The Digital Collegian - Published independently by students at Penn State
NEWS
[ Friday, Dec. 7, 2001 ]

No new leads in Song case
After going to Phila., police still have do not know what happened.

Collegian Staff Writer

Investigators found no new leads on the disappearance of Penn State student Cindy Song after their trip to Philadelphia Monday, Ferguson Township Police Det. Brian Sprinkle said.

"Things went OK," Sprinkle said. "We were just there gathering more information."

Sprinkle said they conducted more interviews with Song's roommate, but they did not find any new leads.

As investigators continue with the case, the university and students also continue to help.

The Penn State Black Caucus has organized another meeting to update the community on the efforts the group has taken to help with the search. The meeting will be at 6 p.m. today in room 19 of the Paul Robeson Cultural Center lounge.

The group will discuss obtaining a public service announcement for local radio stations and also fliers for local businesses to put in shopping bags. They will also try to come up with other suggestions.

On top of the suggestions and ideas from the meeting, Assata Richards, a graduate student and member of Black Caucus, said she wants to ask why the university has not sent out a mass e-mail.

Richards, an active member of Black Caucus who has organized the meetings, said she questioned the university about why an e-mail had not been distributed.

Undergraduate Student Government President Justin Zartman, who attended the initial meeting in November, said he is happy with the university's involvement in the case, but questions its timeliness in the efforts.

"I think it's interesting that the university only became proactive when students came together," Zartman said. "They only took action when Black Caucus organized the meeting. They didn't take it on themselves -- it's interesting."

Zartman questioned the university about why they only came out to help when they were "really pressured."

Penn State spokesman Bill Mahon said the university does not have specific criteria about the e-mail, but did not see the significance of using the Internet media as a way to help with the investigation.

"We believe in this case, the fact that she's been missing for over a month is very well-known in the community," Mahon said. "I think everybody knows the story, and the story's not over," Mahon said.

After distributing numerous posters and making links to the Penn State Web site, Mahon said another wave of fliers should be passed out around campus buildings including the Bryce Jordan Center.

Although not ruled out completely, Mahon said he thinks the progress made with the fliers and the reward are working well to help locate the missing woman.

The process needed to make the mass e-mail happen, Mahon said, is extensive and hard to do.

"It's kind of difficult to pull off and there are two ways you can do it," Mahon said.

Mahon said they can set it up overnight and it takes five to six hours to get the 110,000 e-mail addresses accessed.

The last time the mass e-mail was used was to address the Sept. 11 attacks, Mahon said.

The university shuts the Penn State e-mail servers down and pushes out the e-mail during the day, Mahon said.

"This case is just so baffling," Mahon said. "A student is here in town one day and then gone the next . . . it's hard to guess what would help."

Song, of Korean descent, is 5'1" and weighs about 115 lbs. She has not been seen since the early morning hours of Nov. 1. Song was last seen wearing a short, white skirt, a pink top, brown knee-high boots and a red-hooded coat.

Anyone with information pertaining to the whereabouts of Song, or anyone who has seen or heard from her is asked to call Det. Brian Sprinkle at 814-237-1172 or 1-800-479-0050.

 



TOP  HOME
Blogs  About  Contact Us  Back Issues  Advertising 

Copyright © 2009 Collegian Inc.