November Town&Gown 2015

NOVEMBER 2015

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Start-Up

Seeds Videon’s Todd Erdley and others are making Happy Valley a place where entrepreneurs can flourish Inside: Guide to Financial Services • Holiday Gift Guide

2015 November T&G - 1

Family Medicine Penn State Hershey Family Medicine is now offered at four State College locations. To learn more about Penn State Hershey providers in State College call 814-235-2480 or visit PennStateHershey.org/statecollege.

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features 28 / 50 Years of Town&Gown: Nonprofits Local organizations remain committed to the community • by Tracey M. Dooms

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36 / International Education Experiences Study-abroad students reflect on their time away from Penn State

58 / Start-Up Seeds Thanks to the Penn State’s Global Entrepreneurship Week and other efforts, smallbusiness creators are building strong roots in Happy Valley • by Savita Iyer-Ahrestani

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66 / An Ability to Inspire Brett Gravatt can no longer walk or play soccer at Penn State following a snowboarding accident that left him paralyzed. He soon discovered, though, that he can do more than he ever thought possible • by Frank Bodani

Special Advertising Sections 45 / Guide to Financial Services Our annual guide can help you find the financial institutions, investment specialists, and advisors that are right for you — and your money

73 / Holiday Gift Guide

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Everything from stocking stuffers to unique, special presents for loved ones, the “Holiday Gift Guide” can help you find where to go and what to buy

Cover photo by Darren Andrew Weimert.

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

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departments

10 Letter From The Editor 12 Starting Off: The List, People in the Community, Q&A

20 Living Well: How to cope with the autumns and winters of our lives • by Meghan Fritz 22 Health: Mohs micrographic surgery is treatment option for some skin cancers • by Charlene Lam, MD 24 On Center: Sybarite5’s string players bring rock concert vibe to chamber music performances • by John Mark Rafacz

118 26 Penn State Diary: Presidential libraries offer a treasure of materials from past presidents • by Lee Stout 90 This Month on WPSU 93

What’s Happening: Jersey Boys, State College Choral Society, Penn State basketball and wrestling, and more highlight November’s events

102 From the Vine: The tastes of Tuscany • by Lucy Rogers 106 Taste of the Month/Dining Out: Toftrees’ The Field Burger & Tap caters to local tastes • by Vilma Shu Danz 118 Lunch with Mimi: Historical society researcher helps keep Centre County’s past alive 122 State College Photo Club’s Winning Photos

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124 Snapshot: Jackie Brown provides inspiration with her struggles and sound • by Lianne Galante

Town&Gown November

A State College & Penn State tradition since 1966.

Publisher Rob Schmidt Founder Mimi Barash Coppersmith Editorial Director David Pencek Creative Director Tiara Snare Operations Manager/Assistant Editor Vilma Shu Danz Art Director/Photographer Darren Weimert Graphic Designer Cody Peachey Ad Coordinator Laura Specht Account Executives Kathy George, Debbie Markel

Joel Confer BMW 120 E. Clinton Ave. State College, PA 16803

Business Manager Aimee Aiello Administrative Assistant Hailee Miller Interns Lianne Galante (editorial), Alissa Pendorf (graphic designer/photographer) Distribution Handy Delivery 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 @TownGownSC 8 - T&G November 2015

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letter from the editor

A Season of Inspiration While weather turns colder, November warms up the mind, spirit, and heart November, I believe, may be the most inspiring month of the year. You may dismiss that thinking since the month acts as the bridge between fall and winter, and the thought of that latter season isn’t exactly inspirational.

But November has two holidays — Veterans Day and Thanksgiving — that inspire us. You don’t get much more inspiring than people who sacrifice so much — sometimes everything — for our country, and Veterans Day is a way to make sure that at least for one day we honor those who have served, even though it’s something we should do every chance we have.

Thanksgiving inspires us to, well, give thanks for all of our blessings and to be with family and loved ones, and to also help those who are struggling financially or with their health.

Inspiration comes in many forms, and this month’s issue of Town&Gown touches on a few of those. First, there’s the inspiration of the mind, creating new inventions and ideas.

“Start-Up Seeds” by Savita Iyer-Ahrestani takes a look at the boom in entrepreneurs that is happening in the region and at Penn State, something that will be in full display during Global Entrepreneurship Week November 15-20.

Inspiration of the human spirit means people not allowing obstacles, no matter how big, deter them from their dreams.

Two examples of that can be found in Brett Gravatt (“An Ability to Inspire” by Frank Bodani) and Jackie Brown (this month’s “Snapshot” by Lianne Galante). Gravatt is the former Penn State men’s soccer player who was injured in a snowboarding accident in December that left him paralyzed from the waist down. He has gained a new perspective on

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life and is competing in wheelchair racing. Brown is the lead singer for the popular local band Jackie Brown and the Gill Street Band.

In December, she was diagnosed with stage-2 breast cancer and had a double mastectomy. She has continued to perform and can be seen November 14 at the State Theatre as part of the Blue & White Blues Festival.

Inspiration of the heart is when we help our “neighbors” who are in need, and that comes out in this month’s “50 Years of Town&Gown” by Tracey M. Dooms that looks at the many nonprofit organizations that have benefited our communities over the past few decades. From health care to animal care to housing and more, Centre County’s nonprofits help so many in Happy Valley, and they couldn’t do their work without you who give of your time and money to support them.

Which brings me to the celebration of the Schlow Centre Region Library in October. Town&Gown partnered with the library on the fundraising event that raised more than $50,000 for the library!

Not bad for a first-time event.

Thank you to all the sponsors and everyone who helped with the event. It’s always inspiring to see members of the community come together for a great cause!

David Pencek Editorial Director dpenc@barashmedia.com

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starting off

The List Highlights from Town&Gown’s first 49 years of publication Inside: Ed Temple has “Lunch with Mimi;” Organ donors give gift of life and hope

aprIl 2011

free

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July 2008-2011

October 2008 — In “Coming to America — and Centre County,” Town&Gown looks at the growing number of immigrants who are settling down in Centre National County. Mara Barros, who came Champs! to State College from Brazil, says, “I have a lot of friends in New York. The people have no time for anything. In State College, everything’s more relaxed, and people take care of each other.”

January 2009 — “Y Not Come Together” spotlights the merger between the Bellefonte and State College Area Family YMCAs into the YMCA of Centre County. Howard Long, vice president and chief operating officer of the YMCA of Centre County, says the merger is not happening because of financial hardship, but to become a stronger force in the community.

October 2009 — Town&Gown honors State College mayor Bill Welch, who died on September 4, 2009, with “Remembering Our Mayor.” Welch’s daughter, Justine Welch Mastin, writes about how her love of writing came from her father. “My father imparted to me that you must first know and understand the rules of writing before you can break them. … I miss you Dad, and still have trouble putting you in the past tense.”

March 2010 — “Taking Charge” profiles new State College mayor Elizabeth Goreham and new Centre County district attorney Stacy Parks Miller. Goreham says one of her primary goals as mayor is to increase awareness of environmental sustainability.

April 2010 — In the cover story, “A Rose Like No Other,” Town&Gown profiles Penn State women’s volleyball head coach Russ Rose, who was coming off leading his team to a third consecutive national title. “I know I’m good at what I do. I’m not naïve,” he says. “It’s the players that win. It’s about the players. It’s not about me.”

May 2010 — “What Lies Beneath” looks at the Marcellus shale exploration and drilling happening in Centre County.

Robert Watson, associate professor emeritus of petroleum and natural gas engineering at Penn State, says, “This will certainly be a boon for the local economy as building space will need to be Quentin Wright and the rest of the Nittany Lions celebrate their winning the 2011 NCAA wrestling championship

If It’s happenIng In happy Valley, It’s In Town&Gown

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leased, jobs will be created, and new employees will begin utilizing goods and services in the area.”

September 2010 — Town&Gown begins a four-part series on “The 20 Greatest Athletes in Penn State History.” A panel of experts selects Mike Reid as the greatest athlete in Penn State history.

April 2011 — Under second-year head coach Cael Sanderson, Penn State’s wrestling team wins its first national title since 1953. After the NCAA Tournament, Sanderson said, “Winning a national championship doesn’t mean that I’m the best coach, it means we had a great staff and just a phenomenal team effort.”

August 2011 — Town&Gown spotlights two new superintendents and a new school. “Fresh Leadership” profiles new Bellefonte superintendent Cheryl Potteiger and new State College Area School District superintendent Robert O’Donnell.

“Faith in a New School” looks at the opening of St. Joseph’s Catholic Academy in Boalsburg.

September 2011 — Town&Gown begins a four-part series on “The 20 Most Memorable Moments in Penn State Sports History.” A panel of experts selects the football team’s 1987 Fiesta Bowl win over Miami to win the national title as the most memorable moment.

December 2011 — A month after former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky is charged with sexually abusing children, Town&Gown looks at the aftermath.

In “Moving Forward,” Reverend Alison Bowlan of Grace Lutheran Church says, “We are going to struggle, but we will recover. It’s important to remember that this is still an excellent university and athletic department, perhaps one of the best in the nation. We have to remember that the actions of a few don’t define the accomplishments of the whole.” T&G

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People in the Community Ruth Donahue

Ruth Donahue announced her retirement as executive director of Interfaith Human Services. Her last day was October 31.

Donahue became director in 2010 of what was then called Interfaith Mission. Since then, the organization has grown from 22 congregations to 30, added supportive services case management and displaced-residents assistance to aid in housing solutions, expanded its emergency-fuel assistance programs with the addition of the PHARE (Pennsylvania Housing Affordability Rehabilitation Enhancement) program, and expanded the Financial Care Program through a partnership with the Veterans Multiservice Center.

“Interfaith Human Services is an amazing harmony of faiths, compassion, commitment, and conscience,” Donahue says. “This diverse group of people has the ability to adjust to community needs, making it an organization that has offered solutions to the challenges facing our county’s low-

income families. I was privileged to lead IHS for the past five years, and I am proud to know that the people who serve of its board, my colleagues and volunteers who work in the office and warehouse, and the congregations, agencies, organizations, businesses, and county government who really care about what happens.”

Donahue and her husband are retiring and moving west to be closer to family.

Penn State Class of 2016

For its class gift, Penn State’s class of 2016 has established an endowment to support Penn State’s Center for Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS).

CAPS staff members work with thousands of Penn State students each year in group therapy, individual counseling, crisis intervention, and psychiatric services. They also provide prevention, outreach, and consultation services for the university community.

Ramon Guzman, a Penn State senior and executive director for the 2016 class gift campaign, said, “With this gift, the class of 2016 is able to provide a permanent, annual source of funding for CAPS.”

Dr. John Spychalski

CATA board chairman Dr. John Spychalski was named this year’s recipient of the American Public Transportation Association Outstanding Public Transportation Board Member Award. The award is the highest honor awarded to a transit board member in North America.

Spychalski has been a member of the CATA board of directors since 1980 and chairman since 2002. Since then, CATA’s accomplishments include the conversion of CATA’s vehicle fleet to clean natural gas, the implementation of a GPSbased technology program, which allowed for the integration of real-time bus arrival information, and the initiation of a fleet replacement program that has resulted in 40 new New Flyer Xcelsior CNG buses being added to CATA’s active fleet since 2010.

CATA general manager Louwana Olivia said of Spychalski in a press release, “He has devoted his professional career to the advancement of public transportation, and CATA and the industry will continue to reap the benefits of his dedication far into the future.” T&G 14 - T&G November 2015

Q&A with Frank Rocco, author of Secrets Are Forever Contributed photo

By Lianne Galante

After serving as a coach, administrator, and head of football operations for Penn State for 20 years, Frank Rocco can now add “author” to his rèsumè thanks to the debut of his first novel, Secrets Are Forever.

The book is a story of biracial fraternal twin brothers conceived and born out of wedlock and separated at birth. At the age of 22, and purely by accident, they find each other. While the two racially and culturally diverse families from whom they were derived must reluctantly accept that they will never see or know their grandsons, each family struggles with feelings of betrayal, abandonment, and disgrace.

As the story unfolds, the lives of many of the characters cross paths, but without any awareness of their familial connections. In the end, there are only a few who will not know the truth behind the family saga.

Rocco took time to talk about his new venture into writing.

T&G: Have you always wanted to be a writer?

Rocco: Never even thought about it. After retirement in 2000 and a move to Virginia, we returned to State College in 2006. Wanting to

explore other hobbies and avocations, I began by attending OLLI classes in creative writing. I joined several creative writing groups and discovered I had found something I really enjoyed doing.

T&G: Why did you decide to write about race relations specifically?

Rocco: I’m not sure it started out that way. As the story developed, the relationship between the first two main characters and the impact their relationship had on their families became a significant part of the storyline. At that point, it became important to me to include the family dynamics of both families in dealing with the problem that was created. And, in the end, love, caring, and forgiveness can prevail.

T&G: Did you find any similarities between working in sports and writing a novel?

Rocco: Actually I did. When coaching, I was single-minded and strongly focused almost constantly on my team. As a writer, I knew I was where I wanted to be when I was constantly focused on my story.

T&G: Do you plan on writing another book?

Rocco: I am halfway toward completing my second book, Brothers in Blood. Two young men from different racial and cultural backgrounds, one black and one white, join forces to improve a community and its high school. Where drugs and a lack of motivation were prevalent, these two men set out to change the culture and improve the lives of its young people. T&G

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This Monthtownandgown.com On

• In 5 Questions, director Holly Thuma, assistant professor of voice and speech in Penn State’s School of Theatre, discusses Penn State Centre Stage’s production of Good Kids.

• Nittany Valley Society’s in-depth interview with Patton Township supervisor Elliot Abrams on the changes and growth he’s observed as Centre County’s longest-tenured elected official.

• A speical offer from The Field Burger & Tap at Toftrees Golf Resort.

• Order your copy of Town&Gown’s 2015-16 Penn State Winter Sports Annual.

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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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living well

Changing Seasons How to cope with the autumns and winters of our lives

By Meghan Fritz

As we begin the transition from the autumn weather to the winter season, we likewise face changing seasons in our lives.

Sometimes these seasons renew our hope, infuse us with joy, and give us more energy. Other times, the season we are in can bring isolation, hopelessness, exhaustion, and vulnerability.

And while these seasons tend to be cyclical and follow a certain order and flow, we may find ourselves in the middle of a winter season of our life even when the thermometer reflects a warm sunny day.

Knowing what season you are in and the feelings that come along with it can help you cope with the best and most difficult periods of your life.

The summer seasons of our lives reflect a time when we can be footloose and fancy free. We allow ourselves to be free spirits, embracing every moment of the warm sunshine and steamy summer nights. During this season, we can expect to feel confident, invincible, and full of vigor and creativity. It seems everything gets done without effort or worry. This is a time when everything seems to fall into place, and, for a season, we allow ourselves to simply enjoy the ride.

The autumn seasons of our lives brings more responsibility and preparation. We recognize that while life is meant to be lived with joy and all the warmth of a summer season, change is approaching and we need to prepare for the next season of our life. For many, this can mean preparing to face an empty nest, retirement, putting the family home on the market to 20 - T&G November 2015

transition into a place that requires less maintenance and financial responsibility, or facing the loss of a relationship or loved one. And just like we can see the colors of the leaves changing and feel the crisp chill of winter approaching, we, too, can feel this transition of change approaching.

When we are in autumn season, we may experience the threat of the change approaching, but we are in preparation and task mode, so our feelings tend to be on the backburner.

We somehow protect ourselves from the loss and change we see ahead and consume ourselves with the preparation and tasks at hand. And while the change is approaching, the pain and loss of that change seems too far off to consume our hearts and minds. This is our heart’s way of helping us get ready for the next phase without being consumed with worry, fear, loneliness, and grief. This is a time where we experience an intense focus and high energy, enabling us to prepare for the winter season.

The winter seasons of our lives are, no doubt, the most difficult of all. The chill of uncertainty and doubt can consume our hearts and minds, causing us to feel hopeless, vulnerable, and utterly exhausted. It seems that no matter how much we try to warm our hearts with the joy of a summer season, we will never move beyond the gray sky and heavy heart. Our minds feel cluttered with “What ifs,” and our confidence seems nowhere to be found.

Perhaps the sell of your home is final, the retirement party is over, or the loss of your loved one becomes a painstaking reality. The winter season is a time when we face the pain of the loss we have endured, and no matter how quickly we try to walk through that fear and pain, we can’t seem to get out of our own way.

As much as we want to avoid

the winter season, just like any other season, we must walk through it. Recognize that you have faced a loss and allow yourself to feel the pain of a broken heart. Tears are the hearts way of helping us express the deep sorrow and pain we feel without words. The winter season calls us to slow down, curl up with a warm blanket and cup of tea, and reflect upon the past. Before we move on to the next season, we have to acknowledge the pain of our winter and let our hearts heal. This is a time when we must give ourselves massive doses of love and patience. The winter season can rob us of our identity and confidence, and this is a time when we most hold dear to the things, people, and places that bring us a sense of love and peace. Know that facing your loss and feeling the pain of your winter season will move you to the next phase.

While I know some of the losses we face will leave permanent scars on our hearts, winter shall pass.

Just when we think we cannot go on another day in the cold, blustery chill of winter, this is when we see the faint light of spring. This light comes in the form of hope.

Spring is a season of hope and renewed faith.

While we can’t see the tulips or feel the warmth

of summer, we know, instinctively, that we have endured the winter season. The spring season is a quiet whisper in our hearts that promises healing and sunlight. We feel our energy begin to come back and can see the light in our eyes. This is a time when we have faced the reality of our loss and begin to create a new “normal.” Perhaps the four walls of your new home seem more inviting. And while you never thought you would survive your winter season, you begin to feel your confidence grow and you recognize that there is life beyond your winter season.

No matter how dark your winter season is, spring is approaching and will renew your heart and mind.

Whatever emotional season of your life you find yourself in, embrace it. Know that each season is crucial for growth and enlightenment. Recognize that each season brings with it a particular set of feelings and circumstances. Knowing that these feelings are a normal part of every season can help you face your season with greater acceptance and grace. T&G Meghan Fritz is a psychotherapist practicing in State College.

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health

Precision Excision Mohs micrographic surgery is treatment option for some skin cancers

By Charlene Lam, MD

During National Healthy Skin Month, we want to continue our discussion on skin cancer. In the May issue of Town&Gown, Dr. David L. Shupp discussed ways to detect and prevent skin cancer. To recap, the most common skin cancers — basal and squamous cell carcinomas — tend to present as new red or pearly spots that can bleed, not heal, or be tender. They tend to be in areas frequently exposed to the sun.

The natural question then becomes: What is skin cancer? It is a group of abnormal skin cells that do not die like most normal cells. Instead, the damaged DNA in these cancerous cells directs them to continue to grow and reproduce, causing destruction of the normal tissue. Generally, skin cancers such as basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma are localized and do not spread to other parts of the body. Skin cancer is usually diagnosed by a small skin biopsy.

Skin cancers are sometimes treated with medicines, but most often with surgery. Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) is a specialized surgical method to remove qualifying skin cancers such as basal cell or squamous cell carcinomas, usually from the head and neck regions. MMS is a precise skin-cancer excision technique that combines surgery with pathology. The concept was developed by Dr. Frederic E. Mohs in the 1930s at the University of Wisconsin. The goal is to remove all the skin cancer while doing minimal damage to the surrounding healthy tissue. It offers the significant advantage of higher cure rates for cutaneous tumors as it involves examining close to 100 percent of the margins.

MMS is most commonly performed under local anesthesia in an outpatient setting. Lidocaine is injected with small needle around the area of the biopsy. This numbing experience is very similar to the numbing performed during a skin biopsy. The Mohs surgeon will remove the visible cancer with a small rim of normal skin — this is called a layer.

The layer is taken to the histology laboratory in the office and processed while the patient waits. It takes 22 - T&G November 2015

Charlene Lam, MD

about one hour to process the tissue, which is examined under a microscope.

If the peripheral and deep margins are clear, then the repair options will be discussed.

If they are not clear, the Mohs surgeon has the ability to map the residual tumor exactly to its location and remove only that affected margin. This process is repeated until the margins are clear. By using this targeted approach, the patient can be assured that the tumor is completely removed.

This technique also results in the smallest possible surgical wound, maximizing the surrounding healthy tissue and keeping more repair options available for functional and cosmetic purposes.

