By Sarah Harteis

It’s that time of year again! The time of flowers, candy, jewelry and love. It’s no secret to say that Valentine’s Day is a holiday geared towards the ladies. That being said, men have a pressure put on them to try and figure out how to create the best Valentine’s Day for their sweetheart. What most men don’t know, however, is that all women feel love in different ways.

To make this easy for men, I will briefly describe the 5 main ways women feel loved. These “5 love languages” vary from woman to woman. To fine out what your sweetheart’s “love language” is, read each description and try your best to decipher which one describes what she needs most, or simply ask her.

For love languages of:

Words of Affirmation: For this love language, your significant other is craving to hear what YOU have to say to her. It can be through a card, song, poem or anything you have to say about her. For example, creating a list of top 20 things you love about her, and capturing those words in a picture frame would make her feel more loved than ever. Another example would be purchasing a frame, inserting scrapbook paper in the frame with “I love you because…” written on the paper with marker. Once framed, you can have a dry erase marker to write on the outside of the frame what you love about her today. Then tomorrow (or any day) you can erase the words with something new you love about her! It’s the gift that keeps on giving.

Quality Time: This love language is pretty easy to please. All she wants from you is your time! Someone who speaks this love language would enjoy taking a class together, going to dinner, a theatre, a concert, or pretty much any outing together. She longs to spend time with you doing something exciting.

Gifts: For women who speak the love language of gifts, it is still okay to do the traditional flowers, chocolates or jewelry! My only advice would be to mix it up a bit. Instead of roses, why not orchids? Instead of a box on chocolates, try a gourmet cupcake from Sugar on Top or N’Dulge. As for jewelry, it’s not always about diamonds. There is a wide variety of gems and stones that your sweetheart would love to wear. Plus, this makes it a unique and personal gift.

Physical Touch: If your significant other speaks the language of physical touch, you may want to consider giving her a “massage night.” You can surprise her with a personal massage from yours truly, not only with a back rub, but also with the feet, hands, head and arms. This will make her feel more loved than ever. Then, finish off the night with a romantic movie that YOU picked out - and be sure to cuddle!

Acts of Service: This love language appreciate when things are being done for her out of consideration. Getting a good card, writing a song or writing a poem are all good ways to capture the heart of a woman who speaks this language. Also, simply writing down 20 Things I Love About You and framing the words will also do the trick. The woman who speaks this love language just wants to hear your words and how you feel about her.

As you can see, there are many different ways in which women feel loved. Your job, as men, is you figure out which language your sweetheart speaks (even if you have to flat out ask her) and then base your Valentine’s Day around this. Once you figure it out, you can use my Valentine’s Day Gift Guide to generate ideas that will make your girl feel most loved.

To learn more on understanding love languages, read The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman.

By Sarah Harteis

Pati Jinich is more than just a chef, cooking teacher, food writer and mother of three. She is also the host of the new National Public series Pati’s Mexican Table, and the featured host for this year’s WPSU 20th Annual Connoisseur’s Dinner.

Although Pati didn’t start in this field from the beginning, she has had many years of experience and believes that this was truly her calling. Pati took some time out of her busy schedule to sit down with Town&Gown and fill us in on her life and how she came to be a woman of such success.

T&G: How did you first get started in the culinary field?

Pati: Originally, I  was a political analyst. I was formally trained and wanted to be in academics. I devoted a lot of my time to that and when I moved to the United States I thought I wanted to continue on and go to graduate school. Then, I moved to Texas because of my husband’s work. While I finished my thesis, I am a fan of public radio and television, so I went to a puvlic television station and volunteered. They were working on a Mexican cooking series and needed help, so I offered and became a production assistant for the series. When I eventually got a job as a political analyst, I realized that I just wasn’t happy. At some point my husband said “all you do is read the food section and food articles. You need to do what you love.” I had nothing to lose, so I switched to this and I never looked back.  

T&G: What was it like going on air with Pati’s Mexican Table?

Pati: I feel very comfortable with it. It was hard at first because when you’re shooting, people need to be quiet. So I was looking for audience reaction and they werent allowed to react until after the show because if there’s any noise, you have to repeat the take again. So that took some getting used to!

T&G: What’s your personal favorite dish?

Pati: That’s a really hard question! I am such a big eater. My husband jokes because he’s 2 heads taller than me and 70 pounds heavier than me and we eat same amount of food. I have a big appetite not just in quantity but also because I’m curious. There are few things I wouldn’t try. I love dishes that are saucy and spicy and dishes that are 1 meal, like an enchilada or tacos with many things in them – meals that are one-plate-meals. If i had to choose, I’d have to say chicken enchiladas with tomatillo sauce.

T&G: what are some easy dinner ideas you’d recommend for college students?

Pati: There are so many homestyle mexican food that’s so practical. For example, you can use rotisserie chicken and make shredded chicken. Then you can pair the shredded chiken with tomato sauce and cook it with onion, garlic and chipotle and you make the chicken into a chicken Tinga stew. You can use this to make paninis, quessidillas, with a side of beans or with avacado. There are many things that can be reused over and over. Even with beans, you can make a tomato and bean soup and refried beans or white rice and beans. You can even take the beans and cook eggs on top of them! There are so many things you can do.

T&G: Have you ever been to State College before? What are you looking most forward to at the Connoisseur’s dinner?

Pati: I haven’t, but my husband was born there. His father had been studying for his masters at Penn State with my mother-in-law. They were married and my mother-in-law got pregnant. After they got their masters they went back to Mexico. So my husband really likes it there. I’m looking forward to interactng with the people because from what I’ve heard, the people that go to this are really interesting people who want to try and learn new things. I’m also excited to meeting Chef Schilling!

Academics
20 – State College Area School District, no school or snow make-up
day, grades k-12.

Children & Families
2, 6, 9, 13, 16, 20, 23, 27 – Music Together free trial class for children 0-5 and a parent, Oakwood Presbyterian Church, S.C., 10:45 a.m. Mon., 9:30 a.m. Tues., 466-3414.
4, 7, 11, 14, 18, 21, 25, 28 – Music Together free trial class for young children 0-2 and a parent, Houserville United Methodist Church, S.C., 10:45 a.m. Tues., 10:30 a.m. Sat., 466-3414.
4, 11, 18, 25 – World Stories Alive: Tales in Many Tongues, Schlow Centre Region Library, S.C., 11 a.m., www.schlowlibrary.org.
20 –  No School Day, Schlow Centre Region Library, S.C., 11 a.m., www.schlowlibrary.org.

Classes & Lectures
1 – Memoirs of a Vietnam Veteran, PA Military Museum, Boalsburg, 7:30 p.m., www.pamilmuseum.org.
2 –  Family Search presented by Keri-Lynn Kendall, Latter-day Saint Church, S.C., 7 p.m., www.centrecountygenealogy.org.
3 – Gallery Talk: Let’s Move: Transportation Imagery in the Maimon Collection, Palmer Museum of Art, PSU, 12:10 p.m., www.palmermuseum.psu.edu.
4 – Spring Creek Homesteading Reskilling Workshop: Cooking Winter Soups & Stews, State College Friends Meetinghouse, S.C., 9 a.m., 237-0996.
4 – Spring Creek Homesteading Reskilling Workshop: Making Mittens & Scarves fro Old Wool Sweaters, State College Friends Meetinghouse, S.C., 2 p.m., 237-0996.
4, 18 – Spring Creek Homesteading Reskilling Workshop: Home Beer Brewing, 156 W. Hamilton Ave., S.C., 2 p.m., 237-0996.
5 – Spring Creek Homesteading Reskilling Workshop: Making Yogurt & Granola, State College Friends Meetinghouse, S.C., 2:30 p.m., 237-0996.
7, 21 –  “A Joint Venture,” a free class on hip and knee replacements, Mount Nittany Medical Center, S.C., 11 a.m. Feb. 7, 7 p.m. Feb. 21, 278-4810.
9 – American-American Heritage Month Program featuring Lisa Salters of ESPN, 113 Carnegie Building, PSU, 6 p.m.
10 – Gallery Talk: Me, Myself, and the Mirror: Self-Portraits from the Permanent Collection, Palmer Museum of Art, PSU, 12:10 p.m., www.palmermuseum.psu.edu.
11 – Spring Creek Homesteading Reskilling Workshop: Making Homemade Lip Balm & Salve, State College Friends Meetinghouse, S.C., 9 a.m., 237-0996.
12 – Spring Creek Homesteading Reskilling Workshop: Building a Cold Frame, 156 W. Hamilton, Ave., S.C., 1 p.m., 237-0996.
12 – For the Union: Centre County Goes to War, 1861-62, Centre Furnace Mansion, S.C., 2 p.m., www.centrecountyhistory.org.
15 – Spring Creek Homesteading Reskilling Workshop: Making Sauerkraut — Vegetable Lactofermentation, State College Friends Meetinghouse, S.C., 6 p.m., 237-0996.
16 –Invisible Wounds of War: Meeting the Psychological Health Needs for Returning Warriors, Mount Nittany Medical Center, 6 p.m., 234-6738.
18 – Spring Creek Homesteading Reskilling Workshop: Worm Composting, State College Friends Meetinghouse, S.C., 9 a.m., 237-0996.
20 – Frauds, Fakes, and Forgeries, HUB-Robeson Gallery, PSU, 7 p.m., www.palmermuseum.psu.edu.
21 – Oweida Lecture in Journalism Ethics presented by Jim O’Shea, Kern Auditorium, PSU, 7 p.m.
24 – Gallery Talk: Photography Past and Present, Palmer Museum of Art, PSU, 12:10 p.m., www.palmermuseum.psu.edu.
25 – Spring Creek Homesteading Reskilling Workshop: Making Homemade Pasta & Authentic Italian Red Sauce, State College Friends Meetinghouse, S.C., 10 a.m., 237-0996.

