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26 / 50 Years of Town&Gown: Health Care
Features
More Options, Better Care: Centre County benefits from half a century of health-care expansions, improvements • by Tracey M. Dooms
34 / The Disease Behind the Challenge
Last year, many people across the world took part in the Ice Bucket Challenge that brought increased awareness to ALS. While those with the disease try to live their lives to the fullest, the illness remains a great mystery to those in the medical profession • by Savita Iyer-Ahrestani
34
44 / Not Your Common Education
Centre County schools are implementing Common Coreinspired state standards, which are bringing new ways of teaching and learning to classrooms • by Mike Dawson
52 Abbey Addiction Dedicated fans of Downton Abbey are ready to return to the Yorkshire estate as the show begins its fifth season • by Jennifer Babulsky
52
Cover Design: Tiara Snare
Town&Gown is published monthly by Barash Publications, 403 South Allen Street, State College, PA 16801. Advertising is subject to approval of the publisher. COPYRIGHT 2015 by Barash Media. All rights reserved. Send address changes to Town&Gown, 403 S. Allen St., State College, PA 16801. No part of this magazine may be reproduced by any process except with written authorization from Town&Gown or its publisher. Phone: 800-326-9584, 814-238-5051. FAX: 814-238-3415. Printed by Gazette Printers, Indiana, PA. 20,000 copies published this month, available FREE in retail stores, restaurants, hotels and motels & travel depots. SUBSCRIPTIONS and SINGLE COPIES: $45/1yr; current issue by 1st-class mail, $10; back copy, $15 mailed, $12 picked up at the T&G office. townandgown.com
5 - Town&Gown January 2015
Town&Gown January
74
A State College & Penn State tradition since 1966.
Publisher Rob Schmidt Founder Mimi Barash Coppersmith Editorial Director David Pencek
Departments 8 10 18 20 22 24
60 63
70 74 86
90 92
Letter From The Editor Starting Off: The List, People in the Community, Q&A Living Well: Making healthy changes all year long Health: Keeping your bones healthy is vital at all stages of life On Center: Zap Mama and Antibalas bring an evening of world music to Eisenhower Penn State Diary: From the humble beginnings of home economics, College of Health and Human Development now covers many critical quality-of-life needs This Month on WPSU What’s Happening: New Year’s, basketball, wrestling, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and more highlight January’s events From the Vine: Finding quality Zinfandels can be a challenge, but it’s fun trying Taste of the Month/Dining Out: Soup and chili recipes to help beat the winter weather Lunch with Mimi: Children’s Advocacy Center executive director looks for community approach to help victims of abuse State College Photo Club’s Winning Photos Snapshot: MLK Day of Service directors look to make positive changes in community
Creative Director/Photographer John Hovenstine Operations Manager/Assistant Editor Vilma Shu Danz Photographer/Graphic Designer Darren Weimert Graphic Designer Tiara Snare Account Executives Kathy George, Debbie Markel Business Manager Aimee Aiello Administrative Assistant Kristin Blades Distribution Handy Delivery, Tom Neff
To contact us: Mail: 403 S. Allen St., State College, PA 16801 Phone: (814) 238-5051, (800) 326-9584 Fax: (814) 238-3415 dpenc@barashmedia.com (Editorial) rschmidt@barashmedia.com (Advertising) We welcome letters to the editor that include a phone number for verification. Back issues of Town&Gown are available on microfilm at Penn State’s Pattee Library.
townandgown.com Facebook.com/townandgownsc Twitter: @TownGownSC
6 - Town&Gown January 2015
letter from the editor
A Special Year Yes, we’re hitting the big five-o!
In your hands, you are holding the 589th issue of Town&Gown — or, to put it another way, this is the start of the magazine’s 50th year! The first issue of Town&Gown was published in January 1966. It was 14 pages that featured mostly listings of “Where to Eat,” “Where to Buy,” and what was happening on “Stage and Screen.” Holding this 96-page edition, it’s easy to see that the magazine, like Happy Valley itself, has grown impressively over the years. Although the magazine has changed through the decades — now with more in-depth features, profiles, and interviews — the “mission” really hasn’t. It’s always been about spotlighting the greatness of this area that many of us proudly call Home. It’s been about — well, you. The you who work to help others, whether as teachers, mentors, police and firemen, doctors and nurses, nonprofit leaders, or volunteers. The you who entertain us on everything from large stages to intimate coffeehouses. The you who play games in front of 100,000 fans or a few dozen, and give us moments to cheer and remember. The you who create jobs — whether one or two in your small businesses or several hundred or more — that drive the economic engine of this region. I wasn’t here in 1966 (if you must know, I was still a few years away from even being born), but I’m guessing you are a big reason why
Town&Gown started as a free publication, and has remained so ever since. The magazine has relied solely on advertising to publish and distribute each month’s issue. That’s why we can’t thank enough the businesses and people who have advertised with Town&Gown and its other publications — and why we always encourage readers to shop locally and support these businesses. We are excited to start what will be a 13-month celebration of 50 years of Town&Gown — culminating with a 50th anniversary issue in January 2016. During 2015, you can look forward to a few special events we’ll be holding in partnership with Schlow Centre Region Library, which is celebrating 10 years in its current building! The events also will help raise awareness about and funds for the library. As far as the magazine goes, you’ll notice a few changes and new aspects to it. “What’s New” is now “The List,” and for all of 2015 it will have highlights of Town&Gown from over the years. It also will include some highlights of current events that are happening here. Each issue this year also will have a feature that looks at various parts of life in Happy Valley and how they’ve changed over the past 50 years, and what’s possibly in store for the future. This month’s story is on health care in the region. Finally, with this being the start of a new year, we obviously want to wish everyone a happy and healthy 2015! But we also want to say Thank You! As mentioned earlier, it’s because of you that Town&Gown is able to celebrate its 50th year — one that we believe will indeed be golden! David Pencek Editorial Director dpenc@barashmedia.com
Caring for the People You Care About • Presbyterian Village at Hollidaysburg • Westminster Woods at Huntingdon • Windy Hill Village, Philipsburg • Woodland Retirement Community, Orbisonia
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starting off
The List
Highlights from Town&Gown’s first 49 years of publication
1966
January — First issue of Town&Gown is published. The 14-page publication had articles on “Our Town,” “Our Gown,” “Where to Eat,” and “Where to Buy.” March — Issue includes a feature on Penn State President Eric Walker and on a new development called Toftrees. The story predicted that by 1975, Toftrees would have 6,000 inhabitants and will The first issue of Town&Gown. be largely self-reliant with shopping, schools, offices, and recreation areas. June — The popular store Graham’s on South Allen Street was featured. The owner, George Graham, had opened the business in 1896. He had opened the first restaurant in State College and he owned the first radio in town. He also led in establishing the Alpha Fire Company and the State College Chamber of Commerce. September — T&G previewed the 1966 Penn State football season, which was the first for new head coach Joe Paterno. The preview quoted a “man close to the football scene,” who said, “Joe’s going to be a good coach, maybe even a great one, but nobody will ever really replace Rip Engle.” November — The Downtown Merchants, which were formed in 1924 as an outgrowth of the State College Chamber of Commerce, featured 35 retailers in 1966. Gary Moyer chaired the group, which raised money to help build a new multilevel parking garage. Also highlighted was an upcoming visit by The Supremes on November 5 at Recreation Building. December — Town&Gown asked readers to submit “Gripes” for a new column. One of the gripes included was the occupational privilege tax, which was the leading “gripe.” 10 - Town&Gown January 2015
This Month’s Highlight List • Penn State’s spring semester begins January 12. • January 19 is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and Penn State celebrates the day with a series of events, including its MLK Day of Service. Also, at 11 a.m. in the Paterno Library’s Foster Auditorium, there will be an audio broadcast of King’s address at Rec Hall from January 21, 1965. • Penn State alum Cathleen Miller, whose latest book, Champion of Choice: The Life and Legacy of Women’s Advocate Nafis Sadik, was one of Booklist’s Top 10 Biographies in 2013, visits Foster Auditorium at 7:30 p.m. January 29.
• January is National Soup Month, so be sure to check out “Taste of the Month,” starting on page 74, for some soup and chili recipes from the staff of Town&Gown and the Centre County Gazette. T&G
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people in the community Raina Arnett
Raina Arnett of State College won the Nittany Valley Symphony’s Ann Keller Young Soloist Competition, which was held in November. She will perform with the symphony at its January 25 concert at Mount Nittany Middle School. Arnett, 17, is a senior at State College Area High School. She began playing violin at the age of 4. She has won several prizes, including first place in the Williamsport Symphony Orchestra’s Young Artists Competition and second place in the Phyllis Triolo Music Competition. She has played with several orchestras, including the Pennsylvania All-State Orchestra, the National High School Honors Orchestra, and the World Youth Symphony Orchestra. She performed Saint-Saens’s Violin Concerto No. 3 Op. 61 in D Minor, Movement I at the competition, and will perform the piece at the concert.
Kevin Montminy
Penn State senior and Penns Valley graduate Kevin Montminy has been selected as a nominee for the 2015 Allstate NABC Good Works Team. The community-service award recognizes student-athletes “who have demonstrated a commitment to enriching the lives of others and contributing to the greater good in their communities.” Montminy is a member of Penn State’s men’s basketball team. He is president of the Coaches vs. Cancer student chapter at Penn State and volunteers with Athletes Take Action, which teaches antibullying lessons at local middle schools each month. He also is the basketball team’s representative on the Student-Athlete Advisory Board. He helped create and prepare holiday and monthly gifts for THON families and coordinated the team’s responsibilities for athlete hour and pep rally for THON 2014. The final roster of the 20 award recipients for the Good Works Team will be announced in February.
Penn State Women’s Volleyball
Penn State’s women’s volleyball team won its second consecutive national title, and its sixth in eight seasons, as it defeated Brigham Young, 3-0, in the national-title match December 20 at Oklahoma City. The title also was head coach Russ Rose and the program’s seventh overall, which is an NCAA record. The Lions finished the season 36-3, and Rose now has 1,161 career wins. Junior outside hitter Megan Courtney was named the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament. She had 11 kills in the finals, and had 23 kills in the semifinal win over top-seeded Stanford. Also, senior setter Micha Hancock was named the National Player of the Year, making her the fourth Lion to win the award. T&G
12 - Town&Gown January 2015
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Q&A with
Mike Wierzbicki,
marketing director of Pegula Ice Arena By Sarah Harteis The Pegula Ice Arena has been home to Penn State’s two varsity hockey programs since October 2013. It’s also become a venue for the public to use year-round. Marketing director Mike Wierzbicki has been active with Pegula Ice Arena since its final planning stages were taking place in June 2013. He feels lucky to have played a role in this new chapter for Penn State, and describes his experience as extremely rewarding. He took time to share his experience and offer insights about the arena. T&G: What does Pegula Ice Arena offer in terms of skating? Wierzbicki: The arena offers an extensive array of programs for people of all ages. From hockey classes and leagues to public skating sessions to figure skating classes and clinics. There are programs designed for people of all ages. T&G: What makes the ice arena stand out from other ice arenas? Wierzbicki: First and foremost, it’s an absolutely beautiful facility. The architecture and design of the building make it truly unique. The glass exterior at the main entrance is a stunning sight at all times of the day. From an operational standpoint, the variety of programs we offer is something that you will not find at most ice arenas. T&G: What has the response been since it opened?
Wierzbicki: The first year in the arena flew by. We couldn’t have been more thrilled with the level of excitement and involvement the community has had for all of our programs. At the end of the day, this community has been looking for a facility of this type for a long time, and people have been eager to check it out. T&G: What has been the biggest accomplishment with the arena since it opened? Wierzbicki: It’s hard to pick one because the support of the community has been so overwhelming. We’ve seen remarkable hockey attendances, increased participation in community programs, and even served as the host for two nationally televised figure skating shows featuring numerous Olympians and world champions. T&G: What do you see for the future of the ice arena? Wierzbicki: We fully expect our programming list to continue to expand to meet the needs of the community. The vision of the Pegula family for this arena is to provide opportunities on the ice that this region never had, and that’s exactly what our focus is. T&G
Over 90 years of Serving the Community.
Henry Myers built the multi-purpose apartment and commercial building pictured on College Avenue. His dad operated the garage and provided automotive supplies for many years and then sold it to Automotive Supply Altoona. Brad Karch bought and remodeled what are now all apartments about 5 years ago. Over time, the Myers family-run business expanded and reinvented itself to provide customers with the most reliable, and dependable heating and cooling systems and petroleum products. Today, loyal customers appreciate our experience and first-class service.
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This Monthtownandgown.com On • In 5 Questions, Jason Roy of Building 429 talks • In 5 Questions, State College Spikes manager Oliver Marmol about this year’s Winter Jam 2015 Tour Spectacular talks aboutthat thevisits upcoming season andCenter what it’s like managing the Bryce Jordan January 16. players at the Class A level. • A Nittany Valley Society board member writes about the transition from undergrad to law school at Penn • A special recipe for the Greek Restaurant’s roasted leg of lamb. State, and life in the space between the transient student population and established community. • Blogs on sports, entertainment, and more.
Oliver Marmol Building 429 Anthony Clarvoe
• Our weekly “Six PackPenn of theState Week," highlighting • Order copies of Town&Gown’s sports annuals.that week’s arts and entertainment attractions, as well as Penn State sports action. • Order your copy of Town&Gown’s 2014-15 Penn State Winter Sports Annual.
Visit our Facebook site for the latest happenings and opportunities to win free tickets to concerts and events! Follow us on Twitter @TownGownSC.
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New Year, New You! Making healthy changes all year long By Meghan Lemery Fritz
You can always tell the start of a new year based on the number of weight-loss commercials you see on TV and the deals you can get on a new gym membership. It’s a time of year when most of us take stock and think about the changes we want to make to better our everyday lives, mental state of mind, physical and spiritual wellness, or financial stability. Research shows that most New Year’s resolutions last only about a month, if that. Why is it so hard to make lasting healthy changes? Why do most of us crash and burn far short of our goals? The year was 1986, New Year’s Day. My father entered my three siblings and I in a 5K New Year’s Day race because he thought it would be fun to wake up early on a windy below-zero day and ring in the New Year with a release of endorphins and enthusiasm. He had encouraged us to train, but as a star athlete on the field hockey team, I felt no reason to train for such a short race. That morning I watched people stretching and warming up for the race — why waste my time stretching when I could sample the frosted donuts with the pretty rainbow sprinkles? 18 - Town&Gown January 2015
After all, every athlete knows a good breakfast is the key to a strong performance. When the gun was fired to kick off the race, I blew past everyone, certain I would be among the first 10 to come through the finish line. I laughed at how slow everyone was, and thanked God for blessing me with the gift of being able to run like the wind. Five minutes into the race I felt a cramp. The people I had been making fun of for being so slow were now starting to pass me. After shaking off the cramp, I started to feel sick to my stomach. Perhaps the donut and blue Gatorade weren’t the fuel I had needed to win the race. The last mile I was huffing and puffing and turning a shade of purple that wasn’t exactly in my color wheel. As I crossed the finish line I threw up and started crying. The EMT people escorted me to the tent, where I proceeded to be sick for the next 10 minutes. The 1986 5K race still gets brought up most holidays, and I haven’t had a rainbow-sprinkled donut since. This experience has always been a reminder in my life that the crash-and-burn method never seeks to bring us the outcome we want. When setting healthy goals for yourself, keep a few things in mind.
Be Clear
When you identify the changes you want to make, be specific and write your goals down. Have a picture, inspirational quote, or prop that makes you feel enthusiastic about pursuing your goals daily. Have fun with the process, and resist the urge to put fear and pressure into your pursuit of your goals — those will cause you to only feel discouraged and stressed out.
Be Realistic
If the goal is to lose weight and have more energy, be realistic and
specific about how you will go about honoring that goal daily. Setting an intention to go to the gym every day for an hour and drink green smoothies all day is not realistic if you work full time and have a busy life. Start small and set goals that you can achieve every day. A 15-minute walk daily and stretching are far more achievable than boot camp every day. Our minds and bodies need to ease into change slowly and safely.
Get Peace
Research shows that when we take a little time every day to meditate and visualize our goals, dreams, and desires we are more likely to not only reach our goals but also have a more positive, peaceful outlook in everyday life. You don’t have to buy a yoga mat and some sage incense in order to meditate daily. Start with 60 seconds of closing your eyes, putting your hand over your heart, and focusing on your breathing. This simple exercise is like hitting the control, alt, delete buttons on your brain and can help clear your mind of stress and negative thoughts. Start the New Year off with this practice and watch how things slowly begin to shift in your life.
Talk It Out
If you are struggling to make positive changes in your life or find yourself continually self-sabotaging healthy choices, take the time you need to sort out the root of the problem. Get into counseling so that you can gain insight into the pattern you keep creating in your life. We don’t know what we know until we know it. Sometimes talking to an outside party can bring you the clarity and insight you need to break through to the other side of health and wellness. As we ring in 2015, take the time you need to sort out what you really want out of this year. Have a plan, take your time, and resist the hype of making unrealistic resolutions that will lead only to discouragement. Remember, change is a process that requires a little daily effort and a lot of patience! You can do it! Wishing you a healthy, happy 2015 that is full of peace and hope! T&G Meghan Lemery Fritz is a psychotherapist practicing at Sunpointe Health.
