Maybe you’ve heard that the Ritenour Building is having a contest to rename its east wing. Maybe you’ve heard a little section of the Colbert Nation here at PSU is trying to get it named after America’s ballsiest fake pundit.
Why, you ask? Well, if you’re not an avid Colbert follower, it’s hard to explain. This guy just loves putting on a conceited act and his viewers love to encourage it by doing things like voting online to name a Hungarian bridge after him, which he won with over 17 million votes. The Ambassador of Hungary presented Mr. Colbert with a declaration certifying him as the winner of the second and final round of voting, though it was later announced that the bridge would instead be named the Megyeri Bridge, as it couldn't be named after a living person.
Most recently, Colbert won a contest to name a room in the international space station after him, with write-in votes! NASA ultimately decided to name the room Tranquility, saying that the organization always had the right to choose an appropriate name. They did, however, name a treadmill after Colbert.
If you'd like to contribute your vote to the legacy of Stephen Colbert, visit the contest website until January 25th and make your voice heard for America’s greatest American.
One caveat, though.
The winning name will then be entered into the name pool which includes faculty and staff submissions. Dean Larson will choose the name for the center out of that group in late February, so ultimately the winner's submission may be the name of the new student center.
Let's hope Dean Larson is a member of the Colbert Nation.
Next week’s MLK festivities will conclude with a keynote address by CNN correspondent Soledad O’Brien, the current host of CNN’s Black in America, during an evening celebration on January 20th at 6PM at the Eisenhower Auditorium.
O'Brien has covered countless influential events in the nation’s history, including Hurricane Katrina, the school shootings in Colorado and Oregon, JFK Jr.’s plane crash, and the war in Iraq.
Soledad’s speech is sure to touch on Mrs. King’s previous, eloquent words as she spoke dearly of her husband: “In his own life’s example, he symbolized what was right about America, what was noblest and best, what human beings have loved unconditionally. He was in constant pursuit of truth, and when he discovered it, he embraced it. His nonviolent campaigns brought about redemption, reconciliation and justice. He taught us that only peaceful means can bring about peaceful ends, and that our goal was to create the love community.”
But, remember, Soledad isn’t the only thing worthwhile during this week of service, nor the most exciting or important. We can all create a little community love this week through other activities like Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service and the Social Justice Reception both this Monday.
Next month, the Penn State Boxing Team will be hosting a 6-team, 15-fight boxing show in the White Building gym. We all know the first rule of Fight Club, but boxing was the number one varsity sport at PSU from 1923-1954, so they're worth talking about. When the NCAA removed its sanction of boxing, Penn State made it a club sport through the National Collegiate Boxing Association (NCBA), which 24 colleges and universities belong to.
Competing against the dear ol’ blue and white are the brave schools of WVU, Maryland, Georgetown, Lock Haven University, and IUP. But, if you ask me (or probably anyone on campus), none of them stand a chance. Penn State is the best and longest established of the teams.
The under-recognized and under-funded WVU team has come a long way in a short time. G-town is making a name for its relatively young tribe, which began in 2008 with only 7 members. MD is probably one of the more senior members of the group; the club was created in 2004 after a nearly fifty year break. Both IUP and LHU clubs are devoted to safe, disciplined boxing to help students with their health and social lives.
So come support the twelve Nittany Lion fighters February 6th at 6PM in the White Building, and watch us add another sporting win to the long list!
While you may have been enjoying your holiday break, those who work at Penn State’s privacy office were not. After a breach in the PSU network due to malware infections, social security numbers of over 30,000 individuals connected to the Eberly College of Science, College of Health and Human Development, and Commonwealth Campuses have been hacked. Annemarie Mountz, spokesperson for Penn State, says they’re not sure if the data was accessed by cyber-criminals, but that all those affected should stay on their toes and be alert.
Valley, Penn State’s life and style magazine, is currently searching for its Spring 2010 cover story. Apparently they can’t really find someone to write about. Maybe they’re lazy? Maybe it’s just what I like to call passive research, where you let the research come to you. For example, my U.S. Cultures term paper topic was […]
As most of you are already aware, the 62-year-old Penn State Chapter of TriDelta was shut down last week due to hazing violations. Only a few that were directly involved in the hazing lost their membership, leaving some with hope that the sorority could eventually return, like a beautiful Phoenix rising from the ashes. But […]