Columns
-
Ice Hockey at Penn State Celebrates 10 Years, and 50 Years
—
by
The Men’s Ice Hockey Alumni made their way back this past weekend to “Hockey Valley” from as far as Western Canada, Utah, Texas and even sunny Florida. It was a weekend to celebrate several milestones, and despite the pandemic (and a Nor’easter that prevented some alums from traveling), a good crowd returned “home” for the…
-
Penn State Football: Big Ten’s East-West Regular Season Divide Is Small
—
by
In the eight seasons since the demise of Legends and Leaders, the difference between the East and West football divisions of The Big Ten Conference boils down to two games every season: 1.) The annual Big Ten title game, which the East champion has won eight consecutive times, by margins from 3 to 59 points.…
-
Focus on the Future When Volatility Rears Its Head
—
by
You may be surprised, especially if you are nearing or into your retirement years, by the ups and downs in the market this week. If so, you’re in good company, even with some market analysts. Truth is, while we may expect volatility and bumps in the road, it’s difficult to predict the exact timing. Instead,…
-
Would State College Benefit from Offering Remote Workers Money to Relocate Here?
—
by
What do you think? Should we offer $10,000 to persuade remote tech workers to move to State College? The concept is receiving a ton of media coverage and according to the website MakeMyMove, there are more than 50 programs with offers like this around the country. The often cited example of this perk is Tulsa…
-
Misinformation and Hypocrisy Hinder the Battle Against the COVID-19 Pandemic
—
by
During the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve seen the rise of “Pandemic Patriots” wielding misinformation and grievance politics against measures to stop the virus. In both war and pandemics, battle plans change as we learn more. And these naysayers seize upon every change as a sign that the approach all along has been intentionally wrong or…
-
Nature’s Ways: Rhododendron Is Nature’s Winter Thermometer
—
by
Rhododendron leaves hang curled and seemingly lifeless on a frigid winter morning. As temperatures rise into the 20s, rhododendron’s leathery evergreen leaves uncurl to greet the morning sun. When temperatures reach the 30s, their leaves look almost summer-like. This curling-uncurling characteristic makes the rhododendron Mother Nature’s winter thermometer. Rhododendron is easy to recognize but it…
-
Happy Valley’s Wave of Women Leaders a Promising Change
—
by
We Americans are a sports-dominated culture. Last year, 95 of the 100 most-watched television broadcasts were sporting events. And of those 95 events, football is far-and-away the leader of our sport-watching days. Seventy-five of the most watched broadcasts were NFL games — including 28 of the top 30 most-watched events of the year — and…
-
Penn State Football: No Offense, but It’s Time for That Evaluation
—
by
In the tumultuous days leading up to Penn State’s appearance in the Outback Bowl, head football coach James Franklin was asked to evaluate Mike Yurcich’s first season as offensive coordinator. Franklin side-stepped the question, though the 2021 Penn State offense had already been on the field for 339 minutes and 36 seconds by that point.…
-
Once Again: To Zoom or Not to Zoom
—
by
Much as I love my job, teaching at Penn State sometimes feels like driving with a co-pilot who has no sense of direction. When administration tells faculty to turn right, I’m thinking, hmm, we should probably hang a left. Mostly I’m thinking of the way Old Main has managed the COVID situation. After a year…
-
Is the ‘Success Paradox’ Real?
—
by
What does it mean to be successful? How do you define it versus what society tells us it is? Is it the most “likes” on an Instagram or Tik-Tok post? Is it being more popular among your friends? Is it winning the volunteer of the year award? Is it having the biggest — take your…