Lee Lawver

The lights disappear over the small theater's audience, every seat filled, and are replaced by glaring bulbs on stage. It's the moment where a room full of strangers come together to suspend disbelief and fall away into a performance that seems entirely real. On this night, the show is Radio Golf.

The huge campus and thousands of unfamiliar faces often leaves newcomers to University Park feeling overwhelmed. However, the Fresh START Day of Service held last Saturday allows freshman, international students and transfer students to ease into the transition of making friends and becoming familiar with the area while also giving back to the community through volunteer work.

There are two sides to every story, and when it comes to fraternities you most likely either love them or hate them. Those who join tend to find that the fraternity greatly improves their college experience, while those who avoid fraternities usually believe they're much better off. Yet, as the saying goes, don't knock it 'til you try it; you can't know what to believe until you see it for yourself. And this week's your opportunity.

After winning five of their last six games, the Nittany Lions have lost four in a row. Two of the losses came against number one ranked Michigan, while Penn State fell two more times to Longwood. To make matters worse, the women will have to dwell on their losses just a little bit longer, as today’s doubleheader against Ohio State has been postponed until May 11 due to weather.

Have you ever gone an entire day without judging someone? Chances are you haven’t, because judging people is ingrained in our minds. However, a challenge will be posed to all of us this Friday: Refrain from judgement until the day's end.

As college students, we can attest to the fact that the world seems to be getting increasingly competitive, decreasing our chances of success in future endeavors. A good attitude and hard work can take you a long way, but a little help mixed into the equation could make all the difference.

Pennsylvania Senate Bill #1, the Opportunity Scholarship Act, has the potential to be that helping hand for children inside the state, and the PSU College Republicans are holding a forum tonight to discuss what the future could hold with this bill.

After a disappointing week with three straight losses, the softball team came back with something to prove. They’ve gone 5-1 since last Wednesday, including four straight wins in their series’ against Kent State and Buffalo.

Campus is a beautiful place to be, but one that takes an enormous amount of hard work to maintain. Fortunately, students have the opportunity to lend a helping hand to make the transition into a warm weather campus a little smoother.

The softball team’s last six games were against Big Ten Conference schools, with four of those six coming this past week. Despite a first game win against Michigan State, the team lost their next three games. The team started their week’s set of games on Wednesday, traveling to Michigan State for a doubleheader. In game one, both teams had double digit hits, but Cassidy Bell’s grand slam in the fourth inning helped Penn State win 8-6. Find out what happened in the team's next three games after the jump.

After embarrassing myself inside the women's restroom, in which a kind young lady informed me I was located, I found my seat in 102 Forum. I went in not knowing what to expect, and I left unsure of what I had witnessed. I wasn't confused. At no point during One Stage Revolution's student-directed one act plays was there a misunderstanding. I was unsure of what meaning to take from the plays due to their demand for critical thinking, and that's why I enjoyed them.

In the spirit of Arts Crawl, but not as a planned part of it, was a house show by Lucas Carpenter last night. To describe Carpenter's live performance as entertaining would be an understatement. He's a one man band, high tech style.

A labor of love. That's what last night's production of Jesus Christ Superstar by the Penn State Thespians proved to be. With three freshmen leading the cast, it would be easy to skip out on this show. And that would be a mistake.

Want Jesus to answer your most difficult questions? So do we, but you've got the wrong article. Want answers about Jesus Christ Superstar from the man himself? That we can do. Ladies and gentleman, meet Jesus. Part time Jesus that is, because after Saturday he reverts back to Rob McNeil, freshman Penn State student and member of the Penn State Thespians. Oh the perks of being a Jesus.

Saturday marked the start of a string of Big Ten Conference games for the softball team, and a new team record. The women traveled to Illinois for games last weekend against the Fighting Illini. They split the series with a victory on Saturday and a loss on Sunday. According to the softball team's twitter account, Jackie Hill's victory on Saturday made her Penn State softball's all time leader in wins. Hill and the team are now in Michigan for their doubleheader today against Michigan State University.

A beautiful chord had struck, one that human ears fail to acknowledge, but the heart welcomes with open arms. A room full of silence and heavy hearts was accompanied by 1,100 memories represented by the delicate placement of an equal number of backpacks. The quiet was broken by soft voices who brought comforting words and the desire to send silence packing.

