Blue, White, and Very Red

Hopefully, you had a fun Blue and White Weekend! While the weekend and its festivities are kind of a bigger deal for alumni, students were also able to get their “football fix”. This year’s spring game was highly anticipated due to the hiring of James Franklin. Plus, fans were looking forward to seeing the second year of Hackenberg and his offense. While the day was all about the blue and white, red would later make its appearance.

On Saturday, the weather was ideal: 80 degrees, sunny, and not a cloud in the sky. For the first time, most of us probably thought the long, harsh winter was finally over. As we would learn on Tuesday, Mother Nature had one last snowy statement. Anyway, Saturday was great because people were enjoying the weather, the game, and the great outdoors. If you weren’t at the game, you were probably tailgating or spending time outside. All the while, the sun was doing what it does best…burning your skin. Walking around College Ave. that night, I noticed that almost everyone was sun burnt. Unsurprisingly, everyone probably underestimated the sun given that we all forgot what summer was like. Personally, I didn’t even think about applying sunscreen. As a member of the pale community, I’m usually pretty good about lathering up that SPF 30. When I was at my friend’s tailgate at 4 PM, I realized my mistake. While not achieving lobster status, the sun claimed my arms and neck. Luckily, I was relatively spared.

Unfortunately, many of my friends weren’t as lucky. Judging from the people walking around College Ave., neither were the majority of people. Basically, College Ave. turned into the New Jersey boardwalk. After a long day in the sun, people were leisurely strolling through town, wearing their tanks and spaghetti straps, and painted red. By day, blue and white ruled State College. By night however, red reminded us who really won the day.

While the burn may have ruined some people’s weekend, it got most of us excited about summer. Even though Tuesday was a rude reminder, we’ve survived the cold and are closing in on the nice weather. Seeing everyone out and about in the quad, sunbathing, playing volleyball, tossing a football, etc. reminded me of the first couple weeks of school. It’s been a great year, a long year, and I’m ready for break. If nothing else, this weekend taught me that it’s possible to get a burn at Penn State other than a wind burn.

blue and white

Survey Says…

It’s hard to believe that we are one month away from the end of the school year. When it comes to meal points, some students are in the “hold on for dear life” stage. Other students, like me, are in the “I’ve got points to burn” stage. While I’m sure some students are right on target to finish with zero points, they are few and far between. It seems like everyone is complaining about either too many or too few meal points. So, how can students air their grievances? Three words: Food services survey.

Like every other student, I received an email from food services to fill out an end-of-the-year survey. The quick 5 minute survey asks students about the individual dining commons on campus. If you’re like me and live at east, you may have something to say. While it’s become popular to rip on Findlay and its food, you can now give food services some feedback. First, the survey asks about cleanliness, atmosphere, and employee friendliness. Personally, I don’t think any of these areas were really a problem because the dishes are almost always clean, the employees are nice, and the atmosphere is, well, nonadjustable really. If you decide to awkwardly not talk to your friends during a meal, you have a beautiful  view of the East dorms…

Second, and maybe more importantly, you have the opportunity to comment on the quality of the food. Is it served at the right temperature? Is there enough variety? Does it meet special accommodations? etc. Honestly, I don’t have too many complaints. Sure, I’d like more of a variety at some meals (Sunday nights cough cough). And yes, I’d like to have some lunch options for the weekend brunch which lasts till 2. But overall, I don’t think it’s THAT bad. If you’re like my friends, and most East residents, you’ll probably select the “never agree” choice for whether or not East has been satisfactory. If that’s how you feel, go for it.

Finally, the survey ends with a couple comment boxes. While no one ever likes to fill out those parts of surveys, I recommend it (and don’t worry, this isn’t for my advocacy project). With just one sentence, I voiced my recommendation that the dining services should clearly tell students how much meals cost (after discount). It seems to be a mystery. Also, for the love of god, tell students that there is no discount at Good 2 Go. I can’t tell you how many students didn’t know about this until halfway through the first semester. Unfortunately, many students found out the hard way when they ran out of meal points. So take the 5 minutes. Fill it out.

findlay

To go to State, or Not…That is the Question

Do you remember where you were one year ago? Had you picked Penn State yet? For some of us, Penn State was one of a couple of schools hoping that we’d send them our commitment deposit. For others, Penn State had already been chosen. While we’re almost done our first year, many high school seniors are deciding on their colleges right now. In fact, the deadline is May 1st so the clock is really ticking. Sure, we’ve seen prospective student tours all year long…but now it’s decision time. Many high school seniors are taking their accepted student tours. This past weekend, I had the chance to sit on a student panel and it was kind of like a flashback to one year ago.

