Columns
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The Season of Family, However You Define It
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It takes a village to raise a child. This is an old proverb with unknown origins. An NPR newsletter did some informal research in 2016 to find out if it came from Africa, as is commonly believed, and determined that, “We just don’t know.” However, regardless of where it originated, the concept behind it is…
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What Can We Expect at Christmas During ‘The Great Dechurching’?
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It was published last August and aimed primarily at pastors and other church leaders. But “The Great Dechurching” didn’t prove to be light entertainment for clergy who may have selected it as a book for the beach. Rather, it must have felt like a riptide pulling them out to sea in shark-infested waters. Here are…
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Lessons to Be Learned for Universities as College Football Prepares for More Financial Change
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In these first days of December, deer in my backyard and the neighbor’s yard are feasting on discarded pumpkins after the days October and November, the key months for college football drama. And now, like the deer outside, we’re left to feast on what was. Tectonic plate shifts will rattle college football’s foundations next year.…
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No Ceasefire Resolution, but a Heartening Exercise in Civics and Civility
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My snap response to the Gaza ceasefire resolution considered by State College Borough Council on Monday night was an eyeroll. After the requisite litany of “whereas-es,” council would, if the resolution passed, urge the Biden administration to call for a ceasefire, the release of hostages and prisoners and a “fair peace.” Which of course would…
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Former Penn State Icer ‘Crushing It’
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I traveled to Alta, Iowa by way of Omaha, Nebraska last week to do a half-day training session on personal and professional development for Platinum Crush, LLC., a soybean processing company. During my three-day trip, I learned more about soybeans and the multi-billion-dollar industry than I ever thought possible. Let’s just say it impacts all of…
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Creatures of Habit
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Humans are creatures of habit. This is an understanding about people, and all living creatures for that matter, that has existed for eons. In the February 1887 edition of Popular Science Monthly, Professor William James wrote a 19-page article titled, “The Laws of Habit,” which laid out the modern concept of habit. He defined it…
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How Spotlight PA’s Nonpartisan Journalism Cuts Through the Noise and Gets Results
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No matter the issue or political party, Spotlight PA’s relentless reporting demands the truth and drives real change. But we can’t do it without your support.
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Day 15: Will Franklin’s Search for an Offensive Coordinator Land on Seider and Howle?
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It’s Day 15…and counting…since James Franklin axed Mike Yurcich as the Nittany Lions’ offensive coordinator, the second consecutive firing in 1,038 days by CJF of an OC he also hired. Tick, tick, tick. That was two victories by a 69-6 margin, 908 yards of offense, 2 x 100-yard rushers in 1 game, and 15 explosive…
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How Completely Did Penn State Dominate Sparty? Let Us Count the Ways… All-22 of Them
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DETROIT — It was late Friday night outside of Ford Field when several players on the victorious Nittany Lion football team were saying their final goodbyes to friends and family in the post-game giddiness of a dominating 42-0 victory over Michigan State as their teammates boarded a long row of buses destined for the Detroit…
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Making a Big Impact on Small Business Saturday
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In celebration of Small Business Saturday, we want to share some little gestures that can make a big impact on the heart of our communities — the small businesses that give our neighborhoods character and charm and identity. The best part? You don’t need a huge budget to be a local cheerleader. Here are some…