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health
Bone Basics
Keeping your bones healthy is vital at all stages of life
John Hovenstine
By Dr. Philip Bosha, MD
Dr. Philip Bosha of Penn State Hershey Medical Center and the Penn State Hershey Bone and Joint Institute discusses bone health with a patient.
Winter is a good time to think about your bone health. There is always a chance of slipping and falling on the ice, and landing not so gracefully. That is not when you should worry about how strong your bones are. Bone health is important at any age for women and men. The start of the new year is a great opportunity to work on developing new habits of diet and exercise to help build stronger bones. Here are some tips from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) to help you build and take care of your bones at any age. As a child and young adult, it is important to build toward your peak bone mass. Most people reach their peak bone mass between the ages of 25 and 30, and a slow decline starts around age 40. Your 20 - Town&Gown January 2015
peak bone mass is determined, to some extent, by genetics, but there are lifestyle influences, such as diet and exercise, that also can influence your peak bone mass. Everyone will lose bone mass with age, but people who develop a higher peak bone mass when they are younger will be better protected against fractures later in life. Calcium and vitamin D are important to bone health at any age. Our diets do not always provide enough of these nutrients, so sometimes we need to look at supplementation. Vitamin D is necessary for the absorption of calcium, so it is important to take in adequate amounts of both. The Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies has provided recommendations regarding appropriate intake of calcium and vitamin D at different stages of life: • Childhood: In the first year of life, breast milk and formula provide adequate amounts of calcium. Vitamin D supplementation is recommended for children of all ages by the American Academy of Pediatrics. The amount of vitamin D that a person requires varies based on several factors. Greater amounts may be needed in people who have limited sun exposure, have darker skin, or are obese. You should check
with your child’s pediatrician regarding specific amounts of vitamin D supplementation. Between ages 1 and 3, children should take in approximately 700 milligrams of calcium per day. This can be reached easily with a glass of milk, vegetables, and other dairy products during the day. Between ages 4 and 8, children need 1,000 milligrams of calcium per day (two cups of yogurt and one glass of milk), and 600 to 1,000 IU of vitamin D. • Puberty/Early Adulthood: This is when peak bone mass is going to be established. Half of the total calcium the body stores in women and 2/3 in men is established during puberty. About 90 percent of a woman’s peak bone mass is present by age 20. Men make gains in bone mass until age 30. During puberty and until age 20, young adults should take in at least 1,300 milligrams of calcium. After puberty, 1,000 milligrams per day is recommended. Vitamin D supplements are needed to reach the recommended 1,000 IU per day. Sodas and carbonated beverages should be avoided because these interfere with calcium absorption. Weight-bearing exercise is important to developing bone mass. Young adults should try to get 30 minutes of weight-bearing exercise (running, brisk walking) four days per week, and resistance training (muscle building) two times per week. Of course, too much of a good thing can be a problem, too. Women who exercise excessively can lose enough weight to cause amenorrhea, or loss of their periods. This causes a loss of estrogen that is detrimental to bone strength. The recommended amount of dietary calcium during pregnancy and breast-feeding is 1,000 milligrams per day. During this time, it is even more critical that women get enough calcium. A healthy diet should help a woman regain any bone mass lost during pregnancy and breast-feeding. •Age 30-50: After reaching peak bone mass, your body will continue to remodel or maintain bone density. After age 40, bone mass will be slowly lost. It is important to continue taking in 1,000 milligrams of calcium and 1,000 IU of vitamin D per day. Exercise is important to maintain muscle strength and prevent falls. •After Age 50: The daily recommended calcium intake for men remains 1,000 milligrams per day. Women who are over 50,
entering menopause, or have gone through menopause should increase their calcium intake to 1,200 milligrams per day. As levels of estrogen drop during menopause, rapid bone loss can occur. It is recommended that all women 65 years and older have a screening bone-density study (DEXA). A DEXA study is recommended as well in women 60 to 64 years of age who have an increased fracture risk. If the bone-density study shows osteoporosis, it may be reasonable to start taking a medication called a bisphosphonate. Several medications belong to this class — some come in pill form taken on a weekly or monthly basis, and others are given intravenously. Other medications that may be given to improve bone density include calcitonin (which is given by nasal spray), parathyroid hormone (given by injection), or a category of medications called SERMs (selective estrogen receptor modulators). • After Age 70: It is recommended that both men and women take 1,200 milligrams of calcium per day and 800 IU of vitamin D per day. Men become much more likely to have lower bone density and suffer fractures this time. Some men may want to consider obtaining a bone-density study. Fall prevention becomes very important at this point. Maintaining balance and muscle strength through exercise and maintaining strong bones through adequate calcium and vitamin D intake can help decrease the risk of severe fractures from falls. Take this opportunity in the new year to make healthier bones part of a healthier you. T&G Dr. Philip Bosha, MD, is an assistant professor of Primary Care Sports Medicine with the Penn State Hershey Medical Center and the Penn State Hershey Bone and Joint Institute. He currently practices at Penn State Sports Medicine in the Centre Medical Sciences Building in State College. He serves as the team physician for six varsity sports teams at Penn State, including wrestling, men’s ice hockey, and baseball. He also serves as the team physician for the State College Spikes, a Class A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. For more information on Penn State Hershey Bone and Joint Institute services in State College, call Penn State Sports Medicine at (814) 865-3566.
21 - Town&Gown January 2015
on center
That Funk
Zap Mama and Antibalas bring an evening of world music to Eisenhower By John Mark Rafacz
The powerhouse musicians of Zap Mama and Antibalas are coming together for a funk-infused world-music celebration on Tuesday, February 3, at Eisenhower Auditorium. Congo-born, Belgiumraised Marie Daulne, known to her fans across the globe as Zap Mama, redefines the word “vocalist.” Creatively Marie Daulne formed Zap Mama in the early 1990s. expressing sound and storytelling with tone and pure voice, Zap Mama’s style has nurtured a new generation of singers and beat-boxers. “By bridging the tribal sounds of Africa with more conventional music, Zap Mama is ideal for music fans curious about giving world music a listen,” writes a reviewer for the All Music Guide. In the early 1990s, Daulne founded the female vocal quintet Zap Mama, which became a sensation in Europe. Since then, the group has toured internationally and evolved into various configurations combining musical elements from three continents. From Afrobeat to Afro-Pop, Zap Mama mixes African vocal technique with European polyphony and American sounds in a world-music revue that transports listeners. “For Zap Mama, the African diaspora offers limitless connections,” notes a New York Times reviewer, “and the group can Antibala merges Afrobeat with New York City Latin funk and traditional drumming of Cuba and West Africa. 22 - Town&Gown January 2015
crisscross the Atlantic in the course of a song.” Brooklyn’s Antibalas, modeled on Fela Kuti’s Africa 70 band and Eddie Palmieri’s Harlem River Drive Orchestra, merges Afrobeat with New York City Latin funk and traditional drumming of Cuba and West Africa. Through its concerts, tours, and recordings, Antibalas has helped to repopularize the classic Afrobeat sound. Antibalas members Aaron Johnson and Jordan McLean served as musical director and assistant musical director, respectively, of Bill T. Jones’s Tony Award-winning Broadway show Fela! about the life of Kuti. “Antibalas’ music embodies the principles of grassroots revolutionary movements … as the disparate voices of guitars, brass, and organ all move in one unified direction,” asserts a BBC critic. “… Antibalas is musical democracy in action, and an inspiring example of a band practicing what they preach.” Amy Dupain Vashaw, audience and program-development director for the Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State says, “I am really excited about the February performance of Antibalas and Zap Mama.” But she concedes most people in the State College area are probably unfamiliar with the music. “These two artists coming together will bring the sounds of Africa to us, both in their very distinct and funky way. That’s the kind of risk we love to take [at the Center for the Performing Arts] — presenting artists many people won’t know, and when the audience experiences it, they just get blown away.” T&G For tickets or information, visit cpa .psu.edu or phone (814) 863-0255. John Mark Rafacz is the editorial manager of the Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State.
Town&Gown’s 2014-15 Winter Sports Annual
D.J.’s
Determination Led by senior guard D.J. Newbill, the Nittany Lions look to turn a corner this season
Inside: Previews of women’s basketball, wrestling, and men’s and women’s ice hockey
Winterize Your Love of Penn State Sports! Enjoy even more the basketball, wrestling, and ice hockey seasons by ordering your copy of Town&Gown’s 2014-15 Penn State Winter Sports Annual! Features, predictions, Q&As with the head coaches, and more!
Visit townandgown.com to order your copy online.
penn state diary
Growing with Age From the humble beginnings of home economics, College of Health and Human Development now covers many critical quality-of-life needs By Lee Stout
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Penn State University Archives (2)
Anyone who has driven along College Avenue in the last year or so has seen the continuing renovation of South Halls. However, unless you drive up Shortlidge Road, you may not be aware that a ninth residence hall has been added to the complex. Chace Hall, at the corner of Shortlidge and McKean roads, welcomed 213 new students in the fall of 2013. South Halls dorms are named for notable women in Penn State history, and in that tradition, the newest one honors Edith Pitt Chace, who was director of the home-economics department from 1918 to 1937. Those were important years for home economics, although it was not yet a school, or a college. In Chace’s 19 years in charge, enrollments rose to 450 students, faculty increased to 18, and the first Penn State MS and PhD degrees in the field were awarded. She is most often remembered for creating the nursery-school programs that began in the early 1920s. Home-management houses had been established in 1919 as sites for student practicums, and Chace persuaded faculty families to “lend” her their babies for Top, Chace was director students to work with. This was of Penn State’s homenot seen as on-campus daycare economics department for — rather it was an opportunity for students in child development 19 years. She helped set up a nursery school (bottom) to experience practical work in that allowed students to preschool education. gain experience working in Home economics in 1918 was preschool education. organized into three curricula: teacher training, institutional management, and household arts. Hotel management was later added to the department’s responsibilities. In 1923, it became part of the new School of Education
and, in 1932, moved into a new building now known as the Henderson Human Development Building. In 1949, home economics became a separate school. From a concentration on producing teachers, home economists, dieticians, and managers in the hospitality industry, it gradually evolved into a more interdisciplinary and scientific program. Funded research in textile chemistry and nutrition became part of the department’s activities in 1936 with the appointment of Dr. Pauline Berry Mack. Sadly, the image of home economics as preparing women solely for marriage and homemaking persisted. By the late 1950s, Penn State’s new president, Eric A. Walker, was pushing for change. He welcomed new ideas and forward thinking, and, in 1958, he introduced a comprehensive long-range plan, “Penn State’s Future — The Job and a Way to Do It.” However, he soon had another effort underway. The “Penn State in 1980” report, issued in 1963, was more of an environmental scan that recommended new directions. Reimagining the College of Home Economics was one of those projected changes. The plan foresaw that our economy would move its focus from manufacturing to services. In home economics, academic emphasis on the production of clothes, food, and shelter would give way to a more sophisticated and scientific concern for the problems of the individual, family, and community. Increasing governmental social programs, reaching a climax in the “Great Society” and the “War on Pov-
erty” initiatives, played a significant role in this revolution. Penn State could help create “a new concept of society” through a college of “Human Development, Health, and Welfare.” Home economics dean Grace Henderson and her faculty believed they were already moving in that direction. In a memo preserved in the archives, she tells President Walker that he had overstated the sex-bound traditions that portrayed them as “wallowing in the old cooking and sewing curriculum!” Henderson prepared a new “College of Human Welfare” proposal in 1965, but Walker seemed impatient with the existing situation and was looking for a “do-over.” The College of Home Economics would be the foundation for this new college, but the leadership would come from Donald H. Ford, who directed the innovative Division of Counseling and served on the “Penn State in the 1980s” team. Ford’s new plan aligned the college into four divisions: biological health, individual and family studies, community development, and man-environment relations. They would emphasize human services over the lifespan and deal with issues such as population growth, crime and justice, aging, health-services distribution systems, and governmental social programs. Virtually all of the college’s existing programs were revised and incorporated into the new model, except for teacher training in home economics, which moved to the College of Education. The new College of Human Development was implemented in January 1969. In 1987, it transformed again, merging with the College of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation to become the College of Health and Human Development, also incorporating the program in communications disorders from the College of Education. As the college has evolved to meet critical needs in human health, development, and quality of life, it seems like a long way from the days of Edith Pitt Chace. But her achievements in leading the home-economics department are now recognized in both the new women’s residence hall named for her and by the Edith Pitt Chace Award that honors two seniors in the college for outstanding scholarship and leadership. T&G Lee Stout is librarian emeritus, Special Collections for Penn State.
Get to know...
Anna Squicciarini: How Private Are Your Photos? Posting a photo to Facebook is easy. Assigning privacy settings for the photo is more difficult. Anna Squicciarini, assistant professor of information sciences and technology, is researching new methods for social network users to control access to their shared photos. “Images are one of those pieces of information out there that users tend to underestimate,” she says. “Images are exciting to share and then easily forgotten.” Thanks to a grant from the National Science Foundation, Squicciarini hopes to develop a personalized “wizard” that will assign privacy settings based on image content and the user’s sharing patterns — differentiating, for example, between a general beach photo and one that focuses on the user’s child. A native of Italy, Squicciarini earned her Ph.D. in computer science from the University of Milan in 2006 and then did postdoctoral research at Purdue University before coming to Penn State in 2008. She and her husband, Josh Wede, a senior lecturer in psychology, live in State College with their daughter, who is in kindergarten. In addition to privacy issues, Squicciarini also is researching the detection of deviant behavior, such as bullying, on social networks. “I like that these are very concrete, real-world problems that require deep technical approaches,” she says. “It’s easy to understand the problem; it’s hard to find the solution.” The Penn State Bookstore thanks Anna Squicciarini and all faculty and staff who carry out the university’s mission every day.
www.psu.bncollege.com 814-863-0205
25 - Town&Gown January 2015
Years of Town&Gown: Health Care
More Options, Better Care Centre County benefits from half a century of health-care expansions, improvements By Tracey M. Dooms
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(Editor’s note: Each month in 2015, as part of its 50th-year celebration, Town&Gown will take a look at various parts of life in Centre County and how they’ve changed over the past 50 years, and what may happen in the future.) Charles Rohrbeck was just a few years out of medical school in 1964 when he returned to his hometown of State College as an obstetriciangynecologist. Most patient visits were in his Easterly Parkway office, although he made house calls for the occasional kidney stone or prenatal complication where bed rest was warranted. Women who needed minor surgical procedures such as a D&C were admitted to Centre County Hospital on Willowbank Street in Bellefonte. That’s also where Rohrbeck delivered babies, usually with the mother having a general anesthetic. “When I came here, there was more of a tendency for women to be asleep during delivery,” he recalls. “I did encourage them to stay awake. There was already a shift in that direction.” Fathers-to-be paced back and forth in the waiting room — often smoking one cigarette after another — until a doctor or nurse delivered the news of “it’s a girl!” or “it’s a boy!” After uncomplicated childbirth, most women stayed in the hospital four or five days. By the time Rohrbeck retired in 1995, he had delivered 7,000 babies, including 6,000 in Centre County. Today, most local babies are born at Mount Nittany Medical Center, with the other parent or a support person at the mother’s side during labor and delivery in private, homelike birthing rooms, usually without general anesthetic. Mother and baby typically stay at the hospital just one or two days. Meanwhile, minor surgical procedures are often performed on an outpatient basis, and the entire hospital campus is nonsmoking. Over the past 50 years, health care has changed tremendously in Centre County. Facilities have been improved and expanded, and new providers have added to the services available locally. Services that sounded like science fiction back in the 1960s — such as magnetic resonance imaging or robotic surgery — are commonplace now. Even more changes are ahead, as medicine in general and local options in particular continue to advance.
Five decades of hospital growth
The enterprise that is now Mount Nittany Medical Center began in 1903 as the six-bed Centre County Hospital in a converted house on Willowbank Street, back when Bellefonte was the county’s largest town. By 1964, several additions had expanded the hospital to 160 beds, maxing out the available land. Still, ongoing population
Top, a late-1970s photo of the west wing of Centre Community Hospital’s Mountainview Unit, now Mount Nittany Medical Center. Bottom, Mount Nittany Medical Center today.
growth meant more hospital capacity was needed, particularly in the State College area. In 1972, the hospital system was renamed Centre Community Hospital, and the new Mountainview Unit opened near Orchard Road and Park Avenue in State College (site of the current hospital). This brought the two-campus hospital system to 320 beds. Use of the Willowbank Hospital quickly dropped in favor of the Mountainview Unit. In 1978, the original hospital facility closed and later became home to county government offices. In 2003, the hospital’s name was changed to Mount Nittany Medical Center, to emphasize its growth into a regional medical center, drawing patients from beyond Centre County’s borders. In 2011, the hospital board of trustees formed Mount Nittany Health, a system encompassing the medical center, Mount Nittany Physician Group, and the Foundation for Mount Nittany Medical Center.