While I never attended an accepted student tour or accepted student panel, I wasn’t committed to Penn State at this point a year ago. In fact, I don’t think I sent my deposit in until a week before the deadline. Anyway, I thought that I would share some of the questions students asked because they were probably some of the same questions we had this time last year. Enjoy!

How cold does it get here? 

For just about everyone, this question seems all too fresh in our memories. I mean just a week ago it was in the 20s and just a couple of weeks ago it was about 0 degrees. Of course, the student panel happened to take place on Saturday which was a little rainy and a little chilly. To us Penn Staters however, it felt refreshingly hot. The student who asked the question, a kid from Florida, didn’t understand that winter lasts from November to March. This seemed to be a foreign concept to him.

How many students are in your classes?

When I answered this question, I told the student about my current semester. This spring, I have one large lecture in the Forum while my other four classes are all about 40 or less. To me, that sounds like some pretty reasonable class sizes given that Penn State has about 40,000 students. However, the student’s eyes widened and mouth dropped when I said my large lecture had about 300 students. Up until a year ago, my largest high school class was maybe 30 kids. Flash forward a year, I’m kind of used to having a large lecture class. A year ago, I probably would have felt just as intimidated by so many classmates.

How are the buses?

A year ago, I wouldn’t really have thought about the buses serving any other purpose than getting me to and from class. While the CATA buses definitely get the job done during the day, the nighttime is a whole different story. While not mentioning any of the following, I instantly had some funny memories pop into my head about drunk kids singing on the bus, falling off the bus, fighting on the bus, etc. At the same time, I remember shivering at the East bus stop hoping that there’d be room for me on the next Bloop.

It’s pretty cool how far we’ve come in a year.

psu

 

IM Ready

As some of you may know, the IM building has a whole new look to it. After months of construction, the intramural building has been renovated and looks great. While the upper floor in now open, the new fitness center will be ready in one week. Previously, the IM building was pretty much devoted to the “East bros”. Since it was small, dull, and full of weights, it became a sort of haven for the big and buff. If you wanted to get some cardio or even a light weight workout, you pretty much had to go to either Rec or White. In just one week, this will be a problem of the past.

While not an “East bro”, I am an East resident who likes to go the IM. Personally, I’m very excited for the new gym to open up. Like Rec, the upper section is entirely devoted to cardio machines like treadmills, ellipticals, and bikes. Similarly, there will be a mix of heavy lifting and light lifting machinery on the ground floor. Here are some of the pros of the new gym:

1. Scenery: Unlike the previous gym in the basement of the IM building, the new fitness center has windows. While buried in the basement, the previous gym was sided by cinder blocks and giant mirrors in front of the lifting racks. Don’t get me wrong, my inner narcissism will greatly miss the mirrors. However, I’m looking forward to having something to look at other than my ripped biceps (or imaginary ripped biceps). The new gym will have a nice view of the BJC, Pegula, and Mount Nittany.

2. Space: Since the old gym would have been better suited as a big storage closet, the new gym will allow members to spread out. In the old gym, you had to wait to use a machine, fight for a square on the abs mat, and patiently wait to use the barbells. Now, members will have their pick as to what they want to use and when they can use it. If I want to stand in the open and do jumping jacks, I’ll be able to do it. Will I do jumping jacks in the new gym? No, but it’s refreshing that I’ll have the option to do so.

