Clown Nose Club serious business at Penn State

Penn State freshman Madeline Heck, of West Pittston, is taking part in a revolution at University Park.

The revolution began with a student named Chad Littlefield, who discovered that wearing a red clown nose made people smile. After considering the positive effects of so small a gesture, Littlefield decided to start a brand new organization: The Clown Nose Club. The club’s purpose is to spread happiness and joy throughout the community.

The CNC has been an official club at PSU for only the past few weeks, and despite its moniker, has little to do with clowns.

Heck, a graduate of Wyoming Area High School, met Littlefield and was impressed by his outgoing nature before the club began.

“I thought he was a great person when I met him; very charismatic,” she said.

Soon after the CNC was formed, Madeline was asked to join and she has been very happy with the new organization.

“This is a great, great club,” she said. “I’m excited because this club is something different because it benefits people outside the club. We’re spreading happiness and it’s not for the benefit of the people in the club, but for everyone else.”

Heck says Littlefield is “very extroverted” and also drew some inspiration for the club from the movie, “Patch Adams”. According to Madeline’s accounts, and those from the Daily Collegian (Penn State’s student newspaper), Littlefield’s enthusiasm is the driving force behind the new club’s outlook and actions.

But the club is planning on doing more than wearing the occasional clown nose. Heck says that the CNC plans to place moon bounces on campus during finals week so that students can “blow off steam” after their rigorous exam schedules. The group is also planning on teaming up with the Gesundheit! Institute to volunteer for service projects in Latin America.

Heck is also looking forward to trips to Mount Nittany Hospital, where the group will visit the pediatric unit and “clown” for the kids.

In addition to the Clown Nose Club, Heck was also involved with Penn State’s annual THON fundraiser, where she served on the Rules and Regulations Committee. She worked day and night shifts throughout the three-day THON weekend this past month.

For more information on the Clown Nose Club, interested parties are invited to search for the group’s Facebook page or to access their Twitter profile at http://twitter.com/clownnoseclub.

For those wishing to support the club’s activities, donations can be made via tax receipt to Penn State Clown Nose Club – Account Number 1013. If the desired donation is to be sent via check, then the check can be made out to: The Penn State Clown Nose Club 1013 at 240 HUB-Robeson Center, University Park, PA 16802.

Heck is the daughter Anthony and Maria Heck, of West Pittston. Her mother writes a popular column in The Sunday Dispatch.