Carlisle, Pa. -- In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, organizations both large and small have been working feverishly to aid victims of the devastating storm, and Penn State Dickinson School of Law is no exception.
Like many law schools across the country, Penn State Dickinson reached out to law students who were displaced by Katrina. With the support and assistance of the Admissions Office, an Argentine exchange student from Tulane is able to finish his studies by spending the fall semester at the law school, and a first-year student from Loyola plans to study with at Penn State Dickinson for the entire 2005-2006 academic year. The law school has provided the students with on-campus housing for the duration of their stay.
A number of law school groups also have found ways to support the relief efforts. The Office of Student Affairs sponsored a "5 in 5 Challenge" to raise $5,000 in five days by asking each member of the law school community to donate $5. The Student Bar Association will donate all proceeds from its Halloween party toward relief efforts, and the Women's Law Caucus is collecting contributions for the American Red Cross. Students also are organizing a communitywide drive to collect needed items to send to the devastated regions.
Penn State Dickinson's Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF), a student organization committed to promoting the welfare of animals through legal means, is coordinating two events to help animals in need because of Katrina. Beginning on Sept. 26 and running through Sept. 29, ALDF will hold a collection drive for food, toys and other essential items and will sell baked goods in the Cafe Per Se from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. each day. All proceeds will benefit the Louisiana Humane Society.
For more information on how to contribute to these fund-raising programs, call the Communications Office at (717) 240-5212.