After the skin cancer is completely removed, the Mohs surgeon presents the options to repair the wound. These include letting it heal by itself, closing the wound side to side with stitches, closing the wound with a skin graft taken from another part of the body, and

What is skin cancer?

It is a group of abnormal skin cells that do not die like most normal cells. Instead, the damaged DNA in these cancerous cells directs them to continue to grow and reproduce, causing destruction of the normal tissue. a skin flap. Each decision is individualized to the patient’s wound and preferences.

At times, other surgical specialists may be involved. Rarely, the wound may be repaired on another day, but the norm is to repair all wounds immediately.

Fellowship-trained Mohs surgeons are highly trained physicians who have completed a four-year dermatology residency and up to two additional years of training in surgical and cutaneous oncology.

The Mohs surgeon acts as the surgeon and pathologist. The complete surgical margin examination in MMS provides the highest evidence-based cure rate for nonmelanoma skin cancers while conserving the maximum amount of normal tissue. Although MMS is not suitable for all skin cancers, discussing treatment options with your dermatologist is always best. T&G Charlene Lam, MD, MPH, is an assistant professor of dermatology with the Penn State College of Medicine and Hershey Medical Center. She is a fellowship-trained Mohs surgeon and practices at the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and the Penn State Hershey Medical Group Colonnade practice (32 Colonnade Way, State College). To make an appointment, call (814) 272-4445.

We now offer evening hours! Call us today to schedule your appointment.

2015 November T&G - 23

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on center

Sybarite5 performs January 22 at Schwab Auditorium.

Fab Five Sybarite5’s string players bring rock concert vibe to chamber music performances

By John Mark Rafacz If an ensemble of sedate musicians seated on stage in a semicircle playing the masterworks of long-deceased European men is your chamber music performance ideal, the eclectic dynamism of Sybarite5 might just mess with your head.

The first string quintet to win the Concert Artists Guild International Competition, Sybarite5 is as comfortable performing contemporary music by a British rock band as it is classics by an eighteenth-century Austrian.

“That impassioned playing, those hard-driving rhythms, the blissed-out faces of the mostly young audience,” observes a Washington Post reviewer, add up to “genuine, spontaneous … excitement.”

The quintet features violinists Sami Merdinian and Sarah Whitney, violist Angela Pickett, cellist Laura Metcalf, and bassist Louis Levitt. Merdinian appeared at the Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State in September as a substitute player with Catalyst Quartet, which has a violinist on leave of absence this fall.

Laura Sullivan, Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State marketing and communications director, came under the spell of the quintet at a concert several years ago in New York City.

“From the moment Sybarite5 walked on stage at Carnegie Hall, I knew it was not going to be a typical evening of classical music,” Sullivan recalls. “No formal attire. Instead, they looked like a well-designed Gap ad. No program? No problem. This fresh, young, bold quintet announced the program from the stage, and it was one surprise after another.”

Sybarite5’s Penn State debut concert, with a program to be announced from the stage, is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Friday, January 22, in Schwab Auditorium. A day earlier — at 8 p.m.

Thursday, January 21 — the group plays selections of its music and interacts with the audience at a free and casual Classical Coffeehouse, complete with complimentary hot beverages and snacks, in Penn State’s Hintz Family Alumni Center.

“From passionate tango pieces by Astor Piazzolla to works by Mozart and then transitioning to Led Zeppelin and Radiohead, their energy and fervent playing was at times more like a rock concert than classical chamber music,” Sullivan says. “Not one nodding head in the audience as this group kept everyone mesmerized. The audience couldn’t wait to get on their feet at the end. A standing ovation was followed by encore after encore.”

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Disturb the Silence, the group’s debut extended-play disc, features music by Radiohead, Piazzolla, and a pair of Sybarite5 originals. The 2011 release reached the top 10 on the Billboard charts. Everything in its Right Place, the 2012 follow-up CD, remixes 10 Radiohead songs.

“Their rock-star status … is well deserved,” writes a Sarasota Herald Tribune reviewer. “Their classically honed technique mixed with grit and all-out passionate attack transfixes the audience.”

Formed at the Aspen Music Festival, Sybarite5 became the first quintet accepted into the Aspen Advanced String Quartet Studies program. There, the ensemble worked with the Cavani, American, and Ying quartets; Earl Carlyss, a Juilliard String Quartet violinist for 20 years; and bassist Edgar Meyer.

Earlier this year, Sybarite5 debuted the first concerto for string quintet and symphony orchestra. Beatbox, written

by American composer Dan Visconti, was commissioned by and performed with orchestras in South Carolina, Michigan, and Minnesota. T&G Tom and Mary Ellen Litzinger sponsor the Sybarite5 concert. WPSU is the media sponsor. For more information or tickets, 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.

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Someone once phrased our facility as an “emotional spa”. What sets us apart from other outpatient mental health clinics? From the moment you step foot in our door, you are met with warm, friendly staff who are making you feel at home. People know you by name and not just your therapist. There is coffee, a variety of teas, water, and various healthy snacks to help you take care of your basic needs first and foremost. Our waiting room has fresh flowers, bright big windows, and relaxing music played throughout the common spaces of the facility. There are sun lamps to turn on while you wait if you would like an additional “serotonin boost” of natural sunlight as well as a plethora of essential oils for aromatherapy to assist in relaxing you.

You will have access to iPads with headphones where there are guided meditations to listen to while you wait. In addition, there are pads and pens to write your thoughts as you reflect on what you would like to focus on in your session. You will be met by your therapist who will take you back to a warmly lit and tastefully decorated room that will feel like home.

Each of our licensed therapists has a unique style and area of specialty as we tailor your treatment with someone who will be the perfect fit. You have the option of taking “Keona” our certified therapy dog back to your session with you for additional comfort if you so desire.

We aim to provide the environment you need and the quality of service to foster healing as you walk your walk to a journey of wellness. We take away the stigma and provide you with the hospitality and care you have been looking for and are honored to be a part of each and every journey.

T& G

penn state diary

Oval Office Memories Presidential libraries offer a treasure of materials from past presidents

By Lee Stout

The lobby of the Richard M. Nixon Presidential Library in California.

Over the 25 years that I have been writing “Penn State Diary,” I have had the pleasure of experiencing the university archives as a researcher digging out background materials for these articles. However, a variety of other research projects have taken me to additional archives, historical societies, and both the Library of Congress and the National Archives in Washington.

My most unique research experience was in the Richard M. Nixon Presidential Library in Yorba Linda, California, when I was working on A Matter of Simple Justice, the Untold Story of Barbara Hackman Franklin and A Few Good Women, published by Penn State in 2012. Franklin, Penn State alum and former US Secretary of Commerce, began her governmental career in the Nixon White House.

Thanks to Watergate, the names of many Nixon White House staffers are more familiar to us than those of perhaps any other presidency. Sitting in the research room and reading the memos and letters of Haldeman, Ehrlichman, Colson, and Dean gave a vicarious thrill. But those of Arthur Burns, Virginia Knauer, Daniel Moynihan, Bob Finch, Pat Hitt, Helen Bentley, and Donald Rumsfeld were equally important.

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On my research visit to the Nixon Library, I was clearly focused on accomplishing as much work as possible. I was there from opening to closing, going through as many folders of papers and collections of photos as I could. After the book was published, I returned with Barbara Franklin to give a presentation about it and the days in the early 1970s when she was the nation’s first recruiter of women for executive service in the federal government.

On this visit, I had time to look at the exhibits, talk with more of the staff, and have lunch with the Nixon Library foundation board. It gave me the chance to reflect on the idea of presidential libraries in general and the Nixon Library in particular.

There are libraries for every president since Herbert Hoover, and right now, President Obama’s staff is working with the National Archives to plan for his presidential library in Chicago.

It will be the 14th such facility.

I have had the good fortune to visit the Roosevelt, Kennedy, Johnson, Ford, and Carter libraries, but presidential “library” is really a misnomer, for these facilities are not libraries in the conventional sense. They house the records and papers of the president, the cabinet members, and staff who also chose to deposit papers there, and a variety of exhibits that tell the story of the president and his time in office.

They are administered by the National Archives, but each works in partnership with a foundation that oversees many of the activities that take place at the libraries.

These are truly unique institutions. No other country in the world creates separate facilities for presidential or prime ministerial records or museums. In other countries, almost all such collections are deposited in their national archives, centrally located in their

nation’s capital.

Critics refer to our presidential libraries as “America’s Pyramids,” and complain about the costs of maintaining such facilities scattered across the country. It’s not just budget hawks who object, scholars also are inconvenienced by having to travel to multiple sites for research.

The first 39 presidents’ papers were considered their private property; some collections were destroyed, but most are scattered among a variety of repositories, with the largest collections residing in the Library of Congress. The presidents from Hoover to Carter donated their papers to the government and they are housed in their respective presidential libraries.

The Presidential Records Act of 1978 changed this. The papers of the president and vice president are now government property, with Ronald Reagan the first president subject to the new law.

Nixon’s library has an unusual history because of his resignation and the passage of an act giving the government possession of Nixon’s papers and tapes.

A private foundation headed by family and friends later launched a private Nixon Library in 1990 containing his nonpresidential records, while the National Archives administered the presidential materials in Washington. Eventually, a compromise was reached, and the two were consolidated in a new Nixon Presidential Library in 2007.

Probably the most heated controversy surrounding the Nixon Library centered on the exhibit dealing with Watergate. The library’s original exhibit was judged a whitewash by many scholars and journalists; it was replaced after the National Archives took over in 2007. While the new staff tried to create a balanced exhibit, Nixon loyalists were still outraged over many aspects. The library director, a noted historian, eventually resigned. A new library director began work this past January. He is a specialist in public administration, unlike most presidential-library directors who are historians or archivists.

Regardless of the controversies surrounding the man and his library, going there to examine the papers of the president and his staff puts you in touch with those conflicts in a way that few others experience. T&G Lee Stout is librarian emeritus, special collections for Penn State.

Get to know...

Ryan Patrick: On and Off the Ice Ryan Patrick was born to skate — pretty much a given, considering that his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather are all in the Hockey Hall of Fame. “It’s a tough act to follow,” says Ryan, who is hockey director at Pegula Ice Arena.

Ryan played club hockey for Penn State while he was earning his bachelor’s degree in recreation and park management. After graduating in 2003, he worked for the National Junior Prospects Hockey League and for Pittsburgh Penguin minor-league teams before becoming head boys hockey coach at Sewickley Academy, as well as director of coaching for Pittsburgh Aviators youth hockey and program director at Airport Ice Arena in Moon. When he heard that Penn State was building “one of the best arenas in the country,” he jumped at the chance to return to Happy Valley.

Ryan oversees Pegula’s youth, student, and adult hockey programs, from learn-toplay-hockey programs to high-level travel teams. The best part of his job, he says, is working with the kids. “It’s a blast; it keeps you young. That’s not work to me.”

Meanwhile, the next generation of the Patrick clan is already on the ice. Ryan and Colleen Patrick ’02 installed a rink in their State College backyard last winter, and their son and daughter, ages 5 and 3, got plenty of ice time. “I’ll support them in whatever they want to do,” their proud dad says.

The Penn State Bookstore thanks Ryan Patrick and all faculty and staff who carry out the university’s mission every day.

www.psu.bncollege.com 814-863-0205 2015 November T&G - 27

Left, some of the early ambulances that made up the Alpha Ambulance Company, which is now Centre LifeLink EMS. Above, the Penn State Lady Lions’ Pink Zone game has helped raise more than $1.1 million for breast-cancer related programs.

Years of Town&Gown: Nonprofits Local organizations remain committed to the community

By Tracey M. Dooms For more than a century, State College area citizens have organized themselves to help other people. In the late 1800s, for example, the forerunner of the GFWC State College Woman’s Club was already hard at work, organizing a library in the Frazier Street School and providing public wastebaskets to keep litter off the town’s streets.

By 1966, when Town&Gown published its first issue, a wide variety of nonprofit organizations operated in the area, supporting everything from education to the arts, and many of those same nonprofits continue to serve the community today. The Alpha Ambulance Club has grown 28 - T&G November 2015

from a one-ambulance service in 1941 to seven ambulances, four nonemergency vans, and 7,000 calls a year, operating 24 hours a day as Centre LifeLink EMS. The YMCA of Centre County traces its history to the 1869 founding of the Bellefonte YMCA (making it the third-oldest in the country), followed by the State College Y in 1975; the two merged in 2009 and then joined with the Moshannon Valley branch in 2012 to form a countywide YMCA. The Arc of Centre County began in 1953 to help individuals with developmental disabilities, and in 1960, Skills Inc. started assisting them with employment.

Many of today’s adult residents of Centre

Right, the Centre County United Way has grown in the number of partner agencies it helps and also in how much it raises each year. Penn State volunteers and donors now represent approximately 40 percent of the Centre County United Way’s volunteer base and annual campaign.

County enjoyed camping and earning badges as kids with the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, and their children and grandchildren continue the tradition today. The American Red Cross has been active in State College since the days of rolling bandages during the World Wars, and it still conducts blood drives and teaches CPR and first-aid classes here. And the Centre County Historical Society has been preserving and promoting the area’s historic and cultural resources since 1904.

Over the past 50 years, visionary members of the community have launched and supported numerous additional nonprofit agencies.

Although their programs and methods have changed along with the times and technology, the basic mission has remained the same — making life better in State College and Centre County.

Longstanding organizations

One of the first nonprofits to begin operations during the past half-century was the Youth Service Bureau (YSB). Judge R. Paul Campbell

founded YSB in 1968 to help troubled youth.

Today, the organization offers 14 programs serving children and families, from adolescent residential programs to parenting education to counseling for families who have been separated due to abuse or neglect.

Also in 1968, four congregations in State College came together to help people in need. Interfaith Human Services now has 31 congregations that provide support for its services, which include its Heating Assistance Program, Displaced Residents Program, and Rental Assistance Program.

The Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon began as a fun little event in 1973, with 39 couples dancing in the HUB Ballroom.

Spectators voted for their favorite couple by dropping donations in cans, and the event raised $2,000 for a Butler County organization for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Four years later, THON made its first donation to the Four Diamonds Fund, a fledgling charity helping families of pediatric-cancer patients at Penn State Hershey Medical Center.

2015 November T&G - 29

By 1979, the popular event outgrew the ballroom and moved to the White Building, and then to Rec Hall in 1999, and finally the Bryce Jordan Center in 2007.

Four decades after that first dance marathon, THON has grown into the largest student-run philanthropic organization in the country. For 46 hours each February, dancers, moralers, Four Diamonds families, and members of the town and gown communities pack the BJC for the no-sitting, no-sleeping dance marathon. In 2015, THON raised $13 million for the Four Diamonds Fund.

In the mid-1970s, a group of State College women gathered to discuss the need to help local women who were victims of domestic violence or sexual assault. Out of that discussion came the Centre County Women’s Resource Center (CCWRC), which has been providing services since 1978. A major expansion to its emergency Sylvia Stein Shelter opened in 2000. During the 2014-15 fiscal year, CCWRC provided 1,148 domesticviolence victims and significant others with services, including shelter, transitional housing, counseling, and assistance with protection orders. The organization also provided sexual-assault counseling and other services to 368 individuals and stalker services to 146 people. To help prevent future problems, CCWRC conducts a variety of

ClearWater Conservancy has been protecting natural lands in Centre County since 1980.

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community education programs, including school programs ranging from puppet shows with safety messaging for kindergarteners to dating-violence prevention programs for teens.

The 1980s began with the founding of two local environmental organizations.

Since July 1980, ClearWater Conservancy has protected 8,362 acres of natural lands through conservation easements and partnerships, planted more than 77,000 linear feet of riparian buffers, removed 5.8 million pounds of trash from sinkholes and illegal dump sites, and sent 15,000 students on field trips to Millbrook Marsh Nature Center in State College. Meanwhile, in 1981, the Lion’s Paw Alumni Association formed the Mount Nittany Conservancy to acquire land surrounding the summit of the regional landmark and protect it from development.

Today, members of the community can hike more than 800 acres of protected land.

The Food Bank of the State College Area Inc. began operating “temporarily” out of the basement of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in 1982. Twenty-five years later, the organization finally moved to larger quarters at Hamilton Square Plaza and then, in 2014, to a dedicated facility on South Atherton Street. Along with the move, the Food Bank launched the Client Choice distribution model, allowing clients to choose the food they receive, rather

than picking up pre-packed Centre Volunteers bags. In 2014, the Food in Medicine has Bank provided food to 2,011 helped residents with health and individuals living in 784 dental needs households. since 2003.

Since 1983, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Centre County has been partnering with working families and volunteers to build, renovate, and repair more than 60 homes, primarily in Centre County. Each family moving into one of the homes must provide 350 hours of sweat equity, working together with other community volunteers to build their house to developing leaders for all facets of the under trained supervision. In 2007, Habitat community. LCC got off the ground thanks opened ReStore, which sells donated hometo a cooperative effort by the Chamber of improvement materials to raise funds and Business & Industry of Centre County, the recycle usable materials.

Bellefonte Intervalley Area Chamber of Another housing group, Housing Commerce, the Moshannon Valley Economic Transitions Inc., was formed in 1984 after Development Partnership, and Penn State. a task force of local churches, government Each September, since 1992, about 35 adults officials, and service organizations examined have dedicated one day a month to learning the need for housing assistance. The program about Centre County arts, history, education, began with a small emergency shelter, Centre health and human services, and more, with House, and expanded over the years to include the goal of increasing the community’s pool of a larger shelter, housing and adult services case servant leaders. management, permanent supportive housing for mentally ill residents, transitional housing, Community newcomers and rent-reduced apartments.

In recent years, new nonprofit In 1987, the Nittany Leathernecks organizations have grown out of new Detachment of the Marine Corps Reserve community needs — and out of insightful participated for the first time in the national leaders who recognized longstanding needs.

Marine Corps Reserve’s Toys for Tots program, For example, in 2001, concerned individuals collecting donated toys for local children who came together to establish Tides, a support otherwise might not get any from “Santa.” program for children and teens who were The program has evolved into a massive grieving the death of a loved one. Seven operation, with more than 1,000 volunteers families attended the first Tides meeting in wrapping more than 14,000 toys for Centre 2003; currently, the organization serves more County children each December. The local than 50 families each year. operation is one of the few Toys for Tots Centre Volunteers in Medicine opened its organizations in the country that wraps the doors 2003 to address a gap in health care. toys it collects and distributes, thanks to the The nonprofit organization uses the volunteer legion of volunteers, donated wrapping and services of medical and dental professionals storage space, and contributions that pay for to provide care to area residents who do wrapping paper and additional toys. not qualify for government-based medical The 1990s brought the establishment of assistance but cannot afford health insurance.

Leadership Centre County (LCC), dedicated In fiscal 2014, more than 185 volunteers 2015 November T&G - 31

donated 16,974 hours of their time to provide medical and dental care for more than 2,370 patient visits.

In 2006, the Big Ten offered members the chance to apply for $5,000 grants to attract more fans to women’s basketball games. Lady Lion head coach Rene Portland’s group decided on a Think Pink game. In February 2007, the Lady Lions became the first team in the country to don pink uniforms to honor breast-cancer survivors, raising $20,000 for breast-cancer research. By 2011, the effort had grown to encompass its own 501(c)3 organization, the Pennsylvania Pink Zone, a year-round fundraising effort culminating in the annual Pink Zone game, raising more than $1.1 million so far to support breastcancer related programs.

Also in 2006, family and friends of Bob Perks founded the Bob Perks Cancer Assistance Fund to honor the memory of a founding member of the local Coaches vs.

Cancer chapter who had died the year before at age 42 after battling melanoma. This fall, the organization celebrated its one-millionth

dollar given out to area families who need help with basic necessities such as rent and food while undergoing cancer treatment.

Working together

In addition to dozens of individual nonprofit organizations, Centre County also benefits from collaborative efforts that support many organizations and many programs.