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In the four decades since the Mountainview Unit opened, Mount Nittany Medical Center has undergone numerous expansions. The most recent additions include: • In 2012, an expanded emergency department, Lance and Ellen Shaner Cancer Pavilion, and Sieg Neuroscience Center. • In 2013, completion of the Blue Course Drive medical building, Bellefonte Pediatrics, and the
Mount Nittany Medical Center opened the Lance and Ellen Shaner Cancer Pavilion in 2012.
Children’s Advocacy Center, and the opening of the Cancer Care Partnership, a partnership between Mount Nittany Health and PennState Hershey Cancer Institute. • In 2014, expansion of the medical-office building in Mifflin County and additional operating rooms to the medical center. • Anticipated in 2015, completion of the healing garden, chapel, and Penns Valley Medical Center expansion. From fiscal year 2009 through fiscal year 2014, Mount Nittany grew from 207 to 260 beds and from 1,376 to 2,308 employees, including those gained through a merger with Centre Medical & Surgical Associates, Guillard Medical Group, and State College Urology. Outpatient visits surged during that same period, from 166,502 to 225,490. The emergency department, which handled 48,451 visits in fiscal 2009, is on track to surpass 53,000 visits in 2015, says Steve Brown, president and CEO of Mount Nittany Health. Recent recognitions include certification as a primary stroke center by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, gold-seal Joint Commission recognition for inpatient diabetes care, and Accreditation for Cardiovascular Excellence for the cardiac catheterization lab. Mount Nittany Physician Group has grown in the last few years to more than 120 providers, and Brown hails the 2015 start of the Family Medicine Residency Program with Mount Nittany Health and the Penn State
Bellefonte Pediatrics opened in 2013. 28 - Town&Gown January 2015
College of Medicine’s University Park campus as the right step in ensuring that people have access to primary-care doctors in the region for years to come. Community outreach and patient education are priorities, from diabetes self-management classes to the annual hunter safety screening to the congestive heart-failure clinic. “As more people return to Centre County to retire, chronic disease becomes more of a focus for us,” Brown says. In months to come, Mount Nittany will expand use of My Mount Nittany Health, an online patient portal rolled out last fall, giving all patients online access to billing, appointments, lab results, prescription refills, and even the ability to e-mail questions to providers.
From student-athletes to med students
Penn State’s medical school owes its founding to an IRS ruling in the 1960s that required charitable organizations such as the Milton Hershey School to spend their investment income for charitable purposes, rather than stockpiling it. After planned renovations to the school, $50 million still had to be spent, and Hershey offered the money to Penn State for the establishment of a medical school, teaching hospital, and research center. With an additional $21 million from the US Public Health Service, the College of Medicine enrolled its first students in 1967, and the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center accepted its first patients in 1970. Still, other than the association with Penn State, Hershey Medical Center had little impact on Centre County at first, serving simply as a provider of procedures not available locally. Then, as Penn State prepared to join the Big Ten in 1990, the university decided to provide on-site medical coverage to student-athletes so they wouldn’t have to spend as much time away from campus to visit specialists; at the same time, Hershey was to develop a local community presence. The sports-medicine program started with two exam rooms in Ritenour Health Center, with X-rays taken in the basement, recalls Wayne Sebastianelli, the first full-time Hershey physician on site. Today, he is associate dean for clinical affairs at the University Park Regional Medical Campus and medical director at Penn State Sports Medicine in State College. Sports medicine now
encompasses more than 30,000 square feet in the Centre Medical Sciences Building. Between 1992 and 1995, Hershey Medical Group developed its first primary-care practice in Centre County, now incorporating approximately 40 physicians, 20 advanced-practice providers, and 90 support staff at six practice-site locations. In addition to sports- and family-medicine programs, local operations include the Heart and Vascular Institute, TeleStroke Program, and the Cancer Care Partnership. “We’re trying to improve our ability to take care of not only the Penn State community but also the community at large,” Sebastianelli says. The Penn State College of Medicine established a regional campus here in partnership with Mount Nittany Health, with the first students graduating in 2014. The two-year program can accommodate 48 students at a time. The university is having “serious discussion” to turn it into a four-year program, with a maximum 96 students, according to Sebastianelli. This July, the first six residents will begin the new residency program here in family and community medicine. “Primary care will be an issue as the population ages, and we really need to try to grow our own primary-care physicians,” Sebastianelli says. Kevin Black, vice dean for the University Park Regional Medical campus, says, “We expect an expanded educational opportunity for our medical students at the regional medical campus, as well as our new Family Medicine Residency Program.”
Geisinger comes to town
Geisinger Health System made its first foray outside of Danville in 1981, when it acquired the 13-physician Moshannon Valley Medical Group in Philipsburg. (The medical offices are near the site of the former state-run Philipsburg Area Hospital, which closed in 1991, reopened later as a private facility, and then closed for good in 2007.) Lee Myers, now vice president for community practice, was on the administrative team in Danville at the time. “I was asked to come out and manage that group, and I’ve been in the area ever since,” he says. Geisinger followed up with a Lewistown location in 1983, and State College and Bellefonte offices by 1987.
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In 2007, Geisinger opened the 64,000-squarefoot Gray’s Woods multispecialty clinic in Patton Township. Almost immediately, planning began for the $42 million Phase II expansion that opened early in 2014, more than doubling the facility size to 144,350 square feet. The facility includes a full-service endoscopy and outpatient surgery Geisinger Health System opened its Gray’s Woods facility in 2007. center, and expanded It expanded the facility in 2014. clinic and radiology to pediatrics. The most recent additions were space. ear, nose, and throat, plus more practitioners in Today, Geisinger has 235 physicians, fields such as endocrinology and nephrology. nurse practitioners, and physician assistants “In the future, we’ll continue to expand in the five-county region that includes our capabilities,” Myers says. “More and Centre County. These practitioners cover 45 more services are moving to the outpatient specialties, from cardiology to gastroenterology
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arena, so as that occurs, we’ll be right up front in developing those services.”
Specialized hospitals, services
Two major specialized inpatient facilities opened in Centre County in 1984 — HealthSouth Nittany Valley Rehabilitation Hospital and The Meadows.
Originally the Rehabilitation Hospital for Special Services, under the direction of National Medical HealthSouth took over the Rehabilitation Hospital for Special Services in 1994, Enterprises, the Pleasant and is now a 73-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital. Gap facility moved under the HealthSouth umbrella Over the years, HealthSouth has earned and in 1994. The 73-bed inpatient rehabilitation maintained care certifications from the Joint hospital also operates outpatient clinics in Commission for its stroke, brain injury, heart Pleasant Gap, Mifflintown, and Lewistown.
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failure, and Parkinson’s disease rehabilitation programs. In 2014, for the third year in a row, the local hospital earned the HealthSouth President’s Circle Award for outstanding performance across all areas, from clinical programs to operational excellence.
not qualify for government-based medical assistance but cannot afford health insurance. In fiscal 2014, more than 185 volunteers donated 16,974 hours of their time to provide medical and dental care for more than 2,370 patient visits.
“Looking ahead, HealthSouth is focused on quality patient care and rehabilitation,
Care close to home
as well as quality transitions throughout the continuum of care,” says Susan Hartman, HealthSouth chief executive officer. “We’re proactively collaborating with health-care partners and the community to ensure the best possible outcomes for patients and their families.” The Meadows was founded by a group of 18 local mental-health experts known as Centre Valley Management Inc. who believed Centre County needed an inpatient behavioral-health facility. Now owned by University Community Behavioral Health Inc., The Meadows features 107 inpatient beds, as well as outpatient behavioral therapy for patients of all ages. Another gap in local health care was addressed in 2003 when Centre Volunteers in Medicine opened its doors in State College. The nonprofit organization uses the volunteer services of medical and dental professionals to provide care to area residents who do
Tracey M. Dooms is a freelance writer in State College and a special-projects editor for Town&Gown.
Coming Up in
Over the past 50 years, Centre County residents have seen major improvements in health services, and particularly in access to health care close to home. “We don’t believe that you should have to go 90 miles to Danville or Hershey for care that we can provide here,” says Brown. Myers adds, “Our philosophy is for care to be provided locally wherever it can be done appropriately. The only time a patient should be referred away from their community is when care can’t be provided here.” He points to growth among all providers, from Geisinger to Hershey Medical Group to Mount Nittany Health. “The whole health-care services sector has really developed substantially in the Centre County market in particular,” he says. “We’re proud to be a part of that.” T&G
Years of Town&Gown
February: Diversity March: Business & Real Estate April: Technology & Research May: Food & Beverage June: Issues & People July: Arts & Entertainment August: Education September: Sports October: Transportation November: Nonprofits December: Worship & Religion 32 - Town&Gown January 2015
A s Town&Gown begins its 50th-year celebration, we wish everyone a healthy and happy 2015
AL The Disease
34 - Town&Gown January 2015
Be
LS Challenge
B ehind the
Last year, many people across the world took part in the Ice Bucket Challenge that brought increased awareness to ALS. While those with the disease try to live their lives to the fullest, the illness remains a great mystery to those in the medical profession
By Savita Iyer-Ahrestani
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Darren Weimert
Every year, when hunting season comes around, Scott Morgenweck can’t help but feel really down. The Altoona-area resident and Army veteran had always been an avid hunter and a keen fisherman, but some years after he was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and lost the use of his limbs, he was forced to give up, among many other things, both of the sports he loved. And yet, he is not one to feel down for long. Morgenweck has been living with ALS, a degenerative disease that progressively destroys the motor neurons in the brain, for 12 years. And though he needs a power wheelchair to get around, requires 24/7 help from his wife, Vicki, for just about everything, and, above all, knows that there is no cure for his illness, he’s an incredibly upbeat, larger-than-life person with a seemingly innate joie de vivre, and he’s quick to crack a joke — even about his own condition. He is extremely fortunate, he says, that he can still talk and laugh, since many ALS patients lose these faculties fairly early in their illnesses. He’s happy that even after more than a decade with ALS, he doesn’t require a feeding tube and he can breathe without assistance (doctors put the average lifespan of a person with ALS at between two and five years after diagnosis, though there are exceptions such as Morgenweck and theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking, who has lived with ALS for 50 years). At the same time, however, Morgenweck doesn’t know how long he has before he’s going to need either or both of those. “I guess that’s when I will start eating vegetables, because I’ll have no choice but to eat what they give me through that tube,” Morgenweck jokes. “I hate vegetables, and as long as I don’t have to eat them I won’t.” ALS is an illness whose progression is impossible to determine medically, and doctors cannot tell whether a patient who has been diagnosed with ALS will lose their faculties slowly over time or whether the disease will cause them to deteriorate rapidly. It goes without saying that this lack of clarity is a huge source of frustration and anguish for ALS sufferers and their families, but it’s an equal challenge for medical professionals, says Brian Hyman, MD, a neurologist at the Mount Nittany Physician Group in State College. Also, because ALS affects such a small percentage of the
Scott Morgenweck, shown with his wife, Vicki, was diagnosed with ALS 12 years ago but has maintained an upbeat attitude about life.
population (about six in every 100,000 people), research has not yet been able to pinpoint any clear causes for the disease, Hyman says, and there’s still no conclusive data to show whether there are any specific triggers for it, whether certain people are more prone to get it than others, or whether genetics plays a role. This makes the quest for treatments and for a possible cure even more difficult. “With diseases like Huntington’s and Alzheimer’s, we can give people a pretty decent idea of how they’re going to progress and what will happen to them. But with ALS, which is such a devastating disease, there is nothing right now to predict its progression,” says James Connor, professor and vice chair of neurosurgery at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. He says research is moving forward in several directions, and he and Hyman are among many in the medical profession who are hoping that last summer’s Ice Bucket Challenge will help push things along even further. The online challenge, where people dumped buckets of ice water over their heads and which went viral very quickly and became a must-do for celebrities, politicians, and
36 - Town&Gown January 2015
— continued on page 38
Fighting for Family: Penn State football sees ALS hit two former players By Savita Iyer-Ahrestani
Contributed photos (2)
A few months ago, when Tim Shaw, former linebacker for the Tennessee Titans, publicly announced that he had ALS, he felt a sense of relief. Shaw, who played for Penn State between 2002 and 2006, had been diagnosed a couple of months before his announcement. It had taken a “monumental effort” to be able to declare his illness publicly, he says, but he was both overwhelmed and strengthened by the outpouring of support he received from so many different quarters. “I have been given a platform that I’m going to take advantage of in order to really spread awareness of this disease and to help raise funds, and I plan to speak publicly about ALS whenever I can,” he says. “I’m beyond supported and loved, and I consider myself lucky to be young, active, and fit compared to so many others. Those things are really helping me now.” All the same, having to prepare for the inevitable effects of having ALS demands extreme strength of mind, and it’s as difficult for Shaw as it is for anyone else with the disease to see their faculties deteriorate and to realize “that you’re just not going to be able to do the things you used to do.” For others, he says, “this happens over the course of your life. For people with ALS, it all happens a lot quicker. It’s like getting old, but a lot faster.” For families of ALS patients, the ordeal is just as painful. “I have seen a man who has been a great husband, father, and son to our family progressively go from a muscular, well-built man to one who has lost most of his muscle mass and all of his strength, and now lies almost fully paralyzed and on a feeding tube and ventilator, in bed 24/7, unless he’s
Shaw (left) and his father took a mission trip to Brazil two months ago.
Smith surrounded by his family — (from left) Jazmin, Dante, and wife, Chie.
getting out for doctor appointments, occasional family outings, or physical therapy,” says Chie Smith, wife of former NFL player Steve Smith, who was first diagnosed with ALS in 2002. A captain on Penn State’s 1986 national-championship team, Steve Smith requires around-theclock care. This is extremely tough, Chie says, and oftentimes is as frustrating for her and the couple’s children, Jazmin and Dante, as it is sad. “But we have learned to adjust as Steve’s illness progressed, and I felt that it was very important that the kids be hands-on with their dad — helping in ways like learning how to suction his trachea to figuring out how to communicate with him when he lost his voice,” she says. “I don’t think anyone realizes their source of strength or resolve in a difficult situation until it happens.” Steve himself has no illusions about his illness, but he refuses to give up. “I just know that this is the biggest fight for my life,” he writes in an e-mail, “but you just have to keep fighting every minute of the day.” Shaw takes comfort in knowing that he’s surrounded by family and friends, and is confident that with many hands joined together, research and medicine can continue to work toward finding treatments for ALS. Soon after Shaw’s announcement, Penn State athletics announced that it would partner with the Best Man Tim campaign that Shaw’s friend and former Penn State soccer player Paul Omekanda set up to raise awareness and funding for ALS research. In a released statement after the partnership had been announced, Shaw said, “I will always consider Penn State home. It feels great to have family support me in the fight.” T&G
37 - Town&Gown January 2015
Contributed photos (3)
Amy and Mike Strouse at the Nittany Lion Shrine in 2006, six moths before Mike began to show signs of ALS. — continued from page 36
thousands of regular citizens alike, not only greatly increased awareness about ALS — an illness that, Connor says, “so many only had a vague idea about and knew only as Lou Gehrig’s disease” — but also raised more
The Strouses in Beaver Stadium celebrating Mike’s 37th birthday in 2010.
