Tressel, deans chillin' for ALS

By MEGAN WILKINSON

mwilkinson@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

Youngstown State University President Jim Tressel says he had seemingly hundreds of requests over the past month to take the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.

It wasn’t until YSU’s Scholars and Honors Program students challenged him two weeks ago that he said the time was right.

“I was challenged by a lot of people by text and email, but I wanted to do it with the students,” Tressel said. He added that he could use the challenge as a “kickoff” to the first YSU home football game this weekend. The Penguins are playing host to Duquesne today at 4 p.m. at Stambaugh Stadium.

Dozens of students, faculty, staff, administration and community members watched Tressel and seven deans and directors of colleges take the challenge during a pep rally Friday outside Kilcawley Center. Tressel squeezed his eyes shut as the ice water hit. He slowly stood up to greet people from the crowd afterward.

Jacob Schriner-Briggs, executive vice president of the YSU Student Government Association, said the event started with a T-shirt swap hosted by the association. He said the group encouraged students to exchange T-shirts from other universities for a YSU T-shirt.

“We ordered 216 [YSU] T-shirts to trade,” Schriner-Briggs said. “We had probably 50 to 70 shirts left at the end of the event.”

Crowds gathered at Kilcawley Center at 1 p.m. to watch the challenge.

Nicole Krejci, development manager for the Northern Ohio Chapter of the ALS Association, spoke about the purpose of the charity. Besides Youngstown, the chapter covers Toledo, Akron and Cleveland.

“The challenge has done amazing things for our group,” she said. “We have not seen this kind of awareness since Lou Gehrig became our most-famous patient. To have this sort of support on this level is huge for families supporting ALS patients.”

Krejci invited spectators to come to the ALS Association walk Sept. 28 at Eastwood Field in Niles. She said those interested can register for the event on the chapter’s website.

Tressel said none of the YSU officials hesitated to take the challenge.

“Our deans are very engaged with our students,” Tressel said. “They were proud of our students for putting this together and trying to raise awareness and money. This generation’s going to know more about ALS than others ever did, which is the beginning of trying to beat it.”

The Student Government Association and the Scholars and Honors Program students raised $269 for the Northern Ohio Chapter from Friday’s event.

Katina Landgraff, student and organizer for the event, said the Student Government Association and students in the Scholars and Honors Program helped raise money by selling raffle tickets to students earlier in the week for $1 each or six for $5. Winners of the raffle had the opportunity to dump ice on the president, a dean or a director.

Landgraff said the money went to the Northern Ohio Chapter of the ALS Association to keep money in the area.

“We’re happy we were able to raise awareness on the issue of ALS and weave in school pride with this event,” Schriner-Briggs said.