I Friday, Dec. 3, 2010 Couple donates By Mike Hricik COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER Fbr Tom Flad, donating to Penn State was a simple choice because of the opportunities his alma mater offered him as a grad uate. “I wanted to put my money to a place that I support. In hindsight, it was a simple decision,” Flad, Class of 1974, said. Tom and his wife Karen Flad, of Bethlehem, Pa., have donated $4 million to the Penn State College Fraternity fundraises for AIDS awareness By Matt Scorzafave COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER Members of Delta Lambda Phi are holding two fundraisers this holiday season, both raising awareness for issues involving the LGBTA community, students and local community. The fraternity is heading an ornament sale to benefit The AIDS Project of Centre County, as well as a wristband sale to benefit the TVevor Project. Jeremy LaMaster, the fraterni ty’s philanthropy chairman, said this year’s ornament sale is a sec ond annual event. “All of the money goes to the AIDS Project of Centre County, which provides free HIV testing, as well as risk reduction counsel ing,” LaMaster (senior-biology) said. LaMaster said last year the effort raised about $9OO, and the fraternity is hoping to surpass last year’s total. Members of the fraternity are asking for a $3 minimum donation for the ornaments. “We’re definitely hoping to get more than $1,000,” he said. LaMaster said it’s important Downtown stores may face less business with early finals week By Nathan Pipenberg COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER Holiday shopping in State College used to be something of a tradition, according to Rapid Transit owner Terry Losch. After classes ended for the fall semes ter, students would sell their text books and with cash in hand, spend it all in downtown stores. That annual practice often depends on Penn State’s finals week, which ends Dec. 17 this year, eight days before Christmas, leaving downtown storeowners wondering how that will affect their sales. The Board of Directors of Collegian Inc. is soliciting applications for the following positions Two Penn State faculty members. Eligible individuals are Penn State employees whose primary identification is with teaching or teaching and research. One at-large member. Eligible individuals are members of the local community who have an interest in the welfare of The Daily Collegian. Penn State staff and affiliates may be eligible. These Board terms require two-year commitments. The following are not eligible for these seats: current students, former Collegian staff members within five years of their terms on the staff, current Collegian staff members. Collegian Inc. is a Pennsylvania non-profit corporation which is legally and financially responsible for The Daily Collegian and related publications The dual mission of Collegian Inc. is to provide a quality college newspaper for Penn State and a rewarding educational experience for its student staff members. of the Liberal Arts and athletic department. And $2 million of the couple’s donation will go to the Italian lan guage and literature program. The Paterno Liberal Arts Undergraduate Fellows Program will receive $1 million. The other $1 million will be divided equally between the Penn State football and rugby programs, said Vicki Fong, manager of communica tions for the College of the Liberal Arts. Fbng said liberal arts stu dents and faculty members are Chloe Elmer/Collegian Jeremy LaMaster (senior-biology) takes an ornament and donates money in the LGBTA Resource Center in the Boucke building. for students to be educated on HIV/AIDS. “I feel like things have become a little lax. AIDS is still around, it’s still an issue and we need to work to eliminate it,” he said. Brendon Wall, the fraternity’s president, agreed, emphasizing the importance of awareness. “It’s important to decrease the AIDS stigma. This makes people think about making a difference, even if it’s something they don't see every day,” Wall (senior-ener gy, business and finance) said. Fraternity member Adam Del Rosso said benefits from the wrist band sale the fraternity is spon soring will partially benefit the Trevor Project, a 24-hour anony mous hotline for gay or question ing youth who may be struggling with thoughts of suicide. Del Rosso (senior-meteorolo- For Rapid Transit, 115 S. Allen St., classes ending early means students will only be in town for a few of what Losch considers to be the most profitable days of the season, the period from Dec. 15 to 24. These are the final days of shopping when online stores can no longer guarantee that items will reach their customers in time for the holidays, he said. Additionally, students tend to be preoccupied studying for exams, and find more reason to shop from the comfort of their dorm rooms and apartments before the Dec. 15 to 24 time span. But Steve Artz, the owner of Gift LOCAL million to Penn State thrilled with the gift one of the college’s largest. “This means big opportunities for our students. That they were able to make such a gift is a won derful story,” she said. Tom Flad graduated from Penn State as a pre law major but decid ed not to pursue a career in law after finding his calling teach ing, he said. He received a B.S. from Kutztown State University in ele mentary education and married his wife Karen, a fellow teacher, in gy) said this semester's pledge class decided to sell purple wrist bands to raise awareness about suicide rates within the LGBTA community. “Even at the college level, there are gay people who aren't out. Something like this will show peo ple that they have a community backing them up,” he said. Del