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than $100 million for the ALS Association. He’s hoping that some of that money will be channeled into furthering research efforts into the causes of and possible treatments for ALS. He is even hopeful that one day there may be a cure, but that’s still a long way into the future, he says, and, for now, sadly, the only sure thing about ALS is that those who have it have only a finite period in which to live. A life, not a death, sentence Knowing that greatly helped people such as Amy and Mike Strouse. Mike, a 1995 Penn State graduate and former resident of Dover, was 34 when he was diagnosed with ALS (he died in 2013 at the age of 40), and, like most others, his initial symptoms were innocuous. “Mike noticed his voice was cutting in and out,” Amy Strouse says. “He’d always loved singing — he’d been in many choirs while he was at Penn State — but he noticed that he couldn’t project his voice, and he felt like he had to keep clearing his throat all the time, but we thought it was just allergies.” An astute family doctor thought otherwise,
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enjoy many things about life, including books, music, and art. He’s still working, he can move about independently, and he’s still able to drive. He is prepared for the loss of these abilities, of course, but “I am not the kind of person that is going to sit around and wait to die,” he says. “I want to accomplish as much as I can and live life fully with whatever time remains.” In his role as director of Penn State Hershey’s ALS Clinic and Research Center, Mike Strouse with his newborn daughter, Ella, who was born in 2012. a multidisciplinary facility that ALS patients in Centre County also are savoring every moment they had together, and patients of, Zachary Simmons, MD, has come they even had a child — a girl, Ella, born the across patients such as Knudson many times. year before Mike passed away. “There’s a concept associated with people For Jim Knudson, an IT professional in who are terminally ill called a ‘frame’ or Mechanicsburg who was diagnosed with ALS ‘response’ shift, whereby they are often able to in 2013, the illness is a “life sentence, not a maintain a good quality of life by shifting their death sentence.” expectations to better match reality, so they are “We must realize that we’re all dying every much better able to deal with a more physically day that we are alive, and our focus should be limiting status than others may think,” he on life not death,” Knudson, who used to live says. “People in good health frequently in State College, says. “You also can’t wait underestimate the way those who are ill would to do things in the future because none of us rate their own quality of life. Working here has know what the future holds.” been a real learning process for me.” Knudson, who blogs about his illness at dailylifewithals.blogspot.com, is candid about Toward effective treatment his frustrations over losing his speech (he now But their ability to reframe their lives to uses an iPad with inbuilt communications fit in with the realities of an incurable illness software, and he answered questions for this doesn’t mean that ALS patients don’t wish article via e-mail). Because of the increasing fervently for a cure, or even for effective weakness in his tongue and jaws, chewing and treatments to increase their lifespans and slow swallowing are a real challenge, and “it may down the degeneration of their faculties. To take me about 45 minutes to finish what a that end, researchers at Penn State Hershey normal person can finish in 15,” he says. are making advances in a couple of important Although he does have a trip planned to the areas, Connor says, notably in assessing the Caribbean island of Bonaire, he wonders whether he protein profiles of individuals with ALS. will ever be able to scuba dive again — something he “We showed in a small study that we could greatly enjoys. To friends and family members, with really identify a protein profile that’s different whom he’s now starting to spend much more time for a slower progression of the disease than it is than in the past, he’s giving away the bottles of fine for a more rapid progression,” he says. “If we’re wine he has collected over the past 20 years because able to infuse the spinal chord of ALS patients he can’t really tolerate wine anymore. with a protein cocktail that’s associated with Nevertheless, he continues to travel and to 40 - Town&Gown January 2015
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slower progression, we’d be able to slow down the illness in patients. That’s a huge step, and we should be able to go to the FDA soon to request approval to try it out.” Currently, there is only one FDA-approved drug available for ALS patients, which Connor says is not particularly effective as it only increases a patient’s lifespan by two or three months. It also does not work for all ALS patients. “We’re not looking at a drug with what we’re doing, we’re talking about using a naturally occurring trophic solution that’s bathing the spinal chord,” he says. Whether these or other possible treatments will be available in either Knudson’s or Morgenweck’s lifetimes remains to be seen. But the Ice Bucket Challenge also has given them and others with ALS a new avenue of hope that research into probable causes will eventually lead to new treatments. Above all, they’re not giving up on themselves. While he’s waiting for new treatments and a possible cure, Knudson is trying out an alternative therapy, the Deanna Protocol,
invented by a doctor and named for his daughter who had ALS. The treatment aims to provide energy and stimulation, through various supplements, to the nerve and muscle cells to prevent them from dying, and it also involves regularly massaging the muscles with coconut oil, believed to be extremely therapeutic. Knudson tries to eat as healthy as possible to remain fit and in good shape, and, above all, to try his best to maintain a positive mental attitude, no matter how hard that may be. As for Morgenweck, his greatest wish is to be able to do things on his own again. “If I could just be a little more independent,” he says, “that would be great.” T&G Savita Iyer-Ahrestani is a freelance journalist who has worked as a full-time business journalist in New York, and, as a freelancer, has reported from both Europe and Asia. Her features on a variety of topics have appeared in many publications, including Business Week, Vogue (Mumbai, India edition), and on CNN.com.
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44 - Town&Gown January 2015
Not Your Common Education Centre County schools are implementing Common Core-inspired state standards, which are bringing new ways of teaching and learning to classrooms By Mike Dawson 45 - Town&Gown January 2015
Students in classrooms across Centre County this school year are being asked to use their brains to think deeper, analyze more, and consider different ways of solving problems. For example, instead of drilling multiplication tables, such as 6 times 6, 6 times 7, and so on, elementary students may take a closer look at what multiplication problems look like.
“In many ways, the Common Core, if nothing else, has opened up conversations and made districts take the time to talk about what good instruction is.” — Michelle Saylor, assistant superintendant of Bellefonte Area School District In high schools, English classes reading a novel, such as Catch 22, which is set during World War II, may study the historical context in history class. A new era of learning is being ushered in by Common Core, the group of national education standards aimed at uniting math and reading expectations for students across the country. Officials hope these standards will have students better prepared for college and the workforce when they graduate high school. Students in Centre County, like all Pennsylvania students, technically will not see the federal standards as they learn and are tested on the Pennsylvania Core, which is a derivative of the federal standard crafted by state education officials. High school students will have to pass the Keystone Exams, or standardized tests in algebra, biology, and literature, as a requirement for graduation. “What has really changed is the depth of knowledge that we need to use to teach to the standards,” says Sherri Connell, assistant superintendent of Penns Valley Area School District. “We’re talking about getting away from knowledge-based questions to more application-type questions.” Debate over Common Core has swirled across the country, as opponents criticize the regulation as an encroachment on local control over education. While the debate has gone on, administrators and teachers in Centre County — who are not under pressure to add specific curriculum or textbooks — have worked behind the scenes to make
sure their districts are in line with the standards. They’ve reviewed curriculum, and teachers have looked at how they teach. Some administrators say they are not keen to adding a standardized test to the list of ones already in place, such as district testing, the Pennsylvania System of State Assessment (PSSA) exams, and prep tests for the PSSAs. They do acknowledge it’s mandatory and that the testing can provide another set of data they can use to evaluate their students. “In many ways, the Common Core, if nothing else, has opened up conversations and made districts take the time to talk about what good instruction is,” says Michelle Saylor, assistant superintendent of Bellefonte Area School District. “Our teachers never had the time to work together to this magnitude, within and across grade levels, and look at the standards, to look at the assessments. “That has been a wonderful opportunity.” School officials across Centre County say the process to implement the Common Core-inspired state standards began with a look at the curriculum in their respective districts. Some districts had been prepared years in advance, as the first standards were rolled out awhile ago, while others took the opportunity recently to closely examine what they are teaching their students. At Bellefonte Area, administrators and teachers have focused on the district’s math curriculum and standards, as they believe math is the backbone of Common Core. What happened was a revamping of the sequence of math classes. Among the biggest moves is when the district offers Algebra 1, the math class that introduces students to solving equations (such as 2x + 4 = 30), functions (f (x) = x/4), real numbers, exponents, inequalities, and others. It used to be that eighth grade had been the earliest a Bellefonte Area student could take that math class, but as of the last school year, it was available for seventhgraders. As a result, that’s advanced the sequence of math courses a student will take through his or her studies in middle and high school, such that seventh-graders pass Algebra 1, take geometry in eighth grade, and then have the more advanced Algebra 2 in their freshman year of high school. “We’re all being asked to do things that we didn’t do before,” Saylor says. “Our students are being asked to learn and discover things they didn’t know before.”
46 - Town&Gown January 2015
The process has opened up the district’s math curriculum, which Saylor says now includes advanced statistics classes, two levels of advanced placement, or AP, calculus, and an advanced math practices course that combines with engineering-design courses. In addition, students who are taking the math courses earlier will have more opportunities to take more advanced science and engineering courses that rely on the math skills. As for those seventh-graders who aren’t quite ready for Algebra 1, they will take it in eighth grade. “Our primary goal is to make sure all of our students have taken Algebra 1 prior to the end of eighth grade,” says Saylor, who spoke of Common Core with praise. She and her colleagues have evidence that retooling the math path worked. Almost everyone at the middle school level who last year took the Algebra 1 state test, the Keystone Exam, scored “advanced” or “proficient” in the results. “Overall, the Common Core has given us more
ministrators and teachers supplemented the state standards with one for money, and they’ve made it a district standard. Connell says the first-grade teachers “wholeheartedly” believe it belongs there. Some State College Area School District teachers went through something similar. Christine Merritt, who is an English teacher and the subject coordinator for grades seven to 12, says her colleagues reviewed the state Core standards and ranked them according to what they felt they teach well and the ones that need more attention. They then selected 15 of what they call “power” standards that they feel will be the most important for their students’ success. They also separated the standards into three categories to help them visualize what students do with the learning — know, understand, and do. The teachers also looked at what vocabulary and skills they needed to add to the lessons to make it complete. For an example, the secondary English curricu-
freedom and more room for creativity,” Saylor says. “The Common Core does not take away the art of teaching. Common Core just says we have these expectations for our kids, and every child in this country will be successful beyond our walls.” Like Bellefonte, Penns Valley Area administrators have focused on math curriculum, though it’s been a work in progress for the past two-anda-half years, Connell says. One of the results of this work was the realization that lessons on money, such as counting, identifying, adding, etc., were not included in first grade, where it previously was. Showing an understanding of money is not a state standard for first-graders. That was one place Penns Valley Area ad-
lum now has emphasis on building students’ skills in argument writing. In addition, students will read more nonfiction materials than was previously prescribed in language-arts classes. At Bald Eagle Area School District, administrators, too, have worked to standardize the reading curriculum, as the math curriculum is already rigorous, curriculum director Tracey Boone says. She adds the goal was to integrate reading into other subject areas. At the elementary level, reading is being worked into writing, vocabulary, and spelling. “If you went to school and had a vocabulary or spelling test, that is memorization,” she says. “You could take the test and never remember those words again. We’re making sure students
47 - Town&Gown January 2015
can explain why they’re doing things.” For the secondary level, reading is being integrated into science and social studies. For example, a high school English class reading a novel from the early twentieth century will then study the same period as the book to better help them understand the historical context. In Philipsburg-Osceola Area School District, the administration identified curriculum as the No. 1 way to meet the new educational standards. When superintendent Gregg Paladina arrived last school year, the elementary curriculum had not yet been aligned to the Core standards, he says. A new reading series and a new reading curriculum were unveiled this year. “We aligned all the teachable concepts to the Pennsylvania Core,” he says. “This is the first time as an elementary level we’re really producing a consistent social studies and science curriculum.” For all the work done to revamp curricula, the way that teachers teach is an important part of rolling out the standards and if students succeed, administrators say. In State College Area, teachers have received professional development training and focused on
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best practices for instruction. Bellefonte Area has two literacy coaches and received support from the Central Intermediate Unit. All districts took time during in-service days and summers to tackle this. “We believe that engaging students into content reading will help them think critically about the content they are learning,” says Jacquelyn Martin, State College Area’s curriculum director. “We will continue our work in this area over the next several years.” In addition, teachers are doing more work with the method of differentiated instruction, which eliminates teaching one lesson to all different levels of learners. Instead, the teachers tailor their lessons to the different levels of students. So while the curriculum calls for standards in reading, how the teacher gets each student in the classroom to the standard can vary. “We want the same outcome and results for each student — true understanding of the content,” says Penns Valley Area fifth-grade teacher Tara Adams. “And yet, educators do not expect that each student demonstrates that understanding in the exact same way.” While Common Core has brought out positive
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experiences in the revamping of curriculum and pedagogy, some see it as a turning a simple math problem using borrowing, such as 42 minus 17, into a multistep equation that employs rounding to subtract easier numbers and adding up the differences. But administrators say the debate and controversy over that new way of learning in math is misplaced. “The Common Core does not tell a teacher how to instruct in a specific skill,” Saylor says. “It does not tell you how to teach addition or subtraction … but what is important to understand is that there exists a relationship between the operations.” Beyond that, she says, it helps students apply their learning, such as in a math problem, to something more complex later on. “By helping students see different ways to solve problems, perform associated skills, and explain their thought processes throughout, we are actually helping them become much more successful — and successful beyond our walls,” she says. She adds the conversations need to be about helping parents understand the ways their children learn, especially when those ways are different from how the parents learned years ago.
“I think, and rightfully so, parents are frustrated when they can’t help their child with homework because the materials are so different from what they experienced,” she says. “But again, that should be the conversation — how to bridge this gap — not a misplaced argument around the Common Core.” Adams, whose fifth-graders take a state standardized test, says assessments like those tests have been the biggest changes to the way she teaches. She says a student may be able to explain patterns for a math problem, as the state standard says, but the test doesn’t allow the student to use that differentiated instruction model to show his competence of the standard. A student “may be able to tell me the exact patterns, why they are there, and even show me how to apply it in a real-life problem that he may have created himself, but when testing, he did not understand the state question because of its wording, could not receive clarification, or cannot write out his mathematical thoughts in a paragraph,” she says. It boils down to this: Even though a teacher knows a student understands the concepts based
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on classroom work, the state test would show the student didn’t get the question right, and the appearance is that the teacher did not succeed in educating the student. “This discrepancy is a personal concern of mine,” Adams says. Boone, also is concerned with the amount of testing. On the other hand, the scores give administrators another set of data that paints a picture of student achievement, though it’s a piece of the picture and not the full profile, she says. Paladina says students are tested too much, but he says the Common Core standards provide the foundation for benchmarking levels of success. “In essence, it’s just identifying skills and concepts that students need to know so that there’s consistency in education,” he says. And in Penns Valley, superintendent Brian Griffith reiterates that each student is a different learner and finds success in different ways. He remembers his days as a math teacher and students he had who used concepts from geometry and physics in their woodshop class. “That may not be a concept on a standardized test,” he says.
Kelly Griffith, a parent of a first-grader at Park Forest Elementary School in State College Area, sees the value of the standards in education. As a doctoral student in educational theory and policy at Penn State, she’s come to know that the standards’ intent is to encourage a higher level of thinking and identify the knowledge students need to know as they head out into the real world. But, like administrators and teachers, she has reservations about standards when they come with “high-stakes tests” and an accountability system for teachers. “The more punitive the accountability system becomes for educators, the more likely it is to influence the experiences my daughter has in the classroom,” she says. “It could lead to more test prep, less time for social studies, science, the arts, physical education, etc. It could also lead to increased and unnecessary stress for teachers, which could affect the classroom environment by taking the joy out of teaching and learning for educators and students.” T&G
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Mike Dawson is a freelance writer in State College.
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Abbey Addiction
Dedicated fans of Downton Abbey are ready to return to the Yorkshire estate as the show begins its fifth season By Jennifer Babulsky
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Nick Briggs/Carnival Films (6)
Is Lady Mary finally ready to love again? Did Mr. Bates kill Mr. Green? If so, what will happen to him and Anna? What will become of Edith’s baby? Carson and Mrs. Hughes — will they or won’t they? The legion of dedicated Downton Abbey fans has been asking themselves those questions since the season-four finale last February. With season five premiering January 4 at 9 p.m. on WPSU, the answers may be coming. Allen Leech (left) as Tom Branson and Fifi Hart as Sybbie Branson.
Elizabeth McGovern (left) plays Cora, Countess of Grantham, and Richard E. Grant is Simon Bricker on Downton Abbey.
For those wondering what on Earth I’m writing about, it’s Downtown Abbey, the highest-rated drama in PBS history. Imagine a soap opera taking place in Britain during the early part of the 1900s. There are tears, laughter, and so much more. “Originally I was drawn to Downton Abbey through my mother, who continuously raved about the show to me,” says Tiffany Cunningham of Bellefonte. “Since we both like period pieces, I gave it a try and have loved every minute since. I enjoy watching the show because it addresses real issues that occurred during the show’s timeframe, including class, gender, sexuality, and race. While the show takes place almost a century ago, these are still issues prevalent in today’s society.” Downton Abbey has continued to captivate
viewers for four seasons with its intimately interlaced stories centered on an English country estate. Over the years audiences have been gripped by the wrenching social changes, romantic intrigues, and personal crises faced by the Crawley family and the household staff. Last season saw surprising scandals, joyful moments, and dramatic twists and turns that left viewers to ponder what would happen next. It also left fans thinking of past storylines. For Cunningham, 31, her favorite storyline is about love. “The storyline of Lady Sybil’s love for Tom Branson, the chauffeur, was my favorite so far,” she says. “I enjoyed watching this storyline because it dealt with love transcending class and standing up for what you believe in, regardless of the societal implications. To me, the storyline displayed how people and society can change and adapt, depending on the circumstances.” While their love story started bumpy, to say the least, the couple ended up getting married and starting a family together — or so the two thought. Downton is full of drama, and poor Sybil and Tom had a heart-wrenching end to their storyline when Sybil died in childbirth, leaving Tom to raise baby Sybbie. Becky Freeman is another fan who loved the Sybil/Tom storyline, but there’s another baby story that also tops her list — that of Lady Edith and her baby with her married lover, Michael Gregson. So far, however, only Edith’s aunt knows she was ever pregnant. Edith eventually made arrangements with a local farmer to raise her daughter as his own. Let’s see how that works out. “I’m looking forward to Edith’s story,” Freeman,
53 - Town&Gown & &Gown January 2015
Carmichael, Joanne Froggatt, and other favorites. This acclaimed ensemble is joined by guest stars Harriet Walter (Atonement), reprising her role ( as Lady Shackleton, and Peter Egan (Death at a ( Funeral), Funeral who returns as Lord Flintshire, together with new characters played by Richard E. Grant (Girls), Anna Chancellor (The Hour), and Rade Sherbedgia (24). ( “Four wonderful seasons of Downton Abbey, each drawing a larger audience than the last, and now series five,” Masterpiece executive producer Rebecca Eaton says in a press release. “This is a television dream come true.” The show’s many honors include 10 Emmys, two Golden Globes, and two Screen Actors Guild awards. Viewership and social-media stats have soared since Downton Abbey launched in January 2011. Season four drew an average audience of 13.2 million viewers, making it the top PBS drama of all time and one of the highest-rated dramas now on American television. People can get a taste of Downton life at WPSU’s Connoisseur’s Dinner February 7. The dinner, entering its 23rd year, raises funds to help support WPSU programming. It has a different
Sophie McShera as Daisy.
