The Daily Collegian Fans remember former Beatle By Hannah Rishel COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER Thirty years ago today, a memorial service for John Lennon was held in the Eisenhower Chapel to celebrate the life of the man who helped define the Baby Boomer genera tion. On Dec. 8, 1980, Lennon was assassinated in front of his apart ment building in New York City. The next day, thousands of people gathered to mourn him outside of the building in the area of Central Park now known as Strawberry Fields. “Because the Beatles' music has impacted so many of us so deeply, we feel as though, some how, we knew John Lennon through his songs, which makes the sense of loss all the more poignant, " Beatles expert and Penn State Altoona professor Ken Womack wrote in an e-mail. One individual who was affect ed by Lennon's untimely death was Jon Peterson, a Penn State senior at the time. “I don't consider myself a super fan," Peterson. Class of 1981. said. “But John Lennon had a voice that just resonated with me. I just felt like he was a friend more so than I was a fan." Peterson recounts hearing the news of Lennon's death on Choir group to bring ‘gift in song’ By Hannah Rishel COL; EG.AN S:'A Essence of Joy wants to bring the Christmas spirit to Penn State and then spread it to Africa. The choral group will perform its “Our Gift in Song" at 8 tonight in Esber Recital Hall in Music- Building I. Tickets are S 3 for Penn State students and $5 for non- Penn State students. A portion of the proceeds raised will be donat ed to an orphanage in Africa. The choral ensemble performs sacred and secular music from the African and Airican-Amenean traditions. "Our Gift in Song" is Essence of Joy's annual winter concert, where they perform a variety of music. Maurece Lewis, a tenor for Essence of .Joy. said his favorite song is 'lnstrument of Pink Strings." a composition created for the choral group. 10 Year/100,000 Mile Limited Powertrain Warranty • 5 Year/60,000 Mile Limited Basic Warranty • 5 Year/100,000 Mile Limited Anti-Perforation Warranty j... »*fyr/-vnc iTn'i.j.Ms’r-i * 5 Year/60,000 Mile 24-Roadside Assistance** The Power to Surprise ARTS & ENTERTAI “Monday Night Football” 30 years ago. "I couldn’t even process that,” he said. “It just didn’t make sense to me. I couldn’t imagine living in a world where John wasn’t liv ing." Peterson said he then bought a quart of beer and walked over to Penn State’s golf course where he drank, wandered and thought. The next day, Peterson was working at The Daily Collegian when a phone call came in from Rev. Ned Weller, who wanted to do something in memory of Lennon at the Eisenhower Chapel. Because Peterson was a music reporter and a known fan of Lennon's, he was asked to help organize the event. On the night of the memorial service, Peterson recalled taking the crucifix down off the wall of the chapel because he wanted the service to be nondenominational, the way Lennon lived his life. Weller gave a eulogy for the deceased musical icon to a packed room. T can t remember everything he said." Peterson said. "But it was totally cool and spiritual, and he totally got it." After the service. Peterson recalled feeling "very fulfilled." The group went outside, not sure what to do next, so it wan dered down the Mall to the Allen I like it because it’s not like any other song we're singing this semester." Lewis (sophomore crime. law and justice i said. Essence of Joy President Rachel Dungan, an alto in the choir, said her favorite song of the performance is "Let Everything that Hath Breath," the ending song of the concert. "I can identify' with it. It s kind of our signature style," Dungan csenior-biobehavioral health and music composition) said Treasurer Meredythe Kimmel, a soprano in the group, said her favorite song to sing is "For Unto us a Child is Born." a more tradi tional Christmas song. "The style of music changes through the piece.” Kimmel (sen ior math) said. One of Lewis' favorite parts of the performance is the range of songs the group is singing in gen eral. which Dungan echoed. Street gates and members start ed singing “Give Peace a Chance.” Peterson said that people need ed to process what they were feel ing, whether they were in New York or in Happy Valley. “For many, it was the extin guishing of the dream of the Beatles that was so painful,” Womack wrote. “It was the finality of the real ization that they would never be together again, that there would be no reunion, which so many fans had longed for." While Meg Grippi wasn’t alive in Lennon's lifetime to experience the shock of his death, she still considers herself a fan. "I really don't think that it mat ters that we were never alive when he was." Grippi (senior-pub lic