Columns
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Green Thumbs and Sustainable Mums
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Just as the leaves start to paint the landscape of Happy Valley with hues of red and gold, fall mums step into the spotlight. These vibrant seasonal beauties not only infuse your outdoor spaces with instant autumnal charm but, with a little know-how, can keep gracing your garden year after year. In this guide, we’ll…
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Poorman’s All-22, Ohio State Week: Is This James Franklin’s Biggest Game Ever?
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It is Ohio State Week. It’s so big, it deserves its own All-22. Here we go: 1. This is Game No. 121 of James Franklin’s career at Penn State — and the most important. He is 4-14 vs. Ohio State and Michigan, and just as stunning is his 1-5 record against those two teams in the…
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A Sermon for the Faithful This Homecoming Weekend
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Author’s note: Much of this was written before Penn State Homecoming in 2016, a Big Ten Championship season for the Nittany Lion football team (foreshadowing for 2023 perhaps?). But much has changed in college football, so this is an updated “Sermon for the Faithful This Homecoming Weekend” “No great thing is ever accomplished without a…
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Want to Live Longer, Pennsylvanians? Start Packing
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“Depend upon it, sir, when a man knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight, it concentrates his mind wonderfully.” – Samuel Johnson (1709-1784) I’ve long thought it would be handy if, on the day we were born, we were given a sealed envelope containing the date of our death. That way, when we got to the…
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The Flight 93 Memorial: A Reminder to Never Forget
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Many Americans, me included, can tell you what the final score was and specific details of their favorite sports team’s competition from this past weekend, whether it was pro or college football, the Major League Baseball playoffs, college or professional soccer, volleyball, etc. But I wonder how many of us are paying attention to what’s…
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Penn State Board of Trustees Composition Should Reflect Modern Realities
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A column appeared a few weeks ago on StateCollege.com’s sister site Onward State discussing the retro uniforms that several Penn State athletic teams have worn – specifically women’s volleyball, men’s basketball, women’s basketball and, most recently, men’s soccer. The throwback uniforms use the university’s original pink and black colors rather than blue and white. The…
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Porch Pumpkins: A Local Guide to Sourcing, Selection and Care
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As sure as pumpkin spice lattes mark the arrival of autumn, porch pumpkins are here to add a touch of seasonal charm to your doorstep. In this comprehensive guide, we explore the art of choosing, caring for and sourcing these delightful fall decorations locally, right here in Happy Valley. Selecting Your Perfect Porch Pumpkin Size…
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Penn State-Northwestern Football Takeaways: Poorman’s All-22
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EVANSTON, Ill. — Sometimes the journey is better than the destination. For the Nittany Lions on Saturday against Northwestern, it was a stop on the road to what they hope is much bigger — and better —in 2023. So far, that journey has them at No. 6 in the country and 5-0 and — and,…
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Deion Sanders Understands This Era of College Football Better Than Most
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The sound of gloating this past Saturday was the only thing drowning out the thuds of those jumping off the Colorado/Coach Prime bandwagon as the Oregon Ducks ran roughshod over the Buffaloes on Saturday afternoon. Truth is, Oregon is a better football team than Colorado right now. Rather than appreciate the Ducks team, many found…
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I Can’t Hear You, I’ve Got a Candle in My Ear
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Sometimes we columnists put ourselves in harm’s way so that you, our readers, won’t have to. That is why I spent part of my Sunday afternoon with a lit candle in my ear. For the record, I did not purchase Wally’s Natural Ear Candles because I have an ear wax problem. Nor does Wally claim…