College of the Liberal Arts' Office Olympians compete for United Way

Photo: Greg Grieco The torch is lit in the College of the Liberal Arts Office Olympics. Click on image for more photos.

Arm in arm, five by five, some 14 teams of Office Olympians from the College of the Liberal Arts paraded in their own opening ceremonies Thursday, Aug. 7, on the mall in front of Pattee Library, University Park.

These Olympians, some 70 strong, held their own competitions to raise more than $2,000 for Centre County United Way. Their torchbearer was Denise Solomon, associate dean in graduate studies, who exhorted the athletes in their own version of the Olympic Oath to swear to commit themselves to "sports without real skill, but with compassion for those in our community who will benefit from the generous donations."

The teams, with monikers like the Oxymorons (from the Department of English, of course), Freak-o-nomics, the Weaver Warriors, Earl and the Cellar Dwellers, to name a few, came from all areas of the college. They competed in challenges like rubber band archery, in which competitors shot rubber bands into a letter box, as well as trash can toss and obstacle field.

In the opening ceremonies Solomon reminded the "athletes," that "we have made the journey here from our 13 buildings demonstrating that passion and good will live here."

For photos from the event, check Penn State Live at http://live.psu.edu/stilllife/1767