32, of State College says. “Will she hear from Gregson? And how does she deal with not raising her daughter?” Freeman started watching the show when it was in its third season, but has since watched all four seasons. “I went back and watched the first two on Netflix and then caught up from there,” she says. “I think I keep watching because it’s a period piece and is so different from any life experience I’ve had or seen.” Season five features returning stars Maggie Smith, Hugh Bonneville, Michelle Dockery, Elizabeth McGovern, Jim Carter, Laura
From left, Leech as Tom Branson, Tom Cullen as Lord Gillingham, and Michelle Dockery as Lady Mary.
54 - Town&Gown & &Gown January 2015
Penelope Wilton as Isobel Crawley.
theme and celebrity guest each year, and this year’s theme is “An Evening at Downton Abbey.” Attendees will feel like they are at 1920s-era Downton Abbey, with menu selections from Highclere Castle’s award-winning executive chef Paul Brooke-Taylor and Downton Abbey food stylist Lisa Heathcote. “With the runaway success of the series, we reached out to Highclere Castle, the filming location and home to the Carnarvon family, to invite their executive chef to be our host,” says Laura Miller, WPSU marketing director. “I sent an e-mail to the castle’s office, not really expecting anything to happen, and was surprised to a get a return e-mail from Lady Carnarvon personally. We’re very honored and excited that WPSU is the first PBS station to bring a traditional Highclere Castle menu served to Lord and Lady Carnarvon’s guests to our WPSU dinner guests.” Since tickets for the dinner tend to sell quickly, Miller suggests people buy as early as possible. Penn State President Eric Barron and his wife, Molly, cochair the event. “We have guests who have attended the Connoisseur’s Dinner for five, 10, or more years and say it is the highlight of their year,” Miller says. “It takes a small army of 50 to 75 WPSU staff and community volunteers to make this event a success each year. We start the Monday after the last event and spend countless hours planning to make sure every detail is considered to deliver a ‘wow’ experience. When we see their delight from the moment they walk in to the time they say
Brendan Coyle (left) as Mr. Bates and Joanne Froggatt as Anna Bates.
Good night, it’s incredibly rewarding.” For those not able to attend the dinner, never fear. There will be plenty of time to discuss Downtown Abbey once the show begins, and even after each episode, with After Abbey, WPSU’s callin program. Hosted by Whitney Chirdon, WPSU senior producer and director, After Abbey gives
55 - Town&Gown & &Gown January 2015
Contributed photos (2)
From left, Susie Apfelbaum, Jessica Peters, Lindsey Whissel, and Michele Chernega dress up as maids during a special season-three screening of Downton Abbey at WPSU in December 2012.
viewers a chance to talk about the program after each episode ends. Experts also are often brought on the show to discuss themes addressed in each episode. For example, a major storyline last season was the rape of Anna, a lady’s maid and popular character. One After Hours episode featured an expert speaking about sexual violence and other pertinent issues that occurred during that time period. “When planning the season, I will sit down and watch episodes, as well as read descriptions of episodes,” Chirdon says. “I’ll try to find storylines that we could build a conversation around for each episode of After Abbey, then I’ll look for experts to help expand the discussion. It hasn’t been very difficult to find experts who love Downton. I’ll also pull clips from episodes to create fun segments.”
— continued on page 58
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Where They Left Off As Downton Abbey begins its fifth season, here’s a look at where some of the main characters were at the end of season four Lady Mary Crawley: Mary became more independent and started playing a leading role in the running of Downton Abbey. But the season also left her in a love triangle. Who will she choose — Charles Blake or Lord Gillingham? Lady Edith Crawley: After delivering a baby girl — unknown to her family except for her aunt — Lady Edith convinced a local farmer to take the baby in and raise as his own, telling the farmer the baby was the daughter of a “friend.” How will Edith handle being so close to her daughter yet not claiming the baby as her own? Anna and John Bates: Anna and John began to move forward after the rape of Anna and the death of her attacker. Did John commit murder? Will Anna and John’s relationship survive the trauma? Tom Branson: Tom, the former chauffeur and then husband of Lady Sybil, seems to still be finding his away among his new family and adjusting to being a single father after Sybil’s death. Is Tom finding love again? Season four left Tom with an interesting relationship developing with a local woman. Mr. Carson and Mrs. Hughes: Mr. Carson seems to struggle with the changing times and wants badly to hold on to tradition. Mrs. Hughes seems to always try to lead him into the present and future. The season left off with the long-time coworkers and friends holding hands as they walked into the ocean. Where will their journey take them?
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— continued from page 56 For Chirdon, who is yet another fan of Downton, she loves being able to keep the conversation going long after each episode ends. “It’s great to have a show on like this following Downton because it gives the audience a chance to keep engaged about the program,” she says. “We all hate to see our favorite program end and then have to wait a whole week to see what happens next. With After Abbey, it’s our entire community of Downton fans continuing the discussion.” T&G Jennifer Babulsky is a freelance writer based in State College and programming coordinator of Penn State’s Center for Women Students.
A Downton Abbey fan (left) sits on WPSU’s After Abbey TV call-in show set with hosts Whitney Chirdon (center) and Lindsey Whissel.
58 - Town&Gown January 2015
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ThisMonth on THE PLOT THICKENS... DOWNTON ABBEY, SEASON 5 Sundays, January 4–March 1, at 9 p.m. Rejoin the Crawley family for an epic fifth season of intimately interlaced stories centered on an English country estate — a deliciously entertaining formula that has made it the highest-rated drama in PBS history. Viewers can expect all the highs and lows, the heady mix of drama, romance, and comedy, and plenty of new surprises! WPSU’S AFTER ABBEY Sundays following Downton Abbey Stay tuned after Downton Abbey for WPSU’s fan call-in program, After Abbey. Call in and tweet (@AfterAbbey) with WPSU producers and special guests to be part of the live TV conversation about season five’s plot twists, new characters, and how the Roaring Twenties era is changing life at the castle. MANNERS OF DOWNTON ABBEY: A MASTERPIECE SPECIAL Sunday, January 4, at 10:45 p.m. Enter the world of Edwardian manners with Alastair Bruce, historical adviser to Downton Abbey. Bruce and the series’ leading cast members explain how they re-create the authentic etiquette of aristocrats and servants.
wpsu.org U.Ed. OUT 15-0367
P E N N S TAT E P U B L I C M E D I A
For additional program information visit wpsu.org
QUEEN’S GARDEN Sunday, January 11, at 10:30 p.m. Hidden behind security cameras and barbed wire are 39 acres of the most biodiverse place in central London, and it belongs to Her Majesty The Queen. In this unprecedented insider’s look, watch as the lush gardens containing 300 wildflowers, 42 bird species, and a quarter of Britain’s insect species change over four seasons. NEW SATURDAY EVENING PROGRAMMING: FATHER BROWN Starting in January, our British comedies schedule will move to 7 p.m. to make room for Father Brown at 9 p.m. Inspired by the short stories of G. K. Chesterton, Mark Williams stars as a priest with a gift for solving crimes in the hit BBC series, set in the picture-perfect village of Kembleford in the 1950s. Don’t be fooled by Father Brown’s mild-mannered behavior. His compassion helps him see into the hearts of people on both sides of the law, while his playful wit and razorsharp mind catch thieves and murderers off guard.
J A N U A RY Photo credit: Courtesy of ©Nick Briggs/Carnival Films 2014 for MASTERPIECE
Student-Athlete Scholarship Story:
How Donor Support Fulfilled My Dreams
Supporting Student-Athletes www.NittanyLionClub.com
My name is Raquel Rodriguez. I was born and raised in San Jose, Costa Rica. I started playing soccer at 4 years old. My dad introduced and taught me the sport. Along with the soccer skills, he also taught me discipline, hard work, and integrity. As a kid, I had two specific dreams. One was to play with the Costa Rican Soccer National Team and the other was to play professional soccer. One day, I shared with my mom my deep desire to be successful in soccer. This was a critical moment in my life because what my mom told me became my “rock,” my success, my stability, and my hope from that moment on. She showed me Psalms 37:4 in the Bible. It reads, “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” I knew that if I would follow God’s ways first and if I would put Him first in my life, he would take care of the desires of my heart. As I grew up, I started to notice how God gave me grace and wisdom to be successful, not only in soccer, but in other aspects of life. I was able to make it to the National Team at 11 years old. Before playing professional soccer, I wanted to play soccer and study at the same time in the USA at a university. It was impossible for my parents to afford an education in America. Being international, I did not know much about American universities and their rankings. All I was hoping was to get an offer from a good university, academically and athletically. In 2009, I was playing with the U20 Costa Rican Women’s Soccer National Team. We were invited to a tournament in Miami. Erica Welsh, the Penn State Women’s Soccer Coach, was in the tournament as the head coach of one of the teams participating. She watched me play, and offered me a full scholarship to Penn State University. My dream of playing in America was now possible! Today, I have no words to explain how grateful I am. I wonder if the Penn State donors realize that they make dreams come true for families like mine. Donors change student athletes’ futures with the education and formation we receive at Penn State. Most importantly, I think they are available instruments for God to use, even if they don’t realize it. God bless all of you who work with excellence, who have kind hearts, and who give to bless others.
Coming to Bryce Jordan Center
January 4 Lady Lion Basketball vs. Illinois 2 p.m. 6 Nittany Lion Basketball vs. Michigan 7 p.m. 10 Lady Lion Basketball vs. Rutgers Noon 16 Winter Jam Spectacular 7 p.m.
Hidden Mother
17 Nittany Lion Basketball vs. Purdue 1 p.m.
January 6–April 26, 2015
Museum Hours Tuesday through Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, noon to 4:00 p.m. Closed Mondays and some holidays Tuesday, January 6, through Sunday, January 11, noon to 4:00 p.m.
ALWAYS FREE ADMISSION
814-865-7672 Above: Unknown photographer, Veiled Mother with Child, c. 1870, tintype. Gift of Susan Herzig and Paul Hertzmann, Paul M. Hertzmann, Inc., San Francisco, 99.69. The Palmer Museum of Art receives state arts funding support through a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency. Penn State is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer, and is committed to providing employment opportunities to minorities, women, veterans, individuals with disabilities, and other protected groups.
22 Lady Lion Basketball vs. Indiana 7 p.m. 24 Nittany Lion Basketball vs. Rutgers Noon 25 Lady Lion Basketball vs. Northwestern 2 p.m. 28 Nittany Lion Basketball vs. Minnesota 7 p.m.
62 - Town&Gown January 2015
what's happening
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Penn State’s men’s basketball team hosts Michigan in its Big Ten home opener.
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Skillet headlines this year’s Winter Jam 2015 Tour Spectacular that visits the Bryce Jordan Center.
24 Dave Mason’s Traffic Jam performs at the State Theatre.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
25 Penn State’s wrestling team hosts Big Ten favorite Minnesota at Rec Hall.
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Dance company Diavolo returns to Eisenhower Auditorium.
Announcements of general interest to residents of the State College area may be mailed to Town&Gown, 403 S. Allen St., State College, PA 16801; faxed to (814) 238-3415; or e-mailed to dpenc@barashmedia.com. Photos are welcome.
63 - Town&Gown January 2015
Academics 1-2 – State College Area School District, Winter Holiday, no school K-12. 12 – Penn State, classes begin. 19 – Penn State, Martin Luther King Day, no classes. 23 – State College Area School District, no school K-12.
Children & Families 2 – Homeschool Days, Discovery Space of Central PA, SC, noon, mydiscoveryspace.org. 2, 23 – Discovery Days, Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, 11 a.m., schlowlibrary.org. 3 – Saturday Stories Alive, Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, 11 a.m., schlowlibrary.org. 3 – Block Party!, Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, 2 p.m., schlowlibrary.org. 7, 14, 21, 28 – Baby Explorers, Discovery Space of Central PA, SC, 10:30 a.m., mydiscoveryspace.org. 8, 15, 22, 29 – Storytime, Discovery Space of Central PA, SC, 10:30 a.m., mydiscoveryspace.org. 8, 15, 22, 29 – Science Adventures, Discovery Space of Central PA, SC, 11 a.m., mydiscoveryspace.org. 10 – Kindermusik, Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, 10 & 11 a.m., schlowlibrary.org. 17 – Lego Club, Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, 2 p.m., schlowlibrary.org. 17, 31 – World Stories Alive, Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, 11 a.m., schlowlibrary.org. 18 – Chill Out with a Good Book, Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, 2 p.m., schlowlibrary.org. 20 – Mother/Daughter Book Club, Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, 6 p.m., schlowlibrary.org. 21 – Pajama Concert, Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, 7 p.m., schlowlibrary.org. 25 – Winter Wonderland, Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, 2 p.m., schlowlibrary.org.
Classes & Lectures 6, 20 – “A Joint Venture,” information session on hip or knee replacement, Mount Nittany Medical Center, SC, 11 a.m. Jan. 6, 7 p.m. Jan. 20, 278-4810. 10 – Gadgets for Grownups: iPad Basics, Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, 10:30 a.m., schlowlibrary.org.
13 – Penn State Forum: “Chimpanzees in Captivity: From Research to Retirement” by Cathy Willis Spraetz, Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel, PSU, 11:30 a.m., pennstateforum.psu.edu. 23 – Penn State Forum: “Forgotten Girl, Forerunners to the Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act” by Sarah Collins Rudolph and Tracy Snipe, Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel, PSU, 11:30 a.m., pennstateforum.psu.edu. 23 – Gallery Talk: “Song of Myself” by Joyce Robinson, Palmer Museum of Art, PSU, 12:10 p.m., palmermuseum.psu.edu. 26 – Center for Women Students: “Can I Kiss You?" by Mike Domitrz, Heritage Hall, HUB, PSU, 6:30 p.m., studentaffairs.psu .edu/womenscenter. 29 – Mary R. Rolling Reading Series: Cathleen Miller, 102 Paterno Library, PSU, 7:30 p.m., la.psu.edu. 30 – Paper Views Conversation: “Rethinking Nineteenth-Century Photographic Portraits” by Nancy Locke, Palmer Museum of Art, PSU, 1 p.m., palmermuseum.psu.edu. 31 – Gadgets for Grownups: Schlow’s Digital Library for Kindles, Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, 10:30 a.m., schlowlibrary.org.
Club Events 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 – State College Downtown Rotary mtg., Damon’s Grill & Sports Bar, SC, noon, http://centrecounty.org/ rotary/club/. 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 – Go Club, Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, 1:30 p.m., schlowlibrary.org. 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 – Chess Club, Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, 2 p.m., schlowlibrary.org. 6, 13, 20, 27 – State College Rotary Club, Nittany Lion Inn, SC, 5:30 p.m., statecollegerotary.org. 7, 14, 21, 28 – State College Sunrise Rotary Club mtg., Hotel State College, SC, 7:15 a.m., kfragola@psualum.com. 7, 21 – Outreach Toastmasters Meeting, The 329 Building, Room 413, PSU, noon, kbs131@psu.edu. 8, 15, 22, 29 – Comics Club, Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, 3:30 p.m., schlowlibrary.org. 13 – Women’s Mid Day Connection Luncheon, Mountain View Club, Boalsburg, 11:45 a.m., 404-3704. 14 – 148th PA Volunteer Infantry Civil War Reenactment Group mtg., Hoss’s Steak and Sea House, SC, 7:30 p.m., 861-0770.
64 - Town&Gown January 2015
14 – Women’s Welcome Club of State College meeting, Oakwood Presbyterian Church (not church affiliated), SC, 7 p.m., womenswelcomeclub.org. 20 – Women’s Welcome Club of State College Coffee/Tea, Oakwood Presbyterian Church (not church affiliated), SC, 9:30 a.m., womenswelcomeclub.org. 20 – Evening Book Club, Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, 6:30 p.m., schlowlibrary.org. 21 – Nittany Mineralogical Society, 116 Earth & Engineering Sciences Bldg., PSU, 7:30 p.m., www.nittanymineral.org. 28 – Afternoon Book Club, Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, 2 p.m., schlowlibrary.org. 28 – Applique Club, Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, 6 p.m., schlowlibrary.org. 28 – State College Bird Club, Foxdale Village Meeting Room, SC, 7 p.m., scbirdcl.org.
Community Associations & Development 20 – Spring Creek Watershed Association mtg., Patton Township Municipal Building, 7:30 a.m., springcreekwatershed.org. 28 – Patton Township Business Association, Patton Township Municipal Building, noon, 237-2822.
“Veiled Mother with Child" is part of the exhibit Hidden Mother, which is at the Palmer Museum of Art January 6 to April 26.
Exhibits 6-April 26 – Hidden Mother, Palmer Museum of Art, PSU, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Tues.-Sat., noon-4 p.m. Sun., palmermuseum.psu.edu.