There was something much sweeter about opening the Nittany Lion Softball Park in a game against a Big Ten rival. The team was scheduled to debut the park against Buffalo on Thursday, but thanks to some Pennsylvania weather, the game was postponed into April. Instead, Beard field’s inaugural game was to be against Wisconsin. Find out how it and the rest of this week's games went.

“You should read my early coverage of bear hunting. It was awesome.” Let that sink in for a moment. Two chairs sat on the State Theatre Stage, separated by a small table holding two coffee mugs. But no, James Lipton and Inside the Actor’s Studio were not making a guest appearance. The stage was set for Ben Feller, the chief White House correspondent for the Associated Press and owner of the above quote, to own the night.

Towns often take pride in celebrities and public figures whose early lives and development occurred within. However, some townsfolk who achieve a great deal of success manage to slip through the cracks of notoriety. That may be the case for Ben Feller, the next writer to speak at Penn State’s Foster Conference of Distinguished Writers. Raised in Boalsburg, Feller attended Penn State and graduated with a degree in journalism. Impressive as a Penn State diploma may be, that’s not the source of his star status. One name propels Feller to prominence: Barack Obama. Reporting on all facets of Obama’s presidency is a daily task for Feller, as he is the chief White House correspondent for the Associated Press. Although many in State College are aware of Feller’s achievements, especially due to his cover story in the May/June 2009 issue of the Penn Stater, he still seems to be flying under the radar. That could change once Feller returns on March 29 for the Foster Conference.

Last Saturday's Battle of the Bands event was a great representation of Penn State students' musical talent. However, for those who were left wanting more, the SPA Noontime Concert Series has your remedy. Tomorrow's show, the Student Showcase 2, will be the second time that SPA has featured the students this year. As with all SPA Noontime shows, the artists will perform in the HUB first floor lounge, and the concert is free to everyone. Read on for the list of musicians and their time slots.

The Judi Garman Classic in Fullerton, California marked the Lady Lion's last softball games before their home opener this Thursday. The team's first home game at the new stadium probably can't come soon enough, as they left the "Golden State" with a 2-3 record in the Classic.

UPUA's first presidential debate for this year's elections will be held tonight from 8:00-9-:00 p.m. in the Alumni Hall. As with any debate, the candidates need something to discuss. That's your cue to use the link inside and send in a question.

Spring is in the air, even though the softball team won't be playing a home game for another week. However, the ladies will enjoy a beautiful new softball diamond when they return, because the Nittany Lion Softball Park is scheduled to be ready for the softball team's home opening doubleheader against Buffalo on March 24. Until that day, the ladies will try to add to an already winning record on the road.

The headlining acts for Movin' On 2011, Penn State's Spring Music Festival, were announced this morning on B94.5 FM. According to the festival's website, Movin' On has been a Penn State tradition since 1974 and has provided acts such as Wilco, Fall Out Boy, Run DMC, Talib Kweli, and Ben Folds Five. Check inside to see if your favorite artist made the cut.

Step out of the real and into something much more dramatic this week with the Penn State School of Theatre's play, the Beaux' Stratagem. Held in the Playhouse Theatre in Penn State's Theatre building, the play's opening night is this Thursday at 7:30 p.m. The show will run through the weekend and close out on March 2nd. Tickets are still available and can be found from all the usual suspects.

There are big heads at THON, and no, not the kind that are filled with arrogance and hot air. Onward State's own John Tecce takes a moment from THONing to explain how Betty White and baby Carlos from the Hangover made it to the event.

For THON veterans and newcomers alike, the event is quite a spectacle. Yet amongst all of the sights, there are a handful that stand out. Here are five things to keep an eye out for during this year’s THON.

Spirits were high when THON's 2011 line dance was revealed, and the screams of the crowd almost lifted the roof off of the Bryce Jordan Center. We hit the floor to hear first hand what the dancers and committee members thought. Check out their reactions and photos of their favorite poses after the jump.

Have you seen a school of fish gliding through the BJC? They are members of Ohana, an independent THON organization founded in 2008. For three years, they’ve been participating in the fight to find a cure. “Ohana means family in Hawaii,” said Ohana’s Outreach Chair Jamieson Cox. If you think that quote sounds familiar, you [...]

Wondering what was going on inside Lady Gaga’s egg shaped incubation capsule at the Grammys? Well, I doubt an improv class was in session, but Penn State can cover all your incubation needs this week with the Improv Incubator. It’s a weekly improv meeting focused on developing your ability to “wing it.” There’s only one rule: Have a smashing good time.