'Nice guy' gets award for 20 years of Thon setup


Friday, Feb. 20, 1998	'Nice guy' gets award for 20 years of Thon setup By PATRICIA TISAK Collegian Staff Writer The 1998 Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon Committee recognizes Sam Schillero is a nice guy. So, the dance marathon committee is giving Schillero, a White Building group leader equipment and locker room attendant, an award for 20 years of help with Thon setup.
Sam Schillero displays the Thon awards he has received. He has helped with the setup of the event for the past 20 years. (Collegian Photo/Christa Rimonneau - click for full size image)	Meggan Gower, overall Office of Physical Plant chairwoman, said Schillero is a valuable resource for her committee. "I think he's deserving of the award," said Gower (senior-Spanish secondary education). "He's been so selfless. If we didn't have Sam, we'd be lost." Setting up for Thon is a complicated and chaotic process, Schillero said. Mats must be laid out on the floors to prevent damage to the finish. "Cubbies," places where dancers keep their belongings for the weekend, must be made and set up. The White Building must be decorated with banners and posters. All this in a span of a few hours. "The kids are wonderful. They do it all. I love helping them, but I don't want any recognition," Schillero said. "I'm just here if they have a problem," he added. Schillero said from the 20 marathons he has participated in, he doesn't have a favorite one. "They just get better and better each year," he said. "They do a wonderful job with the decorations. You come in here during the dance marathon and then you look in here the Monday morning after it and it looks as different as night and day. You can't even tell they had a dance marathon in here."
`48 Hours of Thon`	Kevin Buckley, a captain of the OPP committee, said Schillero has always taken the time to answer his questions. "He knows what he's doing," said Buckley (sophomore-finance). "He's got a good sense of what's going on." It has been especially helpful that Schillero knows exactly where things go and how they should be set up, Gower said. "He knows where the mats go and when deliveries are supposed to come and which bleachers should be set up and how to set up the fence that encloses the dancers," Gower said. Schillero says he's just doing his job and when they need extra help, he's more than willing. "They asked me for help and I'm helping them," Schillero said. "I just keep on plugging. I have a quitting time but I stay past that if I need to. I'm just here to give them a hand."