Author Archive
The May/June Issue is En Route
Our May/June issue is hitting mailboxes this week, and Civil War buffs will instantly recognize that blue Union soldier’s cap on our cover.
On the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg, senior editor Lori Shontz ’91 took part in the Alumni Association’s Civil War Study Tour — and met some interesting folks along the way. Calling these tourists “Gettysburg fans” sounds odd, but after reading the piece, titled “The Visitors,” we think you’ll understand why some Americans keep coming back to this historic place.
For another feature, “IM Legends,” I collected readers’ favorite memories from intramural sports at Penn State. Some of these stories had me laughing out loud, and choosing only a few to include in the magazine wasn’t easy. Also, be sure to check out the fantastic illustrations by artist Brian Ajhar.
In “Days in a Life,” you’ll see the work of photojournalist Will Yurman, who, for the past decade, has taken one photo each day. His work captures moments that might otherwise go unnoticed, including some wonderful shots of his kids and downtown State College. See even more photos from Yurman’s “A day A photo” project on his website.
Have you received your copy yet? Tell us what you think in the comments below or by emailing pennstaterletters@psu.edu.
Mary Murphy, associate editor
‘The Call’ Connection
That’s Bradley Gallo ’99 (in the Penn State t-shirt, of course) with director Brad Anderson on the set.
Have you seen trailers for The Call?
A teenage girl is walking through a parking garage when she’s suddenly captured by a shadowy figure and thrown into a car’s trunk. From there, she makes a frantic call (the call?) to a 911 operator, played by Halle Berry. The rest of the commercial is a dark, jolty montage of breaking glass, ringing phones, and screaming. So, basically, all the ingredients for any good action thriller.
Turns out, there’s a Penn Stater behind The Call. Bradley Gallo ’99 is head of production and development for Troika Pictures, the movie’s producer. Gallo has also worked in TV, including a stint as associate producer for Anderson Cooper 360 on CNN.
The movie stars Berry and Abigail Breslin (remember the cute little girl from 2007’s Little Miss Sunshine?) and opens Friday. The Call is already getting good reviews, like this one from The Hollywood Reporter.
Mary Murphy, associate editor
Introducing the March/April Issue
Have you received our March/April issue yet? If not, your copy’s well on its way.
That “Designing Woman” on our cover is Carrie Fishbein Robbins ’64, a Distinguished Alumna and long-time Broadway costume designer. The story, by Chris Raymond ’87, features photos of Carrie in her NYC studio filled with vintage costumes and accessories, all captured by photographer Deborah Feingold (whose work you might recognize).
Another feature story,“Future Tense,” is my Q&A with David Almeida, professor of human development and family studies here at University Park. He talked to me about his research into the physical consequences of daily stress. To borrow some Oprah lingo, I had lots of “Aha!” moments during our conversation—especially when Professor Almeida talked about strategies for keeping stress at bay.
And in “Students Without Borders,” by Erika Spicer, you’ll learn about undergrads who are traveling the world as part of some cool new classes at Penn State.
Other good stuff in this issue: a short profile of All-American wrestler Quentin Wright, a Penn State entomologist’s bedbug breakthrough, and updates on the Paternos’ response to the Freeh report and the lawsuit against the NCAA.
Tell us what you think of the March/April issue in the comments below, or drop us a line at pennstaterletters@psu.edu.
Mary Murphy, associate editor
A Sneak Peek at the Pegula Ice Arena
A panoramic view of the main rink. Photo by Tina Hay.
Back in October 2010, I visited Penn State to interview for this job. I’d never been to Happy Valley before, and the magazine’s class notes editor and ad manager, Julie Nelson ’86, was nice enough to give me the unofficial tour before I met the rest of the magazine staff.
Unfortunately, thanks to my pre-interview jitters, the tour was a confusing blur of buildings and street names (sorry, Julie). But I do remember Julie pointing out the future location of the Pegula Ice Arena. Back then the $88 million donation from Terry Pegula ’73 and wife Kim was the biggest news in town (ah, remember those days?), and I felt pretty cool later that evening when I could make small talk about the future venue with a waitress.
So, just over two years later, it was pretty surreal to find myself standing in the arena itself.
