Columns
-
What Will the Weather Be Like in Beaver Stadium for the College Football Playoff?
—
by
The College Football Playoff is coming next December — weather Beaver Stadium is ready or not. (I’m looking at you, Pat Kraft.) Brrrr. We’re not saying Penn State will be in the field of 12 teams in the CFP when it expands in 2024. But PSU has a good shot at it, despite USC’s entry…
-
The Sound of Freedom
—
by
While on a beautiful drive home from a day in Charleston, South Carolina, with my visiting parents, we happened to stop for gas outside the postcard-worthy southern town of Beaufort. At that moment, a thunderous noise blasted over top of us, followed in rapid succession by several more. As we looked up, we could see…
-
The Value of the Greenback
—
by
The U.S. dollar, or “greenback” in slang, is the reserve currency for the world and has been for over 60 years. However, what does being a reserve currency mean? To avoid exchange rate risk (different currencies moving in the wrong direction during a trade), countries’ central banks hold the same currency to use for trade.…
-
Celebrating Critical Thinking While Pondering Population
—
by
It’s that time of year again in Happy Valley: Penn State graduation! This upcoming weekend more than 14,000 diplomas will be awarded to students university-wide, adding to the more than 750,000 Penn Staters worldwide. And then, they, and many of the other 48,700 or so students enrolled here at the University Park campus, will pack…
-
The Psychological Side of Spending Your Retirement
—
by
It turns out many pre-retirees are so focused on accumulating assets that they never really think about actually withdrawing and using the money. Saving funds and using funds are a big difference, a different mindset and a different investing style. Studies show that many retirees aren’t drawing down their retirement portfolios, opting instead to live…
-
A Mystery Set in Centre County – Almost 200 Years Ago
—
by
Here’s a line from a recently published book: “Toads trilled in the mill ponds strung out along Spring Creek, the stream that gushed forth from the Big Spring, around which the town of Adamant had grown.” If that sounds like Bellefonte until you get to the name of the community, it’s because in the world…
-
Driven (Crazy) By Golf
—
by
Why do people play golf? It takes a lot of time, money and, most of all, anger management. You can hit a perfect shot only to get a bad bounce or have your ball impacted by a sudden gust of wind or have it land in someone’s divot or roll over someone’s unrepaired ball mark on…
-
Harold and Sherren McKenzie: Unity Church Honors Long-Time Leaders Who Have Served Happy Valley
—
by
I’m a big fan of unsung heroes. The kind of people who are more interested in doing the deed than in claiming the credit. Among our area’s most unassuming superstars, Pastor Harold McKenzie and his wife, Sherren, are near the top of my list. Although they are greatly beloved within their congregation, Unity Church of…
-
Condiment Commentary
—
by
Let’s talk about condiments. My wife and I were out to dinner last week with a few friends at a local restaurant and the food was wonderful. The conversation was fun, the service was great, the drinks were ample and the music was fantastic. All in all, a great evening out on the town. There…
-
‘We Can’t Throw Enough.’ What That Looks Like to Drew Allar and KeAndre Lambert-Smith
—
by
James Franklin thinks that heading into this summer his offense doesn’t lack for talented players — albeit somewhat young — who can catch or throw the football. It’s just that now, at the conclusion of 15 spring practices, including the Blue-White Game, he wants them to do it. Again and again and again. There are, after…