relations) said. "He and the Beatles created something really amazing and original with their music and that sort of thing never dies." She said the music will proba bly still impact generations to come. And 30 years later. Peterson said he is still dealing with the emotions surrounding the death of his hero. "I never really got over it all. he said. To e-mail reporter: hmrso27@psu.edu "Although it is a holiday con cert, everyone is welcome to come." Dungan said. "The people planning to come should expect to feel fulfilled and inspired. It's a really powerful concert." One of the things Kimmel likes about the concert is that it bene fits an orphanage in /Africa. She said .Anthony Leach, the director of Essence of Joy, trav eled to .Africa with the alumni choir and connected with the oiphanage. prompting the "Our Gift in Song" to donate to the oiphanage for the past few years. “It's a great idea because it gets you in the holiday spirit,” Kimmel said. "It really goes along with the title of our show. We’re giving the audience our gift in song, but we're also giving a gift to the orphans through the funds we raise for them." To e-mail reporter: hmrso27@psu.edu (®> FMENT Pom star Katie Morgan answers questions from students. For actress, pom is ‘everyday job’ Porn star Katie Morgan spoke about her experiences in the adult film industry at a no-holds barred Q&A session Thursday sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts. Morgan said she started in the porn industry when she was arrested with 200 pounds of mar ijuana in her car prior to passing through the Mexican border. Needing money for a lawyer, Morgan said she went through her friend and an attorney’s client book before she found a woman in the industry and called her about getting a manager. But Morgan said she’s more normal than what people may think. "Porn is just my everyday job," she said. "After work you can come find me and my husband smoking weed and playing 'Rock Band.' ” Morgan said pornography is Hollywood’s little brother. "We still have to do auditions and we still have awards shows like movie stars do,” she said. Morgan said what surprises people is that she grew up as a sheltered girl with a priest for a father. After her father found out about his daughter’s job in pornography, Morgan said her parents weren’t happy, but they didn't condemn her. “My parents support me, but not my cause,” Morgan said. Though she said she isn’t both ered by reactions to her job, she doesn’t appreciate how people judge her without understanding her motives. “People think pom stars are They Don’t Need Another Penn State T-Shirt. Keep up with anything and everything Penn State . Subscribe to /n the weekly The Weekly Collegian TODAY! ° I To subscribe please enclose: I $4l for a one-year subscription. | □ sb4 for a two-year subscription. • □ for a three-year subscription. I For deliver, outside the I United States, call Hl4-H65-25M for rates. I Make checks payable to Collegian Inc. I Mail to: The Weekly Collegian Department W 123 S. Burrowes St. ] State College. PA 16801-3882 By Courtney Warner FOR THE COLLEGIAN TRUST US, name address city phone email The Weekly Collegian publishes when classes are I in session during Fall Semester and Spring Semester, Visit our Web site at: www.collegian.psu.edu Friday, Dec. 10,2010 I stupid nymphos, but we aren’t banging every guy, no matter how much they want us to,” she said. Morgan’s husband Jim, who would not give out his last name for privacy reasons, said he knew her as a person before as a pom star. He said what made him fall in love with Morgan was her openness about her sexuality. “She’s not the kind of girl who goes to parties to hook up with people,” he said. “In fact, the last ‘big’ party we went to was our wedding.” Morgan said she’s filmed more than 400 films, but has only had sex with about 100 men. “I’m picky with who I work with,” she said. “If I didn’t like you or think you were good, I added you to my ‘no’ list." Morgan said her "yes” list was shorter than the no’s. Jared Kauffman (senior-psy chology and philosophy) said it was a fun experience seeing someone from the industry involved with an educational community. “Others would be in their man sions having sex right now, but she’s come to speak to us," he said. “It makes her seem more down-to-earth than what we would think.” Caitlin Embrey (senior-toxicol ogy) said having a porn star speak showed a different per spective on the matter. “She seemed to be a regular person, doing her job like every one else does everyday,” she said. Morgan said though she’s been retired from her seven-year-long career for three years, she still makes appearances and has a contract with HBO until 2012. □ renewal □ new subscription