Article of the day: Penn State is a greedy, rich bastard

I generally try to feature an article each day from another site. Usually they're from Penn State or Big Ten blogs, sometimes from other sites. Please check out the author's Web site. I always supply the link in the introduction.

You probably have heard about that THON fundraiser which bombed back in January. Well, Mike over at Black Shoe Diaries offers up a second look into what's really going on inside Old Main. Something foul leaks from those stone walls.

Penn State Loves Money, Hates Kids With Cancer

By Mike

There are plenty of examples of Penn State grabbing the cash anywhere they can. You don't have to look very far. Parking for the football games used to be $5. Now it's $20. Ticket prices continue to go up year after year. Nittany Lion Club donations are going up. But each time they ask you to open your wallet they're just going after the wealthy alumni who can afford it. What's sad is when you see them screwing over cancer victims.

A few weeks ago Penn State announced their Target Ten Challenge to raise money for THON.


The "Target 10" challenge, a partnership between Penn State basketball and The Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon (THON) 2008, will encompass the Ohio State game on Jan. 29 and the Michigan State game, set for Feb. 2.
Penn State is calling for an unprecedented 10,000 students to pack the Bryce Jordan Center for the nationally televised Jan. 29 showdown with the Buckeyes on ESPN. If the goal of 10,000 student tickets sold is reached, then all proceeds from $5 student single game ticket sales for the following game vs. nationally ranked Michigan State (Saturday, Feb. 2) will be donated to benefit THON 2008.

Sounds great. Nobody is going to object to raising money for kids with cancer, right? Well, their Target Ten campaign fell woefully short.


Despite the multitude of brightly-colored Thon t-shirts mixed with blue and white ones at last night's men's basketball game, the student turnout was not enough to meet the goal of the "Target Ten" Challenge.
The student turnout for the game was about 6,000, Loren Crispell, marketing manager for Penn State basketball, said.

Oh no! The kids get nothing? Well not exactly. I guess Penn State does have a heart.


Although 10,000 student tickets were not sold for last night's game, Crispell said a portion of the proceeds from student ticket sales for Saturday's game will still go to Thon. Crispell said Penn State basketball reached this agreement with Thon in advance.
Ok. So Crispell changed her tune after Target Ten fell short and said a portion of the proceeds would go to THON. Last week I said this wasn't enough


The University sold 6000 student tickets to the game last night trying to reach the almost impossible number of 10,000. Now just a portion of the proceeds from student ticket sales to the Feb. 2 game with Michigan State will go toward THON. How many students will show up for that game? Maybe 3000? And only a portion of those proceeds will go to the kids with cancer? That just doesn't pass the smell test and BSD thinks the University needs to do more.
Now, I just want to say I was way off. We didn't come anywhere near 3000 students. In fact, we only had about 1500.


Although the "Target 10" challenge did not draw 10,000 students to Tuesday night's men's basketball game against Ohio State University, a decision was made Friday to donate all student-generated proceeds from Saturday's game against Michigan State to the Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon.
Loren Crispell, marketing manager for Penn State basketball, said 1,529 student tickets were sold for Saturday's game, which raised $7,645 for Thon. The Nittany Lions beat No. 8 Michigan State 85-76.

So they came to their senses and decided to donate all the proceeds from February 2 instead of just a portion. Sounds great, but lets do some math here.

BSD Fairness Chart

Tickets Sold x ticket price: 6,000 x 5, 1,529 x 5
Penn State Gets: $30,000
Kids With Cancer Get: $7,645

This is disgusting and unacceptable. I am pleased that Penn State answered my plea to do more, but it's not enough. The school gets to pocket $30,000 out of this campaign and THON only gets $7,645? In what world is that fair?

Here's a solution, Ms. Crispell. Give all the money to the kids. All $37,645 of it. Then it will be fair and you won't go to hell.