Posts filed under 'Penn State alumni'
A Down and Up Day for Allison Baver
Penn State’s sole Olympian at this year’s Winter Games, speed skater Allison Baver ’03 Berks, had a mixed bag of a day in Vancouver yesterday. On on the one hand, she got herself disqualified from the 1,000-meter competition for bumping another skater. But later in the day, she and her teammates took bronze in the 3,000-meter relay—Baver’s first Olympic medal ever. The Americans kind of backed into the bronze, as this story in this morning’s Philadelphia Inquirer explains. But, hey, a medal is a medal.
Baver’s hometown paper, the Reading Eagle, also has a story about yesterday’s events, and you can read even more about Baver here.
Tina Hay, editor
Add comment February 25, 2010
Couple Says $9,000 for JoePa’s Glasses Was a Bargain
By now you’ve probably heard that Joe Paterno’s glasses, which were auctioned off over the weekend to benefit WPSU, went for a whopping $9,000. What you might not know is this: The winning couple, Kevin and Michelle Coppola, were prepared to pay up to $10,150.
“I think anybody who went to Penn State would totally understand,” Michelle ’04 told The Baltimore Sun. “What better thing to have than [Paterno's] glasses? That’s part of his iconic image.”
The Coppolas will add the glasses to their stash of memorabilia, which includes helmets, jerseys, and a couple of Wheaties boxes autographed by Paterno. Kevin ’03 said, “When we finally buy a house, we’ll have a pretty cool sports basement.”
You can get all the details in this story from the Sun.
Lori Shontz, senior editor
Add comment February 23, 2010
THON: Not Just for Current Students
Diana Hirsch, left, and Candace Brown represented the Dance Marathon Alumni Interest Group at THON 2010.
Diana Hirsch thought she knew what she was in for. She’d danced in THON before, and she had recently participated in AlumniTHON, which gave her the chance to experience a baby-powder massage again.
Hirsch’s second THON, however, wasn’t quite what she expected. Her previous THON was in 1991, and those 19 years did take a bit of a toll. “I don’t remember there being so many peaks and valleys,” Hirsch ’92 said Sunday morning, after about 33 hours on her feet. “There are so many more ups and downs mentally and physically. And all kinds of aches!”
Everyone at THON wears a their own special T-shirts.
Her partner, Candace Brown ’00, was also dancing after a long layoff; she had last participated 10 years ago, and she couldn’t believe how much THON had grown in a decade. The two were representing the Dance Marathon Alumni Interest Group, which had two couples in THON 2010.
The last time Hirsch danced, THON was in White Building and raised less than $1 million for the Four Diamonds Fund. The last time Brown danced, THON was in Rec Hall, and raising $7.8 million, the 2010 total, was unimaginable.
Both women had to deal with more outside factors this time around. Brown, for example, fielded cell-phone calls from her three children, 5-year-old Bria, 4-year-old Casson, and 2 1/2-year-old Mayah. She explained that she was tired from dancing for hours, and Bria said, “Mommy, you need to go to bed. You need to go to sleep and rest.” That made Brown laugh, and she answered, “You’re right, but I can’t do that right now.”
Diana's friends and family made sure she'd be busy opening packages after Mail Call.
They were a bit of an odd couple. Hirsch didn’t want to have any idea how much time remained, so she adjusted the settings on her iPhone so that she appeared to be in Toyko on Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2014. Brown didn’t change a thing; she needed specifics. “I want to know down to the last second what time it is,” she said. “I am not going to be one of those dancers who needs to sit down around 3:50 p.m.” Hirsch got a stack of packages at mail call (see photo at right, by our graphic designer, Jessie Knuth), but Brown, who flew in from Denver, made her family and friends promise to send nothing big. “I travel light,” she said, grinning.
They agreed, however, that they were much less conscious of their appearance than their college-age counterparts. “They’re washing their hair in the sinks in the bathrooms, using hair spray and straightening irons,” Brown said, laughing. “They’re changing clothes five times. Me, I’ve got two shirts.”
And they were of one mind about the most important things: That THON was among the most meaningful experiences of their college years, and that they were thrilled and honored to be back on the floor.
