Brown and White Vol. 121 no. 12

              Vol. 121 No. 12
Friday, October 21, 2011
‘All the Lehigh News First’
THE BROWN AND WHITE
Lehigh University’s Student Newspaper Founded in 1894
SPORTS
Field hockey team faces Leopards
Page 12
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Delectable desserts on the South Side
Page 5
LIFESTYLE
By SAMANTHA ORLAN
Lehigh’s dining provider, Sodexo, collected do­nations in Lamberton Hall for the Helping Hands Across America event, which is held annually to give back to the community, on Tuesday, Oct. 18, from 2 to 8 p.m.
In exchange for a $1 donation, Sodexo donated a canned food item to a local food bank.
Lehigh Dining Services partnered with Mu­sicBox for a “Battle [of the Bands] to Stop Hunger,” said Karrie Dieser, marketing specialist for Sodexo at Lehigh. Whichever band got the most votes in the form of donations won.
Four student bands competed in the Battle, but the band Roth came out on top by having the most student support.
“This year we decided to do a battle of the bands because it gives the students an extra incentive to play their hearts out and make them feel good about the awareness they are creating with their talents,” Dieser said.
Helping Hands Across America put a more ex­citing twist on the typical canned food drive.
“All of the donations go to the Second Harvest Food Bank of the Lehigh Valley that is right in our
By CHRISTINE MARTIN
John Hodgman, a nationally famous humorist, came to Zoellner Arts Center on Tuesday, Oct. 18, to present some new material and discuss his views on the popular apocalyptic Ragnarok, as the first of the Notary series held by Zoellner.
Hodgman takes the stage, and the crowd is wild. He stands wing span, and the crowd cheers and cheers. He heads to the podium, and silence befalls the audience.
With the removal of his shoes, Hodg­man began speaking of the 2012 Mayan calendar ending and possible apocalypse. He labeled it Ragnarok, which is the Norse belief that there is an end of all fights between the gods and the powers of evil.
“I enjoy his satirical humor; it’s off­beat,” said Ben Rybaltowski, ’15. “I liked his whole Ragnarok bit because he did it in a comical fashion.”
Rybaltowski said he previously heard of Hodgman from his character as “PC” on Apple Inc.’s commercials and “The Daily Show,” in which he was the Resi­dent Expert.
The self-proclaimed, deranged million­aire discussed his books “The Areas of My Expertise” and “More Knowledge Than You Require,” which he considered to be part of a trilogy that is “complete world knowledge.”
The event also included some new material, Hodgman said, that would show up in his up-and-coming tour “The End is Nigh.” His satirical outlook on life led him to put reality TV, the 2012 possible apoca­lypse, his own self and some other cur­See
HUNGER Page 3
By ANNAMARIA ANSELMO
University Communications announced this year’s commence­ment speaker this week. The cur­rent Saudi Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, His Ex­cellency Minister Ali bin Ibrahim Al-Naimi, ’62, is scheduled to ad­dress the class of 2012 at Lehigh’s 144th commencement ceremony for May 21, according to a press release issued by the university.
TIME magazine named Al-Naimi one of the most influential people in the world in 2008. Al-Naimi has also been minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources since 1995, after a career in en­ergy exploration and production, the press release said.
“We are extremely honored to welcome His Excellency Ali Al-Naimi back to Lehigh after decades spent as an influential and accomplished world leader,” President Alice P. Gast said.
At the ceremony, Al-Naimi will also receive an honorary Doctor of Science degree from the university.
According to the press release from the university, Al-Naimi is chairman of the board of the King
Photo courtesy of University Communications
Ali bin Ibrahim Al-Naimi, Saudi Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, will speak at Lehigh’s class of 2012 commencement in May.
By GREGORY PEGHER
The Community Service Office aimed to truly educate, rather than just inform, stu­dents during its annual Hunger and Home­lessness Awareness Week, held from Oct. 17 to 21.
Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week focused on these two huge problems seen everywhere today.
“We want to bring attention to what is going on in our own backyard,” said Stepha­nie Lin, ’12, CSO student coordinator for the week’s events.
The week’s events included the FACES Panel, a trip to Victory House, the House of Privilege and the Helping Hands Across America Food Drive: Battle of the Bands to Stop Hunger.
The FACES Panel was one of the big­gest events of the week. It included speakers who are currently or have been homeless. Four speakers from the Valley Youth House, Victory House and New Bethany Ministries appeared, along with guest speaker, Alan Jennings. Jennings is the executive director of Community Action Committee of the Le­high Valley, a group which, according to its website, is dedicated to improving the qual­ity of life of all people in the Lehigh Valley.
This year’s awareness week differed from previous years in that it has grown to be a campus-wide happening. In addition to the CSO, the Office of Multicultural Affairs, the House of Privilege and several fraternities and sororities were involved in planning events.
Efforts by the CSO to battle hunger and homelessness stretch well beyond the week.
“Every program [the CSO does] touches on hunger issues,” Lin said.
She cited weekly visits to soup kitchens
See HODGMAN Page 3
CSO educates about hunger, homelessness awareness
2012 commencement speaker announced
See SPEAKER Page 2
Sodexo hosts food drive, collects donations
Humorist uses apocalypse in comedy act at Zoellner
See AWARENESS Page 3
B&W photo by KIT LANDRY
Students won prizes by spinning the wheel of fortune at the Helping Hands Across America food drive.
n Oil minister will be coming to Bethlehem to deliver the commence­ment keynote speech.