Columns
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COVID Diary, Part II: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back
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I’ll tell you what’s worse than a long bout of illness: getting better, then relapsing. COVID breached Fortress Frank (two shots, three boosters) on Nov. 28. The next week was a blur. I napped, graded papers, binged on TV (“White Lotus,” ancient “Seinfelds”). I didn’t feel awful, most of the time, just slightly off, like…
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The Real Reason for the Season: Peace on Earth, Goodwill Toward All
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Happy Holidays! Happy Hanukkah! Merry Christmas! Happy New Year! We often hear these phrases from family, friends, colleagues and even complete strangers at this time of the year. Most of the time it is said sincerely and with a hearty smile. But they can also be uttered as a reflex without real feeling or meaning.…
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Penn State Football’s Manny Diaz and Mike Yurcich on Closing the Gap with Michigan and Ohio State
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Michigan and Ohio State, who are both in the College Football Playoff, are at the pinnacle of college football. Penn State yearns to be there as well. Penn State’s first-year defensive coordinator, Manny Diaz, thinks the Nittany Lions are close to closing that gap, even though Penn State was 0-4 vs. those two Big Ten…
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The World of Book Sales Has Changed, but a Love for Reading Never Does
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Early in my life, I learned to love reading. I would search flea markets for Nancy Drew books and Walden Books at the mall was awesome. (Yes, back in the day, I would have used that word.) My parents were very keen on education and my mom enjoyed reading, so books were something they would…
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Strawberry Fields: At Age 50, This Nonprofit Shows No Signs of Slowing Down
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Smiling faces abounded in Good Day Café on one special night last week. Donors to the café’s sponsoring agency, Strawberry Fields, were attending an open house to mark the 50th year of the organization’s existence. With folks enjoying each other’s company, reveling in holiday spirit and celebrating the golden anniversary of Strawberry Fields, there was nary…
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How Manny Diaz’s Defense Has Returned Penn State to the Wild Dog Days of Sacks and TFLs
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Penn State’s defense was back in the sack and tackles-for-a-loss business in 2022, thanks in large part to new defensive coordinator Manny Diaz. The outstanding play of freshman linebacker Abdul Carter, who led the Nittany Lions in sacks (6.5) and tackles for a loss (10.5) didn’t hurt, either. Diaz’s defense was wreaking so much havoc,…
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An Ode to Trader Joe’s
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According to the U.S. Department of Commerce Retail Indicator Division, total retail sales in this country for 2021 were $6.6 trillion. That’s a lot of money. And the supermarkets and grocery stores industry is the third largest component of the retail industry by market size, generating over $811 billion in sales. Which if we do…
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State High Football 2022: Someday, the 13 Will Outweigh the 1
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State College Area High School’s undefeated football season came to an end on Dec. 3 with a loss to Harrisburg in the state semifinals. As the senior players walked around the field after the game, for most of them the realization that this will be the last football game they played began to take hold.…
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COVID Comes Calling at Last
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I take the 1 from 96th to 42nd and, with time to kill, look for a place to wet my whistle. A red banner on 40th: Printer’s Alley. How can I resist? My dad was a printer his whole life. I dabbled in the trade before I got my fancy degrees and my clean-hands job.…
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We Are… at the End of an Era. Or Is It Just a ‘Paws’?
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On Saturday, Dec. 17, over 5,000 new graduates are expected to walk across the stage at the Bryce Jordan Center to receive their Penn State diplomas. One of those students will be our youngest son, Ryan, the last of our three children (Brianna – 2015 and Jonathon – 2016) to do so. It will be…