“And we’ve already made plans,” Hirsch said, “to be back here again in 10 years.”
Jessie and I weren’t going to hold them to that, as we were talking at 3:15 a.m. Sunday. For all we knew, they were having some of those fabled hallucinations. But they felt the same way at the end, and given that they weathered 46 hours on their feet as well as—or better than—the students, we won’t be surprised to see them in 2020.
Lori Shontz, senior editor
Add comment February 22, 2010
Allison Baver and the Penn State Gang in Vancouver
Vancouver's Coal Harbor. Photo by Paula Froke.
We know of at least five Penn Staters at the Vancouver/Whistler Olympics—speed skater Allison Baver ’03 Berks and four people working in the news media. Baver, whom we blogged about at the start of the Games, missed out on a medal in the 1,500 meters on Saturday night, but will try again this week in the 1,000 meters and the 3,000-meter relay.
On the news media side, last week we shared with you some photos of curling competition taken by Paula Froke ’82 of the Associated Press. Froke, who was working the overnight editing desk at the Olympics, also took a couple of cool photos that I’m sharing here with her permission—the one above is of Vancouver’s Coal Harbor, showing the Main Press Centre on the left and the Olympic flame on the right. The other shot is a close-up of part of the Main Press Centre.
The Olympics' Main Press Centre in Vancouver. Photo by Paula Froke.
Froke tells me that she bumped into a fellow Penn Stater, Dan Huff ’82, out there.
“I hadn’t known him before,” she says, “but I heard the words ‘Penn State’ and went over to investigate. He was having a back-and-forth with a USC alum!”
We actually had heard about Dan once before: He’s an AP cameraman whom our senior editor, Ryan Jones, met when he visited the White House for a story last year.
Also in Vancouver is a Penn State undergrad, an English major named Emily Rothrock, who managed to score a pretty cool internship: She’s working in the dot-com department of NBC Olympics. “I’m part of a team responsible for putting together highlight clips to be shown on the Web site,” she says, “and also on On Demand, iTunes, and other mobile apps.”
And, like Paula Froke, Rothrock also bumped into a fellow Penn Stater: David Klatt ’08, a producer/editor for NBCOlympics.com. “Such a small world,” she says. “It’s great to be halfway across the world and find someone only a few desks over who is one of us.”
Tina Hay, editor
3 comments February 22, 2010
Ted Anthony on Tiger Woods
The AP’s Ted Anthony ’95 has some interesting observations about Tiger Woods’ pseudo-press conference today. Among other points, he talks about the role of Woods’ public apology in salvaging his lucrative endorsement deals: “In a way,” Anthony writes, “Friday’s apology was an economic stimulus for the mini-economy that is Tiger Woods.”
And, like many writers, Anthony noticed how carefully choreographed the whole event was—including the widely published photo of Woods jogging earlier in the week. It was, Anthony says, “a carefully staged photo designed to look like it wasn’t—an image of him running (in Nike gear, of course) that was given to a photographer who was informed well in advance that he’d be jogging by.”
It’s a good read.
Tina Hay, editor
Add comment February 19, 2010
We Have an Olympics Curling Correspondent!
Well, OK, it’s not like we were actively looking for someone to report on curling from the Vancouver Olympics. But Penn Stater Paula Froke ’82 of the Associated Press happens to be out there, and, well….
Actually, here’s the story. Paula is a deputy national editor for the AP, based in New York City, and is out at Vancouver working on the editing desk. “I handle copy from AP reporters covering all the events and related news,” she says. “I handle a combination of ‘game stories’ from the events as they’re decided, and follow-up pieces and stories looking ahead to future events.” She’s on the all-night shift—so she goes to work at 5 p.m. and doesn’t finish until 5 a.m.
Paula also happens to be pretty good with a camera. In New York she often rides her bicycle to work and usually carries her Nikon D40 with her; you can see some of the resulting photos at her Web site.
Yesterday, when she probably should have been sleeping after her all-night shift, she decided to take in some men’s curling. The shot above and the four below are from the men’s round-robin session in which Canada beat Norway 7-6. (The Norway players are easily recognizable by their John Daly-esque pants.)