Club Events
1, 8, 15, 22, 29 – S.C. Sunrise Rotary Club mtg., Hotel State College, 7:15 a.m., kfragola@psualum.com.
1, 8, 15, 22, 29 – Centre Squares Dance Club, Pleasant Gap Elementary School, 8 p.m., 238-8949.
1, 16 – Outreach Toastmasters Club mtg., room 413 in the 329 Building in Penn State Innovation Park, noon, http://outreach.freetoasthost.us/.
2 – Central PA Observers mtg., South Hills School of Business & Technology, S.C., 6 p.m., 237-9865.
2 – S.C. Lions Club mtg., Damon’s Sports Bar & Grill, S.C., 6:15 p.m., www.statecollegelions.org.
2, 9, 16, 23 – S.C. Downtown Rotary mtg., Damon’s Sports Bar & Grill, S.C., noon, http://centrecounty.org/rotary/club/.
8 – Women’s Welcome Club of S.C., Oakwood Presbyterian Church, S.C., 7 p.m., www.womenswelcomeclub.org.
14 – Women’s Mid Day Connection Luncheon, Elk’s Country Club, Boalsburg, 11:45 a.m., 355-7615.
17 – Central PA Country Dance Association dance, State College Friends School, 7:30 p.m., www.cpcda.org.
22 – Sate College Bird Club Meeting, Foxdale Village, S.C., 7 p.m.

Community Associations & Development
9 – CBICC Business After Hours, Mike’s Video, TV & Appliance, S.C., 5:30 p.m., 234-1829 or www.cbicc.org.
15 – ChamberU: Getting Unbiased Information, CBICC, S.C., 8:15 a.m., 234-1829 or www.cbicc.org.
21 – CBICC Membership Luncheon: Local Business = Global Business, The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel, S.C., 11:45 a.m., 234-1829 or www.cbicc.org.
21 – Spring Creek Watershed Association mtg., Patton Township Mun. Bldg., 7:30 a.m., www.springcreekwatershed.org.
22 – Patton Township Business Association mtg., Patton Township Mun. Bldg., noon, www.ptba.org.
22 – CBICC Business After Hours, Blaise Alexander Hyundai Mazda, S.C., 5:30 p.m., 234-1829 or www.cbicc.org.
29 – CBICC Business before Hours — The Economic Benefits of Early Childhood Care and Education, Hoag’s Catering/Celebration Hall, S.C., 8 a.m., 234-1829 or www.cbicc.org.

Exhibits
Ongoing-12 – Up Against the Wall: Political Protest Art from the Thomas W. Benson Collection, Pattee Library, PSU,865-3063.
Ongoing-25 – Fine Art and Fine Craft in the Atrium, The Lemont Gallery, Lemont, 10:30 a.m., 867-0442.
14 – Paper Views: Photography Past and Present, Palmer Museum of Art, PSU, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m., www.palmermuseum.psu.edu.
Ongoing-May 13 – Painting the People: Images of American Life from the Maimon Collection, Palmer Museum of Art, PSU, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Tues.-Sat., noon-4 p.m. Sun., www.palmermuseum.psu.edu.
7-May 13 – Hogarth Restored, Palmer Museum of Art, PSU, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Tues.-Sat., noon-4 p.m. Sun., www.palmermuseum.psu.edu.
7-May 27 – Me, Myself, and The Mirror, Palmer Museum of Art, PSU, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Tues.-Sat., noon-4 p.m. Sun., www.palmermuseum.psu.edu.

Health Care
For schedule of blood drives visit www.cccredcross.org or www.givelife.org.

2 – Grief Support Group, Centre Crest, Bellefonte, 6 p.m., 548-1140 or amboal@co.centre.pa.us.
6 – Breast Cancer Support Group, Mount Nittany Medical Center, S.C., 4:30 p.m., 234-6175.
9 – The Diabetes Support Group, Mount Nittany Medical Center, S.C., 6 p.m., 231.7095.
14 – The Parent Support of Children with Eating Disorders, Mount Nittany Medical Center, S.C., 7 p.m., 466-7921.
16 – Better Breathers Support Group, HealthSouth Nittany Valley Rehab Hospital, Pleasant Gap, 2 p.m., 359-3421.
16 – The free H.E.I.R. & Parents class and tour of the maternity unit for expectant parents and support people, Mount Nittany Medical Center, S.C., 6:30 & 7:45 p.m., 231-7061.
20 – Cancer Survivor Support Group, Centre County United Way, S.C., 11:30 a.m., www.cancersurvive.org.
21 – Multiple Sclerosis Support Group, HealthSouth Nittany Valley Rehab Hospital, Outpatient Entrance, Pleasant Gap, 6 p.m., 359-3421.

Music
4 – Lady Antebellum, BJC, PSU, 7 p.m., www.bjc.psu.edu.
4 – Shanghai Chinese Orchestra, Schwab Auditorium, PSU, 7:30 p.m., www.cpa.psu.edu.
8 – Umphrey’s McGee, The State Theatre, S,C, 9 p.m., www.statetickets.org or 272-0606.
12 – State College Municipal Band: Valentine’s Day concert, State College Area High School, 3 p.m., 238-8187.
17 – Beatlemania, The State Theatre, S.C., 8 p.m., www.statetickets.org or 272-0606.
18 – Nittany Valley Symphony: Beethoven & Shostakovich, Eisenhower Auditorium, PSU, 7:30 p.m., www.nvs.org.
25 – Acoustic Brew: 20th Anniversary Festival featuring Simple Gifts, WPSU Studios at Innovation Park, PSU, all afternoon, www.acousticbrew.org.
25 – Tea Leaf Green featuring special guest Ha Ha Tonka, State Theatre, S.C., 8 p.m., www.statetickets.org or 272-0606.
26 – Nittany Wind Quintet, Centre County Library Museum, Bellefonte, 2:30 p.m., www.bellefontearts.org.
26 – Mezzo-soprano Amanda Silliker, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, S.C., 3 p.m., 237-7605 or www.uufcc.com.
27 – President’s Concert: A Sneak Preview, Eisenhower Auditorium, PSU, 8 p.m., www.cpa.psu.edu.

Special Events
3, 10, 17, 24 – State College Indoor Farmers’ Market, State College Municipal Building, 11:30 a.m.
4 – SCASD Summer Youth Fair, Mount Nittany Middle School, S.C., 10 a.m., www.scasd.org.
7, 14, 21, 28 – Boalsburg Farmers’ Market, Boalsburg Fire Hall, 2 p.m., 466-2152.
11 – 6th Annual BatFest, Lincoln Caverns, Huntingdon, 10 a.m., 643-0268.
11 – 64th Annual Mount Nittany Medical Center Charity Ball, The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel, S.C., 6:30 p.m., 234-6777 or Foundation.mountnittany.org.
11-12 – Valentine’s Wine & Chocolate Pairing, Mount Nittany Vineyard and Winery, Centre Hall, noon, 466-6373.
17-19 – THON, BJC, PSU, www.thon.org.
24 – CCAR American Dream Housing Fund Auction, Ramada Inn Conference Center, S.C., 6:30 p.m., 238-7622.
25 – Cabin Fever Film Series: Go Tell the Spartans, PA Military Museum, Boalsburg, 2 p.m., www.pamilmuseum.org.

Sports
For tickets to Penn State sporting events, call 865-5555. For information on area high school sporting events, call your local high school.

