May is one of the more interesting months of the year. It begins with the fresh feelings of spring — people are still getting their gardens ready for the warmer months, doing some spring cleaning, and making sure their homes didn’t suffer any damage from the winter (or some unexpected snow in April!).
The month ends with what’s considered the kickoff to summer — Memorial Day weekend — which means grills are red up, pools are open, and school years are nearly over.
This year’s May issue of Town&Gown covers both parts of May — and everything in between.
On the spring side, Dana Ray’s story, “The Gifts of Gardening,” gives suggestions not only on where to go and what to do to help improve your home garden, but also how your garden can help the environment and your community. Also, for more home-care ideas and tips, be sure to check out this year’s edition of Town&Gown’s Home, which is a special insert with the May issue.
On the summer side, Memorial Day is a special day across the country, and especially in Boalsburg, which proudly claims to be where the holiday began. In “A Town and a Tradition,” Mike Dawson talks with the four local researchers who wrote a book after rediscovering the details behind the three women who helped start that rst Memorial Day in Boalsburg.
May also is about goodbyes as Penn State graduates another class. For its class gift, the Class of 2016 is establishing an endowment to support Penn State’s Center for Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), which helps thousands of Penn State students each year in group therapy, individual
counseling, crisis intervention, and psychiatric services. It’s a remarkable gift and shows how more people are recognizing the importance of mental health and how we as a society handle mental-health issues — something you can read about in Jodi Morelli’s story, “Rising above the Stigma.”
Finally, when it comes to gifts
and giving, May is when Centre Gives happens. The 36-hour online fundraising event hosted by Centre Foundation is in its fth year and has raised nearly $3 million for participating organizations. It’s become a vital tool nonpro ts in Centre County use to raise money and their pro les, and you can read about the effort in Jenna Spinelle’s story, “Wiring in on the Giving.”
Maybe it’s because of the spring cleaning and gardening at the beginning of the month or maybe it’s because of the start of summer at the end, or maybe it’s both, but May just has this aura of optimism about it. Hopefully you can enjoy all aspects of this month, and maybe nd some time to give — whether through your garden or your wallet — so that optimistic feeling can carry to others.
