Penn State Women's Basketball - sometimes known as the team that doesn't make us cry ourselves to sleep - has had a little rough patch in an otherwise impressive season, dropping their fourth game in a row when they gave up a 15-point lead over the Ohio State on Sunday. It was the team's eleventh consecutive loss to the She-Nuts*. They'll look to bounce back when they host Minnesota on Thursday.
*I didn't bother to verify if the Buckeyes have a feminine counterpart as others do (Nittany Lions + Women's Sports= Lady Lions), but because I have a very immature sense of humor, I'm going to assume it's the Ohio State She-Nuts.
Since its announcement a few weeks ago, UPUA's proposed Freshman Handbook has been a topic of controversy. Everyone from Onward State commenters to the Daily Collegian have made their opinions on the book known.
Friday, Samantha Miller, who is heading up the project for UPUA, responded to her critics in a post on the LAUS blog, saying the argument is really about the value of print media. Is having a printed handbook worth the price tag? Miller seems to think so. Her main argument is that the handbook will be a collectible that students will want to keep after graduation. She also seems to think that having a print version will allow students to "discover" things that they weren't necessarily looking for. She also questioned why the Collegian, a print media organization, didn't support the idea of a print handbook. Apparently if you support one form of print, you have to support all of them.
Read on for my take on the situation, and to find out if there's still hope left in the world.
THON weekend is quickly approaching, and as such the final list of 2010 dancers has been compiled. It is pretty interesting to take a look at the entire list. It definitely gives you a little perspective on where all these dancers are coming from.
As one could expect, the list is largely comprised of the Greek community, but the significant presence of independent dancers and independent organizations caught my eye as well. As to not offend the commonwealth campuses, there is quite a sizable non-UP representation as well, though that has been true of past years. Looks like a really good bunch! I'm looking forward to THON.
Check out the list, and give me your impressions.
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!