1 – PSU/Princeton, men’s tennis, Sarni Tennis Center, PSU, 5:30 p.m.
2 – PSU/Indiana, women’s basketball, BJC, PSU, 7 p.m.
3 – PSU/Buffalo, men’s swimming, McCoy Natatorium, PSU, 4 p.m.
3 – PSU/Mount Olive, men’s Volleyball, Rec Hall, PSU, 7:30 p.m.
4 – PSU/Lehigh, women’s swimming, McCoy Natatorium, PSU, 11:30 a.m.
4 – PSU/Virginia Tech, men’s tennis, Sarni Tennis Center, PSU, noon.
4 – PSU/Bloomsburg, men’s tennis, Sarni Tennis Center, PSU, 5 p.m.
4 – PSU/Cal-Baptist, men’s Volleyball, Rec Hall, PSU, 7:30 p.m.
4 – Sykes-Sabock Challenge Cup, Track, Ashenfelter Track, all day.
5 – PSU/Michigan, wrestling, Rec Hall, PSU, 2 p.m.
7 – PSU/Ohio State, women’s tennis, Sarni Tennis Center, PSU, 3 p.m.
9 – PSU/Wisconsin, women’s basketball, BJC, PSU, 7 p.m.
10 – PSU/Rutgers-Newark, men’s Volleyball, Rec Hall, PSU, 7 p.m.
11 – PSU/Buffalo, men’s tennis, Sarni Tennis Center, PSU, 10 a.m.
11 – PSU/Nebraska, men’s basketball, BJC, PSU, 1 p.m.
11 – PSU/Bucknell, men’s tennis, Sarni Tennis Center, PSU, 3 p.m.
11 – PSU/NJIT-Newark, men’s Volleyball, Rec Hall, PSU, 7 p.m.
16 – PSU/Iowa, men’s basketball, BJC, PSU, 8 p.m.
17 – PSU/Pennsylvania, women’s tennis, Sarni Tennis Center, PSU, 3 p.m.
18 – PSU/Michigan, men’s lacrosse, Jeffrey Field, PSU, 1 p.m.
18 – PSU/SUNY-Brockport/Illinois, men’s gymnastics, Rec Hall, PSU, 7 p.m.
19 – PSU/Tulane, women’s tennis, Sarni Tennis Center, PSU, 10 a.m.
19 – PSU/Binghamton, men’s tennis, Sarni Tennis Center, PSU, noon.
19 – PSU/Maryland, men’s lacrosse, Jeffrey Field, PSU, 1 p.m.
19 – PSU/Pittsburgh, wrestling, Rec Hall, PSU, 2 p.m.
20 – PSU/Ohio State, women’s basketball, BJC, PSU, 7 p.m.
22 – PSU/Duquesne, women’s lacrosse, Jeffrey Field, PSU, 7 p.m.
24 – PSU/Marshall, women’s tennis, Sarni Tennis Center, PSU, 5 p.m.
24 – PSU/Princeton, men’s Volleyball, Rec Hall, PSU, 7 p.m.
25 – PSU/George Mason, men’s Volleyball, Rec Hall, PSU, 5 p.m.
25 – PSU/Northwestern, men’s basketball, BJC, PSU, 9 p.m.
26 – PSU/Miami (Ohio), women’s tennis, Sarni Tennis Center, PSU, noon.
26 – PSU/Minnesota, women’s basketball, BJC, PSU, TBA.

Theater
3-4 – Bald Eagle Area Middle School Drama Club presents Humpty Dumpty is Missing, Bald Eagle Area School District, 7:30 p.m., 355-4860.
8 – Jin Xing Dance Theatre Shanghai: Shanghai Tango, Eisenhower Auditorium, PSU, 7:30 p.m., www.cpa.psu.edu.
9 – National Theatre Live 2011-12: Travelling Light, State Theatre, S.C., 7 p.m., www.statetickets.org or 272-0606.
11 – The Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD!: Wagner’s Götterdämmerung, State Theatre, S.C., noon, www.statetickets.org or 272-0606.
14-28 – Penn State Centre Stage presents Grand Hotel, Pavilion Theatre, PSU, 7:30 p.m. (2 p.m. matinee Feb. 25), www.theatre.psu.edu.
25 – The Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD!: Verdi’s Ernani, State Theatre, S.C., 1 p.m., www.statetickets.org or 272-0606.
28-29 – American Idiot, Eisenhower Auditorium, PSU, 7:30 p.m., www.cpa.psu.edu.

What began in 1973 with 78 dancers gathering in the HUB Ballroom has grown to hundreds of students covering the floor of the Bryce Jordan Center. The first event raised a little more than $2,000. The 2011 edition of THON raised more than $9.5 million.

Heading into its 40th edition, held February 17-19, the IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon, or THON as it’s come to be known, continues to break fundraising totals each year for the Four Diamonds Fund, which helps families who are battling pediatric cancer. It has become the largest student-run philanthropy in the world, touching the lives of families and Penn State students alike along the way.

These are some stories of THON dancers, leaders, and Four Diamonds children throughout the past four decades. For most dancers, memories of the event itself were obscured by sleep deprivation, but the feeling of making a difference in the lives of children with cancer remained long after they left the dance floor.

***

THON started when then-Interfraternity Council president Bill Lear was looking for a way for fraternities to raise money and give back to the community. The first dance event was held February 2, 1973. It lasted 30 hours and raised money for the Butler County Association for Retarded Children. According to THON’s Web site, the planning committee in 1973 wasn’t expecting to raise much more than $20 — the event ended up raising $2,136.

The dance marathon expanded to 48 hours the next year and raised more than $10,000 for the American Heart Association. Other charities to serve as recipients of early THON funds included the Muscular Dystrophy Association and Easter Seals. The Four Diamonds Fund, a then-little-known charity benefiting pediatric-cancer research, became the sole beneficiary in 1977 and has remained so ever since.

THON moved from the HUB to the White Building in 1979, and remained there until 1999 when it moved to Rec Hall. Dancers from the early era recall a small but welcoming environment that slowly became filled with the aroma of sweat and baby powder as the weekend wore on.

Trish Hummer danced during her sophomore year at Penn State in 1980. She remembers becoming lost in the labyrinth of the White Building’s hallways while on a bathroom break and dancing around pillars on the gymnasium floor.

A State College local, she did not have much difficulty raising the funds necessary to be an independent dancer.

“Most of my sponsors were local business owners. I was lucky that I knew so many people here,” she says. “The amount needed to dance then wasn’t nearly what it is today … I think I might have raised $800 or maybe $1,200 at most.”

She says the weekend itself is a blur now and it’s difficult to recall the specifics of what songs were played and how exactly she spent her 48 hours on the floor.

Hummer, now an employee at Penn State Outreach, has remained connected to THON in the years since she danced. She had frequently attended the event and now watches online no matter where she is during THON weekend.

William Cluck also was heavily involved in THON around this time, dancing in 1981, 1982, and 1986. The first two times were as a Penn State student, the third was as a last-minute fill-in while attending law school.

He saw the event grow over the years and, as president of Undergraduate Student Government, took the lead in helping to raise money, tallied then in pledges of dollars or cents per hour danced.

For his third marathon, he was in his last semester of law school at Temple University when he received the call that a member of the Skull and Bones Honor Society who was scheduled to dance was not able to fulfill the commitment.

“I got a call asking if I would like to do the dance marathon,” he says. “Some of my professors thought I was nuts, but I was able to expand the donor database to my law school and law firm where I was about to start working.”

Though it’s been a quarter century since he last participated in THON, he enjoys coming back from time to time to support the dancers, including one who is his niece who danced in 2006. He visited in the early hours of Sunday morning, widely considered to be the roughest time for dancers, and lifted her spirits by bringing the T-shirts he had worn as a dancer.

Now an attorney in the Harrisburg area, he also donates to the students who frequent the area on weekend canning trips. His proximity to the Penn State Hershey Medical Center also has allowed for interaction with Four Diamonds families.

“You really get to understand what this means to the families, that they don’t have to worry about the stress of financing their treatments,” he says. “A big part of recovery is to be able to keep a positive outlook and this helps them do that. Whatever insurance doesn’t cover, THON does.”

With its mission and logistics solidified, THON continued to grow during the 1980s and 1990s. Fundraising broke the $1 million mark in 1992 and has not gone below seven figures since.

***

Nicole Cowley started at Penn State in 1999 and recalls wandering into Rec Hall during THON weekend almost accidentally. It was THON’s first year in Rec Hall, and the new space allowed the event to grow even more. By this time, it had become an institution with multiple committees, canning weekends, and fundraising totals in the millions.

“I remember walking past Rec Hall and seeing that it looked like a big party,” Cowley says. “I just kind of walked in, I wasn’t involved. It was just impressive.”

While she was impressed with THON’s atmosphere, it wasn’t until her senior year in 2002 that she decided to become involved as a dancer. She raised about $2,000, enough to enter her into the lottery for a spot as an independent dancer. Like Hummer some two decades before, Cowley also used family connections and her personal network, rather than relying on canning trips and anonymous pledges, to raise funds to dance. She did not prepare much for the weekend and faced a setback early on when her partner had to leave five hours in because of a migraine. She persevered, however, thanks to the 50 or so letters of encouragement she received through THON’s dancer-mail program, which delivers handwritten notes to dancers on Saturday evening.