In 1971, the Bellefonte Area Community Fund and the United Fund-College Area merged to form Centre County United Way (CCUW), with contributions collected by one organization to benefit multiple agency partners. In 1999, CCUW surged in its ability to reach a broader audience when Penn State employees selected the organization as its charity of choice. Penn State volunteers and donors now represent approximately 40 percent of CCUW’s volunteer base and annual campaign. In 2002, the Penn State Student United Way was formed, representing the country’s first student United Way. Today, more than 56,000 county residents benefit each year from CCUW-funded

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programs. The 35 current partner agencies range from the Youth Service Bureau to Global Connections to MidPenn Legal Services, and include partners that have joined over the past eight years such as Bridge of Hope Centre County and the State College Community Land Trust. After raising almost $2.1 million last year, the 2015 campaign has a goal of $2.2 million, including a new strategy of raising $117,000 for nondesignated donations to help ensure full support for more than 70 programs offered by partner agencies.

Another major collaborative effort is Centre Foundation, launched in 1981 by Judge Campbell (who also founded the Youth Service Bureau). He envisioned an organization that would help Centre County donors fulfill their philanthropic goals by building and maintaining a permanent collection of endowment funds. Over the past 34 years, more than 12,400 donors have invested more than $14 million in Centre Foundation funds, and the foundation’s assets totaled $33.2 million in 2014. A broad range of funds support grants related to health and social services, education and lifelong learning, culture and the arts, and environmental conservation and awareness.

The future of fundraising

In 2012, Centre Foundation launched Centre Gives, a 36-hour online giving event held each May. Donors log on to one Web site — centregives.org — to contribute to any of dozens of charitable organizations serving Centre County. In addition to these donations, participating organizations divide up a $100,000 “stretch pool” provided by Centre Foundation; each organization receives a percentage of the pool based on how much it raises during the 36 hours. On May 5 to 6, 2015, community members made 5,711 gifts to local nonprofits through Centre Gives, totaling $765,000.

“Online giving is becoming more and more important for nonprofits to be able to do,” says Molly Kunkel, Centre Foundation executive director. “Locally, Centre Gives has shown the power of that.”

Although the Centre County United Way still receives most donations through payroll 2015 November T&G - 33

The Centre Foundation’s Centre Gives 36-hour online campaign raised $765,000 for local nonprofits this year.

deductions and handwritten checks, more and more donors are clicking “donate now” at ccunitedway.org to make an immediate donation, says Megan Evans, communications coordinator. “Also, some of the larger companies have moved to online donating for their employee campaigns,” she says.

Increasingly, nonprofits are recognizing the power of outreach through social

media, Kunkel says. Before the first Centre Gives in 2012, she says, few local nonprofits accepted online donations or had Facebook pages. Now, Facebook is common for nonprofits, and some are using Instagram and Twitter to reach out to donors and the community, she says.

“The organizations that are the most active in those online platforms are the organizations that are the most effective fundraisers during Centre Gives,” she says.

On the horizon for area nonprofits is “text to give,” according to Kunkel, in which donors text a single keyword to donate a specific amount. No matter how donors contribute, though, the ultimate goal is the same, she says: “Our role is encouraging philanthropy in the community.” T&G Tracey M. Dooms is a freelance writer in State College and a special-projects editor for Town&Gown.

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International

Educat i Study-abroad students reflect on their time away from Penn State International Education Week is November 16-20.

The US Department of State and Department of Education team up each year to celebrate the benefits of international education and exchange worldwide.

As part of the celebration, Penn State Directorate of Education Abroad holds an annual essay contest that provides study-abroad alumni the opportunity to share their experiences. For the third consecutive year, Town&Gown is partnering with the program to publish the winning entries.

The contest is open to all current Penn State students who have participated or are currently participating in a Penn State study-abroad program. During the 2014-15 academic year, Penn State sent more than 2,500 students abroad to 53 countries. The growing number of students who study abroad “reflects Penn State’s commitment to forging global citizens and global leaders.”

Here are the top two entries from the 2015 writing contest.

36 - T&G November 2015

t ion Experiences

2015 November T&G - 37

Darren Andrew Weimert (2)

When You Stop Looking, It Will Be Found

By Chloe Melnick When I was in kindergarten, I participated in what I found to be a mundane and repetitive exercise many mornings. I would be asked what my address was. I am sure most 6 year olds did not question this activity to the degree I did and, without question, would eagerly shout out numbers and names that they had been taught to memorize. But I was always confused.

I wondered why the teacher wanted to know my address and why I did this in front of all of my classmates. It seemed like such a strange activity to me.

What I did not understand at the time was the value and importance of home.

While I was a child, my innocence protected me from understanding many of the harsh realities of life.

Growing up in a protected and loving home, I was always excited to return home for the day. Like many other children my age, I became attached to my home and the feeling of comfort and safety that it brought me. I would often start my day at home and end my day at home, and even if I left for vacation, home would always be the final destination.

As I grew older, I learned that not everyone felt comfortable at home. I learned that I was lucky to even have a home, especially one that was full of love, laughter, food, water, clothing, and other basic necessities. This was important knowledge for me to learn, but I still had much further to go.

38 - T&G November 2015

I did not start to understand how important it was to expose myself to experiences outside of my comfort zone until the end of high school. Most people want to travel when they are in high school. They want to see the famous sites in the world, and this is a valid reason to travel, but I started to realize how much more you would learn from the people in the countries you travelled to as opposed to the structures and views that may have been there. I learned this when a graduate student from China started teaching my Chinese class in 11th grade. I saw how she was always trying to learn from us, but we also were trying to learn from her.

We weren’t just learning about language, we were learning about different cultures and different lifestyles from each other. This was when I first had a desire to go abroad.

From my junior year of high school up until I left for China this summer, I did everything I could to make the most of my trip. I gave up a month each summer to study Chinese at Penn State. I watched Chinese sitcoms, movies, and even some terrible dating shows to learn more of the language. I even streamed sporting events in Chinese. When I finally began attending Penn State, I talked to everyone I could about studying abroad until I found the perfect program. I quickly met with the professor in charge of the program and filled out an application. When I received the e-mail alerting me of my acceptance into the program, I was overjoyed! I knew that my dream of going to China was finally coming true, and I anxiously awaited the day of my departure.

When I left for China, I had an itinerary of what I would be doing every day, but as the days passed, I realized that the itinerary didn’t tell the story of what I was experiencing in China. China was about the faces I saw, the people I met, and the conversations I had. I never felt homesick. Everyone was so welcoming, in ways that seemed unimaginable. And for that reason, I found a home for myself exactly where I did not expect one to exist.

About 18 days into our 26-day trip, we went to a small village outside the city of Huangshan. As we drove down a gravel path to get into the village, the top of our bus narrowly missed the overhang of rooftops. The bus stopped when it got as close to the village as possible, and we walked the rest of the way.

My professor, Xinli Wu, grew up in this village. My first memory of the village was exiting the bus and seeing a line of cars parked on the road. We started to walk past the cars, and my professor said, “That’s my brother’s car, and that one is my sister’s.”

I quickly realized that almost none of the people who actually lived within the village had a car — the cars were all owned by people who were merely visiting. As we walked into the village, we continued down a narrow path that ran between houses and stores. We had walked about 100 feet when we entered a store that was owned by my professor’s cousin. He had medicine and described remedies of ancient Chinese medicine that are still in use today. I had learned of the use of these techniques, but, with the availability of modern technology, I didn’t believe that they were still alive today. I was amazed at the ingenuity of the Chinese and admired his cousin for keeping the tradition of Chinese medicine alive.

After leaving the pharmacy, we continued to walk through the village until we reached a bridge that provided access over a large stream to the other half of the village. While crossing the bridge, I saw villagers kneeling down and gathering water on the banks of the stream. We continued walking, and immediately after crossing the bridge, I saw four older villagers circled around an inverted crate playing cards. This was an activity I saw in various places across China. In many stores, owners would be playing cards with their families and friends while waiting for customers. It was a scene I grew to admire. I have become accustomed to seeing people so engrossed in their phones or other forms of entertainment that they can’t even seem to enjoy the presence of the person who is sitting directly in front of them. So walking through this village, I gained a greater respect for the four people I saw playing cards and the societal ideals of the Chinese as a whole.

After passing this store, we continued down a narrow path, walking between buildings that I could have touched on both sides if I extended my arms.

Finally, we reached our destination for the day, the childhood home of our professor. We were welcomed with fruit, chocolate, and water. There wasn’t much room in the house, and it was most definitely not

designed to have more than 40 people in it at one time, but it was part of the experience. We were given the opportunity to see how simple life can be in rural parts of China.

After eating some snacks, we went for a walk around the village. We had the chance to see some of the regimens of daily life. We saw a lot of people working at a feverish pace in fields, picking plants or hoeing away. They were completely engrossed in their activities — they weren’t even distracted when a group of 40 people walked past them. As we continued to walk around the village, we ran into Xinli’s old elementary school teacher, and they had a brief conversation. The farmers, teachers, and shopkeepers all lived within the village, so there was a real sense of community.

We arrived back at the house for dinner, and this was when I realized that although I may have been 7,500 miles away from home, I had found a new home here in this village. It took me nearly two hours after arriving to start seeing how similar my life was to so many of the people in the village. There were obvious things about my life that were different from the villagers, but when we first arrived, I was so distracted by our differences that I almost didn’t see our similarities.

I saw a bowl of warm water on the ground, with soap and a washcloth on a stand above it, and I was brought back to times as a child, coming inside after playing in the yard all morning to eat lunch. My parents both worked full-time jobs, so I went to a babysitter’s house for a large portion of the day. I had so many memories and gained so much knowledge at my babysitter’s house. It was a place I felt very comfortable and considered to be my second home.

Every day at lunchtime my babysitter would blow a wooden train whistle, and that was our signal to come inside for lunch. We would immediately stop what we were doing and sprint up the stairs of the deck, ravenous and ready for food. When we reached the

Melnick had the opportunity to see life in rural China 2015 November T&G - 39

top, placed in front of us was a large metal bowl full of warm, soapy water. We would scrub the dirt off of our hands and go inside for lunch. Because of this simple memory, I was able to find a new home.

Later that night, I talked to some of the neighbors in Chinese and told a few stories of our trip. When it started to become dark out, all of the kids in the village went to the bridge, and we played games with them and then set off fireworks. That evening solidified how I felt about the village and the people within it.

When I was in kindergarten, home had a very literal meaning to me — home was where my house was. As I have grown older and have obtained more knowledge and experience, I have found home in many different places. When I think of the places that I consider to be home, I ask myself why these places are home. These places are home to me because of the people who make them feel like home and the experiences that make them feel like home. Sitting in that compact room, surrounded by 40 people whom I had befriended over the course of two weeks, in a place that could have been so foreign to me, I found home. I was welcomed into this small village of probably no more than 300 people and was treated as

a friend without even being known. They welcomed me with open arms and did everything they could to show to me how much they wanted me to be there.

When everyone asks me how China and my experience abroad were, all I really feel the need to say is “Amazing!” I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. Once you find a home, you know how amazing it is. And when I found a home in China, I felt that my experience in China was more than just going outside of my comfort zone and experiencing a new culture. In China, I learned that no matter how far away from home you may be, you can always find another place to call Home.

Penn State and State College have both been great homes to me, but finding a new home halfway across the world was something I never expected to happen. It was a life-changing experience and is something I know I can always look to for comfort and happiness. T&G Chloe Melnick is from State College and a sophomore at Penn State, majoring in engineering science.

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Bonjour! Hello from France!

By Sara Getson My pumpkin pie is now in the oven, which gives me some time to finally say Hi! At the moment, I am in the process of making my second homemade pumpkin pie. It’s for a dinner party that my host parents are having this evening. I hadn’t originally planned on making another one, but after my host parents tasted my first, they liked it so much that they asked me to make one again for their guests this evening.

It all started when I wanted to make a pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving, which, of course, is a holiday that does not exist here in France.

First of all, in France, pumpkins are savory, never sweet, so pumpkin pie is not a very common thing to be making in Paris.

Finding a pumpkin was easy enough, though, as I was able to go to a produce stand near my abroad center on Rue Daguerre and purchase a nice orange one. Going through the Metro with

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it was another story entirely.

Once at the apartment, I roasted and pureed it, then realized I didn’t actually have the right type of sugar! I ran down to the grocery store in search of brown sugar, but to no avail. I found white sugar, cane sugar, powdered sugar, and superfine sugar, but no brown sugar, nor any molasses with which to make brown sugar. I then asked Seth, a staff member at my abroad center.

He was able to direct me to an American market called The Thanksgiving (quite an appropriate name, I would say!).

I took the Metro out to the fifth district and finally found what I was looking for. The Thanksgiving is a tiny corner store with a green façade and “The Thanksgiving” written in large white letters on the front. It is actually run by some British people who import American food and cooking items that don’t exist in France.

As I walked in, it felt as if I were back in the US, with all of the name-brand products such as Domino, Jell-O, Crisco, and others. I found exactly what I needed and then rushed back home to prepare my specialty.

I didn’t have exact measurements for the ingredients either, but it turned out all right in the end. My host mom stood there watching as I whipped the egg whites and then folded them into the pumpkin batter. She looked rather unsure of a sweet pumpkin dish, but I assured her it was delicious. That evening, my host parents had their first tastes of pumpkin pie. They liked it so much that they asked me to make a second one for the dinner tonight with all of their friends from church — and that pie is currently in the oven.

This was fine with me because I had quite a lot of pumpkin left! Standing there in the kitchen with my host mom made me think about the day I had first arrived at their apartment in Paris.

When I landed in Paris, I was rather nervous about the prospect of meeting my host parents. I had received an e-mail from my abroad program about three weeks prior to my departure. The e-mail was about my housing placement. I had emailed with and called my host parents on the phone a couple of times to arrange for my arrival and move-in day on September 1. All I knew were their names, where they lived, and that they were a retired couple.

I took the Metro with my friend, Marguerite (who lives in Paris), to the Champs Elysée, the 42 - T&G November 2015

huge boulevard that leads up to the famous Arc de Triomphe in the eighth arrondissement (or district). We then walked a couple blocks to the enormous wooden doors leading into the apartment building where I would spend the next four months.

My host parents live on the fourth floor, and with all of my baggage, well, getting up there turned out to be quite an adventure in itself. I rang the doorbell to the apartment and stood there hoping that it was the correct one. A small, older woman came to the door and asked Who was there. I replied, saying that it was Sara Getson, the American student, and she opened the door. “Oh Sara, we were wondering when you would get here!” she exclaimed, all in French, of course.

She led me into the apartment, which was simply gorgeous with chandeliers, paintings, and mirrors all around. One might have even thought that I had gone back in time to the nineteenth century. My host mom directed me toward the bedroom where I was to stay. That, too, was beautiful, with a window overlooking a nice courtyard contained within the confines of the apartment building. I walked up to the large windows behind the desk in my room and opened them. The cool fall breeze blew through my hair as I stood there looking out over the apartment buildings. For the first time since I was 5 years old I would have my very own bedroom; at home, I share one with my younger sister, Charlotte. We dragged my bags into the room, and my host mom, Madame de Pommery, went to get some glasses of water for us as Marguerite and I began to unpack my things.

That evening, after Marguerite left, I had my first meal with my host parents, and from then on I knew that we were going to get along just fine. My host dad loved talking about history, current events, and science, while my host mom would always correct my grammar and teach me all about their various French customs. They were just like my real parents, except French.

Oh, and another thing, they didn’t speak any English at all, so needless to say, my French improved very quickly.

With such amazing host parents standing behind me every step of the way, I was able to immerse myself in the French culture. I joined the choir at the church that my host parents

Getson immersed herself into the French culture.

attended, which was so much fun. I attended choir practice every Tuesday evening, and as I stepped into the practice room, I was always greeted by 10 very nice older French ladies and our choir director, Pascal. Singing helped me to improve my pronunciation immensely, and all of the women were more than happy to correct my French at every possible opportunity. Later in the semester I was also able to join a student’s choir to sing in Notre Dame for a back-to-school student’s Mass in November. This was, without a doubt, one of the most incredible experiences of my life — to have the opportunity to actually sing for more than 4,000 French students in Paris in one of the most famous cathedrals that is hundreds of years old, During my stay in France, my host parents have encouraged me from the very beginning from practicing my French skills at home to taking all of my courses at a French university.

With our great relationship right from the start, it allowed us to have very open and stimulating conversations around the dinner table. My host dad is incredibly fascinated by the fact that I am majoring in plant science and plant pathology at the university and proudly announces to

everyone that I study mushrooms. I went mushroom hunting a couple of times in the fall, and upon returning home to the city with a big bag of boletus edulis (king bolete) mushrooms, my host mom probably asked me about 10 times if I was certain that they were the right kind.

In the end, they did turn out to be the edible variety, and even my host dad gave them a try.

As I worked through the school year, I had to study very hard for my classes. I took four different classes in French history, and if the courses in French weren’t enough, there was homework, as well.

When it came time for me to write my 15page dissertation on the restoration of the French monarchy following the French Revolution, my host dad was right there to help me. He looked in his library one evening and entered the dining room, his arms filled with old volumes of French history. He sat there with me looking through the books for quotes and figures, discussing every detail with me as we went. It was thanks to all of the help from my host dad that I ended up receiving an “A” in that class at the French university, something that is very difficult to accomplish. One of my other favorite things to do with my host parents is to watch history documentaries with them in the evenings. It helped my French greatly. I always learn a lot, and my host parents are always willing to answer my myriad of crazy questions.

Naturally, I traveled to many amazing places in Paris, around France, and Europe, as well, with some other study-abroad students and with my French friends. I also participated in other activities run by the abroad center and on my own, but I couldn’t have done all that I did without my wonderful host parents.

Well, I’ve got to run now. The rest of the dinner is almost ready, and my host parents have asked me to lead the dinner prayer before we eat. Wish me luck! Hopefully everyone will like my pumpkin pie.

Good night for now, and I’ll write again soon! T&G Sara Getson is from State College and a senior at Penn State, double majoring in plant science and French and Francophone studies and minoring in plant pathology.

2015 November T&G - 43

Town&Gown’s Guide to

Financial Services

Find the financial institutions, investment specialists, and advisors that are right for you – and your money Special Advertsing Section

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FINANCIAL SERVICES Guide To

Ten Ways to Start Saving Money Every Day From Northwest Savings Bank People who are “good with money” don’t necessarily have a ton of it. What they do have are good habits — such as following a budget and saving where they can. Start off on the right foot by finding ways to save money every day.

1. Cut out 10 percent “Even the most frugal people can find 10 percent of their expenses to cut,” writes Austin Netzley, Business Insider contributor. “If you take that 10 percent and invest it in yourself and your future by paying off debt or putting it toward something that can make you money, you’ll be much better off.”

2. Do a direct debit audit Yahoo Finance reports that we waste $70 a month being too busy or lazy to cancel direct debits, ranging from gyms we don’t visit to magazines we no longer read. Check your statements and ax any extra payments.

3. Notch down the thermostat Bringing down your thermostat by one degree could cut your heating bills by 10 percent, reports the US Department of Energy. Reduce monthly spending by reducing your heat.

4. Bring your lunch Time reports that eating out at least three times a week adds up to almost $1,500 a year.

Save money, time, and calories by bringing your own lunch to work.

5. Utilize savings accounts “Have a set amount of your salary automatically paid into a savings account,” advises Deborah Arthurs from Bankrate. “The key is to not touch it.”

Northwest Savings Bank offers a wide selection of personal savings accounts to help make sure your funds are secure and earning a competitive rate of interest.

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6. Pay off debt The average American carries roughly $7,000 in credit card debt. But here’s the good news: the most popular financial New Year’s resolution is to pay off debt, according to GoBankingRates.com. Make larger credit card payments each month to clear you and your family of debt.

7. Unplug ENERGY STAR® warns us to beware of phantom power — the energy used by an appliance when it’s still plugged in. The average home contains sleeping devices (such as coffeemakers, televisions, chargers, and more) that account for as much as 10 percent of energy use. Unplug!

8. Track your spending Rachel Cruze, personal finance expert and daughter of the renowned financial author Dave Ramsey, says it all comes down to being intentional with your money. “Create a budget and track your everyday spending so you know where you money is going,” she explains. “It will help you avoid debt, pay off existing debt, and save money.”

9. Invest Making the most of your investments can be as simple as diversifying across asset classes and rebalancing once a year.

“Invest the same amount in a mutual fund every month. That ensures you’ll buy more shares when they’re cheap and fewer when they’re expensive,” advises Money Magazine’s David Futrelle.

Northwest offers investment management and trust advice to help you develop a financial plan.

