Columns
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Imagine Crossing Borders Illegally, by Yourself, at Age 14
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THESSALONIKI, GREECE — I used to balk at letting my three teenagers go on sleepovers, so I have a hard time comprehending how Omer’s and Shahzaib’s parents gave them permission to journey, alone, overland via Iran and Turkey, the 3700 miles from Pakistan to Greece. Omer was 15 when he left his village in 2016.…
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A Slice of Banana Ball
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If you are all about family entertainment, at a very reasonable price, then you will love “Banana Ball” as played by the now world-famous Savannah Bananas minor league baseball team. If you are a baseball purist, well this brand may not be your cup of tea. But if you want a crazy, fun, throwback night…
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Pride Month Is a Celebration of the Pursuit for Equality and Freedom
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In June, we see the blooming of Pride flags on homes, in yards, outside businesses and on various social media platforms. It is for people to celebrate not only who they are now, but to recall a difficult journey to arrive at this place in time. June also means a surge of resentment ranging from…
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Buck Wilde: The Kid from Bald Eagle Valley Who Hangs with Wolves
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Buck Wilde was dozing under a tree on the Alaska Peninsula. When he opened his eyes, Mosquito, big as a Great Dane, was staring him in the face. It was a reunion, of sorts. Buck, a wildlife photographer and guide, and his client, Swiss wildlife photographer Esther Gossweiler, had met Mosquito, a handsome, nearly white…
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For Penn State Football, the 8% Solution and the Not-Impossible Task of Beating Both Ohio State and Michigan in 2023
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Can Penn State beat both Ohio State and Michigan in 2023 — most certainly the surest path to the College Football Playoffs? It might be the single most important question of the upcoming season, right up there with, “Can Drew Allar be great?” Beating the Buckeyes and the Wolverines in the span of four games…
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Roots and Wings, and a Field of Dreams Moment
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“Good parents give their children roots and wings.” -Jonas Salk As Father’s Day approaches I received one of the best gifts a father could hope for: quality time with my wife and all three of our children. These moments are becoming increasingly harder to coordinate, so as a parent, you just appreciate them that much…
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Good Debt, Bad Debt
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Over the past year, interest rates have increased due to the Federal Reserve’s tightening. Their goal is to cut inflation to 2% and to do so, they are slowing the economy. For instance, the average 30-year mortgage rate was 3.22% in January. The most recent 30-year fixed mortgage rate is 6.57%. This means for the…
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Penn State Football’s Starting Experience Reminiscent of 2017 Squad
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After Penn State went a surprising 11-3 in 2016, winning the Big Ten and losing a scintillating nail-biter in the Rose Bowl, the Nittany Lions remained locked and loaded for the 2017 season. James Franklin’s fourth squad at Penn State that year returned an experienced and deep roster that had 359 career collegiate football starts,…
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Nature’s Ways: Red-Headed Woodpecker Is a Rare Local Find
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With its striking red, black and white plumage, the red-headed woodpecker is easy to identify. However, it is the rarest of all Pennsylvania woodpeckers. More numerous Keystone State woodpecker species include the pileated, downy, hairy and red-bellied woodpeckers, as well as the northern flicker and the yellow-bellied sapsucker. The pileated woodpecker is our largest species…
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Hook: Our Little Educational Experiment Worked
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There’s a famous scene in the movie “Jerry Maguire” – the “You complete me” scene – that includes the memorable finishing line, “You had me at hello.” For me, however, the best dialogue from that scene happens near the middle when the character played by Tom Cruise says, “But tonight, our little project, our company,…