“I got mail from people I knew and people I didn’t know personally but had heard of through leadership organizations that I was a part of on campus,” she says. “It was a really poignant moment in the evening. I remember how uplifting it was to read through all of them.”

Another important realization she had during the weekend — dancing can actually help with the inevitable foot pain that sets in by the second day.

“When you move and you’re shifting your weight from foot to foot, it doesn’t hurt as much,” she says. “Whenever I meet current dancers, I tell them, ‘Don’t forget to dance,’ because it really helps out.”

Eric Michielli had a similar path to THON, attending the event during his freshman year in 2002 with a few friends from his residence hall. He spent more time at THON during his sophomore year and decided he wanted to dance during his junior year in 2004.

He was not in any fraternities or other organizations that were involved with THON, but some of his classmates in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences at Penn State had also expressed interest in participating. A meeting in the fall of 2003 would lead to the creation of a new THON team consisting of students within the college.

“I showed up to a meeting and, basically, Jess Scollins and I cofounded the EMS THON committee, which is now the top independent money-raising organization as of last year,” Michielli says. “It started small but now it’s really big, which is pretty cool.”

That first year was a learning experience for everyone involved in the group. They took a canning trip to Sharon, Pennsylvania, and asked faculty in the college for donations. Michielli says the experience helped to form a bond between faculty and students and introduce some faculty to THON.

Michielli now works at AccuWeather and stays connected with the group he helped found. He attends group meetings and meets individually with executive board members to hear their ideas about moving forward.

“I’ll hear some of their ideas on what they’re thinking about doing, “ he says. “I try to give my feedback but don’t force my opinion on them — I’m as involved as they want me to be.”

While Cowley and Michielli were dancing in THON, Taylor Bradley was attending her first event as a Four Diamonds child. Bradley was diagnosed with acute lymphomatic leukemia in 2003 at age 9. She was treated at the Hershey Medical Center and was soon linked with the Four Diamonds Fund and THON.

She was paired with the Zeta Alpha Psi sorority and had formed a strong relationship with its members by the time she attended her first THON event in 2004. The sorority members made T-shirts and sweatshirts for her bearing the slogan “We Are Taylor Made.”

“I met dancers and fell in love with them … I was obsessed with them and never wanted to leave,” Bradley says. “I would stay on the floor with the dancers, and looking up at the huge section of people in Rec Hall and I remember how amazing it felt to be there.”

She made a full recovery from leukemia and wrote letters to herself outlining how much fun she had at THON and how much she loved Penn State. When it came time for her college search, she applied to Penn State but had initially thought she’d end up elsewhere because she spent so much time here as a child.

“I honestly didn’t have a dream school, and my senior year, I wasn’t really thinking about THON and I was pretty sure I didn’t want to go to Penn State,” she says. “But, once I got accepted, everything clicked and I knew I was coming here.”

She is now getting ready to spend her first year as a member of the organization’s Morale committee, where she’ll help dancers make it through the grueling 46 hours on their feet. She hopes to offer extra insight having gone through the event as a Four Diamonds child.

***

THON’s most recent venue change was a move to the Bryce Jordan Center in 2007. With a capacity of 15,000, it is nearly double the size of Rec Hall, allowing more space for dancers and spectators. The event also was reduced from 48 hours to 46 to accommodate the Nittany Lion and Lady Lion basketball practice schedule.

As THON heads into its 40th event this month, the fundraising total to beat stands at $9.5 million. The event now has more than 15,000 student volunteers and will host more than 700 dancers on the floor of the Bryce Jordan Center.

Penn State senior Ashlie Huss helped contribute to the $9.5 million raised in 2011. She had plenty of preparation for dancing in THON — her parents, Eric and Carole, danced as an independent pair in 1985.

“I knew that I had to go to Penn State and get involved with THON,” Huss says. “I just fell in love with it … the energy you feel in the room is incredible.”

She says she’s confident that THON will continue to surpass its fundraising totals from year to year, thanks to the many ways in which students can raise money and to the dedication of those involved.

Looking back on her experience dancing more than three decades ago, Hummer says she is amazed at how far the organization has come.

“I’m so unbelievably impressed with how far they’ve taken it and I can’t imagine how much further it will go,” she says. “It’s one of those things you look back and realize you were a part of it at the beginning!”
Jenna Spinelle is a freelance writer in State College. She works in Penn State’s Undergraduate Admissions Office and is an adjunct lecturer in the College of Communications.

When he was introduced as the 15th head coach in Penn State football history, Bill O’Brien took the podium at the Nittany Lion Inn knowing that there were some in the Nittany Nation who didn’t approve of his hiring — some even expressed their anger over it through Twitter and statements to the media.

The 42-year-old O’Brien, who had been offensive coordinator for the New England Patriots (and remains in that position as the Patriots prepare to play in the Super Bowl), reached out to his detractors and all Penn Staters in a letter he wrote the night before his introduction, and that he read at his first press conference.

“We respectfully request the opportunity to earn your trust through communication, and feel that through our abilities, ethics, beliefs, work ethic, and commitment to Penn State, in time we will find that we have more common interests and goals than not,” he said. “We are here now with you. You should be proud of Penn State’s numerous accomplishments. You should be proud of Penn State’s football program. You should love this school. You are why we want to be here.

“We want you to know that you will always be welcome and a part of our program because we are Penn State.”

O’Brien enthusiastically and confidently began the new chapter in Nittany Lion football. It’s a chapter that will include continuing to deal with the fallout from the alleged crimes of former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky that led to the firing of head coach Joe Paterno.

O’Brien, in another move that likely put some in the Nittany Nation at ease over his hiring, spoke highly of Paterno.

“I grew up following the Penn State football program,” he said. “I was the type of person that always loved to watch them because of the helmets, the uniforms, the black cleats, no names on the back of the jerseys, and also because of the man on the sidelines — Coach Paterno. There will never be enough words to say what he did for the program as far as wins, as far as off-the-field graduating kids, graduating student-athletes every single year.”

Paterno, who was fired November 9, issued a congratulatory statement prior to O’Brien’s formal introduction as head coach. “I don’t know Bill, but I respect his coaching record, and I am particularly pleased we share a connection to my alma mater, Brown,” Paterno said.

The two reportedly spoke a few days after the hiring.

O’Brien graduated from Brown in 1992, more than 40 years after Paterno had graduated. He spent two seasons as a coach for his alma mater before becoming a graduate assistant for head coach George O’Leary at Georgia Tech. His coaching travels then took him to the University of Maryland, Duke, and, finally, the New England Patriots.

When asked why he thinks he’s the guy who can take Penn State forward during a time when there’s so much negativity around the program, O’Brien said, “I believe in myself. I believe in Penn State. I believe in the academic diversity of Penn State. I obviously believe in the football traditions here and the past football successes. What is not to sell about Penn State?”

For his new staff, O’Brien kept two assistant coaches under Paterno. Larry Johnson remains as defensive-line coach and Ron Vanderlinden continues on as linebackers coach.

Throughout his first day and first weeks as the Nittany Lions’ new head coach, O’Brien appeared well aware of this important time in Penn State’s history and his place in it.

“It is my responsibility to ensure that this football program represents the highest level of character, respect, and integrity in everything we do,” he said. “We will take very seriously our duty to interact in an exemplary fashion with our great alumni, our students, our faculty, our fans, our media, and members of the community. There is so much pride in Penn State, and we will never, ever take that for granted — ever!”

Far from being god-like, Joe Paterno was beloved like no other coach  — and like few people of his stature — not only for his amazing accomplishments but also because he had that “average Joe” aura for someone who obviously wasn’t your average Joe.

He lived in a humble house near campus — his address and phone number were listed in phone books for all to see. When he was healthy, he would walk from his home to his office, and could be seen walking around campus. He would deliver pizzas to students who slept outside Beaver Stadium prior to home football games — the residents of Paternoville. When he had opportunities early in his career to head to the greener pastures of the NFL, he stayed in State College.

Another amazing thing about Joe Paterno is that when I think of him, and likely as many of the Nittany Nation — players (both current and former), fans, alumni — think of him, it’s not really any of his 409 wins or two national titles that initially come to mind. It’s what he stood for and the man he was — a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, educator, father figure, and coach of football and life.

It’s making sure academics came first for his players — according to the NCAA’s 2011 graduation data, 87 percent of Penn State players graduated (the national average was 67). While Paterno produced many players who played in the NFL, he helped many more become exemplary citizens in other walks of life.

It’s his and his wife’s giving millions to the university for a new library, a new faith center, and other programs (even giving money after Penn State had fired Joe). It’s also helping the community he lives in — the Paternos gave $1 million to Mount Nittany Medical Center to help with the hospital’s expansion, and they were active in the Special Olympics.

