Ready for a college football playoff system? Yeah, I thought you were. Well, get excited, because according to Inside Higher Ed, it's being...EXPLORED!
The Obama Administration has assured Sen. Orrin Hatch, a Utah Republican, that it is exploring options to deal with concerns raised by Hatch and others about the Bowl Championship Series. Hatch has asked for an antitrust investigation by the Justice Department, and the administration said it is reviewing that request. A letter to Hatch said that the administration also is "exploring other options that might be available to address concerns with the college football post-season."
You may remember that Hatch brought the issue to the table after his state's undefeated Utes absolutely dismantled a heavily favored Alabama team in 2009's Sugar Bowl. Could this be the first definitive example of homerism being for the greater good? We'll see where this "exploration" takes us.
Nothing beats waking up on a Saturday morning to fight off people to get what you really want. You would know what I am talking about if you went to this yesterday. Trash to Treasure is a great way for the Penn State community to recycle and share what they no longer need. All proceeds made from these sales (one in the Winter and one in the Summer) go to local charities which are supported by the Centre County United Way. The sale itself started at 9 am (people tend to line up in advance) and then the madness ensued. As a good friend of mine put it, "It's like a flea market in here!".
I bet you're wondering what kinds of things were available there. You'll have to read on to find out!
We've been inundated with "Climategate" lately, but not with what the man at the center of the controversy, Penn State meteorology professor Michael Mann, has to say, apart from a few short clips. However, Mann has published an open letter defending himself and his work in this month's issue of the magazine Voices of Central Pennsylvania. He asserts himself from the very first sentence of the letter: "Climate change is real."
Mann says he welcomes scientific debate and a healthy skepticism, but contrasts this with what he's called the "contrarianism" of stubborn skeptics who refuse to believe anything about climate change or to do anything about it, even pointing out an instance where one of his published works fell on the more skeptical side regarding climate change. And of course, he addresses the email hullabaloo.
So what does Mann have to say? Read on to find out!
In case you've been living under a rock for the past couple of days, the Wienermobile is here on campus. Or I should say one of the Wienermobiles is here (there are 6 total). The 20-foot long hot dog is in town to recruit new Hotdoggers, the recent graduates who drive the vehicles around the country. Every year, around 1,500 people apply to become Hotdoggers and twelve are chosen. Penn State has been pretty successful in getting graduates into the program, with a Penn State grad being part of the program almost every year. This year there are 2 Penn State grads in the program. One of them, Mary Kate DeCoursey (Class of '09) is here with her colleague John Dobson (from the University of Missouri) to hold an information session for interested parties. I was able to sit down with them yesterday and ask them a few questions about their experiences driving a giant hot dog around the country.
Want to see what hard-hitting questions I ask these Hotdoggers? Read on to find out!
The STATEtorialist is a blog about Penn State, college sports, and fashion. Every week, Ben from The STATEtorialist will be writing a column for Onward State. If you like what you read, be sure to comment and read more at The STATEtorialist!
Every time I pass by Harper's men's clothing store on College Ave., I look at the same item in the window, but never walk in and peruse the store, because from word of mouth I know there's nothing in there that's really affordable. Well I finally inquired about the price of the Lambswool Penn State "S" sweater that's been in their window for as long as I can remember. Turns out it's $158. Needless to say, us college kids are strapped for cash. And when I say strapped for cash, I mean the selling your plasma and working jobs we hate kind of strapped.
So what are the fashionistos and fashionistas of Happy Valley to do when it comes to looking good and saving money? Read on to find out.
Cynthia Baldwin, 64, an English major in Penn State's Class of 1966, is returning to her alma mater as University General Counsel and Vice President.
Baldwin, who also got her Masters in American Literature at Penn State, was appointed to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in 2005 and was the second African-American woman to do so in the state's history. Of her more notable cases, Baldwin wrote the majority opinion for a case involving eminent domain and separation of church and state. Her more than 30 years working in litigation gives her a very impressive background to become basically the head of all legal concerns within the university.
Her basic duties will include launching the university's legal counsel's office and preparing it for the next successor. She will also take over Penn State's legal work, which includes oversight on its contracts and policies, and establishing procedures, all of which were previously delegated to a local State College legal firm.
She will begin her new job here starting February 15th, and her office will be on main campus at University Park. She will work under the university president, Graham Spanier.