Columns
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Penn State’s No. 23 Finish in Learfield Cup Standings Not So Krafty
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Back on May 1, 2022 — just a few days after he was officially hired as Penn State’s athletic director — Dr. Patrick Kraft touted the power, reach, success and mission of Penn State’s 31 varsity sports and the head coaches who lead them. “We are 31 strong,” Kraft enthused at the time. “Hear me again:…
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Acquired Tastes
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My wife’s sister was in town for a visit this past week and stayed at their mother’s apartment. We all got together as family a few times during that week, and occasionally my sister-in-law and I would sip on a little single-malt scotch as family conversations ensued. I mean, Queen Elizabeth II lived to the…
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The Team Behind Penn State Women’s Athletics’ ‘Teammates For Life’
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Teammates For Life is a special, deeply personal initiative to us both whose mission is to elevate the visibility, support and impact of women’s athletics in our Penn State community. As part of the advisory board — with Char as the director and Maribeth as head of communications and marketing — We Are…proud to recently celebrate…
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The Early Seeds of Influencer Culture at Penn State
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In the world of 2024 social media and marketing, the analytics and data devoted to measuring the true return on investment of influencers for corporations are staggering. Even universities are looking for unique ways to stand out in a crowded and competitive world of admissions. How do they reach prospective students still in high school…
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‘It’s About Not Giving Up.’ State College Area’s Spencer Bivens Gets Call to the Bigs
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Spencer Bivens has played baseball for the Rogers State Hillcats, the Lions de Savigny de-sur-Orge, the Steel City Slammin’ Sammies, the Washington Wild Things, the Lexington Legends, the West Virginia Power, the Gastonia Honey Hunters, the Sacramento River Cats, the Eugene Emeralds, the Richmond Flying Squirrels and the Scottsdale Scorpions. Perhaps you haven’t heard of…
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Life in The Fast Lane: What’s The Rush?
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My father was a Russian. My mother was a Russian. Me, I’m justa takin’ my time. – Dad Jokes Time, like the weather, is a life variable that we all fret over but seem to have little control over. As you get older time takes on an entirely different meaning as those of us in the…
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What Every Penn State Offensive Coach Thinks About the Nittany Lion Receivers
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You hear it. I hear it. James Franklin hears it. Marques Hagans, entering his second season as Penn State’s wide receivers coach, hears it. “Let’s be honest: I hear it. And I think the guys hear it as well,” Hagans said on Thursday, during a media availability prior to Lift For Life. “I’m not going…
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10 Takeaways from James Franklin’s Penn State Football June Update, from the White Out Date to Paying Players
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On Thursday, James Franklin played Meet The Press for the first time in two months — 61 days, to be exact, a span from post-Blue-White Game to a session with mostly local media Thursday afternoon in Holuba Hall. Franklin had been literally coast-to-coast since then, from California for Big Ten meetings to various NIL fund-raising…
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Hook: These Fast-Food Joints Should Open (or Expand) in Happy Valley
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One of the top local news headlines this past week was the possibility of Happy Valley getting an Arby’s fast-food restaurant again. It’s been almost 13 years since the Arby’s in downtown State College closed, and this addition would mean we denizens of the Valley would once again “Have The Meats.” (Is anyone else shocked…
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Summer Thoughts from the Front Porch
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This is the time of year when the long days lead to the random front porch musings of an older man who’s seen some things in his day. Step on up and take a seat. Don’t worry, the dog may bark but she won’t bite. 1. Summertime in this college town: With 48,000 students gone,…