It’s just making Penn State and, frankly, this world a better place because of the impact he had — directly and indirectly — on thousands upon thousands of lives — even lives of people who never met him.

I suppose that’s what he meant when he said, “They ask me what I’d like written about me when I’m gone. I hope they write I made Penn State a better place, not just that I was a good football coach.”

To that end, Joseph Vincent Paterno, I’d also like to write Thank You.

David Pencek
Editorial Director
dpenc@barashmedia.com

By Carolyne Meehan

In the center of Pennsylvania, where farmlands and fishing creeks fill the valleys, there is a renaissance happening in the town of Millheim. What had become a sleepy old mill town is now waking up and becoming hip — embracing art, beer, coffee, the outdoors, and music — key ingredients for a happy and prosperous community. Over the last four years, several new businesses have sprung up along Main Street and more are slated to open in the coming months. Sustainability and health of the community are at the heart of this movement, creating a connectivity that’s bringing life and energy back to downtown.

When talking to the folks who live and work in Millheim, one thing becomes clear — they love where they live.

“I could just tell there was something different about out here,” says Tim Bowser, part owner of the Elk Creek Café. He believes Penns Valley is different from most of rural Pennsylvania, and he’s seen a lot of it. He grew up on a farm and worked in agriculture for 25 years. “There’s a creativity, an artistic sensibility, and a tolerance here that doesn’t exist in other places. This town used to rock.” Part of the goal in opening the Elk Creek Café was to bring Main Street Millheim back.

The locals of the older generations are happy to have a hard time finding a parking space again. Russell Stover is one of them. A World War II veteran, he started working for a local bank in Millheim in 1946 and has lived in town ever since. At that time, a hosiery mill and knitting mill were still in operation, each employing roughly 50 to 60 workers. “Things were quite different then,” Stover says, recalling a town with multiple grocery stores, gas stations, and furniture stores — even an upscale clothing and shoe store, D.J. Nieman’s. “People didn’t rush to the mall or drive to Sunbury or State College for their shopping then.”

Most people didn’t have cars in fact, and there were places around town to tie horses. The Amish, who started moving into Penns Valley in the late 1940s, still use these horse ties when they come to town. Horses and buggies are a regular site in this one-stop-light town.

When the construction of Interstate 80 began in the 1960s, the flow-through traffic greatly reduced. It also made it easier for Millheim residents to head out of town to do their shopping. Businesses began to close down and the town grew quiet. Not all businesses were forced to close, however. The Millheim Hotel, which opened in 1794, still houses guests and serves fine foods and drinks today.

Stanley C. Bierly’s, now part of the Bierly Group Incorporated, opened in 1925 as a radio- and television-repair shop. The company quickly expanded to electrical, plumbing, and heating through requests from its customers. Keeping current with technology and the demand for high-efficiency energy systems, the company now installs sophisticated solar hot-water systems, geothermal heat pumps, and fancy wood stoves.

The Penns Valley Meat Market also has been in business for three generations, selling pork, chicken, and Pennsylvania beef. The family business is famous for its homemade ring bologna and “in-house” smoked products.

It seems that family has been the key in keeping businesses alive. Long Lane Flowers and Gardens opened in Millheim in 2007, but the mother and daughter team has been in the business for 25 years. The two have maintained a focus on designing sustainable arrangements with flowers they grow organically in an environmentally responsible way — a trend that future businesses would continue.

People will tell you that the resurgence of Millheim started with the opening of the Elk Creek Café and Pub in 2007, serving cuisine prepared with local ingredients, and beer brewed in-house. Bowser knew that opening a restaurant anywhere was risky, but to do it in a town of roughly 800 people, he and his partner, Gary Gyekis, were thought to be taking a huge risk. Having great food and beer out of the gate was critical in their success. Chef Mark Johnson and brewer Tim Yarrington rose to the challenge at great risk. “I just wanted to see the thing succeed in spite of everyone saying it was nuts,” Yarrington says.

Becoming a pub brewer was a conscious decision for Yarrington, a strong believer in the power of pub culture. He was growing frustrated and exasperated that, in America, the communal experience seemed to be missing from the pubs and the focus was more on the act of drinking. His goal was simple: he wanted his beer to bring people together. As he says, “If I can put two people together that are very divergent in their viewpoints and thought processes, and get them to agree on one thing first, and that’s that ‘This beer is pretty darn good!’ then the conversation can start and we can find more common ground than uncommon ground.”

The Elk Creek is all about community building, supporting the local pool, fire company, and other nonprofit efforts. It’s a place where, as Yarrington had wanted, complete strangers from different walks of life and different economic backgrounds can sit down next to each other at the bar and be equals. And that all starts, in Yarrington’s opinion, upon the agreement that “we like beer.” There are no televisions in the Elk Creek, but there are regular live music performances.

“You don’t have to be from Millheim or Penns Valley to be part of the community — all you have to do is walk in the door,” Yarrington says. “Just by being here, you are automatically part of the community.”

The pub just celebrated its four-year anniversary this winter and has established itself as the new hub of Millheim. The ideas for other new businesses are born here. Over good food and drinks, Pat and Beverly Owens from Selinsgrove were discussing their idea for a bed-and-breakfast with folks in the café. They learned that a building was for sale just down the street and the owner of the property just happened to be awake and available at 10 that night to show them the space. The deal was made and the Owenses have since opened the Triple Creek Lodge, the IngleBean Coffee House, and the Wine Shop, all along Main Street.

The Triple Creek offers three rooms situated saloon style above the coffee house, with the balcony overlooking a giant stone-hearth fireplace and high wood-beamed ceilings hung with antler chandeliers. Beverley Owens, an interior designer by profession, created a warm and rustic space perfect for a weekend “country living” getaway. Guests wake to the smell of coffee and wood smoke, with biking, fishing, hiking, or farm hopping just minutes away.

“Every town needs a coffee shop,” believes Martha Hoffman, who runs the IngleBean Coffee House. She fell in love with the valley six years ago when she came for a visit with a friend. She remembers a certain scene from the Equinox Café, a coffee shop that has since closed (the Elk Creek Café now stands in its old space). “There was music playing, people were dancing, everyone was happy, everyone knew each other. It was special.”

She was determined to find a way to stay connected to the community — and learned through friends at the Elk Creek that a coffee shop was opening and that the owners were looking for someone to run it. It was a perfect fit for Hoffman.

The IngleBean uses local and sustainable sources whenever possible. Its coffee is locally roasted by Standing Stone Coffee Company. It serves local ham, eggs, and cheese for breakfast and makes fresh soups almost daily using seasonal vegetables. Beyond the delicious foods, the shop hosts knitting circles, film screenings, and jam sessions. Over the holidays it showed Christmas movies and provided paper for customers to wrap gifts while sipping their coffee and staying warm by the fire.

Just down the street from the IngleBean, Penns Valley Outfitters and General Store recently opened its doors. The store will sell natural and organic dry goods and offer recreational rentals, including bicycles, kayaks, and water tubes. Vitamins, natural cleaners and other ecofriendly health- and family-care items would normally require a long drive to a specialty store. Now, they are available to the community along with gear and other accessories one might need to enjoy the outdoors.

The owners, Craig and Maria Shroyer, express a deep gratitude to the Penns Valley community for making their move into town a good one. “There is a notion that when you are an outsider moving into a rural American town you’ll get resistance from the generations-old locals. We are witnessing that the opposite is true in Penns Valley. We’ve had such an outpouring of kind words, support, and appreciation for taking part in Millheim’s revival,” says Maria Shroyer, who also is a Spanish teacher at State College Area High School. Her husband, Craig, hails from Asheville, North Carolina, a town that knows how to use the outdoor lifestyle to boost the local economy.

Erin and Josh McCracken are another pair of business owners of the younger generation. Their company, Ecovents, offers event planning, consulting, and catering services with a zero-waste mentality, using local foods and flowers for their events. They also are renovating the old Brownies Tavern building, designing a commercial kitchen that will be available for rent to community members canning or cooking in large quantities. Josh McCracken, a woodworker by trade, is using his skills to create a ballroom for cultural dance events, meetings, parties, or celebrations.

“We wanted to create a space that was for the community,” says Erin McCracken. She considers Millheim to be the ideal small town. “I never thought a place like this could exist.”

It is an extraordinary place to live, especially if you are an avid trout fisherman like Elk Creek co-owner Gyekis. A woodworker by trade, he built his house in Penns Valley and quickly became attached to Millheim. Besides Elk Creek Café, he also co-owns the newly opened Green Drake Gallery and Arts Center.

“I wanted to have good food, good beer, good music, and art in the town where I lived,” he says.

He put his skills to use renovating the space for the Elk Creek — the bar is a fine example of his handiwork. He turned an old hardware store into an art gallery in no time, peeling away floor-to-ceiling pegboard, revealing warm brick walls, gorgeous molding, and window alcoves. Artist Karl Leitzel, part owner of the gallery, jokes that the space, “always wanted to be an art gallery.”

