“I The Daily p
CollegiaiH
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Meyer steps
down as coach
By Andrew J. Cassavell
COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER
A coach in the 2011 Outback Bowl will
be walking the sidelines for the final
time at a nationally prominent football
program, concluding a historically suc
cessful tenure.
And no, it’s not Joe Paterno.
In a press conference Wednesday
evening, Florida’s Urban Meyer
announced he will retire from coaching
following the bowl game on Jan. 1.
His last game will come against Penn
State in Tampa, adding more pizzazz to
an already intriguing bowl matchup.
Meyer, who turned 46 before this sea-
The Lionettes Dance Team rehearse a new holiday routine during a Monday night practice in the White Building.
Dancers boost team morale
By Erika Spicer
FOR THE COLLEGIAN
While the Lionettes dance team won't
perform in front of 110,000 fans again
until next fall, the basketball season
provides the dancers with different
things to be excited about.
The self-coached dance team is
known for its high-energy performance
of kick lines, jazz, hip-hop and pom.
On the sidelines of Tuesday night's
Penn State mens’ basketball home
game against Mount St. Mary's, the
Lionettes did pom routines to energize
the audience. They were awaiting their
big moment dancing to 'Livin' on a
Prayer," a routine that highlights their
trademark kick line.
Theatre
to host
wedding
By Lauren Ingeno
COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER
This June, a couple from
Ridgway, Pa., will stand on stage
in front of more than 150-people at
the State Theatre.
But the pair won’t be singing,
dancing or acting instead,
they’ll be saying their “I do’s."
The planning has begun for
Matt Frank and Sara Gerber’s
wedding the first wedding to
ever take place at the State
Theatre, 130 W College Ave.
Gerber said she and Frank
spent weeks looking for a venue
but nothing seemed right. They
wanted to find somewhere
unique.
“One night in August we sat
down and brainstormed and we
son, will coach against Paterno, who will
be 84 Dec. 21 and has been the coach at
Penn State for 45 years, for the first
time.
"If Joe Paterno would have stepped
down at my age it would have been 1972
or something like that," Meyer said.
"We're actually great friends and I can't
wait to see him."
Last year, in what he termed a "knee
jerk" decision, Meyer resigned as
coach, citing health issues. This time.
Meyer pointed to his family, specifically
referring to his two daughters and son.
He said he won't coach any time in the
immediate future, and he hasn't
thought long-term yet.
For this dance, the kick line was per
formed in a pinwheel formation and
included a crowd-shocking jump split.
"We definitely get the strongest reac
tion from the 'Livin' On A Prayer' rou
tine," Lionette Alvssa Guttendorf (sen
ior-public relations and English) said.
' Especially like tonight, when the audi
ence was excited by the game, it makes
us more excited and the performance
quality is better."
The dance team is continually work
ing toward new and innovative ways to
engage their audience at basketball
games, said Marisa Pollack, one of
three Lionettes co-captains.
"At basketball games, we're more up
close and personal with our audience."
she said. "It's a huge thrill when people
Courtesy of Matt Frank
Engaged couple Matt Frank and Sara Gerber plan to get married at
The State Theatre, 130 W. College Ave.
both agreed a theater was an exciting ways to use the theater
untapped resource," Frank said, for the community, so this was
“Like, why wouldn’t other people right up our alley,” Shedd said.
do this type of thing?" Shedd said she, the staff and
Susan Shedd, the operations the couple all brainstormed
manager of the State Theatre, together to think of ways to use
said everyone was on board with the space for the wedding,
the idea when the couple contact- “It was really neat the way it
edher. happened. It all made sense,"
“We were looking for new and See WEDDING, Page 2.
Associated Press photo
Florida coach Urban Meyer announced
his decision to retire yesterday.
"I'm stepping down as head football
coach at the University of Florida to
See MEYER. Page 2.
are closer, and we want to start getting
the crowd involved to spark interest."
Pollack (senior-elementary educa
tion) said the audience interaction can
involve anything from incorporating the
Lion mascot into routines or getting
audience members to participate. The
team is still brainstorming, she said.
The team has also started alternating
with cheerleaders on the concourse in
the Bryce Jordan Center for meet-and
greet sessions with basketball game
attendees, said Lionette adviser Sue
Sherburne, also an instructor in the
biobehavioral health department.
