My latest column, State Patty's Day--keep the name, change the meaning, is at StateCollege.com. Here's a preview.
State Patty's Day began innocently enough as a small group of friends celebrating St. Patrick's Day together before leaving town on spring break. They never planned, nor could they have imagined, that it would become the drinking festival that it is today.
Last year alone, the now infamous weekend was the scene of 234 arrests and 14 DUIs, according to data released by police. Just more than 100 partygoers who couldn’t hold their liquor ended up at Mount Nittany Medical Center. There was property damage, public urination and assaults. Though the majority of those arrested were from other universities, the negative publicity still fell on the Penn State community.
But this year is different. This has been a year like none other in Penn State's history. A small group of students and residents have already generated a decade’s worth of negative publicity.
Last weekend at THON, the Penn State community came a long way in restoring the pride and tradition of its name. The students were able to raise more than $10 million for the Four Diamonds Fund to help in the fight against pediatric cancer. The dancers and other participants were selfless, noble, and, well, amazing.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Saturday, February 18, 2012
THON photos--Saturday afternoon
Friday, February 17, 2012
THON photos--Friday night
This is THON weekend in State College, the largest student-run philanthropy in the world, that culminates it's year-long fundraising efforts with a 46-hour no sitting, no sleeping dance marathon.
All money raised though THON, more than $78 million, goes to support The Four Diamonds Fund at Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital. The Four Diamonds Fund provides assistance to families of children with cancer and funds research to find a cure.
Don't know what THON is? Check out this page.
The 2012 THON logo high above the Bryce Jordan Center.
The men's basketball team and coach Pat Chambers lead a "We are..."
One of the first line dances of the weekend, around 7:00pm.
Check back tomorrow...better and more photos coming soon.
All money raised though THON, more than $78 million, goes to support The Four Diamonds Fund at Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital. The Four Diamonds Fund provides assistance to families of children with cancer and funds research to find a cure.
Don't know what THON is? Check out this page.
The 2012 THON logo high above the Bryce Jordan Center.
The men's basketball team and coach Pat Chambers lead a "We are..."
One of the first line dances of the weekend, around 7:00pm.
Check back tomorrow...better and more photos coming soon.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Other things: Co-sleeping and togetherness
I also write lots of non-Penn State material and am starting to share it here along with my PSU thoughts.
(This essay originally appeared on NPR's This I Believe via WPSU FM.)
It's a hot night and my six-year-old’s room doesn't have a fan. Since my husband has a cold and is in the guestroom, Ryan is bunking with me. Truth be told, Ryan ends up in our bed for at least a few hours most nights.
Sometimes he starts in his own room and crosses into ours after a bathroom visit. Sometimes he finds an excuse to start out with us. Scary shadows, upset tummy, a vague pain in his leg that's only cured by snuggling. Or, when he really wants to pull on our heartstrings, it's because he loves us and wants to be close. He knows all the tricks and so do we.
The funny thing is, almost all of our friends admit they also let their children into their bed on a regular basis. But this is always confessed in hushed tones with a certain amount of embarrassment. The parenting magazines and even our own pediatricians tell us not to do it. We're bombarded by experts advising us to let our children cry themselves to sleep if needed. They'll be better off in the long run.
But making children sleep alone is a uniquely Western experience. In many countries, parents invite their children to share the bed until they’re comfortable enough to sleep on their own. Those countries, and those children, turn out just fine. A British child-rearing expert recommends parents and children sleep together until the child is at least five. Her recommendation is backed by a study that shows an increase in stress hormones found in children sleep alone.
But regardless of the research or current trends, it really all comes down to what's right for our family. I could put Ryan back in his bed when he wakes up, but it would be a struggle that could last for hours and no one will get any sleep. Am I giving in? Sure, but there will come a time in the next few years when his bedroom door stays shut, probably with a sign that reads private or no parents allowed. Right now he still sees us as his heroes, as the ones who can solve most of his problems with a hug and a good book.
So I don't mind when he squeezes his 44-inch frame into our small bed and sleeps sideways, his head on my back and his legs on his dad. No one gets a perfect night's sleep, but it doesn't matter. What does matter is that he feels safe and loved.
I believe that you can't show a child too much love and that you need to do it while they let you.
(This essay originally appeared on NPR's This I Believe via WPSU FM.)
It's a hot night and my six-year-old’s room doesn't have a fan. Since my husband has a cold and is in the guestroom, Ryan is bunking with me. Truth be told, Ryan ends up in our bed for at least a few hours most nights.
Sometimes he starts in his own room and crosses into ours after a bathroom visit. Sometimes he finds an excuse to start out with us. Scary shadows, upset tummy, a vague pain in his leg that's only cured by snuggling. Or, when he really wants to pull on our heartstrings, it's because he loves us and wants to be close. He knows all the tricks and so do we.
The funny thing is, almost all of our friends admit they also let their children into their bed on a regular basis. But this is always confessed in hushed tones with a certain amount of embarrassment. The parenting magazines and even our own pediatricians tell us not to do it. We're bombarded by experts advising us to let our children cry themselves to sleep if needed. They'll be better off in the long run.
