Keith Boykin, editor of The Daily Voice and television pundit has been chosen to replace Soledad O'Brien as the keynote speaker for Wednesday's Martin Luther King Jr. Evening Celebration. O'Brien, a correspondent for CNN, has been deployed to Haiti to cover the developing situation in the wake of last week's earthquake.
Boykin has been active in politics for over 20 years, participating in six political campaigns, including President Clinton's successful run in 1992. He later served as a White House aide for Clinton. He is also a frequent television contributor on CNBC and co-hosts My Two Cents on BET J. In addition, he has also written three New York Times best-selling books on the African-American Gay community.
Last night I took the opportunity to ride the White Loop during its new hours, and UPUA, color me impressed. The new hours served the purpose they were intended to and did so with few complications.
On the particular bus I rode, I had a chance to talk to UPUA Chief of Staff Matt Smith and Greek Life Director Chris Caswell, who were serving as that night's ambassadors. I give props to them for spending two hours of their Friday Night/Saturday Morning making sure things run smoothly.
While the majority of the riders were at various states of inebriation, everyone seemed relatively docile. Perhaps the late hour took the edge off. Talking to Matt, he said there had only been one incident where students started to get out of hand, and that quickly subsided without the need to kick anyone off the bus. This anecdotal evidence is by no means proof this will be the trend, though, and it will be interesting to see how things play out over the next few months.
Not that surprisingly, almost every rider was a freshman (or at least got off at East). On my trip, nearly 40 students got on downtown and only six were left after passing the East Halls bus stop.
In the end, I'd say UPUA can definitely chalk this one up as a success. Who else plans on taking advantage of these extra weekend hours?
Christopher Long, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies in the college Liberal Arts, has released this video discussing his vision of how social media can enhance students' undergraduate experience. The video is quick, so take a minute to watch the video and read my reactions. It's all after the jump.
Every once in a while, a movie comes along that redefines cinema as we know it. The Big Lebowski is not one of these films. Nonetheless, I was thrilled to hear that The State Theater would be showing it this Friday.
The film is being shown as a "welcome back" event for students. What other movie better captures the spirit of college than one about a jobless stoner and his bowling buddies getting caught up in a mob deal gone bad?
There will be two showings at 7:00 and 9:30 p.m., and tickets are only $5. I'm fairly certain most of you didn't get a chance to see this classic in theaters back in 1998, so I recommend taking advantage of this unique opportunity.
Also, in the meantime, take a half hour and read Two Gentlemen of Lebowski, a Shakespearean take on the film. It's better than an acid flashback.
I have always had a soft spot for the classics. The Beatles, Chuck Taylors, recessions – some things just never go out of style. The State Theater is bringing back their Saturday Morning Cartoon series, celebrating classic cartoons. This year, it is being held in honor of the late Mayor Bill Welch.
What better way to recover from your Friday night than spending a morning with Bugs Bunny and co. While some of you may prefer the golden era of 1990s Nicktoons, even they can't compete with the hilarity and violence of that early era in my book.
The FREE series will run every Saturday this month at 10 a.m., and will feature a different lineup of cartoons each day. Just remember, there will be kids present and the cereal is not provided..
Nittany Booking will be making its grand return to State College this February 17th with a show at SOZO featuring JT Woodruff of Hawthorne Heights.
The show will also feature post-punk duo The Story Changes, Mark Rose (formerly of Spitalfield), and two local groups: On The Run and British Phil.
Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. and tickets will be only $10. Though you can get them at the door, they will be available in town at a TBA location in advance.
Whatever your opinions were of Hawthorne Heights back in high school, I recommend checking out the show. Five bands for $10 is a steal, and who knows, you may actually enjoy yourself.
This will be Garrett Bogden's first Nittany Booking show of the year, and hopefully it's not the last. If this one is a success, he says he has a few more potential shows lined up.
Keep checking Onward State for more concert updates and coverage.