Some Alumni Association staffers, including Tina Hay ’83, Julie, and me, got a sneak peek at the construction site yesterday afternoon. Our tour guide: Joe Battista ’83, former Icer and current associate athletic director for Penn State hockey and the Pegula Ice Arena.
The arena is still an active construction site—visitors are required to wear hard hats, reflective vests, work gloves, and boots—but Battista paints such a vivid mental picture that, on the way out, it was hard to believe that all we really saw was drywall and metal.
Some highlights from the tour:
—The exterior of the building is mostly complete. With red brick and a wall of clear glass on the east side, the design is modern, says Battista, but similar to other campus buildings. “I compare it to a larger Rec Hall with glass,” he says.
—Inside, our first stop was the lobby, at the base of what will be the “grand staircase.” The area features three box offices, an HD video screen, white terrazzo floors, and a large wall graphic that reads Welcome to Hockey Valley.
—The main rink will seat 6,000; small by Big Ten standards, but the high-tech details and amenities more than compensate, says Battista. “There’s not a bad seat in this arena.”
—The student section seats 1,050, which is equivalent to the capacity of the entire Greenberg Ice Pavilion, Penn State hockey’s current home. The student bleachers, with room for the pep band in the center, are the steepest allowed by code. They’re located behind the north goal—the goal that the visiting team will be defending for two of the game’s three periods. “We want the opposing team’s goalie to feel right at home,” Battista says with a smile.
—Adding to the “homey” feel: the arena’s acoustics. At Terry Pegula’s request, the facility was designed with no acoustic softeners. In other words, says Battista, “it’s going to get loud.”
Our tour guide: Joe Battista ’83. Photo by Tina Hay.
—There are plenty of luxury suites and private boxes, some of them just 30 feet from the ice, so viewers feel like they’re part of the action. Suites will be equipped with HD TVs, where guests can watch replays of the game and order food via touchscreen. And as for the food, don’t expect “reheated chicken fingers,” says Battista. Several cafés, concession stands, and the on-site restaurant will all operate out of a full kitchen.
—The varsity teams’ locker room (there are 14 locker rooms total, including some for figure skating and community use) will be especially impressive. Separate men’s and women’s areas will feature hydrotherapy tubs, saunas, and private physical therapy rooms. In each individual locker, super hot blowers will dry damp gear and prevent bacterial growth.
—Just outside the locker rooms, players can lounge in a cozy space with couches, big-screen TVs, snack machines, and a ping-pong table—the sorts of amenities that make a difference in recruiting. There’s even a small enclosed area for “stick preparation”—and ceiling vents with suction to remove the leftover dust and debris. “We really tried to think of everything,” says Battista.
—We were all wowed by plans for a futuristic “synthetic shooting range.” A high-tech system called RapidShot will allow players to assess their shot speed and accuracy, and compare themselves to other players worldwide.
—A smaller community rink with 300-seat capacity is designed for lessons and public use. A cyber café with free wifi (and possibly a fireplace) will overlook the rink, so parents can work while kids practice or play.
Battista says construction is on track for a September opening of the Pegula Ice Arena. The first Penn State varsity hockey game is scheduled for early October.
To see more photos from the tour, check out Tina’s pics on our Facebook page, or take your own virtual tour on YouTube.
Mary Murphy, associate editor
Our Jan./Feb. Issue Has Arrived
Amid the flurry of news—and the flurry of snow that hit State College—during the holidays, the January/February 2013 issues arrived in our office, and likely, in your mailbox around the same time.
We hope the cover illustration by David Plunkert grabs your attention, and that the story, “Looking for a Head of State” by former Chronicle of Higher Education staff writer Kathryn Masterson, offers some insight into the search for the next Penn State president—the first such search in 18 years.
In the issue you’ll also find “The No. 1 That Got Away,” about the infamous 1993 Penn State basketball game vs. Indiana in Rec Hall. The article by Ryan Jones ’95—coinciding with the 20th anniversary of that game—has already prompted a few notes from readers who not-so-fondly remember the heartbreaking loss.
The new issue also includes a profile of Kurt Moses ’11h, a Holocaust survivor who readers may remember from his many guest-speaking gigs in Penn State classes; a look at the Palmer Museum staff’s favorite works of art; and coverage of the Penn State Child Sexual Abuse Conference along with updates on the Sandusky scandal fallout. The letters section contains a number of comments from readers about our November/December interview with Board of Trustees Chair Karen Peetz ’77, an interview that provoked strong reactions among alumni.