10. Say Yes to in-store incentives If a store is offering you 15 percent off by simply handing over your e-mail address, why pass up the opportunity? Welcome new customer offers such as loyalty points and interest-free offers — every bit matters when it comes to saving. r

FINANCIAL SERVICES Guide To

Navigating Market Volatility

By Fred Rousselin, PNC Wealth Management, Senior Investment Advisor Planning and investing for retirement can be complicated.

According to the latest PNC Perspectives of Retirement Survey, even the savviest of savers acknowledge they need help on a range of financial questions.

Key survey findings: • According to the latest PNC Perspectives of Retirement Survey, which measures the attitudes on retirement preparedness of “successful savers,” nearly all respondents (95 percent) seek insights to help with financial questions.

• The top triggers for seeking insight are a need to understand the choices better when circumstances are changing and the realization that they need to make their financial resources work harder for them.

• Gen X is investing more aggressively for retirement as they have a longer time horizon than Boomers (46 percent Gen X aggressive investing vs. 36 percent Boomers). Gen X also needs more help than Boomers on determining how much to save for retirement, balancing retirement saving against other financial needs, making borrowing versus investing decisions, and deciding when to retire.

Investors concerned over market fluctuations may make shortsighted adjustments that can cause them to miss the long-term opportunity in market recovery.

The best way to reduce volatility is to diversify your assets and to create a longterm investment plan that you can live with in both strong and weak market environments.

50 - Special Advertsing Section

Rebalancing can be done quarterly, annually, or with timely opportunities, depending on each individual’s risk tolerance, diversification, and objectives.

Three key things to discuss with your investment advisor that will guide their assessment of your need to rebalance are: Know your risk tolerance. The most important rule of investing in any market environment is to make sure your investment portfolio aligns with your investment-risk tolerance. The goal is to find the right asset allocation and mix of asset classes (stocks, bonds, and cash) that align with your unique circumstances.

Stay diversified. All publicly traded asset classes — domestic stocks, international stocks, bonds, or even commodities — exhibit volatility. However, volatility affects those different asset classes at different times and to varying degrees.

An investment advisor who knows your objectives will weight your exposure to those asset classes accordingly and will monitor their price behavior to determine timely opportunities to rebalance your portfolio.

Outline your objectives. There are a number of considerations when setting investment objectives, including time horizon (how long you want to keep your money invested), unique circumstances (saving for child’s education), risk tolerance, tax implications, liquidity needs (rainy day funds), and ease (ensuring your advisor knows your goals so you can feel confident in your plan). r This article has been prepared for general informational purposes only and is not intended as specific advice or recommendations. Any reliance upon this information is solely and exclusively at your own risk.

52 - T&G November 2015

FINANCIAL SERVICES Guide To

Saving Money Through Winterizing Your Home From Mammoth Restoration and Construction When most homeowners think of winterization, two things come to mind: sealing up windows and doors to prevent heat loss and preparing a home to be vacant during the colder months.

But winterization is about much more than that.

Proper winterization keeps your home safe during the winter and protects it against costly hazards, such as burst pipes.

There are four major potential problem areas in your home: your pipes, your windows, your roof, and your exterior. Pipes can freeze and burst, flooding your property with thousands of gallons of water. Your windows and doors can leak air, reducing the effectiveness of your heating system and raising heating costs. Your roof can wear over time, be damaged by a sudden storm, or be exposed to an ice dam — any of these can lead to water seeping into your home. Your exterior siding can become worn or damaged, leading to potential flooding from melting snow.

Any of these can lead to serious hassle and expense. With proper preparation, you can minimize the risk of costly damage to your home this winter.

Drain and shut off exterior faucets.

More exposed to the cold than average pipes, exterior faucets can freeze up and burst even

when temperatures are relatively mild. Start by disconnecting any hoses. Next, turn off the water supply to that particular nozzle at the interior shutoff. Finally, open the exterior spigot, allowing all water in that line to drain.

Insulate your pipes. When the weather gets cold enough, even pipes inside your walls can be at risk. This kind of pipe break can cause a lot of damage. Adding insulation will help, but in some cases you may want to apply heat tape for extra protection against freezing.

Test your windows and doors. On a particularly windy fall day, check every window and door in your house. Feel around the edges of the window or door. A draft means you’re looking at an air leak. Seal any leaks with rope caulk, or put cling plastic over them for a temporary fix.

Examine your roof and siding. Take a lap around the exterior of your home before the weather gets cold. Look for any obvious damage — missing shingles, loose siding, anything that looks out of place. If you see something, get a professional out to inspect.

If you do experience a flood, get help fast. If you do discover water in your home, it’s vital to get trained professionals on the scene as quickly as possible. Every minute that the water sits makes it harder to get things dried out, which raises the potential cost. r

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Special Advertsing Section - 53

FINANCIAL SERVICES Guide To

Claiming Social Security: What’s Right for You?

By Wells Fargo Advisors and provided courtesy of the State College Wells Fargo Advisors Office Social Security is an important cornerstone of many retirement-income plans. Yet, most Americans aren’t aware of the variety of benefit options and claiming strategies to consider beyond deciding at what age to begin collecting benefits. The difference in various options can amount to tens of thousands of dollars over the course of your lifetime. And, once you’ve made your decision, in most cases it is irreversible.

The first thing to consider is whether you want to begin taking benefits early — as early as age 62 — before your “full retirement age” (FRA). FRA is based on the year you were born and is 66 or 67 for most of today’s retirees. You will receive a higher monthly benefit for each month you delay collecting benefits until age 70. The amount you receive when you first retire sets the base for the amount you will receive for the rest of your life.

Choosing when to begin receiving benefits is just one factor in your decisionmaking process. You also need to be aware of strategies that may help you maximize your Social Security benefits such as the “spousal benefit,” which applies to current spouses, widowed spouses, and exspouses.

As a spouse, you can claim Social Security benefits based on your own earnings record. Alternatively, you can collect a spousal benefit that will provide you up to 50 percent of the amount of your spouse’s Social Security benefit as calculated at their FRA, depending on when you claim. If you claim spousal benefits 54 - Special Advertsing Section

before reaching FRA, the Social Security Administration will automatically calculate the higher of the two benefits and that is the amount you will receive.

After you reach full retirement age, you can choose to receive only the spousal benefit and delay receiving your retirement benefits until a later date, allowing you to potentially receive a higher benefit later based on the effect of delayed retirement credits. Note, you cannot collect a spousal benefit until your spouse files for their own benefit.

If you are a widow or widower, you can collect a survivor’s benefit as early as age 60. Once you and your spouse are receiving Social Security benefits, upon the death of your spouse you will continue to receive the larger of your benefit or your spouse’s, but not both. Planning for survivorship benefits remains an important consideration for couples who have a significant disparity in ages, or health circumstances that may impact life expectancy.

If you are divorced, you may be eligible to receive Social Security benefits based on your ex-spouse’s work record. However, at most, your benefit will be 50 percent of what your ex-spouse would receive at their full retirement age, if this amount is larger than what you could receive based on your own work record. Other factors that determine your eligibility to collect on an ex-spouse’s record include your ages, how long you were married, and your current marital status. r Investments in securities and insurance products are: NOT FDIC-INSURED/NOT BANKGUARANTEED/MAY LOSE VALUE [PCG / WBS:] Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, Member SIPC, is a registered broker-dealer and a separate nonbank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company. ©2015 Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC. All rights reserved.

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2015 November T&G - 55

FINANCIAL SERVICES Guide To

Why This Is the Year to Switch to a Credit Union

By Terry Shoemaker, CEO of State College Federal Credit Union Credit unions have become more competitive with the nation’s banks. They can open accounts for almost anyone, even businesses, write mortgage loans, and generally provide any basic banking service that for-profit banks can. And over time, credit unions have become fiercely competitive.

Their not-for-profit status allows them to operate without a primary goal of profitability, as there are no stockholders to apply pressure to maximize profits. Their tax-free status means they can pass on savings to their members in the form of lower rates and fees as well as added products and services.

Borrowers win at credit unions Credit unions offer lending rates that are on par or better than the nation’s banks. The average credit union prices its credit cards, car loans, and mortgages at rates lower than the average for-profit banking institution, in part due to the efficiency of a not-for-profit business model.

You’ll notice car buyers are perhaps the biggest winner at credit unions, which price car loans at nearly half the rate of for-profit banks.

This is nothing new. Going back several years in the data, credit unions have historically priced their car loans at a 1.5 to 2 percent discount to

loans from the average banking institution. The difference is so substantial that individuals with an auto loan at a for-profit bank might want to consider refinancing their loan at a credit union.

The savings can add up to thousands of dollars over the life of the loan.

Credit unions are more conservative in how they manage their assets and liabilities, and thus prefer the short amortization period of car loans.

Whereas a 30-year mortgage carries the risk of rising interest rates over the life of the loan, a car loan can be easily matched with certificates of deposits, for instance. Credit unions will compete aggressively for car loans as well as first mortgages and home-equity loans; credit unions generate the overwhelming portion of their revenue from loans.

How credit unions stack up for savers Savers fare better at credit unions across the board. The average credit union offers CD, money market, and savings rates well above the national average for banking rates. The disparity is most dramatic for longer-term savings vehicles such as certificates of deposit, where credit unions pay nearly 50 percent more on five-year CDs than banks.

This is, again, partly due to conservatism in how credit unions structure their assets and liabilities.

Credit unions want longer-term deposits to reduce their interest-rate risk. Banks have more fee revenue than credit unions, which acts as a form of insulation from the swings in interest rates. r Get the BEST loan rates in the area FREE Checking with Mobile Banking, Remote Deposit, Bill Pay, Home Banking Visit www.statecollegefcu.com to learn all about us!

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FINANCIAL SERVICES Guide To

5 Good Financial Habits

3. Reevaluate your financial situation periodically Financial planning is a dynamic process. Your financial goals may change over the years due to changes in your lifestyle or circumstances, such as an inheritance, marriage, birth, house purchase, or change of job status. Revisit and revise your financial plan as time goes by so you stay on track to meet your long-term goals.

By Donald E. Leitzel, CFP ® 1. Set measureable financial goals Create specific goals for what you want to achieve and when you want to see the results.

Everyone wants to be “comfortable” in retirement and see their children attend “good” schools, but what do you mean by “comfortable” and “good”?

Clear goals are easier to aim for and measurable.

2. Understand the effects of each financial decision Remember, each piece of your financial life is part of a larger puzzle. For example, an investment decision may have tax consequences that are harmful to your estate plans. Or a decision about your child’s education may affect when and how you meet your retirement goals. Your financial decisions are interrelated.

4. Start planning as soon as you can The earlier you begin, the more likely you are to achieve your goals. By developing good financialplanning habits, such as saving, budgeting, investing, and regularly reviewing your finances, you will be better prepared to handle emergencies and life changes.

5. Be realistic in your expectations Financial planning cannot change your situation overnight — it’s a lifelong process. r

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Start-Up Seeds

Thanks to the Penn State ’s Global Entrepreneurship Week and other efforts, small-business creators are building strong roots in Happy Valley 58 - T&G November 2015

By Savita Iyer-Ahrestani

Contributed photo

F

or Linda Feltman, senior business consultant at Penn State’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC), the fact that the university and the SBDC rank first on the USA partners’ list for Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW), the world’s largest celebration of innovators, self-starters, and start-ups, is not that important. What matters to her is the extent to which GEW — an event that Feltman coordinates and that takes place November 15-20 this year — has grown at Penn State and in its role as a showcase for the importance of entrepreneurship at Penn State and in the broader community.

Feltman, who was tasked in 2009, GEW’s first year, to replicate the event at Penn State, had no idea it would grow to such proportions and become so important in the context of entrepreneurship both locally and globally.

“More than one student has told me that GEW is their favorite week of the year,” she says, “and if I get any complaints at all, it’s that there are just too many events to choose from.”

The weeklong event features lectures, tours, seminars, panels, and competitions, among others, and brings together Penn State professors, local and student entrepreneurs, and outside experts in an array of fields. It is designed, Feltman says, to inspire and educate, engage and empower both students and community members who have a bent for entrepreneurship and offer them some of the tools/skills/knowledge and networks they might need to start their own businesses and make these grow. More than one good business idea has either come out of GEW or has found, during the event, the resources needed to move it forward.

Beyond GEW, the SBDC, community organizations such as New Leaf Initiative, student-led Innoblue, which empowers student entrepreneurs, and the Centre Region Entrepreneur Network (CREN) play a continual role in fostering the spirit of entrepreneurship and helping people bring their business ideas to fruition, Feltman says, such that Penn State and the State College community are rapidly becoming a hub for new and vibrant businesses.

When Erickson founded Blue Mountain Quality Resources in 1989, he says “there wasn’t a start-up community to speak of” in Happy Valley.

That’s certainly a far cry from when Jim Erickson, founder and CEO of State College-based Blue Mountain Quality Resources, a leading developer of industrystandard asset-management products and services for the life-sciences industry, set up his company in 1989. Erickson, a Penn State graduate, and his partner were keen to launch a business here because of obvious proximity to a world-class university and the resources thereof, “but back then, there wasn’t a start-up community to speak of,” he says, “and the software industry itself was quite new.”

2015 November T&G - 59

Darren Andrew Weimert (2)

Erdley, showing off vegetables that came from Videon’s garden, was one of the first-wave of entrepreneurs who set up the Centre Region Entrepreneurship Network.

He also spends time mentoring new entrepreneurs.

He was able to successfully grow his business by maintaining close ties to Penn State, by availing of the knowledge and resources it provides and hiring top-notch graduates. Over the years, he’s seen the entrepreneurial community grow and several new businesses take off, with a significant shift, he says, occurring in the past five years. Penn State and GEW have been key to that change, as have organizations such as CREN, which was set up by first-wave local entrepreneurs such as Erickson and Todd Erdley, president and CEO of Videon, which helps media-technology firms move their digital-media initiatives from concept to market.

Today, CREN has about 75 people representing 50 companies, and the numbers are set to keep growing, Erdley says. Local entrepreneurs are keen to see businesses flourish in the community, and they are willing and open to share their time and their expertise, act as mentors, and even provide office space to any aspiring entrepreneur.

Erdley believes that State College and the surrounding region are on the cusp of an “economic revival” that will be spurred by start-ups and small-business creation and development, and he credits the movement in large part to Penn State president Eric Barron.

“This has been an untapped hub of economic development, but now, there’s a fully committed, synchronized, and extremely knowledgeable team in charge at Penn State that understand economic development and has a vision of economic impact,” Erdley says. “President Barron is leading the team, and many exciting things are happening here now, with Penn State doing things with the community and the community doing things with Penn State.”

Feltman agrees, saying, “It is wonderful to have support from the top of the food chain at Penn State, and it’s so rewarding to know that our efforts are being supported from that level down.”

Fifteen years ago, private industry accounted for around 26 percent of employment in State College, while Penn State made up close to 40 percent, Erdley says. Today, private industry is around only 8 percent while Penn State accounts for close to 50 percent of the local employment base, “so there’s a big imbalance that President Barron, among others, believes should be redressed,” he says.

CREN has put together a 3B33 plan, which is a vision for the community that projects for $3 billion in annual economic output by 2033 through ventures that are not reliant on Penn State, Erdley says. ­— continued on page 62

60 - T&G November 2015

Start-Up Success Stories Three new entrepreneurs travel the road to business success

By Savita Iyer-Ahrestani Mitch Robinson, founder of Résumé Ruby, designed a unique Photoshop template for his résumé, and it appealed to other students so much that they asked him “to make theirs look the same.”

For $20, Robinson did the work and Mitch Robinson discovered “that there was a hole in the market for this that could be built up into a scalable solution.”

The Penn State senior, who had participated in an entrepreneurship class in high school and whose father is a tech entrepreneur, came to Penn State to study energy systems. He was quickly bitten by the “entrepreneurship bug,” and he joined Innoblue, a student-led organization of which he is now vice president.

This summer, his start-up was one of six to receive a $10,000 grant from Penn State’s Summer Founders Program. It has helped Résumé Ruby grow to where it now operates in more than 40 countries. Along the way, he’s taken advantage of all the resources Penn State has to offer young entrepreneurs such as himself, and he’s worked closely with local mentors such as Todd Erdley, CEO of Videon.

Because of his Innoblue involvement, Robinson will be playing a key role at Global Entrepreneurship Week, which, he says, “exemplifies the process that entrepreneurs all over the world are going through. You never know who you’ll meet at GEW and what kind of new connections you’ll make there.”

• • • Mary Elizabeth McCulloch had no idea that Project Vive, which started because of her

desire to help children with nonverbal cerebral palsy in an Ecuadorian orphanage, would grow as much as it has.

During her senior year at Bald Eagle Area High School, she was an exchange student in Ecuador.

She witnessed firsthand the difficulties children afflicted by the ailment had in communicating and in procuring an effective device. She decided to create a low-cost and robust speech device, getting things off the ground with the help of her father and other family members.

“I had no idea at that the time that so many resources existed at Penn State,” she says.

Things changed when she applied for a New Leaf Initiative pitch contest and came into close contact with Penn State’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC), which helped her to “realize the full market potential of the device that I had.”

She was the beneficiary of a $10,000 Summer Founders Program grant and, currently, has three working prototypes of her device. As it reads on the Project Vive Web site, “Project Vive is a humanitarian effort to help improve the lives of people with nonverbal communication disabilities. In doing so, we are utilizing technology to develop, manufacture, and distribute a low-cost solution that will help restore one of mankind’s precious gifts — speech.”

• • • When Michelle Mierwald graduated from Penn College Williamsport’s culinary school in 2011, she knew she did not want to work in a restaurant. A wife and mother with grown kids, she needed flexibility in her life.

She began making hot sauces in her home and giving them to friends and family to try out.

“They said, ‘You should sell them,’ and that’s how things came together,” she says.

She approached Linda Feltman, senior business consultant at Penn State’s SBDC, and she has not looked back. Feltman and the SBDC have helped her in moving forward her hot sauce business, Sweet Heat Gourmet, she says, “and even if I e-mail Linda at 2 a.m., she gets back to me in the morning. Without her, I would not be where I am.”

Today, Mierwald’s award-winning sauces sell online, in various venues around the community, and, through a distributor in Texas, she has a presence in 1,000 stores around the world. She is working closely with Feltman and the SBDC to properly manage that expansion and take her business even further. T&G 2015 November T&G - 61

— continued from page 60

“We want to have a better balance of people, ideas, employers, culture, and so on, and suffice it to say that things are happening, and Penn State and the community are coming together to create something,” he says.

Penn State professor Lee Erickson also believes that this area is in the early stages of becoming a true entrepreneurial hub.

She teaches the information sciences and technology (IST) component of Penn State’s entrepreneurship minor, a highly popular minor in which eight colleges are now participating and which plays an important role in fostering and nurturing student entrepreneurism.

Her classes, like the minor in general, are designed to offer both classroom and out-ofclassroom experiences. Students can interact with entrepreneurs both small and large, enter competitions, and pursue internships, and some have had the opportunity to showcase their work before heavyweights from Silicon Valley.

62 - T&G November 2015

In the three years since Erickson came on board, she’s seen interest in the entrepreneurship minor increase significantly, with students from many different disciplines signing up.

“Many students today feel they don’t want to work for a large company, and this generation is a little more independent in that they want to have control over their future,” she says.

But what’s more important, in Erickson’s view, is that the entrepreneurship minor is not geared solely toward prepping people to start their own businesses. It provides students with tools that they can successfully use in any corporate setting in order to stand out from the pack.

“What we hear from companies is that they want critical thinkers who have certain soft skills that are key for corporate America,” she says.

“Large companies need to innovate quickly, so they want people on the front line who can act fast and identify what’s coming next.”

The process students acquire in the entrepreneurship minor enables them to

Erickson has seen more Penn State students become interested in entrepreneurship because many “don’t want to work for a large company, and this generation is a little more independent in that they want to have control over their future.�

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814.234.4000 2015 November T&G - 63

understand that “you don’t have to be a Steve Jobs to be an entrepreneur,” Erickson says, that there are a set of tools and a process to entrepreneurship. Acquiring those tools also enables individuals to try again if their initial idea fails, “so learning that there is a process can be very helpful.”

Feltman also underscores the multidisciplinary nature of the entrepreneurship minor, which also is a key part of GEW and brings together people from a range of different areas.