The gallery attracts art lovers and collectors to Millheim. The Green Drake showcases fine arts and crafts from regional and national artists, hosting shows, receptions, and live music performances. Local artists and musicians also can rent private or semiprivate studio space. This center also offers art classes for learners of all abilities.  

Resident artist Elody Gyekis is a recent Penn State graduate and the daughter of Gary Gyekis. The “Dreams Take Flight” mural on the wall of McLanahan’s in downtown State College is an example of her work. She directed the project through the Community Arts Collective. She has a huge studio above the gallery overlooking Main Street and the Elk Creek Café, home to the 30-by-15-foot mural she worked with the Penns Valley community to design and install on the side of the building. The words “Pride in the past, love of place, hope for the future” stand out among images of farms, streams, and patchwork quilt squares. The intention of these words can be felt in the energy of the businesses new and old, as each works to give back to the community in its own way.

Carolyne Meehan is a writer and educator. She lives in State College with her husband and two young boys.

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Miriam Powell is the first executive director of Pennsylvania Pink Zone, a nonprofit organization tasked with coordinating the Penn State Lady Lions’ basketball events that raise money to fight breast cancer. Powell has a personal connection with her new job. She began playing basketball as a third-grader, coached a high school girls’ team, and her paternal grandmother and aunt both survived breast cancer.

Originally from Grand Rapids, Minnesota, Powell moved to Glen Ellyn, Illinois, as a child, and then, at age 13, she moved again to Mechanicsburg. Three years ago, she and her husband, Jim, moved to State College. The couple have two children — Michael (4) and Joseph (2).

Town&Gown founder Mimi Barash Coppersmith sat down with Powell to discuss her new role as executive director of Pink Zone, what the challenges are for the organization, and the goals she has set for this year’s Pink Zone game on February 26 at the Bryce Jordan Center.

Mimi: Well, we’ve been doing a lot of work together in a short period of time. It’s wonderful to welcome you to our Town&Gown readers.
Miriam: Thank you.
Mimi: You have two young children. You’ve been a stay-at-home mom for about four years. You were the winner of the race for the job as the executive director of the Pink Zone. What motivated you to apply and how’s it working out from your point of view?
Miriam: Well, I was motivated to apply because somebody who thought I would be good for the job called me and ask me to consider it. So, shortly after that I did see the article in the paper that a search was beginning for an executive director of Pink Zone, which really excited me. Pink Zone is something that our family has supported just as spectators, and has always loved attending the Pink Zone events because we’re Lady Lions’ basketball fans anyway. It just seemed like a good time for me to think about going back to work again, and my husband was very supportive of the idea. Once I started to do a little more research into Pink Zone and what it really stood for and all the different organizations that it helps I just thought This is great!
Mimi: We’re glad you did! Every time I see you, you have a new pink outfit. You bring a certain excitement to the job. Have you always been that way?
Miriam: I have been. Sometimes I think that’s one of my better qualities. I’m sure sometimes people think it’s one of my annoying qualities, but I am. I’m a fairly enthusiastic and optimistic person. I try to bring energy into everything I do. I’m glad that it’s rubbing off and that you notice that because I love my job and I think when you can be excited about what you do and enjoy what you do that just makes it even easier to approach it with that verve and enthusiasm that it deserves.
Mimi: That’s what it’s all about. And I can really identify with all of your prior comments because I think that’s the way I would describe myself, particularly as it relates to Pink Zone. What is the most significant challenge you think we have?
Miriam: We’ve set some big goals for Pink Zone this year with the $250,000 amount to raise and the 50 survivors and the more than 12,000 people in the stands, so I think all of that is a challenge, but I think the one that many of us are feeling is most pressing right now is the dollar amount and the fundraising, but we’re also rising to the occasion of those challenges and looking for new ways to elevate Pink Zone in the community. You know we’re working diligently to get the downtown businesses more involved in bringing some recognition and attention to Pink Zone.
Mimi: And do we think that’s going to happen?
Miriam: We do. We are in the process of finalizing wonderful proposals from our beneficiaries, who are looking to raise lots of money. The other one that we’re really working hard on and doing well on is getting students more involved in Pink Zone.
Mimi: Tell us about how you’re getting the students mobilized.
Miriam: We have some wonderful students who have been on board with us, from what I understand, for a couple years now and are doing a superb job this year. Eric Bodner is one of the students who is very active; in fact, he sits on our board of directors as well. He has mobilized a fine troop of students from the business school who have sent out a mass mailing and I have been getting a turnaround from those mailings being sent in with nice donations. He’s ready for anything we throw at him. He and his members are a big part of getting organized with the downtown businesses. They went out and presented some information to the Downtown Improvement District on what we would like to do. They also asked some of the downtown businesses in October 2011 to just have jars at their registers to collect money for Breast Cancer Awareness month. Tara Noll is another student who has done an exceptional job with her Power of Pink group. They’ve been extremely important in our survivor committee this year, recruiting survivors, taking all the registrations off of the phone lines for survivors, seeking donations that go into the bags that survivors get on game day. So, I’ve been extremely impressed and really proud of what the students have done and continue to do. The Power of Pink Girls are also going to be there to help with the registration and everything on game day — greet the survivors as they come in on the buses. The students are phenomenal. We’re looking to continue that tradition.
Mimi: Well, the students could take this event to a new level.
Miriam: They definitely could. If they embrace it the way they should and the way they currently are, they definitely can bring this to a new level and increase the “gown” side of Pink Zone.
Mimi: It could become a little THON!
Miriam: It could! A mini-THON.
Mimi: I certainly can’t see it raising $9 million, but then again, I don’t think the people who started THON ever imagined it would grow to the spectacular it has become. It’s interesting to note that the first three years of Pink Zone raised probably an average of $25,000. The last two years — year four netted more than $83,000; year five, $197,800, I believe. And this year, as you mentioned earlier, the goal is $250,000. In your heart, do you think we’re going to get to that new place?
Miriam: In my heart I do, but I won’t lie. You have been a big motivator in the success over the last couple of years and you have done a lot of work and continue to do a lot of work for Pink Zone. I hope and pray that Mimi Coppersmith will be a part of this forever!
Mimi: We probably ought to mention that Penn State is real important to our success. What are some of the things they help with?
Miriam: Well, when we look at athletics, they are providing quite a bit toward our Pink Zone budget to help with some of the expenses.
Mimi: Because that helps promote Lady Lion basketball.
Miriam: Exactly. We do have a good bit of money coming from Lady Lions basketball to support the efforts of Pink Zone and, obviously, for marketing. This is a signature event for the Lady Lions, so we have tremendous help from Penn State there. Penn State has also been receptive to some of the new ideas we’re bringing to the table and working with us to expand Pink Zone not only on the campus but also in the community. If we look at the medical arm of Penn State, the cancer center at Hershey is one of our beneficiaries and they’re working hard this year to increase the money they raise on behalf of the Penn State Hershey Cancer Institute.
Mimi: You skipped one big thing. They give us part of every single ticket.
Miriam: Yes tickets, and the bookstore gives us money back from every T-shirt that is sold. You’re right!
Mimi: The most important thing, though, in addition to what we do for diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and, ultimately, a cure of breast cancer, is to remember that we really want to fill that arena this year. We have consistently picked up on fans in the stands and we’re hopeful that more and more people will come to an event that truly is inspiring.
Miriam: It’s an amazing event. For readers who have not attended, words really cannot describe the experience of the Pink Zone game. For those who have attended, everyone that I have spoken to loves this event. When we were at the Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition Conference in Harrisburg in October, some of the survivors who have come to the game the past couple of years literally plan their family vacation around Pink Zone. We have several people stop at our table and say that they need to know when the game is because this is their yearly family road trip! That was so touching for me to think that people make that sort of an effort to come to State College in frigid February for such a remarkable event. So, we definitely do need more fans in the stand. Certainly nobody’s ever going to regret going to this game, and the other beauty of it is how much the Lady Lions love this event.
Mimi: And how much they give to its success.
Miriam: Right. There’s a real passion behind this whole thing on so many levels. It is something so deep in so many hearts of the people involved that I can’t wait to see the sea of pink on February 26, and that arena filled to the max with fans and survivors. It will be wonderful!
Mimi: One of the most exciting new things that happened last year is Fullington Bus. When we asked, they gave. We asked them to provide free bus service for survivors and their families from areas within a 60- to 90-mile radius of State College. I believe they provided 10 to 13 buses at no cost to the Pink Zone. A member of their family had a long struggle with breast cancer and this was really something they wanted to. It’s given us a whole new dimension.
Miriam: It has. I actually just spoke with some of the staff at Fullington this week to check in and see where we were with buses and numbers of survivors, and we have 81 survivors right now signed up to ride buses on that day. So, this is great news that Fullington was happy to jump on board again this year and provide those buses. I cannot wait to see that caravan pull up in front of the BJC on February 26. That’s another one of those Pink Zone moments where there’s not a dry eye around when those survivors start to get off the bus, and then again when the survivors come down to the floor at halftime — it’s just the emotions are so raw and it’s just such an occasion! So, for Fullington to be able to help get those survivors there at no cost to us, at no cost to the survivors, it’s remarkable. We can’t thank them enough for that partnership and that gift they provide to us and to the survivors that we honor.
Mimi: So, here you are in a new job where you’re meeting lots of new people. You know you have your little circle of friends, but think how your horizons have broadened in this opportunity that you decided to take the challenge on.
Miriam: It’s been fun. I feel very grateful for where I am at this time in my life. I’m so lucky to have two very healthy and rambunctious boys and to be able to work primarily from home, so I don’t feel like I’m missing out on time with my children. But you’re right, it’s been a fantastic opportunity to meet wonderful people in the community, to challenge myself in ways that I haven’t been challenged in several years. It’s nice to sort of re-enter the professional world. I’ve always had great respect for any mom. Being a stay-at-home mom I still think is one of the hardest jobs in the world, and now I can fully understand the challenges of being a working mother, too.
Mimi: Well I want to say personally that I think you’re doing a great job. I love working with you. I feel I’ve found a new friend and I wish both of us incredible success in meeting our goals of a minimum of 12,500 fans in the stands, minimum of 450 survivors, which would be a jump over the 364 from last year, and $250,000 net to contribute to five or six different places that will make effective use of that money in the battle to beat breast cancer.
Miriam: I think the other thing to add that’s important for people to understand is no amount is too small. Money is money, and we’re happy to have whatever donation people are comfortable making. It’s fun for me as the person who inputs all the donations into the computer, I don’t care what number I’m typing in, I’m just happy that I have to sit down and type more entries into the computer!
Mimi: And you’re going to be an important part of the greatness of Pink Zone, not just this year but also going forward. And it’s a pleasure getting to know you. Thank you.