Rosso said the fraternity wanted to donate to something worthwhile and not time sensi tive. With the help of other mem bers of the fraternity Del Rosso said the group began with 400 wristbands, and has nearly sold out. Ornaments and wristbands can both be found at the LGBTA Resource Center in 101 Boucke Building up until winter break. To e-mail reporter: mrss429@psu.edu Adventures, 137 E. Beaver Ave., sees the early departure of Penn State students as an advantage. It might go against conventional wisdom, but Artz said more time between the end of classes and the holidays means that parents who arrive in town will be more relaxed and willing to browse dur ing some downtime. When finals end a little bit early. Artz said, he often sees students shopping with their parents. "They have breathing room and time for casual shopping,” he said. The casual atmosphere is one reason why Artz thinks Gift Adventures does so well during 1978. The couple taught at a school district in Columbia, Pa., before Tom began a successful career in the housing industry, Pong said. He currently serves as the area director of Met Life Home Loans in Lehigh Valley. Tom and Karen’s son Stephen, Class of 2006, played rugby at the university and now teaches ele mentary school children in Lehigh Valley. Flad said his Italian mother and grandmother raised him as bilingual growing up in Easton, Pa.. He said his Italian studies at Students prepare for cold canning weekend By Megan Rogers COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER The THON spirit won’t be con tained just within State College this weekend hundreds of stu dents are trekking across the state and surrounding areas to can for the Interfratern ity/Panhellenic Council Dance Marathon. And though the winter weather has arrived over the past few days, some students said they are hopeful the temperatures will increase donations during the second canning weekend of the semester. THON public relations captain Colleen Hanrahan said there are about 937 registered canning locations, though she said some organizations have groups going to different sites. On average, about 269 student organizations can each weekend, Hanrahan said. People are much more gener ous to canners when the weather is unsavory, said Elise Rodgers, executive chairwoman for special interest organization Domani. The tri-state area is always filled with canners, Hanrahan said. But other locations receiv ing some canning attention this weekend include New York, West Virginia, Virginia, the D.C. area and Delaware, among others, she said. the holiday season. Compared to wholesale retailers, “things are very quiet for us around here," he said. Judy Moyer, owner of the Animal Kingdom, 103 S. Allen St., offered a different perspective on the issue. While students are great customers, she said, busi ness is also solid over break because town residents enjoy the shopping experience more when they don’t have to fight the crowds of student shoppers. "When the students leave peo ple actually start shopping,” she said. On Black Friday, Artz said Gift Interested people are invited to submit a letter of application and a resume to Patricia Hartranft. E-mail applications preferred: pah 12@psu.edu. Applications by regular mail may be sent to: The Daily Collegian Penn State made a large impact on him as a student, causing him to realize the importance of his lib eral arts education later in life. Flad said he admires Joe Paterno for the coach’s dedication to athletes honoring “education first.” Selzer said the donation from the Flads will help liberal arts undergraduates to study abroad, accept leading internship opportunities and take on differ ence-making research projects. To e-mail reporter: mjhsso7@psu.edu One of the most sure-fire ways to get a driver to donate is just to smile and be polite, Pi Beta Phi sorority member Dana Yurchak said. Yurchak, who said she is psy ched to host a canning weekend at her home in the Pittsburgh, Pa. area for the first time, said her sorority has almost 100 students bundling up to brave the cold for the kids. “I hope the weather isn't too bad so people roll down their win dows," Yurchak (senior-biobehav ioral health) said. Even though the weekend falls close to finals week, Rodgers (senior-early childhood educa tion) said students are always willing to take the time to can. “One of our strengths as an organizations is that we always have people willing to go out and can," Hanrahan (senior-advertis ing) said. "It's a great way to raise THON's total for the Four Diamonds fund." To spice up the canning week end, some Springfield organiza tion canners are having themed weekends. One theme is Disney, Springfield executive director Meg Barnatt said the theme is just one of the ample bonding opportunities of a canning week end. To e-mail reporter: mers2oo@psu.edu Adventures saw its fair share of traffic, but not until the afternoon. Customers told him they had been to the early morning sales at Best Buy and Target, but didn't come downtown until after a midday nap. Geoff Brugler, owner of Appalachian Outdoors, 123 S. Allen St., expressed a similar sen timent. “Everyone has a mall in their hometown with chain stores,” he said. "There's an incentive to shop downtown where there are unique stores ' To e-mail reporter: ndpso4s@psu.edu Collegian Inc. is responsible for: Patricia Hartranft Collegian Inc., James Building 123 S. Burrowes St. State College, PA 16801-3882 Applications should include your: 1. Reasons for seeking a directorship. 2. Local address, telephone number and email address. 3. Resume The deadline for applications is 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 10,2010.