But making children sleep alone is a uniquely Western experience. In many countries, parents invite their children to share the bed until they’re comfortable enough to sleep on their own. Those countries, and those children, turn out just fine. A British child-rearing expert recommends parents and children sleep together until the child is at least five. Her recommendation is backed by a study that shows an increase in stress hormones found in children sleep alone.
But regardless of the research or current trends, it really all comes down to what's right for our family. I could put Ryan back in his bed when he wakes up, but it would be a struggle that could last for hours and no one will get any sleep. Am I giving in? Sure, but there will come a time in the next few years when his bedroom door stays shut, probably with a sign that reads private or no parents allowed. Right now he still sees us as his heroes, as the ones who can solve most of his problems with a hug and a good book.
So I don't mind when he squeezes his 44-inch frame into our small bed and sleeps sideways, his head on my back and his legs on his dad. No one gets a perfect night's sleep, but it doesn't matter. What does matter is that he feels safe and loved.
I believe that you can't show a child too much love and that you need to do it while they let you.
Monday, February 13, 2012
A fair trial with Centre County jurors? Of course
The Attorney General's office seems to have a misguided and incorrect understanding of the residents of Centre County. In the motion requesting that an out-of-county jury be brought in for the Sandusky trial, the AG states:
"The citizens of Centre County feel a laudable and proper sense of ownership of, and participation in, the fortunes of Penn State. To ask members of that community to breakdown that alloy and insulate themselves from the institution which informs so many aspects of their lives is asking too much. It is unfair and impracticable."
I'm not sure how the AG came to this idea, but the implication is that since this is Penn State-related, a Centre County jury would find it difficult to keep their Penn State loyalties separate from their feelings towards Sandusky. I guess this could go either way--a jury might be prejudiced toward a guilty plea because of what this has already done to the University or they might feel loyalty toward Sandusky because of his football years.
I think either of these scenarios is unlikely. There is very little, if any, positive feelings toward Sandusky around town. Most people I talk to believe that he is guilty on at least some of the charges and blame him for the negative media attention to our town and for the firing of Joe Paterno.
On the other hand, I think residents of Centre County would like Jerry Sandusky to be innocent. Not just found "not guilty" but to actually be innocent. There has been so much negative publicity devoted to painting the community as a football-obsessed group of child abuse-enablers, we'd like nothing more than to find out it was all fabricated, much like the Duke lacrosse scandal.
Sadly, though, I don't expect that to be the case.
The judge's ruling on whether or not to grant the change of venire should be coming in the next few days, if not hours. I hope the judge decides to have a local jury...the alleged crimes were committed here, it's only fair that a local jury should hear the case.
"The citizens of Centre County feel a laudable and proper sense of ownership of, and participation in, the fortunes of Penn State. To ask members of that community to breakdown that alloy and insulate themselves from the institution which informs so many aspects of their lives is asking too much. It is unfair and impracticable."
I'm not sure how the AG came to this idea, but the implication is that since this is Penn State-related, a Centre County jury would find it difficult to keep their Penn State loyalties separate from their feelings towards Sandusky. I guess this could go either way--a jury might be prejudiced toward a guilty plea because of what this has already done to the University or they might feel loyalty toward Sandusky because of his football years.
I think either of these scenarios is unlikely. There is very little, if any, positive feelings toward Sandusky around town. Most people I talk to believe that he is guilty on at least some of the charges and blame him for the negative media attention to our town and for the firing of Joe Paterno.
On the other hand, I think residents of Centre County would like Jerry Sandusky to be innocent. Not just found "not guilty" but to actually be innocent. There has been so much negative publicity devoted to painting the community as a football-obsessed group of child abuse-enablers, we'd like nothing more than to find out it was all fabricated, much like the Duke lacrosse scandal.
Sadly, though, I don't expect that to be the case.
The judge's ruling on whether or not to grant the change of venire should be coming in the next few days, if not hours. I hope the judge decides to have a local jury...the alleged crimes were committed here, it's only fair that a local jury should hear the case.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Paterno statue memorial photos--part 2
I found out after I posted my first group of photos that the Beaver Stadium staff, with permission from the Paterno family, removed all the items from the statue and took them inside the stadium to dry off. I'm lucky I got these when I did, as I had been wanting to stop by for several days.
I guess this is what happens to Peachy Paterno ice cream after getting rained on and sitting outside for a few days.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Paterno Statue January 31, part 1
I stopped by the Paterno statue yesterday afternoon and was surprised to see how much it had grown. The amount of foot traffic is impressive, I probably saw about forty people come and go during the twenty minutes that I was there.
Many of the items being placed at the statue are wrapped in plastic now to protect against rain and snow. Some of the original items from last week are hard to read, but there are plenty of new ones to take their place. Many of these items are carefully constructed collages, autographed hats, and framed posters that have obviously been cherished for years. It speaks volumes about how loved Paterno is that fans are willing to part with these items.
Many of the items being placed at the statue are wrapped in plastic now to protect against rain and snow. Some of the original items from last week are hard to read, but there are plenty of new ones to take their place. Many of these items are carefully constructed collages, autographed hats, and framed posters that have obviously been cherished for years. It speaks volumes about how loved Paterno is that fans are willing to part with these items.
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