“Most students think they can do it alone, but working in a team means being able to tackle and work through different issues and having a support system,” she says. “We strongly encourage every entrepreneur to be part of a team, and I think that GEW can help people find their matches in whatever area they may need support in.”

Whether it’s during GEW or through the rest of the year, there are more than enough resources for entrepreneurs to avail of — resources that Feltman would like, she says, to see more community members take advantage of, and she

heartily encourages more community members to attend GEW events, which include several at Schlow Centre Region Library. Because while Penn State students may be the catalyst for new businesses, good ideas can come from anywhere, and the SBDC can provide help and support to everyone in the community.

“GEW is a holistic exercise in entrepreneurship and it doesn’t preclude anyone,” Erdley says. “We want the community to understand just how open an event this is.” T&G

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Protect what’s important now ...for them.

For a schedule of events for this year’s Global Entrepreneurship Week at Penn State, visit gewpennstate.org.

Savita Iyer-Ahrestani is a freelance journalist in State College 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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Darren Andrew Weimert 66 - T&G November 2015

An

Ability to

Inspire Brett Gravatt can no longer walk or play soccer at Penn State following a snowboarding accident that left him paralyzed. He soon discovered, though, that he can do more than he ever thought possible

By Frank Bodani 2015 November T&G - 67

Below, Gravatt played in 11 games last season for the Lions and scored the game-winning goal in their NCAA Tournament victory over Hartwick.

H

e realized, bit by bit, how his life would be forever changed as he lay in a hospital bed a few days after Christmas. As Brett Gravatt emerged from a painkiller-induced fog, his whereabouts and the realities of his future began making sense in the harshest ways.

He could not move his legs. He could not walk.

He suddenly could not do so many things he never even thought about before.

Of all people, Gravatt had been defined by the lofty levels of what he could do, of what he aspired to become one day. He was a Big Ten soccer player at Penn State with goals of playing professionally. He wanted to be an Olympian. He wanted to coach for a living. He simply wanted to run because running was all he ever did from the time he could remember.

And yet these new realities slammed into Gravatt as they would most any 19-year-old athlete discovering they were paralyzed from the waist down after a freak snowboarding accident.

Soon enough, though, he began a rather stunning transformation. He formed a resolution and course of action that continues to impress those who know him best, from those from his hometown in northern Virginia to doctors in Charlottesville and Atlanta, and all the way to the State College community.

He promised to conquer new goals rather than focus on what he suddenly could not do.

It’s as if he’s embraced becoming something greater now than he could have ever been before.

••• 68 - T&G November 2015

Brett Gravatt remembers only flashes of the night that forever changed him.

He had just finished a comeback soccer season, one built on the intense training at the IMG Academy in Florida, a year at powerhouse Akron University, and finally that transfer to Penn State. Once a Nittany Lion, he recovered from a torn meniscus in his knee, gradually working his way into the lineup last season.

He earned a start against his former Akron teammates, and then, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, he stunned most every one, including Penn State head coach Bob Warming, by scoring the game-winning goal.

He finally felt settled in his college choice. His knee was strong again, and his soccer future looked even brighter. And a five-day holiday vacation with his family in the Virginia mountains seemed the perfect way to relax and celebrate it all.

He and older brother, Christian, would start things off with snowboarding at Liberty Mountain in Lynchburg, Virginia, before meeting their parents the following day. Brett had already been snowboarding that week with his sister. It was the day after Christmas, and he remembers starting that run and going off a “fairly decent-sized jump, nothing extreme, maybe 15 feet in the air.” He can tell you that he lost his balance

Left, Gravatt (first row, far right) joins his family and members of Penn State’s ability-athletics program during a ceremony at Jeffrey Field.

Above, Gravatt has already competed in several wheelchair racing events and is hoping to compete in the 2020 Paralympics.

taking off and landed awkwardly on his back.

Mostly, he can recall only snippets from what happened next, including being loaded into the ambulance and emergency workers cutting off his clothes. As he was being rushed to a hospital, his mother, Lora Gravatt, received the first alarming phone call about her son’s injury. She and her husband quickly packed the car and headed out, changing their plans en route when another call informed them that Brett was being transported to the university hospital in Charlottesville because of the severity of his condition.

Soon after arriving, they learned he had broken five vertebra but had crushed his T-6 and had lost all sensory abilities on impact. Doctors performed surgery just after midnight to stabilize his spine and allow as much healing as possible, inserting two rods and eight screws.

The family was told surgery would not alter his paralysis.

Early on, faith steeled them all, says Lora Gravatt, a pastor at Columbia Baptist Church in Falls Church, Virginia. She broke the news to her lead pastor and, soon after, text messages and phone calls began pouring in from all over, carrying prayers, blessings, and offers to help in any way possible.

A couple of days after the accident, Warming

showed up for support. Then came members of his soccer team and even a best-wishes phone call from US soccer star Landon Donovan.

Lora Gravatt would certainly not focus on false hope for a complete recovery. Instead, she told her son that God had prepared him for these moments his entire life. That he was better equipped than most anyone possible to not only handle his life changes but also flourish through them.

Sure enough, only a few days after his surgery, with 30 staples holding his back together and no movement from his torso down, he stunned therapists by learning how to get in and out of bed. He had to relearn how to brush his teeth, put on socks, and shower, with brutal waves of pain crashing through it all.

“Everything they asked him to do, he just did it. It’s not only just his strength but his will — his strength of character,” his mother says.

His drive intensified after being transferred to a rehabilitation hospital in Atlanta. In a way, he called on his past for support, from everything he had done to become an elite soccer player.

In high school, even before moving to the IMG Academy, his social life was spending time only with teammates. He would watch pro soccer games on TV and then mimic the players’ moves for hours in the backyard.

Before arriving at Penn State, he injured his knee playing for the DC United’s Under-23 team.

He rehabbed so diligently that he spent much of last fall urging Warming to put him into games 2015 November T&G - 69

ahead of schedule.

And when he finally got his chance …

It was frigid last November 20 at Jeffrey Field, Penn State and Hartwick tied, 1-1, late in their first-round game of the NCAA Tournament. And then Gravatt had control of the ball. He beat one defender, faked a crossing pass, and cut inside. He beat another defender and shot with his left foot, about 15 yards out.

The ball curled toward the goal on a magical arc, around the goalie, and into the upper-left side of the net.

He had scored the game-winner to send his team to the next round of the tournament.

It would be the only college goal he would ever score.

Ask Warming about it now, and he’ll describe it most succinctly: “That was one of the best goals I’d ever seen live. The way he beat and cut up those two guys with step-over [moves] … and to hit the ball left-footed with so much power, to hit it at a spot no goalkeeper in the world could get to? And that’s no goalkeeper.

“That’s an amazing goal. This is one when you just thought, ‘That was a piece of art.’ ” • • • As Gravatt pressed hard into his rehab in Atlanta last January, he was overtaken by a way to turn his entire situation around. He focused on how his injury

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Leader of the

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lth Nittany Hea For Mount CEO Steve president and ut taking all abo Brown, it’s ity mun com care of the s he love

New Blue Band director Greg Drane (left) is ready to take the reins of one of the nation’s most popular and successful marching bands

Seeds

70 - T&G November 2015

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YEA R

Videon’s Todd Erdley and others are making Happy Valley a place where entrepreneurs can flourish Inside: Guide to Financial Services • Holiday Gift Guide

and future actually could have been much worse — and that he was fortunate to own a head start in battling through it all. He could have suffered a brain injury. He could have died.

“I had it easy. I was an athlete before and in great shape. I could learn anything [the rehab staff] taught me in a day,” he says. “The guy or girl next to me would take a week to learn it. They weren’t in good shape or their injury was worse. I mean, there are people who are quadriplegics who can’t use their hands. At least I still had my hands ….”

By his second month of recovery, he was forging his own new routine and was lifting weights and looking into adaptive sports — sports for those with disabilities. And, most fortunately, the constant, intense pain began to subside.

The next steps were more daunting, though. He vowed to not only return to Penn State as a student but also to stay involved with the soccer program and even continue his own athletic career.

Penn State has one of the more advanced abilityathletics programs in the nation. Sports include wheelchair basketball, swimming, powerlifting, and track and field. By the end of May, Gravatt was back at Penn State and focused on wheelchair racing. He

Inside: Jake Corman: The man who took on the NCAA • Penn State president Eric Barron has “Lunch with Mimi”

Inside: Perceptions and realities in Penn State’s Greek system • “Taste of the Month" spotlights Barrel 21

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now trains six days a week and already has competed in events in New Jersey, Indiana, and Oklahoma. He also won the pentathlon at a junior nationals event.

He wants to be racing marathons by next summer, all part of a plan to reach the Paralympics in 2020.

“I just wanted something day-in and day-out, a goal to achieve, and that was always something in soccer,” he says. “It was something I needed to find again.”

Just as importantly, he’s stayed close to the soccer program. He works 30 hours a week editing practice and game video and acting as a sort of assistant coach and team motivator.

He drives a car every day to class with specially fitted controls, taking apart his wheelchair every time he gets in.

“You become very patient, and life’s a little slower now,” he says with a laugh.

But is it really?

Some figured it would take Gravatt a year or two, if not longer, to adjust to his new life and begin competing again. And yet, “he goes to a couple of events and is just tearing it up,” Warming says.

Penn State ability-athletics coach Teri Jordan, a former American record-holder in the 5,000 meters and longtime Division I track and field coach, now coaches Gravatt daily and is stunned by his progress.

“In some ways, I think he’s going to change the face of being an athlete with a disability,” his mother says.

“And that’s going to be a positive.”

Warming struggles to find the words to describe Gravatt’s ongoing recovery.

“The only thing to tell you is that he’s been an absolute inspiration to everybody he’s around,” he says. “You make the most of your life, of your situation, that’s the inspiration.”

Gravatt is working on a communications degree and may still coach one day. For now, he lightens up the soccer office with the kind of attitude that considers being in a wheelchair an icebreaker in social situations. More than anything, he believes he is growing as a person from everything he’s been through — that he truly is on his way to becoming something he never could before.

"Before, I used to think I’d have it rough or something small would affect me,” he says. “But now, my tolerance for the little stuff has gone up. Now, I’m able to enjoy those little things and see that happiness is a choice.” T&G Frank Bodani covers Penn State sports for the York Daily Record.

2015 November T&G - 71

The Action is Getting Ready to Heat Up Town&Gown’s

Something to Smile About

2015-16 Winter Sports Annual

Shep Garner is feeling good about the Nittany Lions this season and his role as a leader

Inside:

$8.95

Previews and features on women’s basketball, wrestling, and men’s and women’s ice hockey

From basketball to wrestling to hockey, Town&Gown ’s 2015-16 Penn State Winter Sports Annual has previews, features, predictions, and more. Order your copy at townandgown.com.

y a d i l o H own’s G & n w o T

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74 - Special Advertising Section

Seven Mountains Wine Cellars is now featuring their Twelve Days of Christmas Wine Case!

A spectacular sampling of 12 favorite wines, each with a special holiday label featuring the Twelve Days of Christmas!

Don’t delay! To order your case, contact Tracy@sevenmountainswinecellars.com.

Shipping Available anywhere in the US!

Our beautiful lodge is decorated for the Holidays. Stop in for wine tasting and unique gift ideas for the wine lover on your list OR visit our new wine bar “Mountains on Main”, conveniently located on the Diamond in Boalsburg!

Check out our web site for Holiday Hours and Special Events!

107 Mountain Springs Lane, Spring Mills GPS Use 324 Decker Valley Road, Spring Mills (814)364-1000 • www.sevenmountainswinecellars.com

Holiday Gif t Guide Ace Hardware of State College

…has great ideas for last minute gifts, entertaining and home décor, including OXO steel wine and bar accessories, tag custom color candles, and fun, silicone Core Kitchen utensils in a variety of bright colors! Oh, and we have paint and hardware, too, and an extensive catalog for special orders. Let our friendly staff help you find everything you’re looking for this Holiday Season!

150 Rolling Ridge Dr. in Hill’s Plaza South Shopping Center, off South Atherton 814.237.3333

Moyer Jewelers

An absolute stunner in rose gold. This necklace features inlay of Mother of Pearl, Pink Mother of Pearl and Spiny Oyster. Ladies be sure to come to our Ladies Night on December 3rd to make up your wish lists.

Men be sure to see those wish lists during out Men’s Night on December 10th.

Moyer Jewelers Corner of College and Allen Downtown State College 814.237.7942 www.moyerjewelers.com

Friends of the Palmer Museum of Art Annual Holiday Art and Ornament Sale Join us on Saturday, December 5, for our annual fundraiser, featuring the 2015 commissioned ornament by Caryl Strauss. Another great gift idea is a Friends’ one-year membership, which includes invitations to exhibition and special event receptions.

Palmer Museum of Art • Penn State Curtin Road • University Park, PA 16802 814.865.7672 www.palmermuseum.psu.edu 76 - Special Advertising Section

Fine Wine Grown in Centre County

Have a glass with your next steak dinner

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

114 West College Avenue, State College, PA 16801 814-238-4767 www.jackharpers.com

Special Advertising Section - 77

Holiday Gif t Guide Amish Furniture Connection

No one can deny the appeal of coming home to a comfortable rocker! Our Amish craftsmen specialize in bent oak, cherry, maple, and walnut, available in natural, light, medium, and dark stains, as well as a variety of painted colors (Yes, blue and white is available!). From start to finish our furniture is 100% hand crafted. This year give that someone special a truly unique gift that will last a lifetime. We’re open Monday through Saturday with later hours Thursday and Friday evenings. Stop by and visit with us.

2961 Benner Pike • Bellefonte, PA 16823 814.548.7199 www.AmishFC.com

Seven Mountains Wine Cellars says “Relish the Cranberry”!

No holiday gathering is complete without the fresh, crisp, taste of Seven Mountain’s award winning, 100% cranberry wine. Perfect to serve with a Thanksgiving turkey, and sure to become a family tradition! Come check out our new Wine Bar, “Mountains on Main” on the Diamond in Boalsburg, PA.

Main Location: 107 Mountain Springs Lane, Spring Mills only 20 minutes from State College, GPS use 324 Decker Valley Road Boalsburg Location: 101B North Main Street 814.364.1000 www.sevenmountainswinecellars.com

Green Home Goods

Eco Luxury Made in the USA. Upcycled for Baby made of organic cotton or recycled cotton-blend yarns, which are sourced from post-industrial fabrics that are re-fiberized with eco fibers. This process saves water, does not require fertilizers, or even farmland!

Too bad you can’t see the softness!!! Come feel for yourself!!!

5901 B Sixth Avenue • Altoona, PA 16601 814.949.7115 www.greenhomegoodsinc.com leeanne@greenhomegoodsinc.com eco-home. eco-you. eco-gifts.

78 - Special Advertising Section

Check out our large selection

of BBQ Accessories, Smoking Chips, Lump Charcoal, BBQ Rubs and Seasonings.

Special Advertising Section - 79

Holiday Gif t Guide Pennwood Home & Hearth

The Big Green Egg is like the Swiss Army Knife of grills!

You can use it for everything- grilling, smoking, roasting, even baking. Sold in 5 sizes, let Pennwood Home & Hearth help you find the perfect Egg for your own ultimate cooking experience. Check out our extensive selection of grilling accessories, cypress tables and seasonings (including Dizzy Pig and John Henry’s, only available from authorized Big Green Egg Dealers!)

294 W. College Avenue, Pleasant Gap 814.359.2761 • www.pennwoodhomeandhearth.com

CO2 The Unique Boutique

Alex and Ani Bracelets are made of recycled materials and completely Made in America. Each bracelet has a meaning and comes with a gift box and meaning card.

Easy to take on and off, lightweight and comfortable and with a price point of $28-$58, these bracelet make a wonderful gift.

104 N. Allegheny St. Bellefonte, PA 16823 814.353.4258 19 East Main St. Downtown Lock Haven, PA 17745 814.748.2862

Squire Brown’s Stonewall Kitchen “Tastes of the Season”

Nothing fills the kitchen with a better aroma than Stonewall Kitchen’s Pumpkin Pancake and Waffle Mix! Combine with Pumpkin Spice Latte Mix and Maple Pumpkin Butter for the perfect hostess gift. Squire Brown’s stunning collection of seasonal home décor, along unique gift ideas, will turn your house into a home for the Holidays!

Milroy exit of Rte. 322, Right at light, one mile on right (beside Honey Creek Inn Restaurant) Hours: Mon-Sat 10-5, Sun 1-5.

717.667.255 • www.squirebrowns.com 80 - Special Advertising Section

This Holiday Season, Share the Taste of Amish Food!

Easy Ordering, Direct Shipping Request Your Free Catalog Today!

Call 800-490-4387 Or Email: ccsteffen@aol.com

351 Wise Rd., Howard, PA 16841

Come See Us on December 12 at Bellefonte Victorian Christmas!

Special Advertising Section - 81

Holiday Gif t Guide Harper’s, Barbour Jacket, Vests and Sweaters

Perfectly suited to enjoyment of life beyond the city, the name Barbour & Sons has become synonymous with the best of country living. Harper’s is pleased to offer Barbour, as well as other popular brands: Peter Millar, Vineyard Vines, Robert Talbott, Allen Edmonds, and, for the Penn State Fan, apparel and accessories from Harper’s Varsity Club. Gift Cards available for any occasion!

114 West College Avenue, State College 814.238.4767 • www.jackharpers.com

Reflections “Old Main Etched Crescent”

Display your Penn State Pride for all to see, Half inch thick crescent measures 9 inches across and 5 inches tall. Proudly Made in the USA. We currently produce licensed gifts for the following schools, Penn State, Pitt, Villanova, Drexel and St. Joseph’s.

244 E. Calder Way, State College, Pa 16801 814.234.1620 • www.Reflections-Pa.com

Holiday Gift Ideas for Your Beer Lover, from Otto’s!

Stop by our gift shop this holiday season and check out what’s new from Otto’s, including this season’s hottest item- Beer Holder Hoodie with built in neoprene beer coolie, BPA Free Plastic growlers or double wall stainless steel growlers, carriers, Craft Beer Journals, T-shirts, hats, mugs, stout chocolates and of course…Gift Cards!

Otto’s introduces Jolly Roger Imperial Stout, a Russian Imperial Stout style beer, in 12oz 4 packs, and cases!

2235 North Atherton St. State College 814.867.6886 • www.ottospubandbrewery.com 82 - Special Advertising Section

CONKLIN’S CORNER ANTIQUE & GIFT BARN 20 Plus Dealer Antique Co-op

Open 7 days a week until 8 p.m.

Black Friday thru December 23.

plus...Huge Country Gift Shop Including Amish Crafts & Accessories Wind & Fire Bangles • Kameleon Jewelry Christmas Room Overflowing with Unique Gifts New Items Arriving Daily!

Rt. 350, 670 Tyrone Pike • Philipsburg, PA 16866 • 342-0650 • www.ConklinsCornerBarn.com

Special Advertising Section - 83

Holiday Gif t Guide Goot Essa Gift Assortments

Looking for a gift that is unique AND delicious? Design your own gift assortment with Amish cheeses and other foods!

Each cheese, spread and fudge are made from all natural ingredients and no added preservatives, from recipes and methods handed down for generations. Direct shipments include a personalized gift card.

Please call 800.490.4387 or email ccsteffen@aol.com to request our FREE catalog or to place an order!

Conklin’s Corner Antique & Gift Barn of Philipsburg

Is packed full of unique holiday décor and everyday gifts.

Wind and Fire Bangle Bracelets, made in the USA of recycled materials have meaningful and familiar icons to create that perfect gift to symbolize aspects of the wearer’s personality.

Hundreds of designs to choose from and a portion of proceeds are donated to various charities supporting children with disabilities. With over 10,000 sq. ft. of gift shop area, the barn is often called one of Central PA’s best kept secrets for unique items. Conklin’s Corner has extended Holiday Hours from Black Friday thru Dec. 23rd, open 7 days a week until 8pm.

Rt. 350, 670 Tyrone Pike, Philipsburg, PA 16866 814.342.0650 • www.ConklinsCornerBarn.com

Happy Valley Vineyard & Winery

Start a new family tradition for the holidays with Happy Valley Spice, a traditional German gluehwein with an old world taste, and Bondare, a port style wine with flavors of blackberry, cherry, and almond. As well as a locally hand-crafted Amish cheese will make a memorable gift for those who enjoy a ‘taste of the valley’.