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13-May 10 – Song of Myself, Palmer Museum of Art, PSU, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Tues.-Sat., noon-4 p.m. Sun., palmermuseum.psu.edu. 30 – Paper Views: Rethinking Nineteenth-Century Photographic Portraits, Palmer Museum of Art, PSU, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Tues.-Sat., noon-4 p.m. Sun., palmermuseum.psu.edu.
Health Care For schedule of blood drives visit redcross.org or givelife.org. 2 – Alzheimer’s/Dementia Support Group, Schlow Centre Region Library SC, 1 p.m., 234-3141. 5 – Cancer Caregiver Support Group, Mount Nittany Medical Center, SC, 10:30 a.m., cancersurvive.org. 5 – Breast Cancer Support Group, Mount Nittany Medical Center, SC, 5:30 p.m., 231-6870. 8 – Diabetes Support Group, Mount Nittany Medical Center, SC, 6 p.m., 231-7095. 8 – A free parents-to-be class, Mount Nittany Health, Boalsburg, 7 p.m., 466-7921. 11 – The Ostomy Support Group, Mount Nittany Medical Center, SC, 2 p.m., 234-6195. 13 – Alzheimer’s/Dementia Support Group, Mount Nittany Dining Room at the Inn at Brookline, SC, 6:30 p.m., 234-3141. 14 – Senior Center Diabetes Support Group, Centre Region Senior Center, SC, 10:15 a.m., 231-3076. 14 – The Fertility Issues and Loss Support Group, Choices (2214 N. Atherton St.), SC, 6:30 p.m., heartofcpa.org. 19 – Cancer Survivor Support Group, Mount Nittany Medical Center, SC, 11:30 a.m., cancersurvive.org. 20 – Multiple Sclerosis Support Group, HealthSouth Nittany Valley Rehab Hospital, Pleasant Gap, 6 p.m., 359-3421. 21 – Alzheimer’s Support Group, Elmcroft Senior Living, SC, 6:30 p.m., 235-7675. 27 – Stroke Support Group, HealthSouth Nittany Valley Rehab Hospital, Pleasant Gap, 4 p.m., 359-3421.
Music 16 – Winter Jam 2015 Tour Spectacular, BJC, PSU, 7 p.m., bjc.psu.edu. 16-17 – Penn State School of Music: Marian Garcia Piano Masterclass Competition and Teachers’ Workshop, various locations, PSU, music.psu.edu. 17 – Orrin Starr, Center for Well-Being, Lemont, 7:30 p.m., acousticbrew.org.
Orrin Starr performs at the Center for Well-Being in Lemont January 17. 18 – Pennsylvania Centre Orchestra presents “Sensational Sounds,” Mount Nittany Middle School, SC, 3 p.m., centreorchestra.org. 18 – Penn State School of Music: Mark Lusk, trombone, Esber Recital Hall, PSU, 8 p.m., music.psu.edu. 21 – The Art of Music: “Camerata Amistad: Gira Hispánica,” Palmer Museum of Art, PSU, 12:10 p.m., palmermuseum.psu.edu. 24 – Dave Mason’s Traffic Jam, State Theatre, SC, 8 p.m., thestatetheatre.org. 25 – Penn State School of Music: Horn Fest, various locations, PSU, music.psu.edu. 25 – Nittany Valley Symphony presents “Remarkable Kids,” Mount Nittany Middle School, SC, 4 p.m., nvs.org. 27 – Greensky Bluegrass, State Theatre, SC, 8 p.m., thestatetheatre.org. 30-31 – Penn State School of Music: Andrea Clearfield with Pennsylvania Quintet, various locations, PSU, music.psu.edu.
Special Events 2 – First Friday, Downtown State College, 5 p.m., FirstFridayStateCollege.com. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 – Downtown State College Farmers’ Market, State College Municipal Building, SC, 11:30 a.m., statecollegefarmers.com. 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 – Millheim Farmers’ Market, Old Gregg Mills Farmers’ Market, Spring Mills, 10 a.m., centralpafarmers.com. 6, 13, 20, 27 – Boalsburg Farmers’ Market, St. John’s United Church of Christ, Boalsburg, 2 p.m., boalsburgfarmersmarket.com.
66 - Town&Gown January 2015
24 – Kards for Kids Charity Poker Tournament, Ramada Inn, SC, ymcaocc.org 27 – Culture of Silence: Stalking on College Campuses, 129C HUB, PSU, noon, studentaffairs.psu.edu/womenscenter.
Sports For tickets to Penn State sporting events, call (814) 865-5555 or visit gopsusports.com. For area high school sporting events, visit high school Web sites. 3-4 – PSU/Ohio State, women’s ice hockey, Pegula Ice Arena, PSU, 7 p.m. Sat., 2 p.m. Sun. 4 – PSU/Illinois, women’s basketball, BJC, PSU, 2 p.m. 6 – PSU/Michigan, men’s basketball, BJC, PSU, 7 p.m. 9 – PSU/Indiana, wrestling, Rec Hall, PSU, 7 p.m. 9-10 – PSU/Ohio State, men’s ice hockey, Pegula Ice Arena, PSU, 7 p.m. Fri., 3 p.m. Sat. 10 – PSU/Rutgers, women’s basketball, BJC, PSU, noon. 10 – PSU/Cornell, New Hampshire, Rutgers, women’s gymnastics, Rec Hall, PSU, 4 p.m.
The Penn State men’s ice hockey team has six home games in January.
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10 – Penn State Indoor Relays, track & field, Multi-Sport Facility, PSU, all day. 11 – PSU/Army, men’s gymnastics, Rec Hall, PSU, 1 p.m. 16-17 – PSU/Michigan State, men’s ice hockey, Pegula Ice Arena, PSU, 7 p.m. Fri., 5 p.m. Sat. 17 – PSU/Drew, UPenn, Temple, Duke, North Carolina, Columbia, Haverford, men’s fencing, White Building, PSU, 9 a.m. 17 – PSU/Purdue, men’s basketball, BJC, PSU, 1 p.m. 17 – Nittany Lion Challenge, track & field, Multi-Sport Facility, PSU, all day. 17-18 – PSU/RIT, women’s ice hockey, Pegula Ice Arena, PSU, noon Sat., 2 p.m. Sun. 18 – PSU/Purdue, wrestling, Rec Hall, PSU, 1 p.m. 22 – PSU/Indiana, women’s basketball, BJC, PSU, 7 p.m. 23 – PSU/Loyola Chicago, men’s volleyball, Rec Hall, PSU, 7 p.m. 23-24 – PSU/Northern Michigan, men’s ice hockey, Pegula Ice Arena, PSU, 7 p.m. Fri., 3 p.m. Sat. 24 – PSU/Navy, men’s & women’s swimming, McCoy Natatorium, PSU, 11 a.m. 24 – PSU/Rutgers, men’s basketball, BJC, PSU, noon. 24 – PSU/Michigan, men’s gymnastics, Rec Hall, PSU, 4 p.m. 24 – PSU/Maryland, women’s gymnastics, Rec Hall, PSU, 4 p.m. 24 – PSU/Lewis, men’s volleyball, Rec Hall, PSU, 7 p.m. 25 – PSU/Northwestern, women’s basketball, BJC, PSU, 2 p.m. 25 – PSU/Minnesota, wrestling, Rec Hall, PSU, 2 p.m. 28 – PSU/Minnesota, men’s basketball, BJC, PSU, 7 p.m. 30 – PSU/Mount Olive, men’s volleyball, Rec Hall, PSU, 7 p.m.
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30-31 – PSU/Syracuse, women’s ice hockey, Pegula Ice Arena, PSU, 7 p.m. Fri., 2 p.m. Sat. 30-31 – Penn State National Day, track & field, Multi-Sport Facility, PSU, all day, 31 – PSU/St. Francis (PA), men’s volleyball, Rec Hall, PSU, 8 p.m.
The Metropolitan Opera Live in HD’s production of Lehar’s The Merry Widow will be shown at the State Theatre January 17.
Theater 17 – Metropolitan Opera Live in HD presents Lehar’s The Merry Widow, State Theatre, SC, 12:55 p.m., thestatetheatre.org. 18 – National Theatre Live presents John, State Theatre, SC, 3 p.m., thestatetheatre.org. 22, 24, 31 – Mystery Dinner Theatre: Wedding From Hell, Duffy’s Tavern, Boalsburg, 466-6241. 27 – Diavolo presents Architecture in Motion, Eisenhower Auditorium, PSU, 7:30 p.m., cpa.psu.edu. 31 – Metropolitan Opera Live in HD presents Offenbach’s Les Contes d’Hoffmann, State Theatre, SC, 12:55 p.m., thestatetheatre.org. T&G
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Come Home to The State www.thestatetheatre.org • (814) 272-0606 130 W. College Ave. • Downtown State College
Dave Mason January 24th
Greensky Bluegrass January 27th
Yonder Mountain String Band February 3rd
Bright Side of the Road February 7th
from the vine
Yen for Zin
Finding quality Zinfandels can be a challenge, but it’s fun trying By Lucy Rogers
I remember the very first time I was struck by the quality of a wine. At the time, I didn’t know very much about wine — that is to say, I had stopped buying the three bottles in a wooden box for $10 (the box alone was worth it!), but I wasn’t really paying attention to the wines I was drinking beyond their less-than-$14 price tag. On this particular occasion, I was out with some girlfriends at Bandera Grill on Mich-
igan Avenue in Chicago, and we agreed to buy a bottle of Zinfandel. I’ve never forgotten the name of that wine — Schuetz Oles Napa Valley Zinfandel — because it was the first time a wine actually grabbed my attention immediately. In a word, it was delicious, and I’m certain I had never said that about a wine before — delicious! What I loved about the wine — and why to this day, more 20 years later, I continue to hunt down similarly styled Zinfandels — was the wine’s opulence and overall balance. It was fruity but not overly ripe or too jammy; round and easy-drinking but not flabby. It had soft tannins but was not without structure, and had complexity, with layers of flavor such as cocoa, raspberry, vanilla, and tobacco that were not muddled or overcrowded. It had a beautiful texture. This has become the very definition of good Zinfandel to me. And there was a time, 20 to 25 years ago, when finding a high-quality, complex, well-made Zinfandel was not all that difficult. (The Schuetz Oles retailed for about $19 back then). But then people became aware of the value that Zinfandels represented — big fruity friendly wines that were more user friendly than Cabernet Sauvignons because they were less tannic and were ready to drink earlier, and offered something a little more edgy and spicy than stolid Merlots. It became the next trend in red wine (before Malbec and Pinot Noir had their respective surges), and as their popularity grew, many winemakers responded with mediocre bottlings in the $10 to $20 range, which flooded the market. With the idea that the wine-drinking public wanted big jammy fruit-bomb wines, alcohol content soared, and the average Zin, whose alcohol by volume had hovered around 13 percent was now being produced with ABVs of 15, 15.5, and even more than 16 percent alcohol. And while high alcohol does not necessarily mean that a wine is poorly made, it can mean that a lot of those that do contain that level of alcohol can be almost port-like, overly jammy, lacking acidity, and not particularly good with food. And let’s not forget the host of puns that wineries feel compelled to utilize when naming their Zinfandels, I presume because they want the public to believe that their Zinfandel is so
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decadent and rich that drinking it is self-indulgent. With names such as Cardinal Zin, Seven Deadly Zins, Zinzilla, Poizin, and Sin Zin, one wonders how there could possibly be any more plays on the word Zin — until the newest one shows up at the liquor store. What does all this mean? These days, many of the better winemakers are beginning to finetune their Zinfandels, with a renewed effort to create Zinfandels that are true to the grape and are not overly manipulated. This can result in a style of wine that is far removed from the big fruit bombs we’ve seen crowding the shelves — wines with a lighter body, more acid, and lower alcohol content. While Lodi, and Napa, Dry Creek, and Alexander valleys in Sonoma will continue to make bigger Zins simply because of their hotter days, cooler microclimates in places such as Russian River Valley and Paso Robles tend to create wines that are a little more restrained. What I want is to find the producer that can straddle the line between opulent and over the top, but even those who can do that in most vintages can’t do it every year — names such as Mauritson, John Tyler, and Robert Biale come to mind. And, of course, wines with a reputation of being well-produced don’t come cheap — most are in the $30 to $50 range. And perhaps that is the price paid for developing one’s palate — it gets harder and harder to tolerate less-than-mediocre wines. But as I always say, spending more certainly doesn’t guarantee increased quality, and there is hope because there are always exceptions and you just have to look for them. If you are on a very tight wine budget, you would probably do
best with purchasing a 3-liter box of Big House Cardinal Zin for $19. That is the equivalent of four 750-milliliter bottles at less than $5 each, and will last on your shelf for more than a month (if you don’t drink it before the month is out!). If you can spend a little more, Bogle Old Vine Zinfandel, which averages about $11, is a consistently good product year after year. Anytime I buy it, I expect to be disappointed, and I never am. It can easily be classified as a go-to Zinfandel for everyday drinking. Also under $20 is Alexander Valley Vineyards’ Sin Zin 2010, with lots of raspberry preserves and a touch of cranberry with good balance. Ghost Pines Zinfandel 2012, with grapes from both Sonoma and San Joaquin, is about $15 and might appeal to some — it has the richness and ease of a quality Zinfandel, but there is something artificial and manufactured about its flavor, perhaps something even solvent-y. For just a few dollars more, at $18, St. Francis Old Vine Zinfandel offers well-made Zinfandel fairly consistently, though it can vary a bit from vintage to vintage. Then, if you can spend more than $20, there are some reliable producers you can look for, particularly Seghesio, Ridge, Turley, and some of the single-vineyard Ravenswood wines. Or you can search by region: Napa and Dry Creek valleys, and subregions such as Rockpile and Monte Rosso, are on the higher end, with the rest of Sonoma a notch down. Lodi can be hit or miss, as it has the right climate to ripen Zinfandel but the quality of the wine will be determined by the talent and skill of the winemaker. Amador and Sierra Foothills are getting a lot of press for producing good Zinfandels, so they may be the best regions to explore in terms of quality-to-price ratio. I can’t think of a better time than January to do this kind of exploration of Zinfandel. And what of Schuetz Oles? Its Web site is defunct, and I can’t find any record of a wine produced later than 2001. It may be gone for good — but I’ll always have Chicago. T&G Lucy Rogers is the tasting room manager for Big Spring Spirits in Bellefonte. She can be reached at lucy@bigspringspirits.com, or you can find her in the tasting room.
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Fine Wine Grown in Centre County
Come try our award winning wines! Tasting Room Hours: Tues.-Thurs. 11 - 6 p.m. Fri. & Sat. 11 - 9 p.m. • Sun. 11 - 6 p.m.
576 S. Foxpointe Dr., State College • 814-308-8756 • www.thehappyvalleywinery.com
Taste of the Month
If it’s happening in Happy Valley, it’s in Town&Gown! Town&Gown’s monthly focus on local food
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John Hovenstine (6)
Tasteof the Month
Classic Comfort Soup and chili recipes to help beat the winter weather By Vilma Shu Danz During the winter months, nothing can beat the chilly weather like a steaming bowl of soup or chili. Not to mention, most often, it’s an easy one-pot meal that feeds a crowd. A big pot of chili is the perfect game-day dish for the Super Bowl! Soups and chili are not only comforting and delicious, they also are a great way to use up leftover meats, vegetables, and other pantry foods. A few years ago, “Taste of the Month” highlighted favorite soup recipes from chefs from local restaurants. This time, the staff at Town&Gown and its sister publication, the Centre County Gazette, gathered a few of their favorite soup and chili recipes to share. 74 - Town&Gown January 2015
Gluten-free Chicken Corn Soup
Contributed by Katie Myers, Centre County Gazette ad coordinator (Takes approximately one hour to make; makes about 3 gallons of soup)
Ground Turkey Chili
Contributed Aimee Aiello, Town&Gown business manager 1 green pepper chopped 1 finely chopped small habanera pepper 1 onion chopped 2 cloves fresh pressed garlic 1 tbsp. oregano 1 tsp. chili powder 1 tsp. fresh ground pepper 1 12-oz can black beans 1 12-oz can dark kidney beans 1 12-oz can white kidney beans 2 12-oz cans diced Italian tomatoes 1 16-oz can crushed tomatoes 1/2 lb ground turkey, cooked and drained. Sauté onions and peppers, add garlic, spices, diced tomatoes, and crushed tomatoes. Add the ground turkey and let simmer for one hour. I normally add a little water if needed. Top with cheddar cheese and sour cream. Serve with cornbread or corn chips.
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2 roasted whole chickens (medium-sized) 1 box 12 oz. of gluten-free noodles (I use the “Schar Bonta d’Italia” brand) 1 onion (chopped) 8 celery sticks (chopped) 6 cups sweet corn 4 cubes of chicken bouillon 1 cup chopped parsley 10 cups water Salt and pepper Cook 4 cups of the water, chicken bouillon, parsley, chopped onion, and chopped celery on medium heat for 30 minutes while you debone and take the skin off of the two chickens and cut into bite-size pieces. Add the remaining 6 cups of water and the sweet corn and bring to a boil. Stir constantly so that it doesn’t stick, and never go above medium heat. When soup begins to boil, add the gluten-free pasta and keep stirring. When soup returns to a boil, turn heat to simmer and cover. Wait 30 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with parsley and serve.
