Great Memories

I was excited to see the Rec Hall stories in your latest issue [“Rec Collection,” May/June, p. 38].  I knew I had made the article when I saw the lit lighter on the cover. Not to mention the large graphic on the inside.  I had been holding that story in my head for a long time—thanks for letting me let it out.

Jim Rose ’73 Eng
Winchester, Va.

More Rec Hall Moments

I, too, was at the Louis Armstrong concert [“Debut Encore,” p. 43]. Right after the concert my date and I went across the street to a dorm complex and parked ourselves at a lounge area. After several minutes a single person came walking in alone and joined us. It was Louis himself. Imagine: face-to-face conversation with the jazz great Louis Armstrong. 

James Ditzler ’58 Eng
Wooster, Ohio

I was the treasurer of the Jazz Club and broadcaster for WDFM. I had a radio show on WDFM on Sunday nights called “Contemporary Concepts.” My partner on the show was Bob Waterstadt. Bob was blind and played bass. I hired Louis Armstrong for the concert held in the rec room of the women’s dorm [“Debut Encore,” p. 43] and paid him in cash—$60, I think—with Jazz Club funds.  I also booked The Count Basie Big Band for the prom in Rec Hall in ’56 or ’57. Basie was kind enough to allow Bob Waterstadt to sit in with the band and play bass.

Jack Omlor ’60 Bus 
St. Petersburg, Fla.

I’m the 100-year-old widow of Penn State alum Frank Bence. I really enjoyed reading about the memories of Rec Hall. My husband was a World War II veteran attending Penn State on the GI Bill. I had just finished nurses’ training in Philadelphia, and he invited me to the big dances at Rec Hall. These dances were such a fun date that I still have the dance cards with autographs from the Big Band leaders. I still cherish those memories at Penn State. 

Emmie Bence
State College

I was at a basketball game at Rec Hall in the early ’70s with a bunch of guys from my Erie House dorm in North Halls. We were sitting a few rows in back of Joe Paterno and Gov. Raymond P. Shafer, whose daughter lived in North Halls. There was a break in the action, and JoePa got up and the crowd gave him a standing ovation. He looked at the governor and said, “I was just going to the bathroom.”

Jay Steinberg ’78 Lib
Phoenixville, Pa. 
 

Tailgate Crashers

I was part of a four-person group of East Hall RAs in the late ’70s who masqueraded as network TV sports reporters and camera crew, “interviewing” alumni tailgaters before every home football game. One of our “crew” had legitimate ABC-logoed paraphernalia, including a hand-held microphone, ball caps, and a video camera. I convincingly played the part of the microphone-holding interviewer, asking tailgaters what their pregame tailgating food strategy was. Without exception, every tailgater offered us a vast array of deliciously and elaborately prepared foods to sample. They beamed with pride as we complimented their culinary excellence. We were stuffed by the time we made it to Beaver Stadium. 

Phil Aron ’78 Com
West Palm Beach, Fla.

Tagging Bees

I enjoyed the article about tagging honeybees with little QR codes to trace their travels [Q&A, May/June, p. 18]. My 1966–1969 summer job for the entomology department under Dr. Allen Benton was to collect bees, wasps, and hornets for immunological studies with their venom. Between calls, one of our tasks was to paint bees. We would color-code emerging bees with model paint in different colors to date when they had emerged. These bees would then be used for lab behavioral experiments. 

Michael McMullen ’72 Lib
Camp Hill, Pa.

Moment in Time

My late uncle gave me a framed copy of [landscape artist Richard Rummell’s] print shortly after I graduated in 1985 [From the Editor, May/June, p. 5]. It was stored in a closet for a number of years. I started a new job in 1998 and had a much larger office. My office walls are adorned with many photos of Penn State, including my copy of the print, which hangs behind my desk. Until I read your article, I had never seen or heard of anyone having a copy of the print.  

Kip Horn ’85 Bus
Dover, Pa.

Love and Loss

Elizabeth Brady’s reflections on loss [“Toward Clarity & Understanding,” March/April, p. 44] came at just the right time for me. I recently lost the love of my life when my wife experienced a massive stroke. Brady’s observation that grief will occupy the remainder of my own time on this mortal coil provides a reality check that I needed, although didn’t want. The empty chair at the dinner table will remain empty. And coming to understand that is something I’m slowly coming to grips with.

Miranda Vand ’85 Com, ’85 Lib
Federal Way, Wash.

The essays written by Elizabeth Brady after the loss of her beloved son, Mack, were profound, heartbreaking, and moving. The willingness of Elizabeth to share her deepest feelings dealing with this tragedy will undoubtedly be a source of comfort and encouragement for those who have gone through a similar loss.

I was also fascinated with the article on Penn State’s One Health Microbiome Center [“A ‘Big Tent’ for Understanding Tiny Marvels,” March/April, p. 52]. The collaborative aspect of the Center is terrific. Thanks, Penn Stater, for publishing articles that make a difference.

Peggy Myers ’72 Nur
Spring Mills, Pa.