We have wine accessories for those special individuals on your holiday gift list. Please join us for our second annual “Dickens Christmas” open house December 13. Holiday sweets provided by staff in period dress.

576 S. Foxpointe Dr., State College 814.308.8756 • www.thehappyvalleywinery.com 84 - Special Advertising Section

Celebrating

40 years!

WINTER CRAFT MARKET December 5 & 6, 2015

Saturday 10:00am to 5:00pm & Sunday 10:00am to 4:00pm Mt. Nittany Middle School

656 Brandywine Drive, State College, PA 16801

www.wintercraftmarket.com JOIN US - Make a day of it!

Shop for handmade items created by over 70 local artisans. Jewelry, Pottery, Fiber, Wood, Mixed Media, Metal, Photography, Painting, and more. Food available and free parking.

ADMISSION $3 or $2 with this ad.

For children under 12, admission is free.

STATE AMUSEMENT

BILLIARDS & DARTS Why Buy at a Box Store?

HASSLE FREE Shopping Here!!

We Stand Behind Our Products!

Pool Tables

Pinball

• Selection of custom pool tables and cues, ping-pong, shuffleboard, air hockey & poker tables, dartboards, lighting, and other game room accessories. If we don’t have it, we can get it!

• Free delivery and set up • 12 months same as cash with No Interest • Billiard table cloth recovering, repairs, and service

Visit Our Showroom At:

Dart Boards

Table Games

1358 E. College Avenue State College

814-234-0722

Mon.-Fri. 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Sun. by appointment Special Advertising Section - 85

Holiday Gif t Guide State Amusement Company

Table games are BIG this year, including Bubble Hockey, Air Hockey, Ping Pong, Foosball, Poker, and of course, Pool Tables! Maybe this is the year for a vintage pinball game! State Amusement has it all- the best selection in town in and an educated showroom staff that can help you choose the best pool cue, chess set, poker chips, dart board, or other unique gift idea.

State Amusement has everything you need for your game room, including Penn State Pool Tables, Bar Stools, Penn State logo overhead lights, and lots more, for the ultimate Penn State Fan game room!

1358 E. College Avenue, State College 814.234.0722

Painting Classes w/ Kathleen Barrett

Local Artist, Kathleen Barrett offers a unique idea for Holiday Gift Giving- Painting Classes for you and a friend! Wine and Painting Classes, Water Color Classes (November 15th class features the Limited Edition print of Beaver Stadium Tailgate, as shown, for you to personalize… ready to hang or give) and, coming in January 2016, Painted Furniture classes. Kathleen’s classes are creative, instructional, but most of all, fun! All classes held at The Makery, 209 W. Calder Way, State College.

Email kathleenbarrettstudios@gmail.com for reservations, information and Gift Certificates. Great idea for Parties, Fundraising, Teambuilding.

kathleenbarrettstudios@gmail.com

Revv Up Your Gift Giving…

With a Karch Auto gift certificate!

Everyone needs service, inspection, tires, brakes, batteries, and has unexpected dents, scrapes, and hears a weird noise in their car, right? Our exceptional team of mechanics and body work experts will take care of almost any problem that can come up, quickly and professionally. And with bad weather approaching it could be the best gift ever! Karch Auto’s convenient, easy to use appointments and reminders on their website also make life simpler. Stop by to pick up a gift certificate soon. Karch…because we care!

827 S. Atherton Street (formerly Walk’s), State College 814.238.2886 • karchauto.com 86 - Special Advertising Section

Co

ss

Licensed

giate Gla lle

www.Reflections-PA.com

We stock the largest selection of licensed glassware and gifts, all made in the USA with a focus on hand Made in USA etched glass. Place your personalized orders for Graduation and Christmas early. We are licensed to 814-234-1688 produce for the following schools:

Penn State, Drexel, Pitt, Villanova and St Joseph’s University.

Visit us on line or downtown, Reflections at 244 East Calder Way. Validated parking at all three municipal garages.

244 East Calder Way, State College Pa 16801 • (814) 234-1620 • www.reflections-pa.com/

Shop buy local A N D

this holiday season!

Special Advertising Section - 87

Holiday Gif t Guide Chocolates by Leopold

When your holiday calls for more than the normal bird, think chocolate. You’ll find that Leopold creates the entire turkey family in his own blend of chocolate.

For the non-turkey lovers, Leo suggests a box of his best-selling Buttercrunch or a full assortment.

Everyone says Leopold’s is the way chocolate should taste--and your friends will too.

107 West Main Street, Boalsburg 814.808.6254 • www.ChocolatesByLeopold.com

Aurum Jewelers and Goldsmiths

Old world meets the 21st century. The two inch Ocean cuff bracelet by Evocateur made of brass, 22 karat gold leaf and protected by clear enamel. Just one of the selections from our gallery of unique jewelry designers.

To help make your holiday shopping a little easier, we offer FREE gift-wrapping and one hour of FREE parking validation in any of the downtown parking garages.

132 S. Allen Street, State College 814.237.1566 • www.aurumjewelers.net

88 - Special Advertising Section

This Month at Schlow: Free Business Resources (part of Global Entrepreneurship Week) Thursday, November 19, 6:30 p.m.

Boardgaming Meetup (International Games Day Party) Saturday, November 21, 10:00 a.m -4:00 p.m.

The Nutcracker Sunday, November 22, 2:30 p.m.

Additional Listings at

schlowlibrary.org “We can’t imagine our lives without Schlow Library!” ~Lori Smith, Schlow Patron Lori Smith has been bringing her boys to Schlow Library for eight years. From books to CDs and DVDs, they love to take advantage of all that Schlow offers, making the Library their “go to” spot. “Our boys have learned to read, thanks to the library,” says Lori, noting that the Children’s Department staff are “knowledgeable, friendly, helpful and cheerful.” Like many families, the Smiths take advantage of year-round enrichment opportunities at Schlow, such as Summer Reading, Toddler Learning Centre, book clubs, Polar Express, and more. Lori says she can’t imagine life without her community library, adding that, “visits to the library are an integral part of our weekly schedule.”

Celebrating our building’s 10th birthday in 2015.

211 S. Allen Street • 814.237.6236 • schlowlibrary.org Advertisement donated by the Schlow Library Foundation (formerly Friends of Schlow)

Coming to Bryce Jordan Center

November 1 Lady Lion Basketball vs.

California (PA) (exhibition) 2 p.m.

7 Matthew West & Francesca Battistelli 7 p.m.

13 Lady Lion Basketball vs. Holy Cross 7 p.m.

14 Nittany Lion Basketball vs. VMI 1 p.m.

15 Lady Lion Basketball vs. Fordham 2 p.m.

17 Nittany Lion Basketball vs. DePaul 5 p.m.

20 Shinedown and Breaking Benjamin 7 p.m.

22 Lady Lion Basketball vs.

Central Connecticut State 2 p.m.

24 Nittany Lion Basketball vs. Radford 6 p.m.

28 Nittany Lion Basketball vs. Bucknell 1 p.m.

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T& G

what's happening

November

3-8

20

The Broadway hit Jersey Boys comes to Eisenhower Auditorium for eight performances.

Shinedown and Breaking Benjamin visit the Bryce Jordan Center.

Breaking Benjamin

7 State College Choral Society opens its season at Grace Lutheran Church with “Two Requiems”: Gabriel Faure’s Requiem and Dan Forrest’s Requiem for the Living.

11 Veterans Day. Thank you to all you served!

13 The Penn State women’s basketball and wrestling teams open their 2015-16 seasons with the Lady Lions hosting Holy Cross at the Bryce Jordan Center and the wrestling team hosting Lock Haven at Rec Hall.

8 The State College Municipal Band presents its annual Veterans Day Concert at the State High South Auditorium.

10-14

Fuse Productions presents A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum for six performances at the Penn State Downtown Theatre Center.

Penn State wrestling coach Cael Sanderson

14

21 The Penn State football team plays its final home game of the season when it hosts Michigan and head coach Jim Harbaugh.

26

The Penn State men’s basketball team hosts VMI at the Bryce Jordan Center in its 2015-16 season opener.

To have an event listed in “What’s Happening," e-mail dpenc@barashmedia.com.

2015 November T&G - 93

Children & Families 1 – Spooky Signing, Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, 2 p.m., schlowlibrary.org.

2, 5, 9, 12, 16, 19, 23 – Music Together free trial class for children 0-5, Oakwood Presbyterian Church, SC, 10:45 a.m. Mon., 9:30 or 10:45 a.m. Thurs., 466-3414.

3, 10, 17 – Tuning into Kids, Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, noon, schlowlibrary.org.

4, 5, 11, 12, 18, 19 – Elementary Explorers, Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, 3:30 p.m., schlowlibrary.org.

4, 7, 11, 14, 18, 21 – Music Together free trial class for children 0-5, Houserville United Methodist Church, SC, 9:30 or 10:45 a.m.

Wed., 9:30 a.m. Sat., 466-3414.

4, 11, 18 – Baby Explorers, Discovery Space of Central PA, SC, 10:30 a.m., mydiscoveryspace.org.

5, 12, 19 – Science Adventures, Discovery Space of Central PA, SC, 10:30 a.m., mydiscoveryspace.org.

6 – Free Developmental Screenings, Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, 9 a.m., schlowlibrary.org.

6, 25, 30 – Discovery Day, Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, 11 a.m., schlowlibrary.org.

7 – “KiDS DAY IV: Dress Up & Discover!!”, PA Military Museum, Boalsburg, 10 a.m., pamilmuseum.org.

7 – Young Writers Workshop, Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, 10 a.m., schlowlibrary.org.

7 – Teen Reading Lounge, Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, 1 p.m., schlowlibrary.org.

7 – Block Party, Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, 2 p.m., schlowlibrary.org.

7, 14, 21, 28 – Saturday Stories Alive, Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, 11 a.m., schlowlibrary.org.

8 – P is for Pilgrim, Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, 2 p.m., schlowlibrary.org.

10, 17, 24 – Music Together free trial class for children 0-5, Houserville United Methodist Church, SC, 9:30, 466-3414.

22 – The Nutcracker, Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, 2:30 p.m., schlowlibrary.org.

Classes & Lectures 2 – Truth & Reconciliation: Allison Graham, State Theatre, SC, 7 p.m., iah.psu.edu.

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3, 17 – “A Joint Venture,” information session on hip or knee replacement, Mount Nittany Medical Center, SC, 11 a.m.

November 3, 7 p.m. November 17, 278-4810.

4 – Friends’ Richard Koontz Memorial Lecture Series: “A War in Letters,” PA Military Museum, Boalsburg, 7:30 p.m., pamilmuseum.org.

4, 11, 18 – “How to Talk So Kids Will Listen,” Houserville Elementary School, SC, 6 p.m., 231-1070.

5 – Research Unplugged: “Rethinking Medical School: Educating PatientCentered Doctors of the Future” by Jed Gonzalo and Terry Wolpaw, Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, 12:30 p.m., schlowlibrary.org.

6 – Paper Views Conversation: “Photography: Fact and Friction” by Steven Rubin, Palmer Museum of Art, PSU, 1 p.m. palmermuseum.psu.edu.

7 – Gadgets for Grownups: iCloud Basics, Schlow Library Musser Room, SC, 10:30 a.m., schlowlibrary.org.

12 – Research Unplugged: “Brothers, Sing On! The Tradition of Male Collegiate Glee Clubs” by Christopher Kiver, Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, 12:30 p.m., schlowlibrary.org.

13 – Gallery Talk: “Abstract Thinking: Esphyr Slobodkina and Ilya Bolotowsky”

by Joyce Robinson, Palmer Museum of Art, PSU, 12:10 p.m. palmermuseum.psu.edu.

17 – Straight Talk: Sexting and Social Media, Mount Nittany Middle School, SC, 7 p.m., janamariefoundation.org.

19 – Penn State Forum Speaker Series: “Listening to Lincoln: Or, What I Learned about War and Peace from the Gettysburg Address” by Carol Reardon, Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel, PSU, 11:30 a.m.

21 – Huddle with the Faculty: “Can Modern Coral Reefs Adapt to Climate Change?”

by Monica Medina, Nittany Lion Inn, PSU, 9 a.m., alumni.psu.edu/events.

28 – Gadgets for Grownups: Kindle Basics, Schlow Library Musser Room, S.C., 10:30 a.m., schlowlibrary.org.

Club Events 3, 10, 17, 24 – State College Rotary Club, Nittany Lion Inn, SC, 5:30 p.m., statecollegerotary.org.

4, 11, 18, 25 – State College Sunrise Rotary Club, Hotel State College, SC, 7:15 a.m., kfragola@psualum.com.

4, 18 – Outreach Toastmasters, The 329 Building, Room 413, PSU, noon, kbs131@psu.edu.

5, 12, 19, 26 – State College Downtown Rotary, Ramada Inn & Conference Center, SC, noon, centrecounty.org/rotary/club/.

5, 12, 19 – Comics Club, Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, 3:30 p.m., schlowlibrary.org.

7, 14, 21, 28 – Go Club, Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, 1:30 p.m., schlowlibrary.org.

7, 14, 21, 28 – Chess Club, Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, 2 p.m., schlowlibrary.org.

10 – Nittany Valley Writers Network, Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, 6 p.m., schlowlibrary.org.

11 – 148th PA Volunteer Infantry Civil War Reenactment Group, Hoss’s Steak and Sea House, SC, 7:30 p.m., 861-0770.

11 – Women’s Welcome Club of State College, Oakwood Presbyterian Church (not church affiliated), SC, 7 p.m., womenswelcomeclub.org.

16 – Parrot Owner’s Group, Perkins, SC, 7 p.m., 237-2722.

17 – Women’s Welcome Club of State College Coffee/Tea, Oakwood Presbyterian Church (not church affiliated), SC, 9:30 a.m., womenswelcomeclub.org.

17 – Evening Book Club, Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, 6:30 p.m., schlowlibrary.org.

21 – Boardgaming Meetup (International Games Day Party), Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, 10 a.m., schlowlibrary.org.

21 – Lego Club, Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, 2 p.m., schlowlibrary.org.

25 – Afternoon Book Club, Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, 2 p.m., schlowlibrary.org.

25 – Applique Club, Schlow Centre Region Library, SC, 6 p.m., 237-0167.

Community Associations & Development 2 – 2015 CBICC Expo, Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel, PSU, 6 p.m., cbicc.org.

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17 – Spring Creek Watershed Association, Patton Township Municipal Building, SC, 7:30 a.m., springcreekwatershed.org.

25 – Patton Township Business Association, Patton Township Municipal Building, SC, noon, 237-2822.

Exhibits Ongoing-15 – Everyday Iron: Iron Objects of the 18th and 19th Centuries, Centre Furnace Mansion, SC, 1-4 p.m. Sun., Wed., Fri., centrehistory.org.

Ongoing-19 – Birth of the Painted World – Jivya Mashe and the Warli Tradition of India, Robeson Gallery, HUB-Robeson Center, PSU, 865-0775.

Ongoing-29 – Fiber Arts Festival, Bellefonte Art Museum for Centre County, Bellefonte, 14:30 p.m. Fri.-Sun., bellefontemuseum.org.

Ongoing-December 6 – Erasing Borders/ Borrando Fronteras, Cuban and CubanAmerican Artists, HUB Gallery, HUBRobeson Center, PSU, 865-0775.

Out of town and can’t pick up a copy of the latest issue of

Town&Gown?

Read it for free online by visiting townandgown.com and clicking on the cover!

96 - T&G November 2015

Ongoing-December 6 – Jewelry Designs

by Janise Crow, Display Cases, HUBRobeson Center, PSU, 865-0775.

Ongoing-December 6 – You Have to See This: Abstract Art from the Permanent Collection, Palmer Museum of Art, PSU, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Tues.-Sat., noon-4 p.m. Sun., palmermuseum.psu.edu.

Ongoing-December 13 – Archipenko: A Modern Legacy, Palmer Museum of Art, PSU, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Tues.-Sat., noon-4 p.m. Sun., palmermuseum.psu.edu.

Ongoing-December 13 – Images by Maggie Wolszczan, Art Alley, HUB-Robeson Center, PSU, 865-0775.

Ongoing-December 13 – Mining the Store II: American Drawings and Watercolors from the Permanent Collection, Palmer Museum of Art, PSU, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Tues.-Sat., noon-4 p.m. Sun., palmermuseum.psu.edu.

Ongoing-January 28 – Stomper Project, Sculpture Corner, HUB-Robeson Center, PSU, 865-0775.

6 – Paper Views: Photography: Fact and Fiction, Palmer Museum of Art, PSU, 10 a.m.4 p.m., palmermuseum.psu.edu.

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

2 – Breast Cancer Support Group, Mount Nittany Medical Center, SC, 5:30 p.m., 231-6870.

6, 10 – Juniper Village at Brookline’s Alzheimer’s/Dementia Support Group, Mount Nittany Dining Room at The Inn, SC, 1 p.m. Fri., 6:30 p.m. Tues., 231-3141.

8 – The Ostomy Support Group of the Central Counties, Mount Nittany Medical Center, SC, 2 p.m., 234-6195.

10 – Brain Injury Support, HealthSouth Nittany Valley Rehab Hospital, Pleasant Gap, 7 p.m., 359-3421.

11 – The Senior Center Diabetes Support Group, Centre Region Senior Center, SC, 10:15 a.m., 231-3076.

11 – The Fertility Issues and Loss Support Group, Choices (2214 N. Atherton St.), SC, 6 p.m., heartofcpa.org.

12 – Diabetes Support Group, Mount Nittany Medical Center, SC, 6 p.m., 231-7095.

18 – Alzheimer’s Support Group, Elmcroft Senior Living, SC, 6:30 p.m., 235-7675.

19 – Better Breathers Support Group, HealthSouth Nittany Valley Rehab Hospital, Pleasant Gap, 2 p.m., 359-3421.

19 – Parents-to-be Orientation, Mount Nittany Medical Center, SC, 6:30 p.m., 231-3132.

22 – Neuropathy Support Group of Central PA, Mount Nittany Medical Center, SC, 2 p.m., 531-1024.

23 – Heart Healthy Support Group for Heart Failure, HealthSouth Nittany Valley Rehab Hospital, Pleasant Gap, 4 p.m., 359-3421.

24 – Stroke Support Group, HealthSouth Nittany Valley Rehab Hospital, Pleasant Gap, 4 p.m., 359-3421.

24 – Multiple Sclerosis Support Group, HealthSouth Nittany Valley Rehab Hospital, Pleasant Gap, 6 p.m., 359-3421.

Music 1 – Nittany Valley Symphony presents “Music and Movies,” Mount Nittany Middle School, SC, 4 p.m., nvs.org.

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1 – Penn State School of Music: Concert Choir, Esber Recital Hall, PSU, 4 p.m., music.psu .edu.

2 – Penn State School of Music: Trombone Choir, Esber Recital Hall, PSU, 8 p.m., music.psu.edu.

3 – Penn State School of Music: Flute Choir, Esber Recital Hall, PSU, 8 p.m., music.psu.edu.

4 – The Infamous Stringdusters, State Theatre, SC, 8 p.m., thestatetheatre.org.

7 – State College Choral Society presents “Two Requiems,” Grace Lutheran Church, SC, 2 p.m., scchoralsociety.org.

7 – Matthew West and Francesca Battistelli, BJC, PSU, 7 p.m., bjc.psu.edu.

8 – Penn State School of Music: Oriana Singers, Esber Recital Hall, PSU, 2 p.m., music.psu.edu.

8 – State College Area Municipal Band presents Veterans Day Concert, State High South Auditorium, SC, 3 p.m.

8 – Penn State School of Music: University Choir, Esber Recital Hall, PSU, 4 p.m., music.psu.edu.

9 – Penn State School of Music: Musica Nova, Esber Recital Hall, PSU, 8 p.m., music.psu .edu.

11 – Penn State School of Music: Clarinet Choir and Saxophone Choir, Esber Recital Hall, PSU, 8 p.m., music.psu.edu.

12 – Lettuce, State Theatre, SC, 8 p.m., thestatetheatre.org.

14 – Hanneke Cassel Family Concert, State College Presbyterian Church, SC, 11 a.m., acousticbrew.org.

14 – Blue & White Blues Festival, State Theatre, SC, 6 p.m., thestatetheatre.org.

