Joe Battista
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We Are All Messengers
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Well, we have made it past Thanksgiving and Hanukkah, two of the most recognizable holidays here in the United States. As usual we were bombarded by messages about Black Friday sales, Cyber Monday deals, Giving Tuesday charity opportunities and messages about end of the year parties and events. With social media, it seems the messages…
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A Passion for Sports and Entertainment in Happy Valley
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I had the honor of taking part in an exciting announcement last Tuesday afternoon at a press conference in the Beaver Stadium Media Center. Sitting alongside Happy Valley Adventure Bureau President and CEO Fritz Smith and Penn State Deputy Athletic Director Scott Sidwell, we publicly announced the formation of the new Happy Valley Sports and…
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The Coming Global Energy Crisis and How to Address It
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Wanted: Leaders with the courage to find realistic solutions to both the global energy crisis and the climate change challenges who won’t be beholden to lobbyists, big money corporations, unions and those who simply bark the loudest. Hey, I can dream, can’t I? There is a global energy crisis looming and not enough people are…
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Coloring Outside the Lines
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This column will probably make every HR person, risk management professional and compliant “C” person from the DiSC behavior self-assessment cringe. It will, however, make “movers and shakers” and “disruptors” smile. Why? Because we are going to chat about folks who like to “color outside the lines” and why those of us who do, or…
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What Could Have Been… and What Could Be
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The entire football-loving Nittany Nation was feeling confident with a 17-3 lead midway through the second quarter in the battle of unbeatens between No.3 Iowa and our own No. 4 Penn State. Then the football gods threw the proverbial curveball our way and we watched our team, especially our defense, valiantly struggle to hang on…
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Tribal by Nature: For Better or Worse
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For as long as human beings have inhabited this big blue marble in space, there has been a deep burning desire to belong. We desire to be part of families, groups or teams. We are obsessed with finding others who share our beliefs, interests, vocations and passions. Anthropologists and sociologists around the world have proven that…
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One Fan’s Early Season Reflections on the Return of Penn State Football
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Well folks, we are two weeks into the college football season and things are looking mighty fine in Happy Valley. Penn State is off to a solid 2-0 start with a surprising road victory over an always tough Wisconsin Badgers squad and a very business-like victory over defending MAC champion Ball State. After what seemed…
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A Commonsense Goal for Fans This Football Season
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The buzz is in the air once again. Penn State alumni and Nittany Lion football fans have been waiting a long time for the return of the tailgating, the food, the pageantry, the school spirit, and the “We Are…Penn State” cheer to shake the foundation of Beaver Stadium. We want this; we need this; and…
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‘Things Will Be Great When You’re Downtown’
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So go downtown/Things will be great when you’re downtownNo finer place for sure, downtown/Everything’s waiting for you!-“Downtown,” written by Tony Hatch and performed by Petula Clark, 1964 British songwriter and producer Tony Hatch was inspired to write his international No. 1 hit song after visiting New York City for the first time. While no one will ever confuse…
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Betting on ‘We the People’
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“Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer. Let us not seek to fix the blame for the past. Let us accept our own responsibility for the future.” – John F. Kennedy I recently returned from what I refer to as “the two best weeks of the year”:…