Let us know what you think of the new issue. Comment below or email pennstaterletters@psu.edu.
Mary Murphy, associate editor
An Alum Remembers Dave Brubeck
Like many jazz fans, Bob Gellman ’57 was saddened by the news that Dave Brubeck, legendary jazz pianist and composer, had passed away last Wednesday at age 91. Brubeck’s death also sparked a memory from Bob’s Penn State days. Bob sent us his story, and after reading the title, we pretty much knew we couldn’t keep this one to ourselves. —Mary Murphy, associate editor
How We Kidnapped Dave Brubeck
By Bob Gellman
On December 5, a music legend died. I knew Dave Brubeck. He was a friend—for one momentous, fun night.
The year: 1955. The scene: Penn State’s Rec Hall. The event of that year, anticipated for months, was the Dave Brubeck Quartet concert for some 10,000 students, music fans, and jazz crazies from all over Pennsylvania.
It would become a legendary highpoint of my college experience, not to mention an unforgettable act of chutzpah extraordinaire.
It seemed at the time quite logical that my roommate, Jerry, and I concocted a ridiculous—really audacious—scheme: Let’s kidnap Dave. There were over 50 fraternities off campus in State College. Our goal was to throw the party of parties at our fraternity house, draw the best co-eds, and become the envy of our competitors by inducing the great Brubeck to play on our crappy, secondhand upright piano.
So here is what we did: Rec Hall had two entrances; main in front, and through the locker rooms out, in back. Before the concert, we stationed a car with three “brothers” (who took the non-concert attendance hits for the caper) at each entrance.
The concert was the best ever on campus. A mere second after the last number, while everyone else was clapping and stamping and screaming, Jerry and I quickly made our move down to the floor. First, we introduced ourselves as the president and vice president of the Penn State Jazz Club (pure BS). We greeted Brubeck, the great Paul Desmond, and the other two musicians. Then we asked Dave if he would please come with us. Before he had time to think about it, each of us took an arm and escorted him off the floor, out the back exit, and into the getaway car back seat, our new BFF (best friend forever) between us.
The rest is school history. One of the greatest jazz masters ever played at our house for hours. Many hundreds of students tried to get in—through doors and windows. Males were not welcome. Co-eds? Come right in!
Pictures of Jerry, me, and our pal, Dave, were lost. Today, the passing of Dave Brubeck makes me sad. But I also smile as I remember the night we snatched one of the greatest jazz musicians of all time, and enjoyed one of the coolest musical party blasts ever at Penn State.
Bob Gellman is a retired toy manufacturer executive living on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.
‘Bearing the Burden’: Students on the Sandusky Scandal
On a sparse stage with only a few folding chairs as props, students in Charles Dumas’ Theatre 208 class set out to tell their sides of the story. In “We Are… A Student Perspective of The Sandusky Scandal,” Thursday at the Pavilion Theatre, students performed monologues, which they wrote, depicting student reactions to the events of the past year. Some scenes enacted portions of the grand jury testimony and public statements from Joe Paterno, Graham Spanier, and Sandusky himself.
Before an audience of students and community members, the actors, none of them theatre majors, talked about the “heartbreak” upon learning Joe Paterno was fired, dealing with the onslaught of opinions on social media, and feeling both “ashamed and empowered by our pride” at public gatherings like the Nov. 11 candlelight vigil.
In one powerful scene, actors wore white masks to portray Sandusky’s victims. The audience was silent as actors read graphic details from victims’ real testimonies as other masked actors tossed a football in the background. Slowly, a masked man in a Penn State windbreaker lead each actor backstage, throwing his arm around their shoulders and patting their backs as they walked.
A major theme in all of the monologues: the media’s unfair portrayal of Penn State students, especially after the Nov. 9 riot, in which a news van was tipped. A few scenes depicted students having to defend themselves after being labeled as supporters of Sandusky and child sexual abuse.
“We had to bear the burden of some of the most heinous acts in human history,” explained one actor. “But it made us become more of a family, and we’re moving closer to closure.”