Even though the hectic football and
basketball seasons' overlap has ended,
the team continues to be just as busy as
See MORALE. Page 2.
THON
releases
totals
For the second year, the
Interfraternity/Panhellenic Dance Marathon
released a summary of its fundraising activities
revealing that the organization donates more than
90 percent of its total funds to the Four Diamonds
Fhnd.
THON donated $7,447,671.33 of the total money
raised to the Four Diamonds Rind, according to
the fundraising report released Wednesday after
noon.
The $7,447,671.33 represents 92.4 percent of
money raised, THON Public Relations Overall
Chairwoman Jonv Rommel said a feat that
reflects the efforts of students throughout the year.
"THON's really proud of its efficiency level and
the fact that we re able to give so much of the
money to the Four Diamonds Flind," Rommel (sen
ior-philosophy) said.
The American Institute of Philanthropy regards
philanthropies that donate at least 75 percent of
their funds as highly efficient charities, according
to the report.
The THON 2011 Overall Committee released the
summary’ waich encompasses the fiscal year of
July 1. 2009 to June 30, 2010 to ensure trans
parency and let people know THON is a reliable
philanthropy. Rommel said.
“Transparency is extremely important to build
trust with donors and the students who fundraise
for THON," THON Overall Chairwoman Kirsten
Kelly said.
The report details the amount of money given in
various gifts to THON as individual gifts, corporate,
foundation and small business gifts, and the
amount raised through the THON store and
fundraising events. It also details how much money
THON spent on THON store inventory’, event man
agement, administration, development, account
balance and the Four Diamonds F\md.
Of the total gift income. 82.20 percent came from
individual gifts, Rommel said. Individual gifts
include alternative fundraisers held by student
organizations, THONvelopes. online donations and
canning efforts, she said.
Last year, THON donated $7,093,777.66 94.55
percent of money fundraised to the Four
Diamonds Rind, Kelly (senior-marketing) said.
Though a lesser percentage of the total money was
donated to the Four Diamonds F\md this year, the
percentage donated equates to a larger sum of
money, she said.
The main difference between the 2008-2009 fiscal
year and the 2009-2010 fiscal year is that more
money was spent on stocking the THON store.
Kelly said but the THON store garnered more
money for the philanthropy this year.
THON summary of fundraising
activities
THON released data on how funds were used
Inventor,
5269.685.02
0.49%
Account Balance
$39,393 52
Scurce: THON fundraismi
UPUA selects
test prep group
By Alyssa Sweeney
COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER
The University Park
Undergraduate Association
chose The Princeton Review to
help provide graduate test prepa
ration courses to Penn State stu
dents at discounted rates.
The Princeton Review con
tract passed over the Kaplan con
tract by a vote of 32-3-4 at the
meeting in the HUB-Robeson
Center.
“In this economy, there are
more students now than ever
enrolling in graduate school,”
UPUA President Christian
Ragland said. “This is a really
great program, and we’re really
excited to get it up and running.”
UPUA Chairman of the
Assembly Mark Cannon said the
preparation classes will be avail-
ennsylvania
tuudi
collegian.com
dailycollegian
By Megan Rogers
COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER
To e-mail reporter: mers2oo@psu.edu
2.17%
o Event Management
THONS,*; 5175.009.7 a
■Ll.c-r W.".,
able to students at the beginning
of next semester.
The Princeton Review will
offer students and faculty signifi
cant discounts on retail MCAT,
LSAT, GRE, GMAT, DAT, OAT
preparation courses, and provide
all materials required—including
books, practice tests, and online
tools.
The UPUA will provide and
reserve classrooms, practice
tests and informational sessions
at no additional cost.
UPUA Vice President Colleen
Smith said working with The
Princeton Review will not only
cut down costs, but provide more
options to students.
“ We’re all on tight budgets as
college students, and these are
much more reasonable rates,”
Smith (junior-histoiy) said. “It
See UPUA, Page 2.
unique “Nutcracker”
imes to State College
VENUES
Development
593.608.94
Operation ana
Administrative
533.921.98
92.41%
Four Diamonds
57.447.671.33
Junlin Chen/Collegian