Cream of Cauliflower Soup Contributed by Amy Ansari, Centre County Gazette account executive 1 head cauliflower (2 pounds) 8 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into eight pieces 1 leek, white and light-green parts only, halved lengthwise, sliced thin, and washed thoroughly 1 small onion, halved and sliced thin Salt and pepper 4 1/2-5 cups water 1/2 tsp. sherry vinegar 3 tbsp. minced fresh chives
Pull off outer leaves of cauliflower and trim stem. Using paring knife, cut around core to remove; thinly slice core and reserve. Cut heaping 1 cup of 1/2-inch florets from head of cauliflower; set aside. Cut remaining cauliflower crosswise into 1/2-inch thick slices. Melt 3 tbsp. butter in large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add leek, onion, and 1 1/2 tsp. salt; cook, stirring frequently until leek and onion are softened but not browned, about 7 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high; add 4 1/2 cups water, sliced core, and half of sliced cauliflower and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Add remaining sliced cauliflower, return to simmer and continue to cook until cauliflower is tender and crumbles easily, 15 to 20 minutes longer. While soup simmers, melt remaining 5 tbsp. butter in 8-inch skillet over medium heat. Add reserved florets and cook, stirring frequently until florets are golden brown and butter is browned and imparts nutty aroma, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and use slotted spoon to transfer florets to small bowl. Toss florets with vinegar and season with salt to taste. Pour browned butter in skillet into small bowl and reserve for garnishing. Process soup in blender until smooth, about 45 seconds. Rinse out pan. Return pureed soup to pan and return to simmer over medium heat, adjusting consistency with remaining water as needed (soup should have thick, velvety texture but should be thin enough to settle with flat surface after being stirred) and seasoning with salt to taste. Serve, garnishing individual bowls with browned florets, drizzle of browned butter, and chives and seasoning with pepper to taste.
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Leftover Turkey Two Ways: Turkey Corn Soup and Turkey Gumbo Contributed by Vilma Shu Danz, Town&Gown operations manager/assistant editor
Turkey Corn Soup
Leftover turkey (white and dark meat) cut into bite-size pieces 1/2 stick of butter (unsalted) 1-2 32-oz. Swanson Chicken Broth (low sodium) 2 large carrots, diced 1 medium onion, diced 2 celery stalks, diced Handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped 12 woz. frozen corn Half a pound of dried pasta (mini shells or ring-shaped) Salt and pepper to taste In a large pot over medium heat, sautĂŠ onions, carrots, and celery in the butter until onions are lightly brown. Add leftover turkey meat, corn, and chicken broth. The amount of chicken broth depends on how much turkey you put in. You want it to cover the turkey so it can simmer in the broth with the vegetables. Add salt, pepper, and parsley to taste. Bring to boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Add pasta. Cook until pasta is tender. Turn off heat, allow to sit for 5-10 minutes before eating.
Turkey Gumbo
Leftover turkey (white and dark meat) cut into bite-size pieces 1 stick unsalted butter 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 medium onion, diced 2 celery stalks, diced 1 green bell pepper, diced 1 lb. smoked sausage, such as kielbasa, sliced 1/4-inch thick 1 tbsp. Creole seasoning 1 32-oz Swanson Chicken Broth (low sodium) Salt and pepper to taste Steamed rice, for serving In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the flour and reduce the heat to low. Cook, whisking constantly until the mixture is chocolate brown, about 15 minutes. Do not let it burn. Stir in the onions, celery, and green peppers and cook until the vegetables are soft, an additional 5 minutes. Add chicken broth, leftover turkey, and kielbasa. Bring the mixture to a boil and lower to a simmer for 30 minutes. Check to see if you need to add more chicken broth or water. Gumbo should be a little thick and not watery. Stir in the Creole seasoning and season with salt and pepper. Serve with steamed rice.
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Basic Chili
Contributed by Darren Weimert, Town&Gown graphic designer/photographer 1 lb. ground beef (85-15) Olive oil 2 small cans kidney beans 1 small can diced tomatoes 1 small can stewed tomatoes 1 small can black beans
1 medium onion, diced 1 small to medium green pepper 4 tbsp. chili powder 4 cloves of garlic, minced 1-3 tbsp. Sriracha Salt and pepper to taste 78 - Town&Gown January 2015
SautĂŠ onions, then garlic in olive oil. Add meat and sautĂŠ until brown. Add chili powder. Add tomatoes, cook 10-15 minutes. Add beans and green peppers, cook 15-20 minutes. Finish with pepper and Sriracha.
My Take on My Mom’s Chili
Contributed by Don Bedell, Centre County Gazette sales manager 1 29-oz. can of tomato puree 1 12-oz. can of tomato paste 1 15.5-oz. can of dark red kidney beans 1 15.5-oz. can of light red kidney beans 1 15.5-oz. can of black beans 1 8-oz. can of mushroom stems and pieces 1 8-oz. can of corn 3 medium-sized baking potatoes 1/2 Vidalia Onion 2 lbs. of ground chicken 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. minced garlic 1/2 tbsp. oregano 2 tbsp. chili powder 1 tbsp. olive oil Shredded cheddar cheese (or a blend) Sour cream Cayenne pepper sauce (to taste)
Add olive oil, garlic, and onions into a stockpot and put on medium heat. Cook until onions start to get soft. Be careful not to let them brown. Add ground chicken. Add the oregano and chili powder. Mix the ground meat well to avoid large chunks. Try to get the meat as loose and fine as you can. Stir regularly as you cook over medium heat. Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and cut into small bite-sized cubes. Put in pot of cold water and bring to boil. When potatoes are slightly soft, strain. Once the meat browns thoroughly, reduce the heat and add the following ingredients: tomato puree, tomato paste, dark kidney beans (drain slightly), light kidney beans (drain slightly), black beans (drain slightly), mushrooms (strain), corn (strain), and 1 tbsp. salt into the stockpot with the meat and stir continuously as you add each ingredient. Add potatoes after straining from water. Reduce to low heat. Cover and simmer on low heat for one hour, stirring occasionally. Add cayenne pepper sauce to taste. Serve with a dollop of cream cheese and shredded cheese (cheddar or a blend). T&G
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dining out Full Course Dining bar bleu, 114. S Garner St., 237-0374, bar-bleu. com. Socializing and sports viewing awaits at bar bleu. Don’t miss a minute of the action on 22 true 1080i HDMI high-definition flat-screen monitors displaying the night’s college and pro matchups. The bar serves up 16 draft beers in addition to crafted cocktails, including the “Fishbowl,” concocted in its own 43-ounce tank! Pub fare featuring authentic Kansas City-style barbecue is smoked daily on-site. AE, D, DC, ID+, MC, V. Full bar. Bella II, 135 S. Allegheny St., Bellefonte, 353-4696. Cozy and charming, yet affordable, Bella II’s specialty is good food! Fresh, classic pasta dishes with homemade sauces, large dinner salads, and in-house, hand-crafted desserts, top the favorites. Plan to try Bella II’s lunch buffet, Tues.-Thurs., featuring pasta, pizza, wraps, and desserts. BYOB welcomed! Take out available. Hours: Sun. 12-9, Tues.-Thurs. 11-9, Fri.Sat. 11-10, Closed Mondays. AE, D, MC, V. Carnegie House, corner of Cricklewood Dr. and Toftrees Ave., 234-2424. An exquisite boutique hotel offering fine dining in a relaxed yet gracious atmosphere. Serving lunch and dinner. Prix Fixe menu and à la carte menu selections now available. AAA Four Diamond Award recipient for lodging and fine dining. Reservations suggested. AE, MC, D, V. Full bar. Clem’s Roadside Bar and Grill, 1405 S. Atherton St., 237-7666, www.clemsbarandgrill.com. Chef/owner Greg Mussi combines forces with infamous griller Clem Pantalone to bring you a mix of classic BBQ and other signature dishes featuring local produce and an extensive wine list. Central’s PA’s unique “whiskey bar” and extensive wine list. Happy hours every day from 5 to 7 p.m. State College’s largest outdoor seating area. Groups welcome. Catering and private events available. Daily specials listed on Facebook. Live music. AE, D, DC, MAC, MC, V. Full bar.
Cozy Thai Bistro, 232 S. Allen St., 237-0139. A true authentic Thai restaurant offering casual and yet “cozy” family-friendly dining experience. Menu features wide selections of exotic Thai cuisine, both lunch and dinner (take-out available). BYO (wines & beer) is welcome after 5 p.m. AE, D, DC, MAC, MC, V.
Damon’s Grill & Sports Bar, 1031 E. College Ave., 237-6300, damons.com. Just seconds from Beaver Stadium, locally owned and operated, Damon’s is the premiere place to watch sports and enjoy our extensive menu. Ribs, wings, burgers, steaks, apps, salads, and so much more. AE, D, MAC, MC, V, Full bar. The Deli Restaurant, 113 Hiester St., 237-5710, TheDeliRestaurant.com. Since 1973, The Deli has served up New York-style deli favorites on an American menu offering everything from comfort food to pub favorites, all made from scratch. Soups, breads, sauces, and award-winning desserts are homemade here early in the morning folks. Look for its rotating menu of food-themed festivals throughout the year. AE, D, DC, LC, MC, V. Full bar. The Dining Room at the Nittany Lion Inn, 200 W. Park Ave., 865-8590. Fine continental cuisine in a relaxed, gracious atmosphere. Casual attire acceptable. Private dining rooms available. AE, D, DC, MAC, MC, V. Full bar. Down Under Steakhouse at Toftrees, One Country Club Lane, 234-8000, www.toftrees.com. A casual restaurant with unique dining featuring hearty appetizers, delicious entrees, fresh sandwiches and salads in a comfortable scenic atmosphere. Outdoor seating available. AE, D, DC, MAC, MC, V. Full bar. Duffy’s Boalsburg Tavern, On the Diamond, Boalsburg, 466-6241. The Boalsburg Tavern offers a fine, intimate setting reminiscent of Colonial times. Dining for all occasions with formal and casual menus, daily dinner features, specials, and plenty of free parking. AE, MC, V. Full bar. Faccia Luna Pizzeria, 1229 S. Atherton St., 237-9000, www.faccialuna.com. A true neighborhood hangout, famous for authentic New York-style wood-fired pizzas and fresh, homemade Italian cuisine. Seafood specialties, sumptuous salads, divine desserts, great service, and full bar. Outside seating available. Sorry, reservations not accepted. Dine-in, Take out. MC/V. AE ...........................................................American Express CB ..................................................................Carte Blanche D ................................................................ Discover/Novus DC........................................................................Diners Club ID+ ................................................ PSU ID+ card discounts LC ............................................................................ LionCash MAC .......................................................................debit card MC .......................................................................MasterCard V ......................................................................................... Visa
To advertise, call Town&Gown account executives Kathy George or Debbie Markel at (814) 238-5051. 80 - Town&Gown January 2015
r
Galanga, 454 E. College Ave., 237-1718. Another great addition to Cozy Thai Bistro. Galanga by Cozy Thai offers a unique authentic Thai food featuring Northeastern Thai style cuisine. Vegetarian menu selection available. BYO (wines and beer) is welcome after 5 p.m. AE, D, DC, MAC, MC, V.
Gigi’s, West College Ave. on the Corner of Cato Ave., 861-3463, gigisdining.com. Conveniently located 5 minutes from Downtown, Gigi’s is a farmto-table dining experience inspired by the hottest southern trends. Outdoor Patio. Lunch & Dinner.
Gamble Mill Restaurant & Microbrewery, 160 Dunlop St., Bellefonte, 355-7764. A true piece of Americana, dine and enjoy our in-house craft beers in a historic mill. Experience bold American flavors by exploring our casual pub menu or fine dining options. Six to seven beers of our craft beers on tap. Brewers Club, Growlers, outdoor seating, large private functions, catering. Lunch 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Mon.-Sat. Dinner 5-9/10 p.m. Mon.-Sat. “Chalk Board Sunday’s” 4-8 p.m. All credit cards accepted.
The Greek, 102 E. Clinton Ave., 308-8822, www.thegreekrestaurant.net. Located behind The Original Waffle Shop on North Atherton Street. Visit our Greek tavern and enjoy authentic Greek cuisine. From fresh and abundant vegetables to the most succulent kebabs, each dish has been perfected to showcase genuine Greek flavors. When we say “authentic,” we mean it. Full service, BYOB. D, MC, V.
The Gardens Restaurant at The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel, 215 Innovation Blvd., Innovation Park, 863-5090. Dining is a treat for breakfast, lunch and dinner in The Gardens Restaurant, where sumptuous buffets and à la carte dining are our specialties. AE, CB, D, DC, MC, V. Full bar, beer.
Herwig’s Austrian Bistro, “Where Bacon Is An Herb,” 132 W. College Ave., 272-0738. Located next to the State Theatre. Serving authentic Austrian home cooking in Central PA. Ranked #1 Ethnic Restaurant in State College for 7 years in a row. Eat-in, Take-Out, Catering. Gluten-free options available. Bacon-based dessert. Homemade breads, BYO beer or wine all day. Sense of humor required. D, MAC, MC, V.
Fantastic Cuisine, Recognized as Exquisite Decor.and “Most Romantic” VotedFine “Best” in “Best” Dining! Reservations suggested Fine Dining
ESCAPE ! Make any night an enjoyable evening at Carnegie Inn & Spa. ESCAPE! Reservations are suggested.
Full Bar. AE, D, MAC, MC, V.
Many Choices Seasonal Specials and Packages. PSU Did you know that four Parents and Alumni legged friends areby our Discounts offered welcome at four of our six six State College hotels. State College hotels? . Hilton Garden Inn . Days Inn Penn State . Quality Inn . Nittany Budget Motel . Super 8 . Carnegie Inn & Spa
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82 - Town&Gown January 2015
Nov 2013 2014 Issue - 1/2 Pg Ad Town & Gown Mar
Hi-Way Pizza, 1688 N. Atherton St., 237-0375, HiWayPizza.com. The State College tradition for nearly 50 years, nobody does it better than Hi-Way! Offering more than 29 varieties of hand-spun pizzas made from scratch offer an endless combination of toppings. Its vodka “flaky” crust and red stuffed pizzas are simply a must have. Hi-Way’s menu rounds out with pasta dishes, calzones, grinders, salads, and other Italian specialties. Eat-in, Take-out, or HiWay delivery. AE, D, DC, LC, MC, V. Full bar. India Pavilion, 222 E. Calder Way, 237-3400. Large selection of vegetarian and nonvegetarian dishes from northern India. Lunch buffet offered daily. We offer catering for groups and private parties. AE, D, MC, V. Inferno Brick Oven & Bar, 340 E. College Ave., 237-5718, InfernoBrickOvenBar.com. With a casual yet sophisticated atmosphere, Inferno is a place to see and be seen. A full-service bar boasts a unique specialty wine, beer, and cocktail menu. Foodies — Inferno offers a contemporary Neapolitan brick-oven experience featuring a focused menu of artisan pizzas and other modern-Italian plates. Lunch and dinner service transitions into night as a boutique nightclub with dancefloor lighting, club sound system, and the area’s most talented resident DJs. AE, D, MAC, MC, V. Full bar.
Let Us Plan Your Celebration!
Specializing in: • Catering for Home & Office Parties • In House Banquets & Lunches • Wedding Receptions - Great menu options available - On & off site -Full breakfast, lunch & dinner menu packages Several wedding packages to choose from! - Convenient free parking
Hoag’s Catering & Event Rental’s Superior Food & Service Truly Allows Our Clients to be Guests at Their Own Party!
814-238-0824 • 2880 Commercial Blvd., State College
www.hoagscatering.com 83 - Town&Gown January 2015
Legends Pub at The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel, 215 Innovation Blvd., Innovation Park, 863-5080. Unwind with beverages and a casual lounge menu. AE, D, MC, V. Full bar. Mario’s Italian Restaurant, 1272 N. Atherton St., 234-4273, MariosItalianStateCollege.com. Fresh specialty dishes, pasta, sauces, hand-tossed pizzas, and rotisserie wood-grilled chicken all made from scratch are just a few reasons why Mario’s is authentically Italian! At the heart of it all is a specialty wood-fired pizza oven and rotisserie that imparts rustic flavors that can’t be beat! Mario’s loves wine, honored with six consecutive Wine Spectator awards and a wine list of more than 550 Italian selections. Mario’s even pours 12 rotating specialty bottles on its WineStation® state-of-theart preservation system. Reservations and Walk-Ins welcome. AE, D, DC, LC, MC, V. Full bar. Otto’s Pub & Brewery, 2235 N. Atherton St., 867-6886, www.ottospubandbrewery.com. Our new location provides plenty of parking, great ales and lagers, full service bar, signature dishes made with local products in a family-friendly, casual atmosphere. AE, D, DC, LC MC, V. Full bar.
