Cheers & Jeers
Cheers: Kudos to the students at Penn State Fayette, the Eberly Campus, for their outstanding efforts in raising $101,966 for pediatric cancer during last month鈥檚 Penn State Dance Marathon, better known as THON. Together, all of the university鈥檚 campuses raised a record of more than $15 million for the Four Diamonds Foundation, which supports patients at Penn State Children鈥檚 Hospital in Hershey. Student Maria Catalina of Scottdale said the two-day event was an 鈥渆motional roller-coaster in the best way possible. It鈥檚 easy to get lost in the bright lights and colorful shows over the weekend, but listening to the family stories reminds everyone why we鈥檙e here. 鈥� Some of them are triumphant while others have lost children to cancer. But we keep dancing because they know that we鈥檙e still thinking about them 鈥� they鈥檒l always be a part of our community.鈥�
Jeers: On Monday, the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved a seemingly anodyne resolution offering condolences to Turkey and Syria following the devastating Feb. 6 earthquake that killed at least 50,000 people. The resolution applauds 鈥渢he heroic work鈥� of humanitarian aid workers, praises the response of governments and nongovernmental agencies to the disaster and 鈥渦rges the international community to support heroic disaster response efforts.鈥� The support was so overwhelming, it received 414 votes in support across party lines. There were, in fact, only two 鈥淣ay鈥� votes 鈥� they were cast by Rep. Thomas Massie, a Republican from Kentucky, and the tirelessly provocative Marjorie Taylor Greene, the Republican from Georgia. What was there to dislike about the bill? That sympathy was being relayed to people outside the United States鈥� borders? That it condemned the brutal, Putin-backed Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad and its diversion of humanitarian aid? Or were they just trying to be headline-grabbing trolls? They should explain themselves.
Cheers: March is Women鈥檚 History Month and the reality is that Pennsylvania has lagged behind other states when it comes to electing women to the commonwealth鈥檚 highest offices. Pennsylvania has yet to send a woman to the United States Senate or put a woman in the governor鈥檚 mansion. There has also never been a female mayor of Philadelphia. That could soon change, though, since several women are lining up to run for the top job in Pennsylvania鈥檚 largest city. And, this week, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives elected Joanna McClinton to be its speaker, the first time a female has held the post. McClinton, a Philadelphia Democrat, has been her party鈥檚 floor leader since 2020, and said, 鈥淚鈥檓 grateful for all who fought before me 鈥� so that this day was possible. It is only on their shoulders I stand here today.鈥� McClinton will have her work cut out for her in a closely divided House and we wish her the best.