Mary Murphy, associate editor
A Message of Hope at the Child Sexual Abuse Conference
Elizabeth Smart tells her story on day two of Penn State’s Child Sexual Abuse Conference. Photo by Ralph Wilson/AP Photo.
In person, Elizabeth Smart is petite and pretty. The 24-year-old college student spoke softly and slowly, gesturing gracefully and maintaining her composure even when describing the details of her tragic story.
At age 14, Smart was kidnapped at knifepoint and held prisoner for nine months, during which she was repeatedly sexually abused by her male abductor. She was rescued in March 2003.
“Hope is what saw me through my kidnapping and helped me survive,” she told the crowd of more than 400 Tuesday at The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel. “That’s why we’re all here. Hope that we can make a difference, hope that we can turn something terrible into something wonderful, hope that we can change the tragedy at Penn State into a platform that will change the community and the entire nation.”
It was an appropriate message to serve as the finale to Penn State’s Child Sexual Abuse Conference, held Monday and Tuesday.
When we planned to attend the sold-out, two-day conference, Senior Editor Lori Shontz and I knew that, considering the subject matter, those two days wouldn’t be easy. And we were right. Hearing renowned experts talk about patients they’ve worked with and listening to victims, like Smart, recount their own stories was emotional—and eye-opening. Lori and I agreed that the statistics we’d been hearing since November (that 1 in 6 boys and 1 in 4 girls are victims of sexual abuse) had never seemed quite so real.
Some highlights:
— David Finkelhor, director of Crimes Against Children Research Center, talked about what a bad job we, as a society, do of tracking data about child sex abuse. He showed a list of “countable” items, things that are tracked by various agencies, which included: cholera cases, St. Louis encephalitis, Q fever “plus 60 other infectious diseases you’ve never heard of.” And then he showed a list of things that no one counts: Total number of child sex offenders known to authorities. How many teachers or coaches or staff/volunteers for youth-serving organizations who have committed child sex abuse. How many convicted sex offenders there are in the population or in prison. Said Finkelhor: “This problem deserves better numbers.”
—Ernie Allen, co-founder of the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children, said there are two myths that he has to keep debunking: that of the stranger, and that of the dirty old man. Often, he said, people who abuse children “show deep commitment to helping those in need.”
Allen encouraged the crowd to empower children to speak out. “In our society, we send a subconscious message to children: They’re just kids. They don’t know much.” He said this prevents some children from talking about being abused. “Teach your children to communicate. The old saying is that children should be seen and not heard. I suggest it’s time to change that: Children should be seen AND heard.”
—Julie Larrieu, professor of clinical psychiatry at Tulane University, discussed her experiences treating very young victims (age 0-5) of sexual abuse. Though difficult to watch at times, video clips of treatment sessions showed patients make progress through child-parent psychotherapy—a method that helps children and parents recognize trauma and rebuild trust.
—Margaret Hoelzer, a two-time Olympic swimmer, was sexually abused by a friend’s father at age 5. She talked candidly about the lasting effects of abuse on her sense of self-worth. “I had to become an Olympian just to feel worthy—to feel good enough.”
Hoelzer also talked about her parents’ response when she divulged her abuse as a teen. “My mom knew she couldn’t freak out,” she says. “She knew I’d shut down if I saw her panic. She stayed calm and let me keep talking.” Hoelzer encouraged all parents to do the same.
—Chris Anderson, executive director of MaleSurvivor.org, talked about the stigma still attached to male victims and the lack of resources for men—especially because there are marked differences in the ways women and men cope and recover. Men, he explained, disclose their abuse in stages, sometimes over the course of years. “Men need those safe spaces where they’re given the opportunity to come forward.”
—Sugar Ray Leonard, boxing legend, recalled feeling isolated and alone after his abuse. For decades, he says he was haunted by the memories until he finally told his story. “I would be dead if I didn’t have the courage to finally stand up and say, ‘Ray, it’s OK.’ It’s OK to talk about these things. As we work together, as we collaborate, we will find a way to end this thing.” (For more on Leonard’s talk, check out this piece from StateCollege.com.)
Obviously, the information from the past two days is dense and requires some unpacking. We’re planning to cover this topic more extensively in future issues of The Penn Stater, and we’re open to your suggestions on how to do it. Email us at pennstaterletters@psu.edu.
