University Park, PA -- University police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Postal Inspectors, the State Attorney General's Office, and State College Borough Police continue to investigate a death threat against an African American student leader.

       "We will turn to every local, state and federal agency available to press this investigation forward," said Graham Spanier, Penn State president.

       "This is a federal crime that will carry an enormous consequence for the person who made the threat. But more than that, it is an attack against everyone in the Penn State family," Spanier said.

       "This threat, and the threats by e-mail received by many minority students last year, and other threats to members of the Penn State community are serious. We condemn the threats and we call the person who anonymously issued them a coward.

       "I call today for all our students, faculty, employees, alumni and friends to stand together, united against these racist acts," Spanier said. Here are some of the details:

       -- The threat to the student was sent by U.S. Mail to a news reporter, who notified campus police.

       -- The threat to the student claimed that the body of a black male student could be found in Centre County woods. More than two dozen University and State College police, along with a State Police helicopter, spent the weekend searching the area indicated in the letter where a body could be found. No evidence of that claim has been found, and no Penn State students appear to be missing.

       -- The threatened student has been given round the clock police protection.

       -- During 1999, e-mail threats received by African American and other minority students were traced to a computer lab in Philadelphia.

       -- Earlier this school year, threats to several students came through the U.S. Mail on letter carrying an Altoona postmark.

       "We ask anyone who might have evidence related to this new threat and the earlier crimes to come forward and notify investigators," Spanier said.

       University police can be reached at 814-863-1111.

       The University and the Penn State Alumni Association are offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for the threats.

       In related news, during the annual Blue-White football game played at Beaver Stadium Saturday afternoon, University officials announced a rally for campus on Tuesday afternoon.

       Penn State administrators are inviting all Penn State students, faculty, staff, and members of the community to join in a march against hatred on Tuesday, April 24, at 4 p.m. The march will begin in front of Old Main and proceed through campus and around portions of the downtown and end at the Nittany Lion Shrine.

       Student groups on campus are encouraged to sign-up as a co-sponsors of the event, and may do so at the HUB desk.

       The theme of the march is "no hate at Penn State" and the purpose is to reclaim the campus community from those who would threaten the lives -- or the dignity -- of anyone in the Penn State family.

       Penn State President Graham Spanier and other senior administrators spent several hours Friday night with African American students and investigators from the police and FBI at the University's Robeson Cultural Center. A message from President Spanier condemning the threat and appealing to the public for help in identifying the person responsible was e-mailed overnight Friday to more than 41,000 Penn State students and was distributed to news media.

       There were 26 people, most of them Penn State students, charged with trespass Saturday when they stormed on to the field at Beaver Stadium just as the annual Blue-White football game was set to begin. The protesters refused to leave the field and were arrested after repeated requests. The protestors said they were trying to draw attention to racism and the threats.

       Penn State University has processed the summary citations for trespass to 23 students and 3 others who were arrested at the Blue-White football game. Penn State administrators asked the police, in consultation with the District Attorney's office, to consider the summary citation charges in lieu of the more serious charges of misdemeanor criminal trespass. The police and district attorney have concurred with this approach.