4 I Monday, Dec. 6, 2010 UPUA to host town hall event By Julia Kern FOR THE COLLEGIAN Student rights and safety issues on campus will be at the top of the agenda for tonight’s University Park Undergraduate Association Town Hall meeting, held from 7 to 9 p.m. in 101 Thomas Building. “Students need to make sure that they are doing the right thing at all times,” UPUA President Chrstian Ragland said. This will be the second town hall meeting in UPUA history. The concept was first introduced last year when UPUA held a town hall meeting to address student life issues including safety and diversity. Ragland (senior-political sci ence) said the timing of tonight’s meeting is important. “We’re having this town hall meeting in light of the fact that a Drive benefits environment, victims By Cassandra Wiggins FOR THE COLLEGIAN Thanks to Verizon’s UHopeLine program, students now have the opportunity to donate old cell phones to victims of domestic violence. Verizon donated $20,000 Friday to the Center for Women Students and two cell phone collection bins one located in front of the Pattee and Patemo Libraries and the other in the HUB-Robeson Center near the fish tanks. Craig McMann, the district manager of Verizon, said the goal of the program is to provide aid to domestic violence survivors and to encourage students to help the environment by recycling their old phones. “On average, people upgrade their phones about every two years. A lot of times, the old phones are still functional, and we take those phones that would usu ally get thrown away,” McMann said. “This way, the earth is kept in good shape and domestic vio lence programs benefit at the same time.” Susan DelPonte, a student affairs specialist at Penn State’s SPANK YOUR MONKEY AT HOME! Available at Tlie Saloon or ottfineat racebook.com/SaioonMonkeyßo7 * on the corner oi college & heister date for State Patty’s Day was already announced,” Ragland said. “We want to make it clear to students that we need to be safe and we need to know what we can do and what we can not do.” UPUA has also identified tonight’s town hall meeting as an important component of Penn State’s initiative to improve town and gown relations. Students will have the opportu nity to fill out surveys about safe ty, as well as engage in discus sions with UPUA members and legal experts. Local attorney Andrew Shubin will be present at tonight’s meet ing to discuss student’s legal rights and to answer students’s questions, Ragland said. “A lot of students do go to him when they have legal issues, so he definitely has a lot of respect of in the community,” UPUA Vice President Colleen Smith said. “I would have never thought that one of my old phones could help someone in need.” Center for Women Students, said that after the phones from the bins are sent back to Verizon, the battery is taken out and the phone is wiped clean so no confidential information is shared. The phones are then sent to domestic violence shelters, organizations and agencies for use with their clients, she said. DelPonte said the refurbished phones come with 911 already programmed and 3,000 free min utes, so the victims can call fami ly and friends if they ever find themselves in a situation where they need assistance. “We’re just honored that Verizon has partnered with us,” DelPonte said. “[Domestic violence] is such a widespread problem, certainly on college campuses, so we need basically all the assistance we can get. Their check for $20,000 will help our center with educational programming and sexual assault its I O CAI If you go What: UPUA Town Hall meeting When: 7 p.m. tonight Where: 101 Thomas Building Details: Student rights and safety issues will be discussed Carolyn Larrabee, the lawyer for students at the university, will also be at the meeting. “She's a great resource," Ragland said. Smith said providing students with an opportunity to interact with UPUA staff is important. “The town hall meeting is a great opportunity for students to engage with UPUA members and campus leaders.” Smith (junior history) said. “Hopefully the stu dent body will benefit from this event." awareness events.” Since the launch of the cell phone recycling program, Hope Line from Verizon has col lected more than 7 million phones and awarded more than $7.9 mil lion in cash grants to domestic violence agencies and organiza tions, McMann said. Hope Line has also distributed more than 90,000 phones, proper ly disposed of 1.6 million formerly used wireless phones in an envi ronmentally sound way and kept more than 200 tons of electronic waste and batteries out of land fills, he said. Grace Wallace (freshman meteorology) said the program is a great idea. "I would have never thought that one of my old phones could help someone in need,” Wallace said. "Now I can put my old phones to good use." To e-mail reporter: ciwso92@psu.edu Understanding Peace of mind Improved grades This is the power of quality notes. Grace Wallace freshman - meteorology Members of a Rules and Regulations committee pose for a picture while raising money forTHON in Poolesville, Md. this past weekend. Canners see success despite cold weather By Megan Rogers COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER Students who spent the week end canning for THON said the winter weather didn’t deter donors from giving money or can ners from braving the cold For The Kids." Canning started slowly for the new special interest organization HEAL, but members said they were touched after hearing from their Interfraternity Council Panhellenic Dance Marathon family who e-mailed them after they saw canners in their own town. "Hearing from them really just kept us warm throughout the weekend and lifted our spirits." HEAL executive board member Danielle Krueger said. THON public relations captain Colleen Hanrahan said initial reports from canners sounded like the second canning weekend of the 2011 THON season was successful. it's been going well and I'm sure we raised a lot of money for the kids." she said. Hanrahan (senior-public rela tions) said there is no numbervet on how much money was raised this weekend. The only downside to the week end was the cold weather, Ohana Executive Director TC Cawley said in the Scranton area, where lie canned, it was 25 decrees Fahrenheit and snowing. Cawley (senior-accounting) said the general public was The Daily Collegian receptive to THON despite the cold. This weekend, a hoagie shop provided the canners with a tree lunch, he said. Ohana sent lfi different groups out to various locations across multiple states, and by ti a.m. on Saturday morning they were all out canning. Cawley's group canned from 8 a m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and until about 4 p.m. on Sunday, he said. And organizations that sent out fewer canning groups said their weekend went just as well. HEAL sent out three canning groups, all of which had success ful weekends. Krueger said. The seven members who canned in the Philadelphia area raised about S 1.500. Krueger (senior-elementary education) said. Another group from HEAL traveled to New' York City, she said. All of the HEAL canners gathered on Sunday night to total their hindraising efforts, she said. Krueger said the first canning trip was more successful than this past weekend, but she wasn’t concerned. Several factors working against the canners included the cold weather and the weekend's proximity to finals week. Krueger said. The students who went to New York City had to compete with the Salvation Army, which was also collecting money, she said. To e-mail reposes mers2oo@psu.edu ■ VIDIEO 814.238.H24
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