Welcome back, folks! The holidays are over, your free time is dwindling, and the start of a new semester grows closer by the second. And, while you were kicked back watching football and chowing down on home-cooked meals, you probably weren’t paying attention to everything happening in Happy Valley.

Here’s everything you missed in State College while you were home for winter break:

News

• A former Penn State police officer filed a federal lawsuit against the university, alleging it didn’t comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. He seeks more than $75,000 and reinstatement to the department.
• A Johnstown man was arrested after an alleged assault in State College that left another man in critical condition.
• Teenage heartthrob Justin Bieber announced his upcoming tour will make a stop at the Bryce Jordan Center on August 6 next summer.
• Penn State football student assistant Jake Zembiec shaved his luscious mustache following the conclusion of the Nittany Lions’ 2019 season.
• Former Penn State women’s soccer star Ali Krieger married her United States Women’s National Team teammate Ashlyn Harris.
• One Fantasy Football champion donated his winnings to THON after Mike Gesicki’s two-touchdown effort helped him win his championship.
• The Centre County Coroner’s Office found a State College husband and wife who were found dead in their home last month died from cardiac complications.
• Penn State’s Student Programming Association announced it’s bringing rapper B.o.B. and comedian Ronny Chieng to the HUB on Friday, January 17.
• Burglaries, which allegedly took place at three on-campus buildings between December 2 and December 3, were reported in a Timely Warning from Penn State.
• A Penn State sophomore died in a car accident on U.S. Route 322 East near Lewistown last Wednesday.
• THON announced beloved cover band Go Go Gadjet will perform at THON 2020 after a one-year hiatus.

Sports

• Penn State women’s volleyball wrapped up the 2019 season as the No. 7 team in the country.
• Penn State football hired Kirk Ciarrocca, who formerly worked at Minnesota, as its new offensive coordinator.
• Journey Brown, Noah Cain, and Devyn Ford ran circles around No. 17 Memphis in Penn State football’s 53-39 Cotton Bowl win over the Tigers. Standout linebacker Micah Parsons also shined after tallying 14 tackles, two sacks, and two forced fumbles.
• A handful of Nittany Lions including Kevin Givens, Marcus Allen, and Trace McSorley were called up to their respective teams’ active rosters and made their NFL debuts.
• Penn State football parted ways with offensive line coach Matt Limegrover and hired Boston College’s Phil Trautwein to replace him.
• Cornerback Tariq Castro-Fields announced he’d return to Penn State for his senior season in 2020, while star receiver KJ Hamler announced he’s leaving Happy Valley to prepare for the NFL Draft.
• Penn State wrestling true freshman Carter Starocci won this year’s Southern Scuffle after entering the tournament seeded sixth.
• Former Penn State men’s basketball star Josh Reaves made his NBA debut in the Dallas Mavericks’ 123-111 win over the Brooklyn Nets.
• Then-No. 21 Penn State men’s basketball took down No. 23 Iowa 89-86 at the Palestra in Philadelphia. Sophomore guard Izaiah Brockington led the team with 23 points in an MVP-level performance. The Nittany Lions, however, dropped a pair of hard-to-swallow losses to Rutgers and Wisconsin to end break on a down note.
• Cael Sanderson revealed Penn State wrestling will be without Anthony Cassar and Kyle Conel for the rest of the season due to injury.
• Former Penn State men’s soccer captain Aaron Molloy was drafted No. 16 overall by the Portland Timbers in the MLS’ SuperDraft.
• Penn State men’s hockey went 3-0 over winter break with two wins over Niagara and a 6-2 victory over Robert Morris at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh.
• Penn State wrestling defeated Illinois 22-16 in a too-close-for-comfort dual at Rec Hall after nearly a month off the mat on Friday. The Nittany Lions followed that up with a 30-9 win over Northwestern on Sunday.