When he came to Penn State and State College in 1950, it seemed as if Joe Paterno had little in common with the “cow college” and middle-of-nowhere town. He grew up in Brooklyn and went to college at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. He was the classic fish out of water — a big-city kid in Ruraltown, USA.

More than 60 years later, no one now or, safe to say, ever will be more synonymous with this school and town as Paterno is. While Penn State and State College changed dramatically over the decades with unprecedented growth, thanks in large part to Paterno, JoePa seemed to change little — sticking to what he believed in and helping raise money for causes he believed in.

Since 1992, Town&Gown has published its Penn State Football Annual that included an exclusive Q&A with Paterno. Besides looking ahead to the upcoming seasons, those interviews covered a variety of topics. The following are excerpts from those 20 interviews.

1992
On the end of the series with Notre Dame and Pitt due to Penn State’s joining the Big Ten:
“You don’t get anything for nothing in life. The prospect of playing Michigan here and going out to Michigan Stadium maybe offsets what we have with Notre Dame. Playing Ohio State on a year-in, year-out basis might offset what we had with Pitt. Then you stick in Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana. After six, seven years of playing those people, they will be traditional games. Obviously, the first couple of years we’re going to have withdrawal pains. After that, I thin we’re going to be OK.

1993

On the differences in the team’s motivation from playing as an independent in 1992 to playing in the Big Ten:
“Playing in the conference, I think we can get a licking — maybe get a couple of lickings — and yet there’s still a lot to play for and still be in it. We’d still have a chance at a league title. The motivation will come and it should be easier to remain focused.”

On leading the fundraising initiative to expand Pattee Library:
“I want to do my part because I have a wife who graduated from Penn State, I have four kids who graduated from Penn State, I have two brothers-in-law who graduated from Penn State, I have a nephew and a niece who graduated from Penn State. The better we can make this institution, the better it’s going to be for them and the better for all the football players and athletes we bring in here.”

1994

On whether Penn State has had everything he needed or did he create everything he needed:
“It’s a little of both. I’ve always liked it here. I’ve always appreciated the fact that people were good to me.
“I saw an opportunity to make this someplace that I hoped would be special, and whether I’ve accomplished that is beside the point. People gave me an opportunity to do it.
“… I’m not just a football coach in the eyes of a lot of people. I’ve never been treated that way. I’ve always been treated as somebody who had a contribution to make to this university environment. And I appreciated that. It allowed me to grow.”

1995

On whether Penn State was the best team in the country in 1994:
“I don’t know. I do know that no one can go around saying they were better than we were.
“I’ve always believed that you win on the field, you don’t win simply by talking about it. I think most of the things that have happened since the voting was done would indicate that at the very least we may have had better personnel than Nebraska.
“But even if we think we were better than Nebraska, well, there’s nothing we can do about it. So I’m not going to worry about it.”

On his longevity:
“I’m really looking forward to coaching for … God knows, I don’t know how long I’m talking five years, but it may be seven or eight, I don’t know … I have absolutely no plans to get out of it, as long as I stay healthy and I think I can do a good job.”

1996

On being a fan of Abraham Lincoln:
“The more you read and learn about Lincoln, the more you’re fascinated by him. How smart he was, how strong he was, how clever he was.
“… There are a lot of character traits that Lincoln had that I admire a great deal.”

On the “one thing” he’s better at than anyone else:
“I think that I’ve been consistent in what I believe and what I teach and the way we play football. I don’t get caught up in fads or try to do things just because everyone else seems to be doing them.”

1997
On the lessons in loyalty and productivity in having his assistant coaches remain with him:
“Our guys come to work and they don’t have to think about losing their jobs. If the institution is loyal to them, they’re not liable to be looking for other jobs.
“It’s a two-way street. The institution has to be loyal and they have to be loyal. And that way, they can be more effective at their job and not always looking over their shoulders.”

On how he juggles all the demands on his time:
“There are sacrifices. You can’t afford to play golf like you used to or do certain things. But you can take your kids fishing or for a walk and do two things at once. When I spent time with my kids, I tried to make sure that I enjoyed it and they enjoyed it. So it was recreation for us both. But with kids and football, there were a lot of things that I couldn’t do any more. … You decide what’s important and your family’s right up there.”

1998
On his and Sue’s taking a lead role in the development of the spiritual center on campus:
“I think we owe it to our students to give them a place where they can have a decent spiritual experience. … We think it’s absolutely vital to where the kids who go to school here now are going to be, and the impact they’re going to have on their children. So, we hope, in the year 2050 we’ll have maybe a little bit less bitterness toward each other and less of this hate stuff.
“I think the way we’ve got to start is by bringing people together. And I think an all-faith spiritual center is gesture in the right direction of getting it all done.”

On the music his players listen to:
“I don’t particularly like rap music. I don’t like some of the stuff I hear on the radio. I even hear it in the locker room or in the weight room. … I’d shut it off if I had my choice, but I appreciate the fact that the kids like it and it’s part of their lifestyle, and that’s it.
“I don’t try to identify with their music. I don’t try to rap with them or do anything like that. … That’s something they keep among themselves but I try to make sure they realize that I was young once.”

On current pop culture and if he’s familiar with Seinfeld:
“Steinfeld? … A lot of the coaches see it all the time. And they talk about it every once in a while. … I’m not much of a television guy as far as the sit-comedies and those kind of things. I never saw more than two episodes of M*A*S*H. Kids used to talk about Cheers all the time. They go and they come. People enjoy them; I just don’t particularly enjoy them.
“Everybody told me I had to go see Titanic, so Sue and I went. It was too long. Too much water.”

1999
On if other things keep him energized for what he does on the field:
“I don’t think just coaching football would have made me as happy. I wouldn’t feel as good about what’s going on as I do if I didn’t have the opportunity to be involved with other things. If the university had been moving ahead, and I said, ‘I’m sticking to coaching and that’s it,’ it would have bothered me. The fact that I’ve been involved in the fundraising, that I was able to help do some things that are going to make this place better — along with the coaching — is all part of it. That’s part of the reason I stay in coaching.”

2000
On Penn State graduating its players, and having twice the national average of graduating African-American players:
“We try to bring kids in who want to get an education, and we try to keep that in the forefront of what their priorities should be.
“Personally, as a coach at a university, I think it’s important that these kids get an education. They’re not here to have a good football team, just to entertain people, and make sure the turnout is great. Of course, I think they’re here to play football and enjoy it. But it always must be with the idea that it comes second to your education.”

On Beaver Stadium expanding:
“The stadium is a tribute to the fans. The ability to expand a stadium of that size in an area such as this is really amazing. It’s a tribute to the loyalty of our fans. They’ve just been great. … It’s fun, it’s exciting, and sometimes it’s a little bit bewildering to see so many people who have that kind of interest.”

