Yellow ribbons, blue and red decals, American flags and teddy bears mark some of the ways the Penn State student body is expressing its support for relief efforts after last week's national tragedies.
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[ Thursday, Sept. 20, 2001 ]
Campus drives show support
By Stef Hamilton 
Collegian Staff Writer
PHOTO: Dawn M. Smith
Amy Roth (graduate-human development and family studies) right, and Virginia Schiefelbein donate at the Teddy Bear Drive.
Many students are giving their time, hearts and hands to help in any way possible.
The Center for Arts and Crafts has been conducting a "NYC Teddy Bear Drive." The center is working with local businesses to collect teddy bears and encouraging notes to send to children in New York.
"We thought it was an excellent way to show our support and caring through this difficult time," Karyn Yarashas (senior-elementary education) said in an e-mail.
The Adopt A School Program helped with this drive, giving its own bears, as well as collecting stuffed animals yesterday and Tuesday night at the HUB-Robeson Center. Today is the final day to give a teddy bear to this cause; there will be a drop-off box near the bookstore in the HUB-Robeson Center.
Some students in the Schreyer Honors College began their own relief efforts. Theresa Diehl (junior-geoscience) and Adam Tarosky (sophomore-political science), along with about 11 other volunteers, designed ways for students to help out.
Collection jars are set up in the lobbies of Simmons and Atherton halls this week, and as of yesterday, about $200 had been donated. The donations will be collected at these locations today from 4 to 8 p.m., as well as at Johnston Commons in East Halls from 3 to 7:30 p.m. Students also can sign a letter of thanks to the relief workers at the donation table.
The group also posted inspirational fliers around campus, Tarosky said. "They are there to help students deal. We are all in the same boat."
The fliers include words from leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi, former President John F. Kennedy and Mother Theresa.
"We are collecting money and distributing posters encouraging unity and civility," Tarosky said in an e-mail.
The Office of Student Activities supplied white sheets for students to sign in the HUB-Robeson Center last week to show their support. Students were given blue and red markers to sign their names and offer words of condolence. According to the Penn State newswire, the sheets will be used as a memorial and may be sent to either New York or Washington, D.C.
