Penn State responds to Hurricane Katrina

The following stories detail Penn State's response to the Hurricane Katrina disaster.

Pennsylvania 4-H clubs reach out to aid Katrina victims
Wednesday, November 16, 2005

4-H is a nationwide community organization committed to helping young people build leadership, citizenship, and life skills. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, 4-H club members from all across Pennsylvania took their lessons to heart and worked to raise money and aid packages for displaced Gulf residents. "The 4-H Youth Development Program is built on the pillars of belonging, independence, generosity, and mastery," said Christy Bartley, 4-H Youth Development Program Leader at Penn State. "The generosity of the Pennsylvania 4-Hers is just a small example of the support these members provide not only nationally but to their local communities as well." Pennsylvania 4-H is coordinated by Penn State Cooperative Extension. Throughout the commonwealth, 4-H groups worked with their Extension partners and others in their communities to aid victims of Katrina. "We are really excited about how much money was raised," said Lydia Farabaugh, age 14, and a seve-year member of 4-H. "We hope it makes a little bit of difference for the people who have lost everything."

Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/14689

PENNTAP provides assistance with Gulf coast cleanup
Thursday, November 3, 2005

When representatives from the pulp and paper industry in Lake Charles, La., were helping FEMA investigate alternatives to landfilling and burning mountains of tree, brush and building debris caused by hurricanes Katrina and Rita, they came across an article on desification of wood residues on Penn State's Pennsylvania Technical Assistance Program (PENNTAP) Web site during their research. This in turn led them to John Pletcher, author of the article and a wood products technical specialist with PENNTAP, who provided them with feasability studies to establish pellet fuel plants, operating and maintenance cost industry surveys, and a sample business plan for establishing a pellet fuel plant. According to Pletcher, "Pellet fuel is a renewable fuel made from residues generated from the forest products industry and has been growing in popularity due to its clean efficient burn. It is also relatively inexpensive and easy to use." He said with residential heating costs expected to increase 30 percent to 70 percent depending on locale this winter that using vast quantities of biomass that were generated from storm damage could be a win-win situation for the Gulf region.

For more information on PENNTAP, visit http://www.penntap.psu.edu online.

Lady Lions hold supply drive for victims of Hurricane Katrina
Wednesday, October 19, 2005

The Penn State women's basketball team collected food, water, baby items and donations during a drive on Wednesday to help victims of Hurricane Katrina. The goods and donations will be sent to Avoyelles Parish in Louisiana, the hometown of assistant coach Keila Whittington. Players and coaches met with fans during the event for autographs and photo opportunities. The Lady Lions also gave away several door prizes throughout the evening, including a chance to be an honorary team coach, two tickets to the Nov. 18 home game vs. Duke, and dinner with the team. "The Penn State family has been great so far in all its efforts in helping to get supplies down to my family and community," said Whittington. "This is an even bigger venture. We are helping over 6,000 people in the parish, and to know that we can now touch so many lives is an incredible feeling."

Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/14220

Smeal MBA students raise five times hurricane relief goal
Tuesday, October 18, 2005

The MBA Association at Penn State's Smeal College of Business plans to submit a check earmarked for Hurricane Katrina relief to the Centre Communities Chapter of the American Red Cross for $5,184.08 -- more than five times their original fund-raising goal of $1,000. After watching media coverage of the devastation on the Gulf Coast, a small group of Smeal MBA students organized a last-minute fund-raiser around Penn State's opening football game on Sept. 3. Knowing that their regular MBA Association tailgate would bring the MBA community together, they set a goal of $1,000 for what they anticipated would be a one-time event -- "Tailgate for Katrina." At the time, they didn't even have a charity picked out. They reached their goal quickly and decided to host another benefit at the next Penn State football game. MBA students Sarah Trexler and Harry Chang created a Tailgate for Katrina T-shirt, which the students sold at the next tailgate gathering and in Smeal's Business Building for a suggested donation of $15. Football fans, together with Smeal students, faculty and staff, purchased more than 100 T-shirts.

Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/14142

A view from the South: ARL employees bring relief to Gulf Coast
Wednesday, October 5, 2005

On Thursday, Sept. 8, 2005, Hurricane Katrina relief efforts took on a more personal note for employees of Penn State's Applied Research Laboratory. Early that morning ARL colleagues Ron Harter and Earl McCaleb drove the lab's tractor trailer, Big Blue, into the storm-ravaged area of Gulfport, Miss. Filled with more than 25 pallets of supplies from the coordinated collection efforts at Penn State and State College business Rider Auto Inc., Big Blue traveled with another supply-filled truck from Valley Trucking, driven by Jim Corl.

Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/13901

Penny Wars raise money for hurricane victims
Tuesday, October 4, 2005

Penny Wars at Penn State York raised more than $465 for the American Red Cross during a recent fund-raising event. Penn State York's Lion Ambassadors challenged other student clubs at the campus to put their pennies to good use and raise money for victims of hurricane Katrina. Representatives of a variety of clubs positioned containers outside the Lion's Den in the Joe and Rosie Ruhl Student Community Center and encouraged members of the campus community to donate their spare change. Clubs participating in the Penny Wars were the Christian Fellowship Organization, Outdoor Adventure Club, Biology Club, Rainbow Paws, York Chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management, Asian Culture Club, SCROUNGE, Student Government Association, Belly Dancing, Martial Arts, College Republicans, Hispanic Student Association, Black Student Union and the Lion Ambassadors. A check was presented to the York Chapter of the American Red Cross.

Dine for America event to help hurricane victims
Thursday, September 29, 2005

Eating establishments in The Nittany Lion Inn and The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel on the University Park campus are participating in a nationwide fund-raising event to benefit Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. On Oct. 5, official Dine For America collection canisters will be set up in The Dining Room and Whiskers at the inn, as well as Gardens and Legends at The Penn Stater. All proceeds from this event, sponsored by the American Red Cross and the National Restaurant Association, will go directly to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. Funds collected will benefit the hurricane victims, their families and other emerging needs arising out of the Hurricane Katrina disaster. For more information about the event, check the Dine for American Web site at http://www.dineforamerica.org online.

Graduate students at College of Medicine raise $4,300 for Katrina relief
Thursday, September 29, 2005

Graduate students at Penn State College of Medicine raised $4,300 Thursday, Sept. 22, to aid Hurricane Katrina victims. The Benefit Bash, as it was called, was held under large tents on the front lawn of Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. The family-friendly event featured music, snack foods and old-fashioned children's games. Local businesses donated gift certificates and other merchandise that students sold by silent auction at the event. Proceeds were sent to the American Red Cross Katrina Relief Fund.

Relief efforts continue to be a priority at Penn State
Wednesday, September 28, 2005

As the nation helps the Gulf Coast begin to recover from yet another hurricane, Penn State continues to lend a helping hand. Over the past few weeks, the University community has mobilized to aid relief efforts -- from enrolling displaced college students so that they could get their academic semesters underway to participating in scores of donation drives, blood drives and other charitable events. As of Wednesday (Sept. 28), the University has enrolled 33 students displaced after Katrina made landfall last month. While more than half are Pennsylvania residents, the students also hail from Louisiana and from northeastern states such as New Jersey and New York. Most are Tulane University students, but others come from the University of New Orleans, Loyola University, Delgado University, Xavier University and Louisiana State University. While some students are being welcomed into the University fold as an effect of Hurricane Katrina, almost as many Penn State students have temporarily departed on military leave. Approximately 30 Penn State students have been called up officially for National Guard duty to assist in the areas devastated by Hurricane Katrina, and that number is expected to double, according to the University Registrar.

Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/13734

Philly-area campuses come to the aid of Hurricane Katrina victims
Tuesday, September 27, 2005

The three Penn State Philadelphia region campuses have been collecting money for several weeks now to aid Hurricane Katrina victims. Penn State Great Valley has raised more than $850 from the campus community, and the money will be matched by a local caterer, Crocodile Inc., which does a great deal of business with the graduate school. Collection boxes are located in the Main Building and Safeguard Scientifics Building. At Penn State Abington, the campus has collected more than $300, which has helped purchase three crates of school supplies and a single crate of baby supplies for victims. These supplies will go to members of the Howell Park Elementary School community in Baton Rouge, La. The campus has a relationship with the school through a former Penn State Abington student who teaches there. Those who would like to donate school and baby supplies can bring them to campus and put them in specially marked bins in Woodland, Lares and Sutherland buildings. Those who want to make a cash donation can do so at the information desk in Lares Building. At Penn State Delaware County, where collection efforts are complete, contributions have totaled approximately $400. The campus also collected school supplies for affected youths.

Penn College's School of Hospitality raises $1,500 for Katrina relief
Friday, September 23, 2005

The School of Hospitality at Pennsylvania College of Technology raised $1,500 recently through a "Gumbo for a Cause" sale to benefit the victims of Hurricane Katrina. In honor of the flooded area, Mary G. Trometter, assistant professor of food and hospitality management/culinary arts, led volunteer faculty and students in the School of Hospitality in making Louisiana-style chicken, sausage, shrimp and oyster gumbo, which was sold in one-quart containers along with rice and rolls. The school sold 150 quarts, funds from which will be donated to the American Red Cross' response to Hurricane Katrina. About 12 students and faculty lent their time over the weekend on Sept. 17 and 18 to make the gumbo, putting in two hours of chopping and dicing on Saturday, and more than 11 hours in cooking and portioning the gumbo and rice on Sunday. Baking and pastry arts students made the rolls.

Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/13672

Penn State Dickinson community combines efforts to aid victims of Katrina
Friday, September 23, 2005

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, organizations both large and small have been working feverishly to aid victims of the devastating storm, and Penn State Dickinson School of Law is no exception. Like many law schools across the country, Penn State Dickinson reached out to law students who were displaced by Katrina. With the support and assistance of the Admissions Office, an Argentine exchange student from Tulane is able to finish his studies by spending the fall semester at the law school, and a first-year student from Loyola plans to study with at Penn State Dickinson for the entire 2005-2006 academic year. The law school has provided the students with on-campus housing for the duration of their stay. A number of law school groups also have found ways to support the relief efforts.

Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/13670

Beaver students raise $1,000 at free concert for Hurricane Katrina victims
Friday, September 23, 2005

Last Thursday (Sept. 15) more than 1,000 people filled the seats and lawns at Penn State Beaver's Brodhead Cultural Center to enjoy a free concert by the Povertyneck Hillbillies, a country rock group comprised of Uniontown area natives. Before and during the concert, Beaver campus students collected $1,000 from audience members for Red Cross relief efforts for Hurricane Katrina victims. The funds were donated to the Red Cross last Friday. The Povertyneck Hillbillies concert was sponsored by Penn State Beaver, the Beaver County Times and Froggy 104.3. A variety of campus departments were involved in implementing the concert, which drew an audience ranging from small children, high school and college students, and senior citizens.

Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/13668

Remnants of dreaded hurricanes often good for Pennsylvania
Thursday, September 22, 2005

These days, with Hurricane Rita looming and repeated stark TV images of flooding and anarchy in New Orleans and devastation in states bordering the Gulf of Mexico -- all wrought by Hurricane Katrina -- Bryan Swistock almost hates to mention it. But in dry years like this one, he points out, it is often heavy rains brought north by hurricane remnants that save Pennsylvania agriculture, water supplies and wildlife. "Often, what gets us out of droughts is tropical moisture," says the Penn State Extension water resources specialist. "In dry years such as this one, the hurricane season (generally July through November) sometimes provides enough rain to recharge groundwater and stream flows across the state." Ironically, according to Swistock, even though Katrina was one of the largest, most vicious and most damaging hurricanes in history, it mostly fizzled by the time it got to Pennsylvania. "Katrina really only had an impact in the northwestern part of the state, where we generally got a couple inches of rain," he says.

Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story13575

Trash to Treasure sale room to help relocated Katrina families
Wednesday, September 21, 2005

Proceeds from the Trash to Treasure sale this Saturday, Sept. 24, will go to benefit the relocated Hurricane Katrina families. Treasure hunters and bargain shoppers have an opportunity to find some great deals at the Trash to Treasure sale room, located in Johnston Commons, off Bigler Road, University Park. The sale features donated items from Penn State summer students. Items available include quality clothing, electronics and housewares. Sale hours will be 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Parking is available across Bigler Road in the East Parking Deck. As sponsors of the sale room, the Penn State Student United Way determined that proceeds from this particular sale room event would be given directly to Penn State students' families who were forced to relocate after losing their homes to Hurricane Katrina. "Our decision to give the proceeds to the local Katrina families enabled us to support the relief effort and, at the same time, help people now living in Centre County," said Christin Kelley, sale room co-chair for the Penn State Student United Way.

For more information about the Centre County United Way, visit http://www.ccunitedway.org/ online.

Environmentalist to discuss Hurricane Katrina
Wedensday, September 21, 2005

David Orr, Paul Sears distinguished professor of environmental studies and politics at Oberlin College, will give a public lecture, "Learning from Katrina: Design as a Healing Profession," at 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24, in Schwab Auditorium, University Park. Orr is the Department of Landscape Architecture's 2005 Bracken Fellow. Orr is best known for his pioneering work on environmental literacy in higher education and his recent work in ecological design. He raised funds for and spearheaded the effort to design and build a $7.2 million Environmental Studies Center at Oberlin College, a building described by the New York Times as "the most remarkable" of a new generation of college buildings and selected as one of 30 "milestone buildings in the 20th century" by the U.S. Department of Energy. Orr's lecture is sponsored by the Department of Landscape Architecture. For more information, call (814) 865-9511.

Penn State partners with Sloan Consortium to assist hurricane victims
Wednesday, September 21, 2005

Penn State's World Campus, College of Earth and Mineral Science and School of Information Sciences and Technology have joined a Sloan Consortium initiative to offer a condensed online fall semester free of charge to students whose studies were disrupted by Hurricane Katrina. The Sloan Consortium is an international association of colleges and universities committed to quality online education. "World Campus membership in the Sloan Consortium provides the University with the opportunity to extend online courses, free of charge, to students who attend Gulf Coast institutions that were not able to open for the fall due to the impact of Hurricane Katrina," said Pete Rubba, senior director for the Penn State World Campus. "The enrollees will be students who were not otherwise able to temporarily enrolled at other institutions." Student registration for the 8-week "Sloan Semester" will begin on Sept. 19. Most classes will begin Oct 10. In collaboration with the Southern Regional Education Board and with a $1.1 million grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/13579

Use caution when donating to Hurricane Katrina victims
Tuesday, September 20, 2005

The pictures and reports of the devastation wreaked by Hurricane Katrina on America's Delta region have many people looking for ways to contribute financially to relief efforts. But when disaster strikes, so will crooks, thieves, robbers and others who seek to profit from the misfortunes of others, and a consumer educator in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences says donors should exercise caution in giving. Swindlers' operating principle appears to be "strike while the iron is hot," says Cathy Bowen, associate professor of consumer issues programs in the department of agricultural and extension education. In other words, they want to trick as many people as possible into giving money to bogus charity agencies and efforts while interest is high. "Right now, most citizens are feeling pretty bad about the situations on the Gulf Coast, and we want to help out our fellow Americans," she says. "Donating money seems to be the easiest solution, but I'm just reminding folks that you need to donate with your head as well as your heart, because con artists know that this is an opportunity to strike and to make money from those who are unsuspecting."

Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/13577

Penn State continues to play role in hurricane relief effort
Tuesday, September 13, 2005

More than two weeks after Hurricane Katrina ravaged Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, Penn State continues to play an active role in relief efforts. Scores of academic departments and student groups have worked tirelessly to collect monetary and material donations to meet the basic needs of those affected by the disaster. To forward these efforts, the University will host Compassionate Action Day on Wednesday, Sept. 14. The daylong event aims to encourage further donations, as well as offer multi-faith spiritual support and reflection to those who've been victimized by this tragedy. Additionally, The Pasquerilla Spiritual Center has been designated as an on-campus drop-off location for a cooperative relief effort organized by the University's Applied Research Laboratory and local company Rider Auto. Members of the Penn State community are asked to donate items that are still greatly needed by hurricane victims.

Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/13456

Instructor, graduate among those affected by Katrina's fury
Monday, September 12, 2005

An instructor at Pennsylvania College of Technology and an alumna of Williamsport Area Community College (the college's immediate predecessor) are among the thousands touched by the effects of Hurricane Katrina. Judith (Grey) Coleman, a 1981 graduate, was back on campus this week, watching and listening for word from loved ones in her Mississippi home. The daughters of Judy Quinti, a faculty member in fitness/lifetime sports, rent apartments in the French Quarter of New Orleans and were uprooted by Katrina. Judith (Grey) Coleman, who graduated in 1981 with a degree in individual studies, was back on campus this week, watching and listening for any word from home -- a coastal home leveled by a 25-foot storm surge.

Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/13335

Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center aiding hurricane relief efforts
Thursday, September 8, 2005

Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center is directly contributing to relief efforts on the Gulf Coast. This weekend, University Emergency Medical Services (UEMS) joined a fleet of 80 ambulances and more than 200 providers from across Pennsylvania to assist with medical rescue and recovery efforts around Hurricane Katrina's destruction. Six paramedics and two ambulances left at 5 p.m. Saturday from the Farm Show complex to make the 1,200-mile journey to Lafayette, La. From Lafeyette, they will be deployed into New Orleans and surrounding areas where they will carry out the mission to relocate those in need of more acute medical attention to hospitals in a safer location. Ten vehicles and 42 EMS and support personnel from southcentral Pennsylvania were part of the statewide mobilization. The crews will remain in Louisiana for up to a week. "We're prepared to provide medical care and transport to support the efforts currently under way," said Lee Groff, manager, UEMS. All crews must be self-sustaining for the seven-day mission, taking all supplies that they may need. For this reason, UEMS is also taking along a mechanic who will help service the southcentral fleet.

Hurricane victims at Penn State share stories, ask for continued support
Wednesday, September 7, 2005

In the midst of helping their families recover from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, seven students from Xavier University in New Orleans who are studying at Penn State this semester as part of a cooperative program between the two institutions shared their stories as victims of the hurricane Wednesday (Sept. 7) in Robb Hall of the Hintz Family Alumni Center on the University Park campus. "Everything in our lives and our families -- lives became uncertain," said third-year doctoral student Larry Napoleon, Jr. in a statement on behalf of the seven students. "During the days following the hurricane, as our city was flooded beyond imagination, we realized we'd have to prepare for the possibility of family relocating to State College. On Thursday we reached out to the University for help and the very next day we sat in Old Main plotting a course for recovery. The outpouring of support from the University and the community at large has been both humbling and encouraging."

Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/13375

Penn State accommodates students displaced by Hurricane Katrina
Tuesday, September 6, 2005

Some students displaced by the Hurricane Katrina disaster last week are now sitting in Penn State classrooms and more are on the way. Penn State's office of undergraduate admissions believes as many as 50 undergraduate students will begin classes at University campuses during the next few days as a result of the hurricane. These students are coming from several different institutions that were shut down by the disaster, including a number from Tulane University in New Orleans. "We have been contacted by many students who actually were admitted to Penn State as freshmen for the fall semester but instead chose to attend Tulane or other southern schools, and we are working hard at getting them quickly into Penn State because we have all the academic records we need," said Graham B. Spanier, president of Penn State. "Some of these are students who live in New Jersey, Maryland, New York and other nearby states."

Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/13353

Penn State Berks aids victims of Hurricane Katrina
Tuesday, September 6, 2005

Penn State Berks, a member of the Higher Education Council of Berks County, has several initiatives planned to aid the victims of Hurricane Katrina. The Higher Education Council of Berks County (HECBC) is opening its doors to students who were enrolled this fall at colleges and universities that are now closed indefinitely due to flooding or long-term utilities shutdowns on the Gulf Coast. Comprised of several area colleges, the HECBC will combine its academic resources to enable students affected by this tragedy to continue their education. Those colleges having available residence hall space will allow students to live at their campus, regardless of which institution they are attending. In addition to its effort with the HECBC, Penn State Berks is working with the American Red Cross to organize a coordinated relief effort to raise funds for victims of Hurricane Katrina. Students, faculty and staff are involved in the fund-raising campaign.

Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/13358

Student groups at Penn State Altoona work together for hurricane relief efforts
Tuesday, September 6, 2005

Several Penn State Altoona student organizations are working together to collect items to aid in the Hurricane Katrina relief effort. The Student Government Association, Black Student Union, Gay Student Alliance, Society of Business Students and the Honors Program have set up collection sites on campus in 205 Slep, the switchboard in Smith building, Port Sky Cafe, Adler Gym, Residence Life, and 103 Hawthorn. Items needed are buckets, household cleaners (bleach), and latex gloves.

Information for students displaced by Hurricane Katrina
Friday, September 2, 2005

Students who have been displaced by Hurricane Katrina who are seeking information about Penn State are encouraged to check these options as soon as possible. The normal deadline for fall semester enrollment is Friday, Sept. 9. Undergraduate admissions information can be obtained by calling (814) 865-5471 during regular business hours. To leave a message after regular business hours, call the University operator at (814) 865-4700. Graduate admissions information should be obtained directly from respective academic departments. For more information about departments and directories, check online at http://www.psu.edu/ph/

Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/13334

Penn State students called up for military duty
Friday, September 2, 2005

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, 20 Penn State students who are part of the National Guard are being called upon to assist in relief efforts under way in the states hit hardest by this tragedy. As of Friday, 16 students from the University Park campus have been activated for Pennsylvania National Guard duty as part of the estimated 2,500 Pennsylvania troops en route to the affected southern states. Additionally, at least four students from other Penn State campuses have been confirmed as activated for military duty in response to the hurricane relief effort. The University's military duty withdrawal policy ensures that deployed students receive a full tuition refund for the semesters missed during their tours of duty. In addition, the University Registrar has set up a streamlined process to enable students to withdrawal and return to school, including advance registration for courses at the time of re-enrollment.

Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/13333

Penn State teams with Red Cross to collect donations at Saturday's football game
Friday, September 2, 2005

Penn State's latest response to the Hurricane Katrina disaster has the University teaming with the American Red Cross to collect donations from the 100,000-plus fans expected to attend Saturday's season opening football game with the University of South Florida. The announcement of the collection to support the Red Cross' relief efforts for survivors of the catastrophic hurricane comes one day after the University announced it would open the doors of its 24 locations to students who were enrolled this fall at colleges and universities that are now closed.

Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/13319

Penn State ready to assist victims of Hurricane Katrina
Thursday, August 31, 2005

Although a thousand miles away from the heart of the Hurricane Katrina disaster, members of the large international Penn State family are very much involved. University officials have identified more than 60 students known to have hometowns in the most affected states of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. The majority of those students are enrolled at the University Park campus, with some studying at Penn State Harrisburg or in the College of Medicine at Penn State's Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. Staff in Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) and in Student Affairs at University Park have been offering their services to students from the areas hurt most by the disaster and to other students who seek help. Penn State also stands ready to attend to the financial fallout of this disaster by facilitating emergency aid and loans for students who have had homes wrecked in the disaster or family members lose jobs.

Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/13296