Mary Murphy, associate editor
In Good Taste
Nadia Byrnes, graduate student in nutrition and food science. Photo by Patrick Mansell.
During grad school, I had a gig as a restaurant reviewer for a local paper. While I loved every second of it (hello, free food), I sometimes felt a bit like a fraud. Why should my personal taste be the standard bearer? I happen to like slightly overcooked pasta, and I think anything hotter than mild salsa should come with a warning label. So who am I to judge?
Our food preferences, and the science behind them, was the subject of a Research Unplugged talk I attended Thursday afternoon. The series of discussions is sponsored by the Office of the Vice President for Research and the Office of University Relations and Schlow Centre Region Library. Yesterday’s presentation featured the research of Nadia Byrnes, a Penn State graduate student in nutrition and food science. Her faculty advisor, food science professor John Hayes, joined her.
In the hour-long talk, I learned a lot that would have helped me back in my food-writing days. Some highlights:
—It’s a myth that parts of your tongue detect different tastes. Recent research shows that you can sense all tastes on your entire tongue.
—MSG, or monosodium glutamate, isn’t bad for you at all. It’s a naturally occurring amino acid that adds an earthy, savory flavor to foods. There’s no medical evidence that people can be hypersensitive to MSG, or that it causes headaches.
—Ever heard that taste is 80 percent smell? Smell does play a huge role in how we taste food, but most people don’t realize that touch is an important third component. The thermal sensations we get from things like mint or black pepper, or the distinct burn from alcohol, affect the way we perceive a food’s taste.
—A person’s sense of taste is hugely affected by his or her—ready for this one?— saliva flow. “High-flow” individuals tend to favor drier wines, for example, because the extra saliva’s lubrication offers more protection from that astringent mouthfeel.
One of the coolest revelations was the result of Nadia’s research on personality and food preferences. As part of her study, Nadia quizzed test subjects about their habits and personalities, then asked the participants to rate their enjoyment of increasingly spicy dishes. People who are more “sensation seeking”— they enjoy things like loud music and performing in front of crowds—favor spicy food far more than their calmer, more introverted counterparts. Novelty seekers, people who like to try new things, are especially fond of the hot stuff.
One of the personality quiz questions, explained Professor Hayes, turned out to be an incredibly accurate predictor of a person’s taste for spice: Subjects who said they “loved to drive fast on twisty roads” got the most enjoyment from fiery foods. Go figure.
Research Unplugged continues every Thursday until Nov. 15 at the Schlow Centre Region Library and is open to the public. Check out the schedule of upcoming talks here.
Mary Murphy, associate editor
Another Cameo by ‘Forrest Grier’
Remember the July/August 2011 issue featuring Rosey Grier ’56 H&HD?
The cover shot was a play on Rosey’s Forrest Gump-like ubiquity in American history. From a friend to Jackie and Robert Kennedy in the 1960s, to a frequent guest star in ’70s sitcoms, to a player in the O.J. Simpson trial in the mid-’90s, Rosey just seems to pop up everywhere.
So it shouldn’t have surprised me, really, when Rosey’s name surfaced in a Wired magazine feature I read yesterday afternoon. The story explains the unlikely way the CIA helped smuggle six American embassy workers out of Iran in 1980. The plan was fascinatingly elaborate; the Americans were disguised as a Canadian film crew for a fictional production company, supposedly scouting out locations in Tehran for a fake sci-fi flick. It’s the true story behind Ben Affleck’s new movie, Argo, which opens today.
Where does Rosey Grier fit in? Well, the escape plan was so detailed that the fake movie required a real script. A Hollywood makeup artist hired by the CIA suggested a project he’d been approached about months earlier — a big-budget adaptation of a zany fantasy novel called Lord of Light, complete with robots, spaceships, and levitating cars. One of the film’s prospective stars: Rosey Grier.
The real movie fizzled out during the production stage in 1979, but the script, with its painstakingly detailed scenes and concept drawings, was a perfect candidate for the CIA’s ruse.
Makes me wonder if Rosey’s name comes up in Argo. Planning to see the movie this weekend? Let us know if Rosey gets a mention at pennstaterletters@psu.edu.
Mary Murphy, associate editor
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