3. A Nice Lounge: Let’s say you finish your workout and need to wait for your friend. Or, let’s say you want to wait to meet a friend before working out. No problem! The new gym has 2 nice lounges with comfy chairs and sofas. In the past, the old gym didn’t really offer a nice place to wait. If you wanted to sit on a machine while your friend finished up, you got angry looks from the fitness center staff. If you waited in the hall way, you’d look socially awkward. With the new lounges, you can sit and wait in leisure. Or, you can go to the gym, sit in the lounge, and act as if you’re “swoll” and just got your pump on.

A Meaty Post

From the title of this week’s post, you may be expecting a long, drawn-out story which far exceeds the minimum word count. Don’t worry, this post is no longer than any other and should only take a couple of minutes to read. “A Meaty Post” actually refers to exactly what it sounds like…meat. As I’m walking out of my 8 AM class this morning, I’m stopped by a girl right in front of the Forum Building. At this point in the school year, I’m kind of used to getting stopped to receive a flyer or hear about some organization that I probably won’t join. On this morning however, I was given a generic brand slim jim. Overlooking the fact that it was 8 o’clock in the morning and couldn’t actually have stomached a slim jim, I threw it out. After that, I went on my way.

Flash-forward to the afternoon, I’m back near the Forum. Once again, there are people handing out big slim jims, small slim jims, and cheese sticks. The advocates are also accompanied by a large, over-enthusiastic mascot. At this point, I try to do what every college student does when they don’t want to be bothered: put the headphones in and blankly stare into the distance. I was just about home free when one of the advocates stopped me and asked me if I’d like another slim jim. After politely saying no, the advocate called over the mascot to personally give me a slim jim. The mascot came running over, gave me a handful of mini slim jims, and gave me a high five (which turned into an awkward half hug). Great, exactly what I was trying to avoid. As if the scene wasn’t uncomfortable enough, I’m now walking back to my dorm with a bunch of slim jims. Instead of throwing them out again, I thought that’d I’d give them to the guys on my floor. You know, spread the wealth.

I get back to my room, open up the refrigerator, and put my stack inside. After putting most of my slim jims in the refrigerator, I walk down the hall to my friend’s room. “Do you want a slim jim or cheese stick,” I ask, “I’ve got like a million in my room.” My friend laughs, opens up his refrigerator and he has a stack bigger than mine. He immediately responds, “They got me too.”

Next time that I’m walking down the HUB stairs, I’ll gladly take a flyer from one of the kids standing at the bottom. It’s better than a stack of slim jims.

slim jim

Frankly, It’s Bad

If you were in the business of marketing Penn State football, you had it all too easy. Aside from the fact that you had a star incoming quarterback or an NFL-bound wide receiver, you had a prominent coach with an easily marketable name–Bill O’Brien. No, O’Brien didn’t come with a nickname like “The Ole Ball Coach” (Steve Spurrier at South Carolina) or “The Riverboat Gambler” (Tommy Tuberville at Cincinnati), but he did have a catchy, rhyme-friendly name. Back in the good old days, you could produce a saying like “Billieve” or “O’Brien’s Lions”, slap a lion logo on it, and make millions. In the post-O’Brien era, it’s become much tougher.

Sure,  newly-hired coach, James Franklin, gave a great line during his introductory press conference, “Dominate the State”. While that’ll sell some shirts in the short-term, it may not last long if the football team struggles. So far, the go-to saying has been “Franklion” which is a play on words with Franklin’s last name…well you know, Franklin. All you have to do is add one letter and it’s funny and catchy and slick, right? No. It really doesn’t fall under any of the three categories. It probably makes sense that you haven’t seen many “Franklion” t-shirts because they aren’t selling. It’s time for all of those Penn State football marketers to go back to the drawing board.

Yes, you might say, it’s easy for me to sit back and criticize the new slogan. I could offer some very average suggestions like “Frank Football” or “James Wins Games”, but I won’t. Instead, I’ll let the professionals do their jobs. In the interim, expect students, alumni, and fans to buy generic, logo-brazened  shirts. After all, who needs a catchy slogan if it has a Nike Swoosh on the side? Still, the marketers will keep throwing shirts on the shelves until something sticks. When they start to notice that their “Franklion” t-shirts aren’t being worn around State College, they’ll get the hint (unless of course they check their profit margins first).

