Columns
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Notes from Week 1: In-person? Remote? It May Not Matter; The Al Fresco Fiasco
in Columns, Community & Entertainment, Latest Penn State News, Local News, State College, StateCollege.com—
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Count my students among those who expect a spike in COVID-19 cases to force Penn State to lock its classrooms before leaf-peeping season. Their pessimism didn’t surprise me. This did: Even if all their classes go remote, they’re staying in Happy Valley.
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Nature’s Ways: Joe-Pye Weed — Pennsylvania’s Tallest Wildflower
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The tallest wildflower to bloom at this time, or maybe any time of year, is the stately Joe-Pye weed. Its domes of pink flowers are perched atop stems that can reach heights of eight feet. However, heights of 10 to 12 feet are not uncommon when growing conditions are ideal.
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A Plan to Save College Sports, While We Still Can
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You know things are serious when Stanford, winner of the College Directors’ Cup for 25 consecutive years as the top NCAA college sports program, drops sports programs.
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Back to Basics
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During a steep downturn — think March 2020 or the 2008 Great Recession — investors tend to let fear rule their decisions. When stocks rise rapidly, investors tend to get greedy going after winners after they may already be overpriced. The best thing is to stick with the basics.
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Community Panel Offers Hope for Happy Valley’s Future
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Three veteran community leaders joined me on Monday morning to consider the matrix of challenges that threaten Happy Valley’s happiness this fall and how we can have hope. Connected by Zoom, we discussed such concerns as the local impact of COVID-19, the struggle to improve our community’s raci
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Missing Out on the Party in an Unconventional Time
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We’re getting into the thick of a presidential election cycle and if the year 2020 was a normal year I would be in Charlotte, North Carolina as you read this. Except I’m not – I’m here in Happy Valley. This is the first time since 1996 that I am not spending five days each in…
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Penn State’s New International Students: Theirs Is a Story of Determination
in Columns, Community & Entertainment, Latest Penn State News, Local News, State College, StateCollege.com—
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It’s never been especially easy for an international student to get to a university like Penn State. Even in a normal year, an overseas student must withstand the endless paperwork, the financial struggles, the cultural adjustments and maybe some language barriers. But, as you may have noticed, t
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I Won’t Be Teaching in a Classroom, but I’m Ready to Make the Best of a Most Unusual Semester
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For the first time in 28 years, I am not starting the academic year in a classroom. Today is the first day of the 2020-2021 academic year and I will be at home. No stacks of syllabi to distribute on the first day. No new outfit or bag to carry my stuff to class. No…
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Examining the New Era of House Calls
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In the age of COVID-19, people have been changing the way they stay in touch with family and friends, using virtual methods to stay connected. Healthcare systems are doing the same by offering telehealth services for patients and providers to connect virtually.
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Big Ten Football Postponement Is Difficult, but Look at the Bigger Picture
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What you are about to read is not to take one side or the other, but rather to illuminate perspective that impacts a decision to postpone a season, a side of this that has not been communicated effectively.