Click on any of the photos to enlarge. They’re really excellent shots.
Paula also has taken some artsy photos of Coal Harbor and the Main Press Centre in Vancouver; I’ll share those in the next day or so, so be sure to check back.
Tina Hay, editor
3 comments February 17, 2010
More on Speed Skater (and Model) Allison Baver
Source: allisonbaver.com
Olympic speed skater Allison Baver ’03 Berks, whom Ryan Jones talked about last week, didn’t get a chance to compete on Saturday night—she got bumped from the semifinals of 3,000-meter relay. I’m a little fuzzy on how this works, but her hometown paper, the Reading Eagle, tries to explain. I get the sense that she might still compete in the finals, which aren’t until Feb. 24.
This morning I came across a cool interview with Baver in Philadelphia Magazine. Rich Rys, who always does a lively interview on the magazine’s last page (and who has written for The Penn Stater on occasion), talked to Baver for the magazine’s current issue.
One quote that stood out was Baver talking about the nasty broken leg she suffered just a year ago: “The physician said, ‘We see this type of injury when people get run over by garbage trucks. You may never be able to walk again, never mind skate the Olympic trials.’”
Needless to say, she proved that doctor wrong. Watch for Baver in the 1,000 and the 5,000 this week.
Tina Hay, editor
Add comment February 15, 2010
Snowpocalypse? This Meteorologist Might Agree
AccuWeather meteorologist and Penn Stater Jim Kosek ‘86 got a little excited about the “snowpocalypse” that buried Baltimore this past weekend. Making its way around Facebook (that’s where I found it—linked from the Daily Press) and with over 630,000 views on YouTube, looks like Kosek’s snow…excitement?…may have hit the spot.
Enjoy below.
Oh boy.
If you’re all jazzed up from watching that video, you can always head on over to Facebook and join his fan club. Yes, he has a fan club, with 861 members so far. The description of the group is simple: “This man brings joy to my life.”
Amy Guyer, associate editor
Add comment February 10, 2010
Six More Weeks of What?
For those of you who were not a fan of Punxsutawney Phil’s weather forecast and who daydream in warmer climates, please direct your attention to California based photographer, Jay Reilly ’94.
Reilly has been keeping himself busy by shooting for clients such as Nike, Sony, and Conde Nast, to name a few. He recently finished up a shoot at the Mondavi Family Winery for their partner ONEHOPE wine, a very cool organization that donates 50 percent of its profits to charitable causes. When not shooting for clients, Reilly is busy running a series of photo workshops on a variety of subjects ranging from weddings and fashion, to travel.
Below are some of the images I enjoy the most, especially during this winter season. So, if you need a break from the cold, take some time and check out Jay Reilly’s work. (Also check out his blog, mycameraisbiggerthanyours.com)
Jessie Knuth, graphic designer
Add comment February 8, 2010
Bob Garfield’s Annual Super Bowl Ad Review
So it turns out that I wasn’t the only person who was underwhelmed by the quality of the Super Bowl ads. Advertising Age sage Bob Garfield ’77, who’s been rating the ads for 24 years, had this take: “We will say this: We are totally pro-TiVo.”
Garfield’s best grade was three and a half stars, and only three ads earned it: Audi’s green police (yes, I laughed), Chrysler’s ad for its new Charger, and Qualcomm’s FloTV. The last two went over bigger with the two guys I was watching with; I’m just a little tired of the ads that Garfield calls “being emasculated by the ol’ ball and chain.” He did, however, rightly call out Go Daddy for its incredibly sexist, juvenile spots; he gave the company zero stars and called it “a national embarrassment.”
I’m a little disappointed that Garfield gave only two stars to a consensus favorite in my living room: the Snickers ad with Betty White and Abe Vigoda. And, probably because his review is done Friday, he didn’t even mention our favorite: David Letterman, Oprah Winfrey, and Jay Leno at what certainly was the world’s worst Super Bowl party. (Here’s the story behind that ad.)
If you need to refresh your memory, you can watch all of the ads here.
Lori Shontz, senior editor
1 comment February 8, 2010
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