14 – Acoustic Brew presents Hanneke Cassel, Mike Block, and Keith Murphy, Center for Well-Being, Lemont, 7:30 p.m., acousticbrew.org.

14 – Penn State School of Music: Glee Club, Eisenhower Auditorium, PSU, 8 p.m., music.psu .edu.

15 – Jay Vonada, Centre County Library Historical Museum, Bellefonte, 2:30 p.m., bellefontearts.org.

15 – Penn State School of Music: Concert Choir and Chamber Orchestra present Mozart’s Great Mass in C Minor, Esber Recital Hall, PSU, 4 p.m., music.psu.edu.

16 – Penn State School of Music: Centre Dimensions Jazz Ensemble, Esber Recital Hall, PSU, 8 p.m., music.psu.edu.

17 – Apollo’s Fire, Schwab Auditorium, PSU, 7:30 p.m., cpa.psu.edu.

18 – The Art of Music: String Quartets from the School of Music, Palmer Museum of Art, PSU, 12:10 p.m., palmermuseum.psu.edu.

19 – Penn State School of Music: Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Esber Recital Hall, PSU, 8 p.m., music.psu.edu.

20 – Shinedown and Breaking Benjamin, BJC, PSU, 7 p.m., bjc.psu.edu.

Special Events 1 – Historic Harvest Festival, Millbrook Marsh Nature Center, SC, 2 p.m., crpr.org.

3, 10, 17 – Tuesday Farmers’ Market, Locust Lane, SC, 11:30 a.m., statecollegefarmers.com.

3, 10, 17, 24 – Boalsburg Farmers’ Market, St. John’s United Church of Christ, 218 N. Church St., Boalsburg, PA, 2 p.m., boalsburgfarmersmarket.com.

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5 – Career Exploration Day, South Hills School of Business & Technology, SC, 8:30 a.m., southhills.edu.

5 – Creation of Suicide Survivor Stomper, YMCA, Bellefonte, 6:30 p.m., info@ janamariefoundation.org.

6 – First Friday, Downtown State College, 5 p.m., firstfridaystatecollege.com.

6, 13, 20, 27 – Downtown Farmers Market, Locust Lane, SC, 11:30 a.m., statecollegefarmers .com.

7 – North Atherton Farmers’ Market, Home Depot Parking Lot, SC, 10 a.m., nathertonmarket.com.

7-8 – Holiday Open House, Tait Farm Foods, Boalsburg, taitfarmfoods.com.

7, 14, 21, 28 – Millheim Farmers’ Market, Old Gregg Mills Farmers’ Market, Spring Mills, 10 a.m., centralpafarmers.com.

11 – State College Elks Lodge Veterans Day Dinner, Mountain View Country Club, Boalsburg, 5:30 p.m., 466-7231.

15 – Benefit for Children’s Advocacy Center of Centre County, Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel, PSU, noon, 234-6777.

15-20 – Global Entrepreneurship Week, gewpennstate.org.

16 – Cancer Survivors’ Thanksgiving Celebration, Calvary Baptist Church, Boalsburg, 5 p.m.

26 – Turkey Trot, PA Military Museum, Boalsburg, 9 a.m., stjoeacad.org.

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Sports For tickets to Penn State sporting events, call (814) 865-5555 or visit gopsusports.com.

1 – PSU/Northwestern, men’s soccer, Jeffrey Field, PSU, 1 p.m.

1 – PSU/California (PA), women’s basketball (exhibition), BJC, PSU, 2 p.m.

6-7 – PSU/Mercyhurst, women’s ice hockey, Pegula Ice Arena, PSU, 7 p.m. Fri., 2 p.m. Sat. 7-8 – Garret Penn State Open, fencing, White Building, PSU, 8 a.m.

13 – PSU/Holy Cross, women’s basketball, BJC, PSU, 7 p.m.

13 – PSU/Lock Haven, wrestling, Rec Hall, PSU, 7 p.m.

13-14 – PSU/Princeton/Connecticut, men’s & women’s swimming & diving, McCoy Natatorium, PSU, 5 p.m. Fri., 9 a.m. Sat. 13-14 – PSU/Sacred Heart, men’s ice hockey, Pegula Ice Arena, PSU, 7 p.m. Fri., 4 p.m. Sat. 14 – PSU/VMI, men’s basketball, BJC, PSU, 1 p.m.

15 – PSU/Fordham, women’s basketball, BJC, PSU, 2 p.m.

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17 – PSU/DePaul, men’s basketball, BJC, PSU, 5 p.m.

18 – PSU/Michigan, women’s volleyball, Rec Hall, PSU, 7 p.m.

21 – PSU/Maryland, women’s volleyball, Rec Hall, PSU, 7 p.m.

21 – PSU/Michigan, football, Beaver Stadium, PSU, TBA. 22 – PSU/Central Connecticut State, women’s basketball, BJC, PSU, 2 p.m.

24 – PSU/Radford, men’s basketball, BJC, PSU, 6 p.m.

25 – PSU/Northwestern, women’s volleyball, Rec Hall, PSU, 7 p.m.

28 – PSU/Bucknell, men’s basketball, BJC, PSU, 1 p.m.

Theater 3-8 – Jersey Boys, Eisenhower Auditorium, PSU, 7:30 p.m. Tues.-Fri., 2 & 7:30 p.m. Sat. & Sun., cpa.psu.edu.

4 – The Art of Poetry: Camille-Yvette Welsch, Palmer Museum of Art, PSU, 12:10 p.m., palmermuseum.psu.edu.

6-7 – Tempest Productions presents La Scaffetta, State Theatre, SC, 7:30 p.m. Fri., 3 & 7:30 p.m. Sat., thestatetheatre.org.

7 – National Theatre Live presents Hamlet, State Theatre, SC, 7 p.m., thestatetheatre.org.

8 – Bolshoi Ballet presents Giselle, State Theatre, SC, 3 p.m., thestatetheatre.org.

10-14 – Fuse Productions presents A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Penn State Downtown Theatre Center, SC, 7:30 p.m.

Tues.-Fri., 2 & 7:30 p.m. Sat., fuseproductions.org.

11 – Circa presents Opus, Eisenhower Auditorium, PSU, 7:30 p.m., cpa.psu.edu.

13-14 – She’s Crazy, State Theatre, SC, 7:30 p.m. Fri., 2 & 7:30 p.m. Sat., thestatetheatre.org.

16-December 5 – Penn State Centre Stage presents Good Kids, Pavilion Theatre, PSU, 7:30 p.m. (2 p.m. matinee December 5), theatre.psu.edu.

20-22 – State College Area High School Thespians present James and the Giant Peach, State High North Building, 7 p.m. Fri. & Sat., 2 p.m. Sun. 21 – Metropolitan Opera Live in HD presents Alban Berg’s Lulu, State Theatre, SC, 12:30 p.m., thestatetheatre.org. T&G

T& G

from the vine

The Tastes of Tuscany Thanks to its laws and winemakers, Italy’s main wine region has seen many changes to its wines

By Lucy Rogers

Tuscany is considered by many to be the most important wine region of Italy. It rates as the third highest producer of DOC and DOCG wines (Denominazione di origine controllata and denominazione di origine controllata e garantita, Italy’s wine-governing system’s labels) and has the third most planted grapes in the country. But to understand Tuscan wine — like understanding many wine regions — is really to understand the geography of the region.

Additionally, in order to appreciate the more recent changes to those laws and how they directly impact the wine now available, one needs to understand the history of Tuscan wine laws and the way things used to be.

To start, it helps to know that there are four main subregions of Tuscany. There’s Chianti (and Chianti Classico, a smaller area within Chianti). Next are the regions of Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile de Montepulciano (not to be confused with Montepulicano d’Abruzzo, which is a different wine grape grown in a different region). These two, with Chianti, are considered the “big three” of Tuscany, but we should not ignore the Maremma, the fourth region, which has not only been a pioneer in Tuscan winemaking 102 - T&G November 2015

in the Bulghieri region but also is an up-and-comer with the wines of Scansano.

Let’s begin with Chianti, the most familiar of all the Tuscan wines. Located just south of the city of Florence, Chianti is a sizeable region in the center of Tuscany. Although it is believed that winemaking here began with the Etruscans, we’ll start in the late 1960s when it was decided that in order for the word “Chianti” to be put on a wine’s label, it had to be at least 10 percent white grapes (usually Trebbiano) and could not be more than 70 percent Sangiovese, which is the main red grape of Tuscany. At the time, most winemakers were interested in quantity and not quality, and made as much wine as they could.

This, and the government-ordained formula for the wine, resulted in widely varying degrees of flavor and quality in the wines.

But there were winemakers, even back then, who were determined to make better wines. They improved their vineyard management — pruning vines so that they produced fewer and, therefore, more concentrated fruit. They blended their indigenous Sangiovese, with “foreign grapes,” such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, to make the wines they wanted to make. But because they didn’t meet the legal requirements for calling their wine “Chianti,” they were relegated to calling their wines vino de tavola, the lowliest label available to them. But these wines were so well received that a new term was coined to describe them: “super-Tuscans.”

Their success was so significant that in the mid-1990s the rules regarding the grape formula for Chianti were amended. Wines were required to be at least 80 percent Sangiovese

and the use of white grapes was optional. Today, many wines from Chianti are using as much as 20 percent “foreign grapes,” such as Cab, Merlot, and even Syrah, and so many could be secondarily classified as super-Tuscan. Quality has improved dramatically, and it is reasonable to say that today’s Chianti is the best it’s ever been.

Brunello di Montalcino also is a Sangiovesebased wine, made with the Sangiovese clone they call Brunello. These grapes are a bit larger than the Sangiovese of Chianti, with thicker skins, and are grown in the Montalcino area located about 25 miles south of Siena. The climate is drier, hotter, and more typically Mediterranean than Chianti, while the soil consists of more limestone and sand. This difference in terroir — and the robust nature of the grape — means wines from the region are powerful, rich in color, and have a tannic structure worthy of aging for decades or more.

Law dictates that these wines be made from 100 percent Brunello and must be aged 48 months before they are released, of which 24 of those months must be spent in oak.

Since it is not recommended that Brunellos are even opened until they are at least 10 years old, they tend to be quite expensive. As an alternative, you can look for a Rosso di Montalcino — wines from the same region that are required to be aged only one year before release and are not necessarily 100 percent Sangiovese, or come from grapes planted outside the Montalcino zone. As a result these wines are lighter and more approachable when young and can offer many of the same flavor profiles as a Brunello at half the price.

Vino Nobile de Montepulciano, located a bit south and east of Montalcino, is the smallest of the “big three” regions, with just 2,500 acres under vine. In this region, the Sangiovese clone is called Prugnolo and tends to have softer tannins than Brunellos and is a bit less acidic than counterparts from Chianti. As a result, these wines strike an interesting balance between the wines of the other two big regions.

Since 1999, Vino Nobile can be made with 100 percent Prugnolo, but can be up to 20 percent Canaiolo, another red grape, or up to 20 percent other grapes, with a maximum of 10 percent being white grapes. With a more flexible formula 104 - T&G November 2015

being allowed in the region, there is a broader range of styles since there can be many different grape combinations fitting under the Vino Nobile moniker.

Beyond the ‘big three,” the Maremma is a region worth noting. Bolghieri, a small region on the coast of Italy, due west of Chianti, can be credited with validating the potential of Italy’s red winemaking ability by producing the very first super-Tuscans. Winemakers wanted more flexibility than law would allow, so they went ahead and made wines with so-called foreign grapes — wines such as Sassicaia and Tignanello — that went on to become not only famous but also were eventually responsible for changing the way red wines were made in Italy (even if it took 40 years).

The liberal use of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah did not diminish the elements of terroir that is evident in these wines — the tarry, woodsy elements define these wines as truly Tuscan.

Also within the Maremma is the region surrounding the city of Scansano, at the very southern tier of Tuscany. This region, with its desert-like climate in the daytime and proximity to the Mediterranean with its maritime breezes, has been dubbed the “California of Italy.” Morellino, as Sangiovese is called in the region, is often blended with Merlot, Cabernet, Grenache, and even Alicante. The heat allows the grapes to ripen more fully, resulting in wines that are powerful but ripe and are often quite affordable. Wines from Bolghieri are said to have more structure, but the quality-to-price ratio on Morellino di Scansano wines makes them worth seeking out.

Not surprisingly, Tuscan wines show their best selves when they are paired with the foods of the region. Pasta dishes with tomato-based sauces, such as bolognese, sausages and aged cheese, as well as roast meats and vegetables will all be well served by Tuscan wines of any subregion. The trick is figuring out your preferences, once you figure out how to read the label! 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.

Celebrating 25 years of making award-winning wine

Complimentary Wine Tasting!

Tues. - Fri. 11- 5pm Sat. 10 -5pm Sun. 12:30- 4pm

300 Houser Rd., Centre Hall, 16828 (7 miles from Penn State) www. mtnittanywinery.com • 814. 466. 6373

2015 November T&G - 105

Taste of the Month

Building the Better Burger Toftrees’ The Field Burger & Tap caters to local tastes

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By Vilma Shu Danz Photos by Darren Andrew Weimert

Signature fries

E

mbracing the farm-to-table concept, The Field Burger & Tap, located at One County Club Lane in State College, is part of the revitalization of the Toftrees Golf Resort. Opened in September, The Field offers diners hand-formed burgers, hand-cut russet potato fries, local breads, Pennsylvania craft beers, regional Amish cheeses, and hand-spun milkshakes from the Penn State Berkey Creamery.

“Our main goal is to have everything local and from Pennsylvania,” explains general manager Stefan Cherinka. “Even the décor

The Acre Burger

incorporates local elements, such as the chandeliers constructed using a wooden beam from a 200-year-old barn in Centre Hall and a barn door from a 100-year-old barn in State College.”

With seating for 132, including community tables for up to 10 diners, The Field serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. A breakfast buffet also is offered on Saturday and Sunday from 7 a.m. to noon.

“On the weekends, we have chef stations preparing made-to-order eggs, omelets, and waffles,” says executive chef Randall Sherman.

A private blend of sirloin, chuck, brisket, and short rib supplied by Wells Meats in Philadelphia is used for the hand-formed burgers. Gemelli Bakery bakes all of the bread for the restaurant, and there are 13 taps holding a selection of craft beers from local breweries such as Elk Creek Café, Happy Valley Brewing Company and Otto’s Pub & Brewery as well as other Pennsylvania breweries. Try the Tour of Pennsylvania beer flight for $6 to sample four of the craft beers on tap.

The most popular burgers on the menu are the Lancaster, a hand-formed burger with local bacon, Amish sharp cheddar, fried egg, field greens, tomato, and horseradish mayo served on a brioche bun; the Black and Smoky Blue is Cajun-rubbed and blackened served with smoked blue cheese, roasted peppers, bibb lettuce, tomato, and a special sauce; the Huntsman is a farm-raised venison burger with wild mushrooms, onions, grilled tomato, local Swiss cheese, field greens, and herb aioli.

The hand-cut russet potato fries are the perfect accompaniment to the burgers, and they have quickly become a hit with customers. Order a serving for one or a bucket for the whole table to share.

Specialty milkshakes are served hard (with alcohol) or classic (nonalcoholic). Popular flavors are the salted caramel and the 409 Peachey Paterno.

2015 November T&G - 107

Milkshake

Executive chef Randall Sherman

Charcuterie platter for two

Array of local smoked meats and cheeses with infused mustards and compotes. “We also make all of our desserts in-house, such as our Field cornbread and wild berry cobbler, our strawberry rhubarb crisp, and our gluten-free, flourless farmhouse chocolate torte,� says Sherman.

In the coming months, The Field will be experimenting with new desserts and appetizers and featuring burgers of the week as well as seasonal cocktails.

Each month, The Field Burger & Tap will partner with a local charity, and a percentage of the proceeds will benefit the chosen charity. T&G For more information, visit thefieldburgers.com or check out The Field Burger and Tap on Facebook.

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For a special of fer for 10 percent of f your total bill at The Field (excluding alcohol, tax, and gratuity), visit townandgown.com.

Thank You To All Our Sponsors!

Mount Nittany Health Judith Zipser Lang Ruth Zipser & Murray Schoenholtz Irma S. Zipser Accuweather, Inc. First National Bank State College / Downtown Rotary Club

Marie Hardin CollegeGateways / Heather Dale Ricker-Gilbert** John Curley Center for Sports Journalism Balfurd, Inc. Susan & Lewis Steinberg* David & Pamela Monk Avant Garden, Inc. Otto’s Pub & Brewery The Sky’s The Limit Ballooning, Inc. Elizabeth Goreham & Jack Matson McCartney’s Business Products Penn State Federal Credit Union State College Area Education Association

Silver

Additional Supporters

Diamond

Warren & Nickie Askov** Barbara Palmer Dan & Suzie Hawbaker

Gold

Stephen Fishbaine, DDS Lion’s Gate Apartments Fit for Play Physical Therapy & Fitness Center Lynn Petnick & Family Clinefelter’s Flooring Mimi Barash Coppersmith Richard H. Milgrub, Attorney at Law Harrison’s Wine Grill & Catering Charles E. Kranich Penn State Libraries The Krentzman Family David L. Nevins Reese Engineering, Inc. Kristen & Tom Coombs Gary & Marilyn Byers* Sally & Rich Kalin** John Affleck David & Susan Werner** Hugh Mose Centre Eye Physicians & Surgeons Kevin & Cathi Alloway John & Debbie Carder Proforma LLH Promos, LLC Blake & Linda Gall Lassie MacDonald Nancy Ring The Bicycle Shop Barash Media Seven Mountains Winery Eileen Leibowitz Mount Nittany Winery Martha M. Musser Bronze Philip H. Sieg McQuaide Blasko, Inc. Tracy Sepich Joyce W. Lee & David B. Lee James Rayback Joseph T. Berrena Mechanicals Chris Hickey Tom & Sara Songer Rainer Domalski Harper’s Shop for Men Steve Brown Tri-County Oral-Facial Surgeons, PC The Tavern Restaurant (Dr. Barry R. Stein / Dr. Stephen Engroff) John & Karen Walizer Bruce Fleischer & Heidi Nicholas Jim Eberly Rapid Transit Sports David & Kathryn Snowe Days Inn Penn State Nancy Chiswick Ronald Filippelli* & Sandra Stelts Pat Piper Koch Funeral Home W. R. Hickey Beer Distributor, Inc Boalsburg Car Company KEY: Jack & Maureen Welesko* *Schlow Library Trustee Ralph Licastro* & Laura Reidy **Schlow Library Foundation Board Member Benson & Christine Lichtig

T& G

dining out

All restaurants are in State College or on the Penn State campus, and in the 814 area code unless noted.

Full Course Dining Allen Street Grill, 100 W. College Ave., 231-4745, hotelstatecollege.com. Directly above the Corner Room at the intersection of College Avenue and Allen Street, the “Grill” promotes a casual gourmet dining experience, superb contemporary cuisine, specialty cocktails, entertainment, and one of the best Town and Gown views in State College. Priced reasonably and offering upscale cuisine is always a challenge but Bert and Becky Burger, the husband and wife French-trained executive chef and general manager, seem to pull it off with ease. From the moment you walk in the door and approach your seat overlooking the bustling sidewalk you become an integral part of this historic corner.

Perfect for a business lunch or romantic dinner.

Free downtown parking validation in Fraser, Pugh & Beaver Garages based on purchases.

Bring garage parking stub and ask server for details. AE, D, MAC, MC, V. 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 Citystyle barbecue is smoked daily on-site. AE, D, DC, ID+, MC, V. Full bar.

Barrel 21 Distillery & Dining, 2255 N. Atherton St., 308-9522, barrel21distillery. com. A new dining experience brought to you by Otto’s Pub & Brewery, Barrel 21 presents a tapas menu featuring fusion cuisine highlighting our local resources. Menu inspirations will celebrate new culture and cuisine brought to Central PA from around the world. Distillery and tasting room will open in the fall after we have produced our own craft spirits. AE, D, MC, V. Full bar.

Bill Pickle’s Tap Room, 106 S. Allen St., 272-1172, hotelstatecollege.com. Not for Saints…Not For Sinners. Located in the heart of downtown State College, Bill Pickle’s is a 110 - T&G November 2015

great place for lunch, dinner, or a late-night snack. Features include plenty of TVs and occasional live entertainment, along with a wide selection of craft beers and signature drinks! Free downtown parking validation in Fraser, Pugh & Beaver Garages based on purchases. Bring garage parking stub and ask server for details. AE, D, MAC, 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 atmo- sphere. 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.

