The Campus Explorer is a feature of Onward State dedicated to exploring Penn State’s astrologically massive campus. The series will showcase a building or area on campus that doesn’t receive much attention as landmark buildings like the Beaver Stadium or Old Main.

This blog posts reveals an exclusive look at the offices in which we produce quality content for your consumption.  You see, Onward State is unlike most blogs.  We have offices, meetings, deadlines and other businessey-crap to keep us running as smoothly as the ducks swim on the alumni pond.  Although I cannot reveal the exact physical location of our office, you might want to check out this link (sshhhhh).  Below is a sneak peek of the most impressive offices that our amazing staff occupies.

First off we have our production editor, Mitch.  Mitch is in charge of making sure that Onward State is always available on the interwebs.  When the blog mysteriously disappears into the black void of cyberspace, Mitch his first on the scene.  As you can see, our illustrious production editor has plenty of screen real-estate to monitor Onward State in real-time.  For those that want specifics, the six monitors on the left are 20″ Dell displays, while the three displays on the right are old HP 19″ panels.  The computer that drives his system is a custom Linux distribution that is actually on the top 500 most powerful computers in the world.  Take that, IBM.

No one said blogging was easy.  In fact, it is so stressful during hectic liveblogging sessions, staff workspaces often become literal pigstys.  The author of our popular “Bro Call” feature Chad, likes to keep things a little grungy.  More often than not, we can detect a hint of Natty Ice from all the way down the hall, likely being emitted by this office.  We at Onward State like to operate by the mantra, “whatever works for you, works for us.”  In his time as a writer, Chad has caused us to recalculate our mantra, “whatever works for you, works for us as long as you shower at least once every two days.”

Next up is co-bossman Davis.  As Editor of Onward State, Davis has a lot on his plate.  He keeps sane by keeping his lavish corner office quite tidy.  Needless to say, Sebastian’s office is at the other end of the hallway (and spectrum) from our Editor.  As you can see, Davis keeps a hefty amount of paper notes, always jotting down ideas for his morning emails.  The bookcase behind Davis encloses a special video-monitoring system that gives him a view of the entire campus.  Because of this stunning technology, we always get breaking news first.  The next system is due to be delivered in the next few weeks and will allow Onward State to deliver the news long before The Daily Collegian can print and distribute their papers in the morning.

Our next office is shared by Lisa and Kate.  The office space oozes creativity, evident by the brightly colored accent wall.  The two ladies keep things neat and simple which allows them to work harmoniously on some of the best blog posts the blogosphere has ever seen.  The oak-flavored desk pairs extraordinarily well with the black and white photos that adorn the top of the shelves.  The translucent clock between the photos keeps the two bloggers mindful of their deadlines and let’s them know when its time to leave for the day.

Our last featured office is that of our news editor and co-bossman, Eli.  It is clear that Eli likes a nice balance of work and play.  His dual screen setup at his workstation allows him to edit a post while he researches background information.  When he grows weary of sifting through news stories, he directs his gaze towards the two 46″ HDTVs.  And when it’s time to screen the next fantastic Onward State-produced video, the 110″ screen lights up like Fourth of July.  Situated at the front of the Onward State office space, Eli serves as the literal bouncer for members of our readership that fall a little too much in love with some of our writers.

Finally, we have our conference room.  After quickly outgrowing our conference area in Atherton Hall and Starbucks, we finally fit right into this conference room.  Each of our staff has their own ultra-adjustable chair which sit around a classic 25′, oak stained table.  A HDTV with accompanying webcam allows us to interface with our counterparts at other collegiate blogs and with our field reporters.  Full teleconferencing capabilities are built right into the table and a soundproof door keeps our boisterous discussions from bothering anyone.  Add in a projector with a 100″ screen and you can see every thread in the Green Man’s sportcoat.

We hoped you enjoyed a sneak peak of our base of operations.  Chances are you’ll never have a chance to see our facilities in person, but we still hope you enjoy our blog.  The superfly staff at Onward State works their tails off everyday to bring you the best in Penn State news and events.

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