Archive for August, 2009
But Where is His Head???
I had to make a stop at the drycleaner yesterday and was amused to see this item on a hanger, waiting to be picked up.
While the clerk was in the back, trying to find my stuff, I snapped a photo with my iPhone.
I posted the photo to my Facebook page and immediately got some fun responses, like:
“Somewhere, there is a very naked Nittany Lion….”
And:
“Where is his HEAD???”
I also thought you might enjoy seeing a photo of the receipt. In the “quantity” and “description” sections, it simply says: “1 nittany lion.” And, yes, the head was supposed to be included. They’d better find it in time for kickoff on Sept. 5.
Tina Hay, editor
Penn State’s Fall Sports Kick Off Tonight
Classes don’t start until Monday, but the Nittany Lions’ fall sports season gets underway tonight when the women’s soccer team — going for its 12th straight Big Ten title — hosts Virginia at Jeffrey Field. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. The team is aiming to set a Jeffrey Field attendance record, and there’s plenty to attract even casual soccer fans out to the pitch. Penn State, which returns nine starters from last year’s squad, is ranked 6th in the preseason rankings by Soccer America, and 12th in the NSCAA preseason poll. UVA is ranked 11th and 9th in the same surveys. Point being, it should be a great early matchup between two of the best teams in the country. If this recent run of thunderstorms gives us a break tonight, I’ll be there.
Ryan Jones, senior editor
Aaron Maybin About to Sign with Buffalo
Or so ESPN.com reports.
Ryan Jones says my blog post yesterday was just the push they needed.
Tina Hay, editor
‘The Wolfman’ is Coming
I get teased a lot in my family for my legendary squeamishness at scary movies—and by “scary,” I mean anything with the slightest bit of edginess or drama. I remember, for example, kinda liking Tom Cruise in The Firm but also kinda not liking all the tension in the air. And something like The Shining or Silence of the Lambs is just out of the question.
So I can say with some certainty that I will probably not go to see The Wolfman, the newest effort by Penn Stater Andrew Kevin Walker ’86, when it hits theaters next February. But I did enjoy watching the trailer, which was just released yesterday. The movie, a remake of the 1941 Lon Chaney classic, will star Benicio Del Toro in the title role.
Walker, who co-wrote the screenplay, majored in film and video at Penn State; you can read a 1999 Daily Collegian story about him here. Walker’s other screenwriting credits include Seven and Sleepy Hollow, each of which got great reviews—and each of which is known in my family as “Not a Tina Movie.”
Tina Hay, editor
Anything but Celebrity Chefs
I’m still a little mad at Amy Zurzola Quinn ’94 for the ruthlessness with which she edited a Collegian feature I wrote back in the early ’90s, but diplomatic guy that I am, I’ll go ahead and link to her feature in today’s Philadelphia Inquirer anyway. The story, “Look Who’s Cooking,” is a cool look at the unlikely folks you’ll find in the kitchens of some of Philly’s hipper restaurants; turns out they’re not chefs at all, but enthusiastic amateur foodies taking part in something called “Open Chefame.” The link includes a couple of recipes that sound terrific.
Ryan Jones, senior editor
Good Food — In a Beautiful Space
At first, Casey Patton ’03 and David Mazza ’01 were just hungry for a traditional Philadelphia hoagie, something they couldn’t find in Washington D.C. Now they’re becoming media mainstays among two crowds — foodies and interior designers.
Their restaurant, Taylor Gourmet, is the subject of a feature in the current issue of Dwell magazine, which praises their industrial-chic sensibility. (Gotta love the headline, Hoagies’ Heroes. And be sure to click on the slide show.) Previously, they’ve been in the news throughout the D.C. area for the quality of their food. Among their honors: being named among the best take-out restaurants in the city by The Washington Post.
Lori Shontz, senior editor
Aaron Maybin Still Unsigned in Buffalo
Aaron Maybin, who left Penn State after his junior season and was drafted in the first round by the Bills this past April, is still a contract holdout in Buffalo.
I saw an article a week or so ago that explained that it’s typical for first-round picks to wait for the players who were drafted ahead of them to sign contracts (so they can see how much money those guys are going to get) before they finalize their own contracts. It made sense to me.
But yesterday’s Buffalo News has a commentary by Jerry Sullivan that argues pretty persuasively that Maybin’s holdout has gone on too long.
The Bills are ready to slot him into the No. 11 spot and make him rich beyond his wildest imaginings. It’s time to sign a contract, get on the field, and start figuring out what it takes to be a productive NFL defensive end.
Sullivan points out that Maybin is likely to make at least $25 million over the next five years—just a bit more than you or I were making at the age of 21, huh?
Maybin should be thanking his lucky stars. A year ago, he was a sophomore backup at Penn State. If suspensions and injuries hadn’t opened up a spot, Maybin might be preparing for the opener against Akron today.
Less than one year as a college starter and he’s worth $25 million. Great country, eh? Maybin is lucky the NFL hasn’t negotiated a rookie salary cap. The current system, which showers millions on unproven players, is absurd.
Sullivan’s commentary is pretty thought-provoking and well worth a read. Head to the “Leave a Reply” box at the bottom of this post and let me know what you think.
Tina Hay, editor
Why So Quiet? A PSU Prof Explains Our “Silent Nights”
A brief in the Science section of Tuesday’s New York Times caught my eye for a couple of reasons: One, I can relate to how much quieter the nights have been in State College this summer; and two, a Penn State professor was charged with explaining the mystery. Dr. Gary Felton, head of Penn State’s entomology department, explains the relative lack of night-time chirping and buzzing in Pennsylvania (and I’d imagine much of the Northeast) this summer is due to the unseasonably cool temperatures we’ve had. Apparently, the cool air has slowed the development of critters like crickets and frogs. Now you know.
Ryan Jones, senior editor
Dan Gerstein on Bill Cahir
Among the many tributes to Bill Cahir ’90 that have come in since his tragic death in Afghanistan last Thursday is this one from Forbes.com columnist Dan Gerstein. A very nice piece.
Tina Hay, editor
Happy Valley Gets Ready for Move-In Day(s)
We’ve just (finally) finished our Sept./Oct. issue, which Alumni Association members will receive at the end of this month. The cover story is a collection of reader memories from their first days on campus — the “Move-In Day” experiences shared by Penn Staters of every campus and era. The timing of this story is no accident, of course, as those of us working at University Park are about to be reminded. Cars full of students, parents, luggage, furniture and who knows what else will be clogging State College in the next few days, hitting a peak this weekend. While those of us who live here may not be looking forward to the traffic (and will avoid the local big-box stores like the plague), the Centre Daily Times reminds us that business owners are understandably psyched. As one local manager says, “It’s kind of like Black Friday morning — only five times as busy, and it’s all day long.”
Yikes.
Ryan Jones, senior editor
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