Columns
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The Problem with Vacations: They End
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I always tell students in my column-writing class: You’re only allowed to write about your vacation if everything goes kablooey. My vacation was fabulous. Then, kablooey.
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10 Faces from Penn State Football’s First Day of Practice: Some Borrowed, Some New
in Columns, Local & Penn State Sports, Local News, Penn State Blue-White Game, Penn State Football, Penn State Sports—
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Penn State football held its first official practice of the spring on Tuesday. And boy, was it spring. Creeping toward 70, it might have been the nicest day of weather in Happy Valley in 2024. Only 172 days until the season opener at West Virginia. The sun, it seems, was shining on the Nittany Lions.…
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Secrecy Still Pervades Pennsylvania State Government, but Spotlight PA Is Fighting Back
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The one constant in Harrisburg no matter the dominant political party is a reflexive inclination to shield information from the public.
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‘I Have Fought the Good Fight… I Have Kept the Faith’
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“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”— 2 Timothy 4:7 Ben Franklin once wrote, “Our new Constitution is now established, everything seems to promise it will be durable; but, in this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes.” We’ll save the taxes part for another…
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Gold Medal Wrestler and Former Walk-On Team Up for Youth Outreach Ministry
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They’re at polar opposites in the world of central Pennsylvania wrestling, but they’ve got more in common than you might expect. The older man began grappling as a high school student in Florida—a state not known for wrestling unless you’re talking about gators. Despite his limited background as a schoolboy, he joined the Penn State…
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What’s Up with Pennsylvania High School Football?
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What is going on with high school football here in the great commonwealth of Pennsylvania? Before we get to that, let’s first acknowledge the outstanding history that Pennsylvania has played in the game of football in this country. The Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, has 378 individuals enshrined as the finest the…
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10 Takeaways on Penn State Football’s Max Day: No Shortage of Praise for Allar, Fleming and Carter
in Columns, Local & Penn State Sports, Local News, Penn State Blue-White Game, Penn State Football, Penn State Sports—
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“So,” I asked dapper strength coach Chuck Losey at Penn State’s winter-workout-ending Max Out Day on Thursday, “how has Drew’s winter been?” Drew is, of course, Nittany Lion quarterback Drew Allar, now heading into his third season at Penn State and his second as a starter. Allar is still, as ESPN.com recently pointed out, a…
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The Hall of Champions
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Last week as both the Penn State men’s and women’s basketball teams returned to Rec Hall for games, it was hard not to get a tad nostalgic. Although the setup was off as it related to the traditional placement of the student section, it was fun to see the venerable old hall hosting hoops again.…
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News from a Parallel Universe: TPU Prez Says No to More Dough
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Citing Teen Pants University’s budget woes, President Elida Benniedup has declined the increase in her compensation package approved by the Board of Trustees at their February meeting. “Of course I’m honored that the trustees think my performance to date is deserving of additional compensation,” Benniedup said in a statement, “but at a time when $94…
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‘Every Day Is Saturday, Except Sunday’
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I once asked my former Penn State athletics colleague and friend Bruce Ellis how he was enjoying retirement. His response has resonated with me every day since. He said, with a big grin on his face, “Every day is Saturday, except Sunday!” I doggedly researched both the financial nuances and the quality-of-life aspects of retirement…