The Corner Room, 100 W. College Ave., 237-3051, hotelstatecollege.com. A Penn State Tradition, the Corner Room started out as Jack’s Road House in 1885, renamed The Corner Room in 1926. Serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner through a mix of American classics and contemporary cuisine, all at affordable prices. Daily Specials. Free downtown parking validation in Fraser, Pugh & Beaver Garages based on purchases. Bring garage parking stub and ask server for details. AE, D, MAC, MC, V. 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 and beer) is welcome after 5 p.m. AE, D, DC, MAC, MC, V.

Key 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 ............................................... Handicapped-accessible

To advertise, call Town&Gown account executives Kathy George or Debbie Markel at (814) 238-5051.

The Deli Restaurant, 113 Hiester St., 2375710, The DeliRestaurant.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 awardwinning 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.

Faccia Luna Pizzeria, 1229 S. Atherton St., 237-9000, faccialuna.com. A true neighborhood hang- out, 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.

The Dining Room at the Nittany Lion Inn, 200 W. Park Ave., 865-8590. Fine continental cuisine in a relaxed, gracious atmosphere.

Casual attire accept- able. Private dining rooms available. AE, D, DC, MAC, MC, V. Full bar.

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.

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.

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 Ă la carte dining are our special- ties. AE, CB, D, DC, MC, V. Full bar, beer.

112 - T&G November 2015

Gigi’s, W. College Ave, on the corner of Cato Ave., 861-3463, gigisdining.com. Conveniently located 5 minutes from downtown State College, Gigi’s is a farm-to-table dining experience inspired by the hottest southern trends. Outdoor Patio. Lunch & Dinner. Full Bar. AE, D, MAC, MC, V. The Greek, 102 E. Clinton Ave., 308-8822, 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.

Hi-Way Pizza, 1688 N. Atherton St., 237-0375, HiWayPizza.com. The State College tradition for nearly 50 years, nobody does it better than HiWay! Offering more than 29 varieties of handspun 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 Hi-Way 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.

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. Glutenfree options available. Bacon-based dessert.

Homemade breads, BYO beer or wine all day.

Sense of humor required. D, MAC, MC, V.

2015 November T&G - 113

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 fullservice 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 transi- tions into night as a boutique nightclub with dance- floor lighting, club sound system, and the area’s most talented resident DJs. AE, D, MAC, MC, V. Full bar.

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, 272 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 and is 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-the-art 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, ottospubandbrewery.com. State College’s most awarded craft-beer pub and brewery featuring more than a dozen fresh, house-brewed ales and lagers on tap as well as fine, affordably priced, local American food with vegan and vegetarian offerings, a kids’ menu, weekly features, and seasonal menu. Open for lunch and dinner in a family-friendly, casual atmosphere. AE, D, MC, V. Full bar.

*w e e k e n d S e A f o o d S p e C i A l S 1229 S. At h e rton St. StAt e C ollege 234 -9000

Award-winning pizza. and Italian Cuisine.

Homemade...with only the best and freshest ingredients. www . fACCiAlunA . Com

Taste of the

Month

Each month, Town&Gown highlights a local place to eat and offer a glimpse into the great dining of our community.

If it’s happening in Happy Valley, it’s in Town&Gown!

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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 (members 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.

Zeno’s Pub, 100 W. College Ave., 237-4350 hotelstatecollege.com. Located directly above the center of the earth, Zeno’s may be considered a “dive bar” by some, but it is still one of the best places downtown to drink a cold one! Craft beers, Happy Hours, live music, top-notch booze, and hearty food. Also check out Zeno’s 2 Go, nestled between Chumley’s and Indigo Nightclub, featuring a collection of yellow fizzies for mass consumption along with “the real good unique stuff.” Free downtown parking validation in Fraser, Pugh & Beaver Garages based on purchases. Bring garage parking stub and ask server for details. AE, D, MAC, MC, V. Zola Kitchen & Wine Bar, 324 W. College Ave., 237-8474. Zola Kitchen & Wine Bar features ingredient-driven, seasonal, new American cuisine paired with an extensive wine list, certified wine professional, and exceptional service. Zola’s also features a new climatecontrolled wine room, premium by-the-glass wine pours, fine liquor, and craft beer at its fullservice bar. Serving lunch and dinner seven days a week. Reservations recommended. Catering.

Free parking after 5:30 p.m. AE, D, DC, MAC, MC, V. Full bar.

2015 November T&G - 115

Good Food Fast Baby’s Burgers & Shakes, 131 S. Garner St., 234-4776, 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

Duffy’s Tavern

Est. 1819

...

PLAN YOUR HOLIDAY PARTY!

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, fiddleheadstatecollege.com. Fiddlehead is a soupand-salad café offering soups made from scratch daily. Create your own salad from more than 40 fresh ingredients.

HUB Dining, HUB-Robeson Center on campus, 865-7623. A Penn State tradition open to all! Enjoy 13 different eateries in the HUB-Robeson Center on campus. Jamba Juice, McAlister’s Deli, Starbucks, Chick-fil-A, Burger King, Higher Grounds, Sbarro, Soup & Gar-den, Diversions, Blue Burrito, Mixed Greens, Panda Express, and Sushi by Panda Express.V, MC, LC. Irving’s, 110 E. College Ave., 231-0604, irvingsstatecollege.com. Irving’s is State College’s finest bakery café serving award-winning bagels, espresso, sandwiches, salads, and smoothies.

Call 466-6241 for Details and Reservations Located “On the Diamond” 113 East Main Street

INGREDIENT DRIVEN • SEASONAL • NEW AMERICAN CUISINE EXTENSIVE WINE LIST • BY THE BOTTLE & GLASS

814 . 237. 8474

ZOL AK I TCHEN .COM

MON. - THUR. 11: 30 -9PM • FRI. - SAT. 11: 30 -10 PM • SUN. 11: 30 - 8PM

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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!

Night Life Chumley’s, 108 W. College Ave., 238-4446, hotelstatecollege.com. A quaint bar where you’re not judged because of your gender or sexual orientation. Chumley’s is a gay bar and grill where you’re encouraged to be one thing, and that’s yourself. Known as one of the friendliest bars in Happy Valley — and proud of it! Serving food and full bar service, including specialty cocktails. Free downtown parking validation in Fraser, Pugh & Beaver Garages based on purchases. Bring garage parking stub and ask server for details. AE, D, MAC, MC, V.

Indigo, 112 W. College Ave., 234-1031, hotelstatecollege.com. Tradition meets innovation. College party bar meets city nightclub. There’s a reason Indigo has been voted one of the top college bars in the nation.

Featuring talented DJs from Mint DJ Events, a huge sound and lighting system, and the craziest happy hour in Happy Valley. When you visit Indigo you’re guaranteed to end up on the dance floor with your hands in the air. ThursdaySaturday 9 p.m.-2 a.m. T&G

Come try

Meyer Dairy's

Pumpkin Ice Cream !

Open Daily 8 a.m. - 11 p.m.

2390 S. Atherton St. - (814) 237-1849

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.

222 E. Calder Way 237-3400 www.indiapavilion.net

Carry Out Available

Delivery Available 2015 November T&G - 117

T& G

lunch with mimi

Discovering a “Sense of Place”

Darren Andrew Weimert

Historical society researcher helps keep Centre County’s past alive

Cathy Horner (left) of the Centre County Historical Society talks with Town&Gown founder Mimi Barash Coppersmith at Gigi’s in State College.

A member of the board of governors and volunteer researcher at the Centre County Historical Society (CCHS) for the past five years, Cathy Horner enjoys answering research requests that come into the CCHS and help people rediscover a piece of the area’s history. In addition to her volunteer work at the historical society, she also has volunteered at the Pennsylvania Room at the Centre County Library and Historical Museum in Bellefonte.

Born and raised in Venango County in northwestern Pennsylvania, she moved to State College in 1983. She owned the gift shop Tadpole Crossing in downtown State College for 15 years and was on the executive board of the Downtown State College Partnership.

In 2014, she and three coauthors, Susan Evans, Robert Hazelton, and Nancy Taylor, received a Preservation in History award for their book, A War, Three Women and a Tradition: The History of Boalsburg in the Civil War. The book looks closely at the lives and families of Elizabeth Myers, Emma Hunter, and Sophie Keller, three women who are credited with starting Memorial Day. Town&Gown founder Mimi Barash Coppersmith sat down with Horner at Gigi’s in State College to discuss the historical society.

118 - T&G November 2015

Mimi: Cathy, we go way back together. I used to call on you and sell you ads. Now I’m talking to you because you’re an important volunteer at the Centre County Historical Society.

Cathy: I don’t know if I’m important, but I certainly love what I’m doing for them. I answer most of their research requests that come in — and I’m the one that through the years never would have thought to call the historical society to ask them something. But people call, e-mail, and write in with questions.

Mimi: What attracted you to do that?

Cathy: After I sold my business, I found out that sitting at home really wasn’t my cup of tea. I started thinking of what I could do. I love to learn things. I’ve always been that way. Unfortunately, I don’t remember a lot of what I learn anymore, but I have always been the one to look up and find answers to things.

Mimi: Now you can Google most of them.

Cathy: You can, and it’s made it so much easier. There are so many things out there that I didn’t know helped with local research, such as a program called Penn Pilot that Penn State did in the 1930s and the 1950s. They took aerial photographs of the whole state of Pennsylvania. So if you’re looking for a specific building or something, you can zero in.

Mimi: You came to this meeting with two early copies of Town&Gown. Why? Cathy: I didn’t know if you had seen any of these lately, but I use Town&Gown magazines a lot to answer people’s questions. We have an index made of all of the articles in our database. Also, what I’ve started doing on my own the past couple years is going through them

one by one and adding more keywords, because something that I use the Town&Gowns for that you might be interested to know are the ads. A lot of times people will say something such as When was the Carriage House on Pugh Street?

We get a lot of When did this happen or Where was this located. And lots of times you put maps in the Town&Gowns that have the businesses spotted on them.

Mimi: We used to do that. When we discontinued the maps we had a lot of complaints.

Cathy: It is great to go back into the 1970s and see exactly what businesses were beside each other. You did in-depth articles on people and on businesses.

Mimi: People, places, and events — essentially our focus from the outset has been the Centre Region. In Town&Gown’s 50th year, you help us feel pretty proud.

Cathy: You should be proud. It’s an important thing because there isn’t much else that has documented it like that.

Mimi: The historical society has two paid employees?

Cathy: The executive director Mary Sorensen is full-time and there are two parttime paid staff.

Mimi: And everybody else is a volunteer?

Cathy: Everybody else is a volunteer, and the staff can’t even begin to get everything done that needs to be done. I think in a year’s time we have 600 volunteers, and out of those, we have 70 who are very active.

Mimi: I guess that’s because people care about the preservation of history.

Cathy: They do care about it, and the buzz phrase over the past years has been “sense of place.” At first I just thought it meant you have this warm, fuzzy feeling about where you grew up, but it isn’t just that. It really has nothing to do with where you were raised but everything to do with where you feel comfortable and a part of things, and you know the importance of its history in who you are. It could very well be your hometown, but in our area, many people have a deep feeling of “sense of place” because they went to school here and our area became part of their lives.

Our history became their history.

ce Experiexnury the Lu erve! you Des

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(814) 353-3431 or www.graystonecourt.com

2015 November T&G - 119

Mimi: A high percentage of them are coming back to retire here. How much do you work at the historical society?

Cathy: I’m there two days a week — some questions can be answered immediately, some questions I can work a couple weeks on trying to find the answer, digging up things in our archives, making a trip to Pattee. Sometimes we use the Pennsylvania Room in the Bellefonte Historical Museum. They have so much information there, and we have a great relationship with them. They have a basement full of wills and old estate files going back into the early 1800s. They have every newspaper.

Mimi: You must have fun doing this.

Cathy: I do have fun. Whenever people ask me what I do and I say I work at the historical society, they think of old, dusty, and boring.

But this historical society is lively. We do some fun things. We bring in the schoolchildren every spring for tours … they always have great questions. They ask if it’s haunted because for some reason everyone thinks the Centre Furnace Mansion is haunted. People don’t realize that the location is where the papers were signed to start the Farmers’ High School.

And I love telling this to Penn State students who come out there working on projects. They have no idea James Irvin and Moses Thompson gave 200 acres for the university, the Farmers’ High School. It was 1855. The Centre Furnace Mansion is an important part of Penn State history, and most people don’t realize that.

Mimi: What is the most interesting research you’ve ever done?

Cathy: Well, I have had quite a few. I think the most interesting one lately was that people asked some questions about a country-western music venue here in town called Jim and Jane’s Corral and the Western Vagabonds. We were able to find that in the 1940s there was a program on WMAJ at 6 a.m. every morning, with a wooden stage out in the Woodycrest area and all of these famous country-western stars of the day would come and perform, like Hank Williams and Tex Williams.

Mimi: How do you research all this?

Cathy: We do have a database that houses our archives. What I did, and it took me a couple of years, was I took each archive box out and physically went through it. I took 120 - T&G November 2015

notes on good old-fashioned index cards because I’m the type of person, if I touch something and look at it, I’m much more likely to remember it.

Mimi: Tell me about this upcoming Stocking Stuffer event.

Cathy: The Stocking Stuffer event is the Centre County Historical Society’s main fundraising event for the year. It takes place the first weekend in December every year.

The mansion is decorated beautifully by the three top florists in the area, Daniel Vaughn Designs, Woodring’s, and Avant Garden. And then we bring in 50 local artists and antique dealers, so you can also buy gifts for yourself — not just little things, there are big things.

Mimi: What do you normally raise with that event?

Cathy: We generally raise around $12,000!

Mimi: Let’s try to double it!

Cathy: We do need to double it because just like other nonprofits, every year it gets tougher and tougher to find funding. We feel that what we do is important, but it’s also hard to judge us against human-need services because those are extremely important. It’s difficult when there are only so many pieces of the pie.

Mimi: It’s hard for people to put their arms around preservation. A lot of people reading this article need to know how they can get tickets to the fundraiser, or how they might make a contribution to an organization that really is doing a phenomenal job.

Cathy: Well, there is the preview party the Thursday night before the event [December 3], but for Friday, Saturday, Sunday’s event, they can buy a ticket at the door for $5 and then come in and fill their Christmas or Hanukah lists and support a great cause. We also, naturally, take donations.

Mimi: The preview event, how do you go to that?

Cathy: You call the Centre County Historical Society and buy a ticket. They can go to our Web site at centrehistory.org, or call us at (814)234-4779.

Mimi: And how much are they?

Cathy: They are, I believe, $30. The members get a little bit of a discount.

Mimi: Thank you so much.

Cathy: Thank you! T&G

Coaches vs. Cancer Sunday, January 10, 2016 Bryce Jordan Center Game Tipoff – 12:00PM *A portion of individual game ticket sales will be donated to Coaches vs. Cancer!*

Vs. Join your Penn State Nittany Lions, the Penn State Coaches vs. Cancer (CVC) committee and your local American Cancer Society in support of cancer patients and survivors in our region by attending the PSU men’s basketball game against Michigan State. The Coaches vs. Cancer Day event will also feature a Silent Auction of sports and celebrity memorabilia on the BJC concourse.

Auction begins when the doors open at 11:00am. All proceeds from the auction benefit CVC.

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. The club welcomes individuals from amateurs to professionals. The club offers bimonthly workshops to improve skills and sponsors a bimonthly competition for its members.

Town&Gown is pleased to present the winning images from the club’s competition.

Shown this month are the first- and second-place winners for the theme “Motion” from the judged September meeting competition.

“Motion” by Robert Hale

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September Meeting Theme “Motion” First Place “Advertisement sock taken at the Grange Fair, hand-held with a slow shutter speed.”

“Smoke Rose” by Patti Worden September Meeting Theme “Motion” Second Place

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“Incense smoke captured with two off-camera flashes. The shape was perfect for a ‘rose’ made with filters.”

A copy of many photos taken by the State College Photo Club may be obtained with a $75 contribution to the Salvation Army of Centre County. Contact Captain Charles Niedermeyer at (814) 861-1785 and let him know you would like this image. 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 p.m. at Foxdale Village Auditorium. Guests and new members are always welcome.

Visit statecollegephotoclub.org for more information about how to join.

122 - T&G November 2015

Darren Andrew Weimert

T& G

snapshot

Peak Performer Jackie Brown provides inspiration with her struggles and sound

By Lianne Galante Since she was 13 and saw Michael Jackson singing on her television, Jackie Brown dreamed of becoming a singer. These days, as lead singer of Jackie Brown and the Gill Street Band, she has become one of the more popular performers to see in Central Pennsylvania.

Music also has become a lifeline of sorts for Brown.

It helped her after her father died in 2007, and it has helped her since she was diagnosed in December with stage-2 breast cancer and had a double mastectomy; she is still undergoing breast reconstruction.

“It kept alive a very important part of me,” she says. “Singing was part of my soul. Everything else around me was cancer, but music salvaged my life that seemed to be sinking into this strange abyss. Music gave me the opportunity to express myself when I could not use the words to express emotions I did not know how to handle otherwise. Music also gave me a platform to help others as I was going through it — teach people you can still go after your dreams no matter what.”

She received an outpouring of support from the State College community, including a benefit show for her in September at the Dark Horse Tavern. During chemotherapy, she still performed at a music festival, which is one of the hardest things she’s done, but also the proudest. She says she was lucky enough to have the Gill Street Band by her side.

Born in Philadelphia, she began her musical career on the drums, which she learned to play from her father. It was in that moment of seeing the King of Pop on her television when something inside her shifted and she realized she had what it takes to become a singer.

In her early days of performing, she had to overcome some jitters before taking the stage.

“For me, it’s that change in-between two personas. There was a time before where I’m just me, and it’s a process in the mirror. You put on your outfit, and the process gave me a little bit of anxiety. But by the time I hit the stage, everything comes out,” says Brown, who now lives in State College.

Those nerves were eventually erased, and performing made her a less shy person. The moment she realized she had overcome those nerves was when she fell off the stage during one performance and the entire time, even while she was on the ground, she never stopped singing. She considers 124 - T&G November 2015

Jackie Brown

that one of her best moments.

Being a part of the Happy Valley music scene has been a great experience for her because the community has been supportive of her, and many musicians and acts support each other.

One example of that takes place November 14 when the State Theatre hosts the second annual Blue & White Blues Festival with Robert Randolph and the Family Band. Brown and her band will perform, along with other local acts, including Triple A Blues Band and Miss Melanie and the Valley Rats.

Brown says she’s excited to be able to share the stage with Robert Randolph and the Family Band and perform at the State Theatre for the first time.

She says she wants to delve deeper into the performance side of singing.

She believes being able to perform and write your own music are what make a full-blown artist.

“I would love to get the opportunity to tour and play many places all over, in and out of State College, even in Europe and other places overseas,” she says.

“There are so many people to connect to, so many things to learn. … For me, music has meant to give love — spread love and it is exchanged back. Music has meant magic. Music, again, is the way to express all the emotions and have the courage to be my highest self.” T&G

Relish the Cranberry!

The fresh, crisp taste of 100% cranberry wine is perfect to serve at your next Holiday gathering!

Try some Cranberry at

“Mountains on Main” Seven Mountains Wine Cellar’s new wine bar, on the diamond in Boalsburg, only minutes from State College.

Check out our web site for Holiday Hours and Special Events! www.sevenmountainswinecellars.com

Shipping Available anywhere in the US!

Visit Seven Mountain’s beautifully decorated lodge for wine tasting, as well as unique wine accessories, carriers, stoppers, jewelry and ornaments for the wine lover on your gift list!

107 Mountain Springs Lane • (814) 364-1000 • www.sevenmountainswinecellars.com Only 20 minutes from State College, 1 mile off 322 near Potters Mills/Decker Valley Road

All In One Location 2016 Nissan Maxima

2016 Volkswagen Golf R

2016 Volvo XC-90

2016 Audi S3

2016 Mercedes GLE

Always 200 used cars, SUVs, and trucks.

StateCollegeMotors.com West College Avenue @ Whitehall Road • (814) 238-2447