.7 inches of rainfall in
December.
- What just happened was
incredibly unusual," Myers said.
"It pretty much shattered any
record there was in State
College."
Other locations in the area saw
even more precipitation, Myers
said, with the Scotia Atmospheric
Chemistry site pulling in almost
4.5 inches of rain.
As the rain lingered into
Wednesday, the National Weather
Service issued a flood warning for
State College, set to expire at 11:09
('habad of Penn State, one of
the university's Jewish student
groups, hosted the event and pro
sided refreshments, free meno
rahs and crafts.
Penn State women's volleyball
coach and Jewish Sports Hall of
Fame member Russ Rose lit the
menorah outside the municipal
building. 243 S. Allen St.
Mayor Elizabeth Goreham wel
comed the crowd and said how
much she appreciated the diversi
ty of State College. She also said
said a proposed council amend- to fraternities recolonizing under
ment would require an on-site the temporary use pro‘ision, he
manager at each fraternity resi- said.
dence. alarming some in atten
dance.
But State
College Borough
Manager Tom
Fountaine said
there are no plans
to consider such a
requirement in
the future.
The on-site
Pugh
manager position
would only apply
a.m. today, according to
AccuWeather.com.
But before the showers tapered
off, the downpour wrought some
temporary havoc on campus.
- We've been flooded with prob
lems,- Office of Physical Plant
Spokesman Paul Ruskin said.
Nearly five dozen leaking roofs
were reported because of the sud
den downpour, Ruskin said, and
flooding on Fox Hollow Road
forced a temporary closure along
that route.
By Wednesday afternoon. OPP The first snowfall arrived
See WEATHER. Page 2. Wednesday in State College.
the gathering of residents for
something familiar to some and
foreign to others during the holi
day season was an important
learning experience.
"In State College, diversity is
our strength." Goreham said.
"This ceremony embodies all that
we appreciate here."
Rabbi Nosson Meretsky the
director of Chabad Penn State.
brought the crowd together with
blessings and songs. Attendees
joined in the familiar words of
After hearing the misinforma
tion given to the council Tuesday
night. Fountaine said he sent an e
mail to Director of Fraternity and
Sorority Life Roy Baker.
Fountaine said he is not sure if
borough officials spoke with
Pugh. who will be confirmed as
the first student representative
on the council at Monday's meet
ing.
"It's a new position, so to some
extent there will probably be
praise as Rabbi Meretsky led the
ceremony.
"This time of year, when all
ldnds of decorations are around
town, it is important for Jewish
students to see that their holiday
is out in the open as well. - he said.
"It is a holiday that is supposed to
be out in the open. It brings light
to the darkness. -
The holiday commemorates
the rededication of the Second
Temple in Jerusalem. According
See HANUKKAH. Page 2.
some growing pains. - Fountaine
said.
Pugh (sophomore-actuarial sci
ence) said he went to the meeting
intending to introduce himself.
The reaction following his men
tion of the proposed amendment
was much stronger than he
expected. he said.
He said he told IFC members
what he remembered from a pre
xious borough council work ses
sion. But he said he now plans to
contact fraternity leaders to clear
up any confusion about the pro
See ZONING. Page 2.
You ub
star heads to I
State Theatre.
I VENUES
legian.com
ailycollegian
STATE PATTY'S DAY
Event
date
is set
`Holiday' to
occur Feb. 26
By Casey McDermott
COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITERS
She created the Facebook
event as a joke but within 24
hours, Kayla Ardell Balamuta
said she was shocked to find
thousands of people already
planning to attend "State Patty's
Day 2011.-
Slated for Feb 26, it went from
13 attendees to almost 600
overnight Tuesday, Balamuta
(senior-journalism) said.
Between 4:45 p.m. and 5:45
p.m. Wednesday, the tally
jumped from 1.223 to 3,000. and
the event exploded to more than
6,000 prospective participants by
press time.
"It's kind of crazy" Balamuta
said. "I didn't expect it to blow up
that quickly"
Balamuta said she recently
contacted State Patty's Day
founder Joe Veltre, Class of 2010,
for an article she was writing for
a class project on the growing
tradition, and he told her he was
n't interested in celebrating the
holiday.
So she said she decided to
take the reigns.
- Basically. it's my 'super-sen
ior' year and I've participated in
the past State Patty's Days,"
Balamuta said. "So I wanted to
continue the tradition for those
that are younger than me.-
Veltre could not be reached for
comment by press time.
As of Wednesday night, the
event's Facebook wall was inun
dated with comments from oth
ers who, like Balamuta, are
eager to turn State College
green again this February.
But as the event has grown in
popularity, the celebration has
come with a price: Last year's
State Patty's Day weekend
logged 365 total calls to State
College police. 160 arrests and 24
alcohol overdoses. Of the 241
citations issued in connection
with the holiday, only 91 were
issued to current Penn State stu
See STATE PATTY'S. Page 2.
Kelly King/Collegian
Bar-goers wait outside the Phyrst
at last year's State Patty's Day.