Columns
-
Hook: Who’s Getting Richer in College Sports This Year?
—
by
It’s Tuesday, June 24, 2025, which means there are only 67 days until the Penn State football team opens its season against the University of Nevada, Reno. Its the first of three consecutive home contests that are probably best described as “preseason” games. The Nevada Wolf Pack finished at the bottom of the Mountain West…
-
Op-Ed: Federal Cuts to Research Funding Are Putting Pa. Agriculture at Risk
—
by
I am a graduate student in the Department of Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology at Penn State. I am, for all intents and purposes, a boots-and-work-gloves kind of guy and can be found most summers either tromping through a research field or stuck in front of a computer analyzing data. You can imagine I much…
-
For the Pure Joy of It
—
by
I was recently back in Happy Valley for a few days to do a little work at our family townhouse and to facilitate a two-day Pragmatic Passion training program for Dallastown Area School District’s Leadership Team at the newly renovated Nittany Lion Inn. While in town, I had the pleasure of getting to see an…
-
Inside/Outside State College: Something Is Missing Downtown
—
by
Inside/Outside State College is a new monthly column by Jeff Deitrich offering views on downtown and the outdoors within a 30-minute driving distance. Spats. Zola. The Deli. The Golden Wok. If you weren’t downtown more than five years ago, you might not know these names. But those of us who were remember these restaurants fondly.…
-
Paterno: What ‘America First’ Really Looks Like
—
by
Your flag flyin’ over the courthouseMeans certain things are set in stoneWho we are, what we’ll do, and what we won’t –Bruce Springsteen, “Long Walk Home” In a time when we hear “America First!” or “Make America Great Again!” as a mantra, the question goes to the lyrics above. For a long time, certain things were…
-
Op-Ed: One Big Belligerent Bill
—
by
Euphemistically called the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB), the budget passed by the Republican-controlled Congress, 215-214, attacks one of our best investments: the climate-smart economy. In combination with other White House actions, it harms America’s and Pennsylvania’s businesses and communities, hinders us on the global stage and consigns us to a hotter, more violent climate.…
-
Frank: Forget Bucket Lists. Aging Is for Savoring
—
by
As I entered the murky zone between middle and old age, I came up with a slogan: “If not now, when?” Meaning, I should go-be-do while I’m still hale and hearty. Specifically, that meant more hiking and biking. Results have been mixed. Yes, I hike and bike. But I also still work – by choice.…
-
From Crutches to Cruising
—
by
I want to talk about crutches. When I say crutches I mean the physical device whose purpose is to assist you in moving around during those times when, for whatever reason, you are unable to do so on your own. Now, a crutch can also mean any source or means of support or assistance, physical…
-
Op-Ed: Public Media Is Under Attack — And So Is Your Community
—
by
Imagine turning on your TV or radio and finding silence where “Sesame Street,” local news and emergency alerts used to be. No more “Our Town” stories celebrating your neighbors in Centre County. No more trusted voices guiding your children through their earliest years. No more WPSU. That’s the future we could face if Congress approves…
-
Penn State Coaches Weigh In: How New Defensive Coordinator Jim Knowles Has Already Changed PSU Football
—
by
It has been 130 days since grizzled defensive coordinator Jim Knowles left the newly-crowned champs of college football, Ohio State, and headed east to coach Penn State. On the Buckeyes’ way to the national title in 2024, Knowles’ Ohio State’s defense ranked first nationally in scoring defense, total defense, yards allowed per play, touchdowns allowed…