Columns
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Don’t Underestimate the Ukrainians
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As I walked through Ivan Franko Park one fall morning in the beautiful western Ukrainian city of Lviv, a woman tossed a chestnut downhill for her burly German shepherd to fetch. The chestnut gained momentum. So did the dog. The nut rolled toward a young couple posing for a photograph. The dog, intent on its…
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John Harrar: Penn State Basketball’s Humble Warrior and Team Leader
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“He was just not going to let them lose tonight.” That’s what Penn State’s first year head basketball coach Micah Shrewsberry said in his post-game interview about senior leader John Harrar after the Nittany Lions’ 62-58 upset of the 19th-ranked Michigan State Spartans on Feb. 15. The Lions went on a 15-2 run in the…
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History—and Drink Recipes—Refreshed: Enjoy Craft Cocktails and a Step Back in Time at Beautifully Renovated The Republic at The Gamble Mill
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It sure had been a while since I stepped into the old Gamble Mill in Bellefonte and sat down for a drink, but as soon as I walked inside to meet with The Republic owner Megan Marcaurelle-Jones, it felt immediately familiar and wonderfully reimagined at the same time. Megan and her husband, Cody Jones, opened…
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Penn State and the NFL Combine: All-Time Nittany Lion Records, Big Ten Rankings and a Position-by-Position Breakdown
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Eight former Nittany Lion football players will take part in the 2022 NFL Combine that begins Tuesday in Indianapolis and runs — and jumps and lifts — through Sunday. It’s a good time to dust off my Top 12 all-time listings of Penn State showings at the Combine, headed by former safety Trop Apke – among Penn Staters,…
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When a Dollar Can Tip the Scales
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In many ways, an extra dollar can put a smile on your face, say when you find it in your car’s coin cubby just as you roll through a drive-thru with a dollar menu. Or perhaps if you find one at the bottom of your purse when you pass someone in need. Uncle Sam likes…
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What Would It Take for Someone You Know to Move Back to State College?
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Last year, I posted a question on the discussion board for the Facebook group of about 8,700 Penn State alumni and was shocked by the response. I asked “What would it take for someone you know to move back to State College?” I followed the question with a link to a survey that I, my…
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Student-Athletes Face Inequitable Barriers in Pursuing Their Dreams
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Last week on this website my friend Joe Battista wrote a column describing a recent opportunity he had to speak with some young folks about what they wanted to be when they grew up, and he suggested in his column that skilled trades are a very viable career choice. Of course, he admits he’s a…
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What the College Football Playoff Staying at 4 Teams Means for Penn State
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When the College Football Playoff leaders announced last week they were staying at four teams for at least the next four seasons, it was a bad news/good news scenario for Penn State. For Penn State, perhaps as much as any of the 65 teams in the Power 5, it also had to be devastating news…
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Celebrating 50 Years, THON Is a Shining Example of Selfless Leadership
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Penn State is a place where many great things happen, but nothing we do at Penn State outshines the 46-hour Dance Marathon (THON). Celebrating its 50th anniversary, this year’s THON will likely raise more than $10 million for the Four Diamonds Fund to battle pediatric cancer at Penn State Health Children’s Hospital in Hershey and…
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Op-Ed: Mass Incarceration Is An Urgent Human Rights Crisis
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In February 1990, Nelson Mandela walked out of Robben Island prison after 27 long years of unfair imprisonment. The release of the world’s most famous prisoner added poignancy to Black History Month, and justice-loving people around the world rejoiced to know that an innocent man, incarcerated for his effort in dismantling the apartheid system, now…