2001
On Adam Taliaferro walking again:
“They really thought it would take a miracle, and it was a miracle. … When they see Adam back up and around, our players really are in appreciation of the fact that there has been somebody who literally intervened, who took control of this thing. And that’s not to underplay the hard work Adam has done and how strong his family has been. His mom and dad have been solid as can be, even in the worst part and in the worst of times.”

On having fun in practice by “mixing it up with the kids”:
“If I couldn’t do that, if I couldn’t stick my two cents in and horse around with them once in a while and try to block them halfheartedly and those things, I wouldn’t enjoy it. And I don’t think I’d do as good a job. So if I want to do that, I have to be in decent shape. And that means I have to eat right, I have to get enough sleep, I have to exercise properly. If I get three or four pounds overweight, I know it; I feel it right away.”

2002
On playing 12 games in a season:
“I don’t like 12 games. I get a kick out of the NCAA and the [university] presidents talking about student welfare, yet we keep adding games. I’m disappointed in the direction we’re going — there are more games and more games and more games. Yet we’re being asked to do a better job graduating more kids, doing a better job academically with them, there’s pressure to reduce grants.
“It’s disturbing to me that we’re asking 18-, 19-, 20-year old kids to play that many games in the kind of competition that the fans demand and not expect us to have ‘X’ number of injuries and so forth.”

On his leadership:
“I wouldn’t necessarily call what I do leadership. A teacher is not necessarily a leader. A teacher teaches. I think my job is to point the way.
“My leadership is getting them back to the core qualities — character, pride, loyalty — all the things that were the same when Alexander the Great conquered the world. It’s those core qualities that stay the same, and you have to remind people of that. So in that sense, I think I am more of a teacher than a leader; I hope I am.”

2003
On completion of Penn State’s Grand Destiny fundraising campaign that raised $1.365 billion:
“From here we’ll go on to better things. We have a lot of people who understand that they have to help us if we want to maintain our position as really one of the fine universities in the country.
“I don’t think [fundraising] will ever stop. The future of this institution is going to be in our ability to raise private funds.”

2004
On moral victories:
“… there’s no such thing.”

2005
On the divide between mainstream academics and athletics:
“I think the faculty itself has to take some of the blame for that. Certainly you can say that athletics is part of the problem.
“But if you’re a member of the faculty, if a kid comes to your class you shouldn’t care who he is or if he’s on a team. What should matter is that he comes to class like everybody else and is treated like everybody else.”

On the Internet and e-mails:
“I got a phone call from someone in the administration a year or so ago, and they talked to one of our secretaries. And this person wanted to know, ‘Why doesn’t Joe answer any of his e-mail?’ I probably had a couple hundred thousand e-mails in there. I said, ‘Geez, I didn’t even know I had an e-mail.’ Everybody at the university has e-mail, right? Well, I don’t pay any attention to it because I can’t do anything about it.”

2006
On ending the Friday night receptions with the media:
“I couldn’t trust some of the guys. I just didn’t trust them. I used to have a lot of fun at those things. It got to be where, ‘Hey I just don’t need it.’ I don’t like some of the guys, to be very blunt with you. I won’t mention names. I just don’t trust them. Some of them think they’re smarter than the whole world. They’re so young, they don’t understand. They don’t want to listen. What’s the sense of sitting around and putting up with that crap?”

2007
On considering retirement after he injured his knee at Wisconsin:
“I thought about it . When I came out of the operation, I said, ‘Hey, should I be thinking about a different lifestyle?’ My doctor [John Dranov], said to me, ‘Joe, what were you going to do before you got hurt?’ I said, ‘I was thinking three, four, or five years [of coaching]. There’s no timeline.’ He said, ‘Why would you change?’ I said, ‘This thing might set me back.’ He said, ‘Some people are 80 and some people are not 80 organically. Your blood pressure, heart, everything is good. It’s up to you. Whatever you want to do. I wouldn’t let your knee injury affect what you want to do.’

It’d be nice for me to say, ‘Hey, this is what I want to do three years from now.’ I don’t know what I want to do three years from now. I like coaching. I enjoy it. The challenge is still there for me. I thought coming out of the operation might affect me, but no.”

On the last movie he’s seen:
“I think Titanic was the last one I saw with Sue.”

2008
On picturing what Saturdays in the fall would be like if he wasn’t coaching:
“Geez, I don’t even think about that. I haven’t gotten the slightest idea what I would do. … I have very simple tastes. I have a whole bunch of grandkids. They’re getting to the point where they’re human beings and I’m starting to enjoy them.”

On if he thinks he received more enjoyment and satisfaction coaching college football than he would have had practicing law:
“I’ve had a lot of satisfaction. I have no regrets. Every once in a while, my dad would say, ‘God darn it, I was training you to be President of the United States.’ When I see this junk every once in a while, I think, ‘Maybe I should have gone to law school.’ It’s been great. It really is. This place has been great. I owe this place an awful lot. I’ve had my ups and downs at times, but they been little downs and big ups.”

On if it would sadden him if there were less of a commitment to football after he left:
“I don’t think that would happen. The way they would want to move forward may be different. I wouldn’t expect to be a guy who’s sitting on the sideline expecting a telephone call every time somebody makes a decision. I know one thing — when I get out, I’m not going to stick my two cents into anything.”

2009
On the state of the Bowl Championship Series:
“I think we ought to have a legitimate champion. I don’t know whether somebody could vote and say that Florida’s better than Southern Cal, Texas, or Utah. A few years ago [2004], Auburn won all of their games. I was voting in the coaches’ poll and I voted for the three teams that were undefeated. I got a couple telephone calls saying, ‘You can’t do that. You have to vote for 1 and 2 and 3.’ I said, ‘No, I can’t do that.’ The sports editor of USA Today called me up and said the coaches association had an agreement with them. They took the vote away from me. I’m not going to change my vote. That’s the way I feel. That’s the way it’s going to be. I don’t vote anymore.
“There were a bunch of kids at Auburn who played a tough schedule and won them all, and somebody says there are two teams better than they are. That’s hard for me because I’ve gone through it. When I look at the kids who played on the ’69 team or who played on the ’94 team, I say to myself, ‘You know what, they should be able to walk around saying they played on a national championship team, or at least had a shot at it.’ ”
2010
On if we’ll ever see a coach stay at a university for 20 or 25 years:
“It doesn’t look that way. With the kind of money they’re paying some guys. … They have two good years and they’re up to 2 or 3 million bucks [a year]. They’re moving around because people are offering them more money.
“Take a guy like [Michigan State men’s basketball coach] Tom Izzo, a guy I admire and respect. I think he’s a great coach. I never thought he would even talk to the pros. I understand even he’s talking to some people (Izzo turned down the Cleveland Cavaliers’ head-coaching job that June). It’s the money and maybe the challenge. I don’t know why they’re moving around. I keep telling guys, ‘If you have a good job, stick around and make it happen. Make your institution better.’

“You see people getting fired who have done a good job. You have a couple good years and all of a sudden someone else comes around with a little better deal and you start thinking, ‘If I stick around here, they’re going to fire me in two years anyway. I might as well move.’ Sometimes I think that’s the mentality out there.”

On if the things that are important to him with regards to coaching are the same things that were important to him 45 years ago:
“Absolutely. I came here and I talked about a Grand Experiment. I wanted people who went to school, graduated, and played football the way it should be played. No showboating. Respect your opponent. Play hard. Play as tough as you can. Have discipline. I haven’t changed with that. Thank goodness the NCAA and some people have cracked down on the hot-dogging and waving to the crowd before getting to the end zone. I’m happy to see that.”

On the five people he’d like to meet in heaven:
“Ahhhh, I haven’t even thought about that. If I start naming them, there probably would be about 100. I’ve been a very fortunate guy. I’ve had a lot of great friends. I don’t mean good friends. I have so many people who have helped me. I can go back to some of my teachers. I can go back to a couple nuns who had me in grammar school. There are kids who played with me in high school.
“I’ve had so many people who have been great to me. I’ve been so lucky. I’ve had so much fun in my life. It would be hard for me to pick five.”

On what he thinks his life has been about:
“Just what [my dad] said to me when I told him I wanted to coach. He was disappointed as the dickens. He said, ‘What in God’s name do you want to coach for? Why did you go to college?’ I said, ‘Well, I’ll be good at it. I’m enjoying it. This is a wonderful place.’ ‘Well, damn it, if you’re going to do it, have an impact on that place.’
“I would hope when everything is said and done, when I’m out of here, they’ll go around saying, ‘You know, Paterno made this a better place. And the kids he coached are better for being in the program.’ If I get that out of it, that’s a pretty good legacy.”

2011
On, with three books being planned on him, what hasn’t been written or said about him and his career:
“I haven’t gotten the slightest idea what they’re going to do. … I don’t care what they write as long as it’s accurate and they’re not counting on me for quotes.”