If I’m a marketer, I’m getting nervous. For decades, there was that guy who had the ice cream flavor named after him. Check. Then, there was the high-profile NFL assistant coach who had a catchy name. Check. Now, we have a Franklin. Not check. Instead of producing a very average slogan like “Franklion”, “Frank Football”, or “James Wins Games”, maybe we, the marketers, should have a contest among the thousands of creative students at the university? And if that doesn’t work, well, we still have Hackenberg.

frank

 

Don’t Stop Dancing!

I know what you’re thinking, this post is going to be all about THON. I don’t know about you, but after this past weekend, I’m all “THONned out”. Anyway, this post actually has nothing to do with cancer, charity, or kids. It does however, depend on dancing.

For as long as I can remember back into the first semester, the Findlay Dance Dance Revolution, or DDR, machine has been in use. In fact, I can’t remember a time when it was vacant. Every night between the hours of 7 to 12, there are a group of people using the DDR machine. In addition to the self-estimated 7-12 range, the same dancers will sometimes be there in the morning, in the middle of the day, or on the weekend. In the beginning of the school year, I was amazed. “Wow,” I thought, “these dancers don’t miss a single step.” At this point, I understand why they never make a mistake. They’re always there!

Last week, I was walking from Good-to-Go to my mailbox. As I was making the 10 second trek, I happened to notice something, or rather, not notice something. No one was playing DDR. I truly didn’t know what to make of it. After getting my mail, I walked over to the area and commented to a student studying about the eerie quietness in the “DDR lounge area”. Another student must have overheard me because he told me that the dancers were practicing there earlier. He told me that they had a competition tonight and were going over a few songs.

I was immediately shocked. There are Penn State DDR competitions? After thinking about it a little more, I became less surprised. If they have a nerf gun club and a clown nose club, why be surprised by DDR competitions? Still, the DDRers put more hours into their craft than any of the varsity sports teams. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised, if like the football team, the dancers watched game tape of their performances. They are  ALWAYS DDRing!

When I was back in Findlay the next night, I had to take a look at the DDR lounge. Without surprise, the dancers were back at it. Did I ask any of them if they won their competition? No. Was it the first thought that popped into my head? Yes. Somehow, I felt like I already knew that they had won. After all, practice makes perfect and those kids practice DDR more than the rest of us practice breathing.

ddr

 

Oh, Yeezus

As many of you know, Kanye West performed at the BJC last Thursday night. Kanye’s Penn State performance was one of his many stops on his “Yeezus Tour”. Coincidentally, the show also marked the 10 year anniversary of his first album. A quick Thursday night stop in State College turned out to be a lot more.

As a Kanye fan, I like everyone else at the concert, was hoping for something Kanye-esque. Would he bring out Kim? Would he bring out Baby North? Would he laud Beyonce at the expense of Taylor Swift? I knew the answer to all of these questions would be “no”, but that didn’t stop me from hoping for something out of the ordinary. He put on a tremendously entertaining show by performing some of his recent hits: New Slaves, Black Skinhead, and Blood on the Leaves. In addition, he also brought out many of his classics like Homecoming, Gold Digger, and Through the Wire. However, the show was still missing something special… then he began to rant.

In his first rant, Kanye classified people into 2 categories: Haters and Dreamers. He claimed that the only difference between the two is that Haters gave up on their dreams. Like the humble man that Kanye is, he used himself as a model Dreamer. In his second and more memorable rant, Kanye reflected on the anniversary of his 10 year career. He looked around the stage and while gazing at  his performers and stage props remarked, “Look at all this stuff.”

Note: The word “stuff” has been inserted to simulate a different 4-letter s-word that Kanye continuously used.

Then, Kanye began to attack some of his most outspoken critics over the past 10 years. He inferred that most of his critics were ignorant to his songs’ messages. Like the mature man that Kanye is, he rhetorically asked his critics, “What the frick have you done?”

Note: The word “frick” has been inserted to simulate a similar f-word which has 4 letters instead of 5.