Philipsburg Elks Lodge & Country Club, 1 Country Club Lane, Philipsburg, 342-0379, philipsburgelks.com. Restaurant open to the public! Monday-Saturday 11-9, Sunday 9-3. Member-only bar. New golf member special, visit our Web site for summer golf special. AE MC, V. Full Bar (member only). The Tavern Restaurant, 220 E. College Ave., 238-6116. A unique gallery-in-a-restaurant preserving PA’s and Penn State’s past. Dinner at The Tavern is a Penn State tradition. Major credit cards accepted. Full bar. Whiskers at the Nittany Lion Inn, 200 W. Park Ave., 865-8580. Casual dining featuring soups, salads, sandwiches and University Creamery ice cream. Major credit cards accepted. Full bar. Zola New World Bistro, 324 W. College Ave., 237-8474. Zola combines comfortable, modern décor with exceptional service. Innovative, creative cuisine from seasonal menus served for lunch and dinner. Extensive award-winning wine list. Jazz and oysters in the bar on Fridays. Catering. AE, D, MC, V. Full bar.
India Pavilion Exotic Indian Cuisine
Now Open 7 Days a Week Lunch Buffet: 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. Dinner: 5:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m.
A true neighborhood hangout highly regarded for its popular and authentic New York-style wood-fired pizza and commitment to quality. Award-winning pizza. and Italian cuisine homemade with only the best and freshest ingredients.
www.faccialuna.com 1229 South Atherton St. • State College • 234-9000
222 E. Calder Way 237-3400 www.indiapavilion.net
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Carry Out Available
Good Food Fast Baby’s Burgers & Shakes, 131 South Garner St., 234-4776, www.babysburgers.com. Love poodle skirts, a jukebox playing the oldies, and delicious food cooked to order? Then Baby’s Burgers & Shakes is your kind of restaurant! Bring the entire family and enjoy a “ Whimpy” burger, a Cherry Coke or delicious chocolate shake, and top it off with a “Teeny Weeny Sundae,” in our authentic 1947 Silk City Diner. Check out Baby’s Web site for full menu and daily specials! D, MC, V, MAC, Lion’s Cash. Fiddlehead, 134 W. College Ave., 237-0595, www. fiddleheadstatecollege.com. Fiddlehead is a soupand-salad café offering soups made from scratch daily. Create your own salad from over 40 fresh ingredients. HUB Dining, HUB-Robeson Center on campus, (814) 865-7623. A Penn State tradition open to all! We will have 13 restaurants. Jamba Juice, McAlister’s Deli, Starbucks, Chick-fil-A, Burger King, Higher Grounds, Sbarro, Soup & Garden, Diversions, Blue Burrito, Mixed Greens, Panda Express, and Sushi by Panda Express. V, MC, LC.
Irving’s, 110 E. College Ave., 231-0604, www.irvingsstatecollege.com. Irving’s is State College’s finest bakery café serving award-winning bagels, espresso, sandwiches, salads, and smoothies. Meyer Dairy, 2390 S. Atherton St., 237-1849. A State College Classic! Meyer Dairy is the perfect choice for a quick, homemade lunch with fresh soups and sandwiches or treat yourself to your favorite flavor of ice cream or sundae at our ice cream parlor. Fresh milk from our own dairy cows (we do not inject our cows with BST), eggs, cheese, ice cream cakes, baked goods, and more! Plus, Meyer Dairy is the best place to pick up your Town&Gown magazine each month!
Specialty Foods Hoag’s Catering/Celebration Hall, 2280 Commercial Blvd., State College, 238-0824, www.hoagscatering.com. Hoag’s Catering specializes in off-site catering, event rentals, and on-site events at Celebration Hall. We do the work, you use the fork — large and small events. T&G
LIPSBURG EL PHLIodge & Country Club KS rw Visit ou
ebsite for NEW Golf Member Spec i
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Restaurant is open to the public! Mon-Sat:11-9 • Sun: 9-9 Country Club Lane, Philipsburg (814) 342-0379 • www.philipsburgelks.com
Located at
Bring in the new year with
Meyer Dairy Open Daily 8a.m. - 11p.m.
on-campus HUB-Robeson Center
2390 S. Atherton St. - (814) 237-1849 85 - Town&Gown January 2015 1200_HUBad_1214.indd 1
12/2/14 11:30 AM
lunch with mimi Tiara Snare
Advocate for the Abused Children’s Advocacy Center executive director looks for community approach to help victims of abuse Children’s Advocacy Center of Centre County executive director Kristina Taylor-Porter (left) talks with Town&Gown founder Mimi Barash Coppersmith at Luna 2 in State College.
Kristina Taylor-Porter has been executive director of the Mount Nittany Health Children’s Advocacy Center of Centre County since October 2013. The actual facility opened in February 2014 at 141 Medical Park Lane in Bellefonte, and it provides a safe, child- and family-friendly space to promote the healing process for victims of child abuse and neglect. In her role, Taylor-Porter, who earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in sociology from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania, serves as the Children’s Advocacy Center representative in building relationships with agencies and organizations that are essential to the well-being of children who have been abused, witnessed abuse, or are at risk of abuse or neglect. Prior to her role at the advocacy center, she served as executive director and forensic interviewer for the CARE Center of Indiana County. Town&Gown founder Mimi Barash Coppersmith sat down with Taylor-Porter at Luna 2 in State College to discuss what services are available for victims of child abuse. Mimi: In addition to being the full-time executive director of the Mount Nittany Health Children’s Advocacy Center and a mother, you and your husband also own Copies Plus, LLC, in Indiana and Johnstown. That sounds like an interesting juggling act! Kristina: Yes. We have a pretty busy life that’s for sure. I have a great family and great support. My husband commutes to those two
businesses, and that’s his thing. That’s what he gets to do, and he focuses his time on it, which gives me a lot of liberty to focus my time on what I’m doing with the Mount Nittany Health Children’s Advocacy Center. But definitely being a working mom is a juggling act. Mimi: You have an additional challenge representing all of us in the county, of helping us figure out how the abused are properly helped. Kristina: We work with a number of community organizations, such as Centre County Children & Youth, Child Protective Service, and Mount Nittany Health. We also have the benefit of being located next to Mount Nittany Physician Group Pediatrics, so we have access to three specially trained pediatricians right on site. Mimi: So you have access to pediatricians to become a part of the team? Kristina: Yes. We work with the physicians, and then we also work with the Women’s Resource Center and having a victim advocate present during the course of our interviews with children who have allegations of abuse. And then we also have had a lot of mentalhealth providers within the community that assist us. Mimi: So I’m a kid. I’ve been abused. I’m scared to death to tell anybody. What do I do? Kristina: Oftentimes we ask the adults to
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pay close attention to those kids because the adults are the ones who will recognize the change — whether there are physical signs or just a change in the behavior of the child. For instance, they are normally a happy child and then they become withdrawn and not wanting to talk to anybody. Paying close attention to those sort of things, and it’s the adult’s responsibility to make that report of any type of suspicion. Mimi: What if the child is sensitive enough to know that you exist. Can they call you directly? Kristina: We’re just a tool of the investigation in that intervention piece, and so our referrals actually come from Children & Youth Services and law enforcement. Now, if a child did contact us, that’s not to say we’re not going to do something about it. We’ll talk with children and the law enforcement to let them know that we received this phone call. Then we will bring them in for an interview. The purpose of the investigative team is to observe our interview from another room. They’re able to get the necessary information that they need with our trained forensic interviewer, Kimberly Saltsman, to gather the necessary information for law enforcement to move forward with the investigation. The Children’s Advocacy Center’s model is the approach of bringing all those collaborative organizations together for the intervention. Otherwise, these children are being interviewed multiple times. So by having this coordinated effort, we’re really drawing back on retraumatizing that child. Mimi: I struggle with how do we educate more people to know that you’re out there — with all the things that have come out about abuse and rape years later. Kristina: I think it’s awareness. It happens years later because people finally come out about it because that’s when they feel empowered or they’ve reached a point where they feel comfortable to talk about it or they feel safe to talk about it. Some people may not talk about it because the perpetrator might be living with them. There might be other variables that really impact whether or not somebody feels comfortable making that disclosure. Maybe the perpetrator is the breadwinner within that family, and, if they
make a disclosure, they may feel that it’s their fault that the family falls apart. Mimi: What can we do to help you do a better job to help more people? Kristina: Talking about it is the biggest key to preventing it, and making families aware that we are there. That our process is not intimidating — we are very child- and familyfocused. We really need to let children know what their body is. Their body is theirs, and if somebody does something to violate it in any way, shape, or form, even if it’s getting a hug that they didn’t feel comfortable with, they know where they can go and who they tell. It’s opening up those lines of communication. I think adults need to talk with their kids early on. You start when you’re changing their diapers as kids. You’re identifying different parts of their body and really giving them that power that nobody should violate you in any way. So really having that opportunity to talk with your child and having those lines of communication open and praising your children for when they come and tell you about something that they felt was violated — whether it’s emotions or something made them feel uncomfortable — just thank them for telling you. Mimi: Do you provide any material within the total educational system for parents and/ or children that helps plant this seed to be nurtured along the way? Kristina: Not at this point. I know that the Women’s Resource Center does a lot of work within some of the schools, as well within State College and Centre County. The national average is 1 in 6 boys are likely to be sexually abused before the age of 18, and 1 in 4 girls are likely to be sexually abused before the age of 18. So if you really add those together, it’s 1 in 5 children. So if you look at Centre County statistics in terms of how many children we have in this community, there’s an estimate of over 4,000 children that could be potentially victimized before the age of 18. If you look at our reports of child-abuse cases, it’s about 200 reports. So that’s just a fraction of how many kids are statically likely to be victimized. Mimi: Of course, the only good thing that has come out of the Sandusky scandal is an awareness of far greater number of people
87 - Town&Gown January 2015
than ever before. Coming to this interview, I thought that I don’t know enough about this. Is it normal to have a strategic plan for how you educate parents and children about the availability of this advocacy? Kristina: We want a lot of people to know about us before they meet with Children & Youth or law enforcement. We want them to understand what our process is because we want them to know that there are a lot of people that go through this process. It’s not intimidating. It’s a very child-focused facility, and we do it in a way that we want to make sure that the child is not traumatized throughout this process. We really do focus on raising awareness and informing the community, whether it is through media or going out and talking with the community specifically. There is a lot of hope to continue to do that and even just taking the opportunity to set up some educational programs. Mimi: If you were to define your success in the first year, how would that look? Kristina: That’s a good question. More people are becoming aware of us and that we’re not just serving Centre County. We’re seeing kids from all of our surrounding counties. We’re becoming a recognized model within the Centre Region. So Blair, Clearfield, Clinton, Mifflin, and Huntingdon are some of the ones that we’re seeing more from, and we do see a few coming from Cambria County, too. Mimi: How did they learn about you? Kristina: Through agencies, but it’s also the child-abuse law is changing as of January 1, too. And within the child-abuse law, children’s advocacy centers are recognized as a key component to the intervention and investigation of child abuse. Mimi: Do kids meet together there? Kristina: No. We really work to provide confidentiality for each one of those families and children. So they might pass in the hallway, but that’s very few and far between. Mimi: Are support groups in the future? Kristina: I think that working with the Women’s Resource Center we’re going to be able to really pull something together. Mimi: What didn’t I ask you that I should have?
Kristina: I always go back to a proverb of: It takes a village to raise a child. I always like to say, It also takes a village to protect a child. I think that as a community we have this obligation to always keep our eyes open and always pay attention to what’s going on around us, and making those reports when necessary and just talking with kids so that they feel that safety of disclosing it. With that, I think we’ve also had a community that has come together in such a way — with Mount Nittany Health stepping up to the plate and taking on this program after we had Judge Bradley P. Lunsford, Stacy Parks Miller, the district attorney, representatives from the Women’s Resource Center, as well as all of the lawenforcement jurisdictions coming together and our Children & Youth Services really backing this from the very beginning. Mimi: Maybe that’s why it’s working. Kristina: I think that having that community approach is very important. Having Steve Brown and Kim Neely from Mount Nittany Health stepping up and saying, “This is something that we need to be a part of” was very instrumental. So as a children’s advocacy center, we’re lucky to be able to provide the forensic interview and our medical exam all at the same time, and that’s something a lot of centers can’t do. So we’re very, very fortunate to have that collaboration. Mimi: Well, I think we’re fortunate to have you as the leader of our first children’s advocacy center! Kristina: Thank you. Mimi: And I want to thank you for your commitment to the challenge. Kristina: Absolutely! Thank you very much. T&G
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88 - Town&Gown January 2015
Coaches vs. Cancer Night February 28, 2015 6:00PM Tipoff Penn State vs. Iowa Come out to support CVC and your Penn State Men’s Basketball team! Order your tickets online at www.gopsusports.com
Thank You Sponsors!
Due to the generous donations and tireless efforts of devoted supporters, Coaches vs. Cancer – Penn State raised over $200,000 during the 2013-2014 fiscal year bringing the grand total to more than $2.2 million raised since the organization’s inception. If you’d like more information about CVC or would like to volunteer, please visit:
www.cvcpennstate.org
State College Photo Club’s Winning Photos The State College Photo Club provides photo enthusiasts with the opportunity to share their passion for photography with others and to provide an environment for learning and developing new skills. Town&Gown is pleased to present the winning images from the club’s monthly competition. Shown this month are the first-place winners from the judged October meeting competition.
October Meeting First Place Theme “Windows” “Jim’s Window” by Anne Cortese
>
“Window in Jim McClure’s house at Millbrook Marsh just before it was torn down several years ago.”
October Meeting First Place Open Category “Arches” by Norris Lacy
>
“I took this photo last March with a compact Canon G15. It is a detail of the Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi. The mosque is a beautiful place with arches that intersect, repeat patterns, and pick up a hint of blue on the white marble.”
A copy of either of these photos may be obtained with a $75 contribution to the Salvation Army of Centre County. Contact Captain Charles Niedermeyer at (814) 861-1785. You can select any size up to 11 inches wide. The State College Photo Club meets on the third Monday of each month at 7:30 p.m. at Foxdale Village Auditorium. Guests and new members are always welcome.
Visit statecollegephotoclub.org for more information about how to join. 90 - Town&Gown January 2015
Heart and Vascular Care in State College Penn State Hershey Heart and Vascular Institute specialists provide services, including general cardiology, vascular surgery, and cardiac and vascular diagnostic tests, in your community. Penn State Hershey Medical Group—Colonnade 32 Colonnade Way | State College, PA To schedule an appointment or learn more about the specific heart and vascular services offered in State College, call 814-272-4445.
PennStateHershey.org/heartandvascular
U.Ed. MED 15-5441 HVI
John Hovenstine
snapshot
Bringing the Dream to Life MLK Day of Service directors look to make positive changes in community By Sabrina Evans After 29 years of the having the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service talking about visions and dreams, the codirectors of this year’s 30th anniversary event, Lauren Snyder and Keisha Weeks, are ready to take action. The two have been working together to bring this year’s theme, “Now, More Than Ever,” to life on a grand scale in a way that incites a reaction — but does so in a way that reflects positively on the community. “In light of all the social-justice issues recently, the idea is that now more than ever we need to make a change and stop sweeping things under the rug,” says Snyder, a Penn State senior majoring in criminology. “We need to start shining light on making that change, and not just speaking on it but acting, too.” Many different parts make up the larger week of events in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, including an oratorical competition and social-justice reception, musical performances, and numerous thought-provoking lectures. But for Snyder and Weeks, their favorite part of the week is the Day of Service, when volunteers take to the State College community and put Dr. King’s teachings into action. This year’s Day of Service is January 19. “It’s really great on your day off [of classes] to see who’s willing to come back to school and volunteer, and you do it with your friends,” says Snyder. “It’s a really good day — a very positive day for the community.” Although she says she hadn’t given much thought to service before coming to college, Snyder joined the multicultural sorority Sigma Lamda Gama and found herself called to find more ways to impact the community.
Keisha Weeks (left) and Lauren Snyder.
“And what better way to impact my minority community than to plan MLK Day of Service,” she says. Weeks, a Penn State senior majoring in human development and family studies (HDFS), was drawn to MLK Day after volunteering, through the Day of Service during her junior year, at a special-education home for children with disabilities. “I was left with a bitter-sweet feeling,” she says. “I was happy I was able to give back and bring joy to these people’s lives, but I was also sad seeing that the MLK service sites don’t always have visitors.” Following her experience, she says one thing she and Snyder wanted to do was make the effects of the MLK Day celebration have a lasting effect during the entire year, rather than to be out in the community for a week and then disappear. For both young women, becoming directors of the event made it feel like their involvement would be more impactful. “I feel like I’ll have more of an effect as a director than as a volunteer or team leader,” says Weeks. “As a director … you’re the person they see at the forefront and the back end. It’s the best of both worlds — you get to see the event from the outside-in and the inside-out.” Past directors have warned Snyder and Weeks that there will come a time during planning when the stress will create a rift between them — “But we haven’t reached that point yet,” laughs Snyder. “As far as me and Lauren go,” says Weeks, “not being biased, but we’re the best codirectorship on the commemoration committee!” T&G
92 - Town&Gown January 2015
GAZETTE THE CENTRE COUNTY
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