Penn State Parents Raise Over $7000
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INSIDE CGS want answers from Club croquet is more Men’s basketball to take Total amounts from Penn State page 2 than a sport page 4 on Iowa page 5 Giving Tuesday page 6 Vol. 118, No. 70 Friday, Dec. 1, 2017 Penn State Parents raise over $7,000 In response to a Daily Collegian article posted on Nov. 16 discussing Penn State student homelessness, Penn State Parents raised money through GoFundMe to help the Lion’s Pantry By Lauren Lee “Even if you are middle class ing support by others shows the THE DAILY COLLEGIAN and you’re just making ends generosity people truly have at meet, we know our kids are be- heart and how people are willing Over Thanksgiving break, Penn ing fed,” Connolly said. “But the to share for those in need regard- State Parents extended support idea of students having to decide less of their economic standing. beyond their own children by whether or not they can have a “Every single one of us on the raising over $7,000 through a Go- meal or two today while they are Facebook Parent pages has a kid. FundMe campaign to fund Penn studying for exams or writing pa- It’s so easy to project forward State’s Lion’s Pantry. pers is inconceivable to me and ‘what if this is my child? What Campaign creator Susan Con- others.” if my child had to think about nolly said after reading a recent Connolly said parents started whether or not she could afford to article published by The Daily to discuss creating a fundraiser get tampons?’ Something as basic Collegian addressing the issues for students in need, which is as that. I think it hits home with a of student homelessness and where she got the idea to create lot of people,” Connolly said. hunger at Penn State, she along a GoFundMe because she said Connolly said the Penn State with other parents felt compelled it was the quickest way to raise Parents group’s hope is that the to take action. money. After creating the cam- pantry will be able to address “Understandably, we were all paign page, Connolly posted the needs in regards to maintaining horrified,” Connolly a 57-year-old link to every Penn State Parent their facility, adding more hours resident from Sayville, New York Facebook group and said the sup- for more access, and spread more said. “You don’t think that at an port snowballed from there. awareness for support and for stu- institution like Penn State there “It became just an overwhelm- dents in need to take advantage of are students who are living in ing grassroots effort from par- the resource. cars or are going hungry because ents on Facebook who all felt the Overall, Connolly said the Penn they have to choose between get- same way — we would have been Lauren Lee/Collegian State Parents Facebook group is ting a book for class and having thrilled with a thousand dollars Some of the items provided through Lion’s Pantry are displayed at the an incredibly tightknit community dinner.” but we were flabbergasted,” Con- organization. filled with people who care about Connolly said it is difficult nolly said. Penn State through its ups and enough to do well academically at With donations ranging from quickly raised to $9,000 after often written by donors alongside downs. Penn State for students who have $25 to $100, the campaign start- raising over $7,000 in less than a their donations. advantages. ed with a goal of $2,000 but was week. The phrase “We Are” was Connolly said the overwhelm- See PANTRY Page 2. Celebrating life: Brady Lucas shares his cancer survival story By Bailey Jensen THE DAILY COLLEGIAN At 8 years old, Brady Lucas wasn’t feeling like himself. Lucas (senior-biobehavioral health) said he’d come home from school and cry because his whole body was in pain. When Lucas’ parents took him to the hospital, he was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. “As a kid, I didn’t really un- Caitlin Lee/Collegian derstand the magnitude of what was going on,” Lucas said. “I just Members of Sigma Kappa and Phi Kappa Psi perform scenes from knew I had to go to the doctors American Idiot during the Greek Sing showcase on Thursday, Nov. 30. a lot, get blood drawn and have needles poking me. But I always kept a smile on my face and did what I could to get through it.” Greek Sings is Lucas went to the Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medi- cal Center for treatment. He said he went through chemotherapy and spent 23 days in the hospital ‘Award Winning’ right from the start of his diag- nosis. He said after three and a By Cissy Ming “Rocky” and “Shrek.” They in- quarter years of treatment, he Bailey Jensen/Collegian FOR THE COLLEGIAN corporated music and storylines was in the clear. Special Events Director for THON 2018 and cancer survivor Brady from the original works with He said that about three Lucas poses in front of Old Main on Tuesday, Nov. 28. Despite the recent events sur- contemporary music and hu- weeks into freshman year in rounding Penn State’s greek life, mor. With hundreds in the audi- high school, he again wasn’t the greek community neverthe- ence each paying $10 for tickets, vival is a lot less,” Lucas said. “It [Shaun] was not only a match, but feeling well. He said it started on went down to a 30 to 50 percent a perfect match,” Lucas said. “It less continued its longstanding the event raised over Wednesday while he was sitting chance of survival.” was risky, but it was definitely the Greek Sing tradition, assembling $4,000 toward scholarships for in class. Lucas said he also developed treatment I needed in order to re- in the Eisenhower Auditorium for leaders in the greek community “The feeling got worse and liver fibrosis and at that point in generate my system.” two hours of performances and and a donation to the winning worse until Sunday came and time, he and his family had to fig- Now over 95 percent of his cells friendly competition. group’s THON fundraising. I had a very sharp pain in my ure out what treatment options are from his brother, Lucas said. For Greek Sing 2017, the par- Alpha Phi member Maggie shoulder,” Lucas said. “Some- were available. He said that al- Shaun was back in school the ticipating groups based their per- Malecki has attended Greek thing didn’t feel right to me or though his liver has scarring, it next day while Lucas had to go formances around the “Award- Sing since freshman year and my parents so my mom took me still operates well today, though to the doctor three or four times Winning” theme. Sororities and considers it among her favorite to get it checked out.” he must be careful. a week and take anti-rejection fraternities worked together in events at Penn State. Lucas said after six hours in As treatment, Lucas under- medicine. teams of two or three chapters, “I feel like it’s a very good way Hershey’s emergency room, his went a bone marrow transplant. In February of this year, Lucas creating original song and dance to showcase the musical and oncologist came into his room In order to do this, he needed a will be seven years post-trans- routines inspired by award-win- artistic talents within the greek and told him his cancer was matching donor. He said there plant. ning musicals and movies. community,” Malecki (junior- back. At age 14, his cancer had was a 25 percent chance that ei- At 10 years, he will be consid- The15-plus acts included hom- economics) said. relapsed. ther his older brother or younger ered cancer free. “Of course with any cancer, if ages to works as diverse as Dis- brother would be a match. it comes back, the chance of sur- ney’s “Tangled,” “Mary Poppins,” See SINGS Page 2, “Luckily my younger brother See THON Page 2. Charles Huff to follow Joe Moorhead to Mississippi State By Matt Martell Moorhead said Thursday dur- son, which is expected to be the THE DAILY COLLEGIAN ing his press conference that he Nittany Lions’ first season with- will be calling the plays for Mis- out Barkley since 2014. Barkley is Penn State is now reportedly sissippi State but will still rely on projected to be a first-round pick in search of two new coordina- at least one other offensive coor- in the NFL Draft this spring, and tors as a result of Joe Moorhead’s dinator for assistance. Huff ap- it’s likely that he won’t be back in hiring at Mississippi State as its pears to be that guy. Happy Valley for his senior year. newest head coach. Huff had an essential role in the Taking the reins in the back- Shortly after Moorhead was development of Saquon Barkley officially introduced as the Bull- at Penn State, first in shaping the field will be players like Miles dogs’ head coach, The Athletic’s junior into one of the country’s Sanders and Andre Robinson. Chris Vannini reported that the best players, and then again as Their performance will be a true Nittany Lions’ special teams one of the most threatening kick testament to Huff’s strengths as coordinator and running backs returners in the game. a running backs coach. Erin O’Neill/Collegian coach, Charles Huff, will be join- The full affects of Huff’s influ- Special Teams Coordinator/Running Backs Coach, Charles Huff, To email reporter: [email protected].