At this point, the audience was experiencing some classic Kanye. Like the modest man that Kanye is, he then put himself in the same category as Shakespeare and Beethoven. He even whipped out a Michael Jackson impersonation in the midst of his rant. After listening to 10+ minutes of straight ranting, the audience came away with some golden, non-scripted, heartfelt Kanye emotion.  The crowd loved every second of Kanye’s uncensored soliloquies. I can best describe everyone’s thoughts with a line from one of his  songs called Clique, “No one knows what it means, but it’s provocative.”

kanye

 

Timber!

After much internal debate, I’ve decided to take this post to uncharted territory: fashion. Let’s be clear here, my knowledge of fashion is pretty limited. However, it’s impossible to ignore all the guys wearing their Timberlands (boots known as “Timbs”) and Beats by Dre (headphones known as “Beats”). It’s like everyone came back from winter break with Timbs and Beats. Personally, I walk around with a pair of Apple headphones and generic boots. So, why the sudden trend?

Sure, we all need boots to brave the snow and ice here on campus. However, it’s not like everyone saw Jay-Z wearing his Timbs at the BJC and thought, I should get them for Kanye in 2 weeks. No, this happened over winter break. Like all other fads, freshmen probably saw the upperclassmen wearing Timbs and decided to get a pair. After all, Timbs seem to symbolize toughness, ruggedness, and masculinity. I get it. I’m not exactly trying to promote  the “light-up shoe” market, but I think it’s a little excessive. For guys, middle school was all about Starburries, early high school had Nikes, late high school had Sperries, and college has Timbs. Don’t worry, if you haven’t heard of Starburries, they’ve long since faded (just like their namesake’s professional basketball career). But back to Timbs, if you’re going to trudge through the elements, why not look like Jay-Z, Kanye, Drake, Eminem, or Bieber? All of these celebrities epitomize toughness, right? Ok, JB was a poor example.

Now, on to Beats. Similar to Timbs, Beats represent masculinity. However, they represent athleticism more than toughness. After all, most athletes walk around listening to beats or have them hanging around their necks. Therefore, it makes sense that a lot of college students want to casually show that they’re athletic. If you don’t have a varsity backpack or an Iron Lion t-shirt, beats are the next best thing. Perhaps, I’m being a little too critical. But then again, maybe I’m not.

In my opinion, there is nothing wrong with owning Timbs or Beats.  However, there are so many students who have both. That’s like $350-$400! With that kind of money, you could buy books for next semester, a higher on-campus meal plan, or even  buy 2 year’s worth of season football tickets. To me, fads come and go. Unless it’s inexpensive, I’ll just pass. Well, there you have it. My first and last post on fashion. It was painful to write but hopefully easy to read! Please, share your thoughts.

 

 If you’re familiar with Beats’ commercials, you’ll love this parody.

Ben Franklin Takes Penn State

As many of us have recently discovered, State College is located in the middle of the Arctic Circle. When I’m walking from point A to point B on campus, I often forget that this is Pennsylvania. The wind cuts like a knife, the snow fails to melt, and my extremities go numb. When I’m not hunkered down in my igloo, otherwise known as Sproul Hall, I’m trekking through the tundra. Sure, I “layer up” by wearing two pairs of socks, boots, Under Armour, a sweatshirt, a winter jacket, and a ski cap, but I’m still cold. Somehow, I have a hunch that you are too.

At this stage, I’ve tried to take notes on how others are coping. Should I be the kid who wraps his entire face in a scarf? Should I be the kid who wears two winter jackets? Should I be the kid who runs from class to class? No, I should dress like Ben Franklin. As our great forefather once said, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” While this quote was probably intended to influence policy-making, or something important, I think it can be applied to not freezing my ass off. Ben Franklin may have died over 200 years ago, but his memory lives on in the kid who wears the raccoon hat. Yes, there’s a kid who wears a raccoon hat and he’s taking the winter by storm. In addition to his furry hat, “Ben” wears a face-covering ski mask, gloves, and of course, layers on layers on layers. “Ben” has clearly made a declaration to be independent. He doesn’t try to be “cool” by simply wearing a sweatshirt in sub-zero wind chill. Instead, he’s smart. He’s dressed for the elements and doesn’t care what others think. “Ben Franklin” is a man we should all look up to.

                    Ben Franklin