The ABCs Of Penn State University
Penn State is one of a kind in every single aspect.
Penn State is one of a kind in every single aspect. It's a school full of scholars, athletes, pride and everything blue and white—and home to something of each letter of the alphabet:
A - Arts Fest
An excuse for students to reunite in the summer before classes start to soak up the sun, catch up, and oh yeah, there's art too!
B - Beaver Stadium
If you're at Penn State on a Saturday during the Fall, I guarantee the noise you hear is coming from the 100,000+ fans in Beaver Stadium.
C - College Ave.
College Ave. is one of the main roads downtown which is filled with apartment complexes, bars, clothing stores, restaurants, and so much more.
D - Dorito Church
I don't know if any student knows the actual name of the stone church located at the intersection of Beaver Ave. and S Garner St., but the Dorito Church is a well-known landmark to all students.
E - Extreme weather
State college has the most extreme weather— it can start snowing, raining or hailing at any minute, and the next day it could be 60° you just never know.
F - Forum
Whether it's ECON 102, CHEM 112, or anything in between, you will not graduate from University Park without having at least one class in the famous (or infamous) Forum Building.
G - Greek life
Penn State is home to a lot of Greek Life that participates in different activities all over campus.
H - Homecoming
Homecoming week is full of different events leading up to the parade and the big game which allows so many alumni to come home and cheer on their Alma mater.
I - Ice cream
No one can visit Penn State without stopping at Berkey Creamery for their famous ice cream. Just remember the two rules: no mixing flavors and you can only get blue and white sprinkles!
J - Joe Paterno
A Penn State legend, 409 forever. Enough said.
K - Kickoff
There's nothing like the energy at a Penn State kickoff. I have one question for you "Are you ready for Penn State football?"
L - Loops and Links
Penn State is an enormous campus, thanks to the Blue and White Loop and Red and Green Link getting around is a bit easier, although crowded at times.
M - Michigan still sucks
You're reading letter 'M' and Michigan still sucks.
N - Nittany Lion Shrine
The second most photographed location in Pennsylvania is filled with history, ever wonder where the crack in the ear came from?
O - Old Main
On warm days, Old Main Lawn is filled with students laying out, throwing Frisbee, walking dogs, and students just taking in the beauty of Penn State.
P - Pegula Ice Arena
Pegula Ice Arena is a fairly new addition to the University Park campus, but it hasn't been hard for the men and women's ice hockey teams to prove themselves, which raises the question: will Penn State be a hockey school soon?
Q - Quarterback
We love all of our athletes, but our quarterbacks hold a special place in our hearts. In Trace we trust, it's Tommy time, who's next?
R - Rec Hall
Just across the street from the shrine is Rec Hall, which is filled with rowdy fans for wrestling, men and women's volleyball, gymnastics, and more.
S - Squirrels
Penn State squirrels are a different breed of animals. They will come up to you for food, literally run into your feet and scare the crap out of you. They really have no fear.
T - THON
Penn State is home to the largest student-run philanthropy in the world. Raising millions of dollars every year leading up to the 46 hours no sleep, no sitting dance marathon all in support of finding a cure for childhood cancer.
U - Unrivaled
Penn State Unrivaled, no explanation needed.
V - Valley
Located in between the mountains of State College in Centre County, PA, we are Happy Valley.
W - White out
There is literally nothing in the world that can compare to the feeling of a Penn State White Out under the lights at Beaver Stadium.
X - Xtra loud
Penn State fans and students are extra loud and extra proud in everything we do.
Y - Years you'll never forget
Penn State offers so many opportunities for its students. No matter what your interests are or what your major is, you will have the most amazing time at Penn State.
Z - Zero schools better
There really are no schools better than Penn State.
Baseball May Be Dying, But It Certainly Is NOT A Boring Sport To Watch
There is something so nostalgic about being at the ballpark on a summer day with your friends or family. With its rich history, baseball ties generations and brings people together.
In my house, being a baseball enthusiast is not optional. You fall asleep once the game ends with the last out and you wake up to the highlights on MLB Network at breakfast the next morning. Vacations are typically a road trip of sorts to whichever stadium our team is playing at that week. Watching baseball has been the one activity that brings my family together without fail. So undoubtedly, I will argue that baseball is one of the best sports out there, and the common response of, "baseball is such a boring sport," is a complete misconception.
While I can see where this opinion is coming from, it's impossible to ignore the fact that baseball is becoming steadily less popular among younger generations. The commissioner thinks that altering a tried and true tradition, by knocking a few minutes off the game taking away intentional walk pitches and limiting pitchers mound visits, will re-engage future generations. I don't agree with these changes because getting to the heart of the issue stems from disproving the common points that non-baseball fans try to make.
"The game is sooo long."
The average MLB game time this past season was three hours and five minutes, which is only one minute longer than the average football game from the 2017 NFL season. People have no problem with NFL games holding their attention spans. Some would argue that this is because the game is not as fast paced as basketball or football, which brings me to the next complaint.
"Nothing even happens."
If by nothing happens you mean that there is not constant movement around the court or field like in basketball, football, or soccer, then I guess this is a valid statement. But there is so much that goes on between pitches that leaves room for strategy and discussion between viewers. Baseball lends itself to constant thinking between the players, managers, and fans. The many intricacies and tension throughout the entire game make baseball the type of sport that is more enjoyable the more you know about it.
"It's slow paced."
I guess you could argue that baseball lacks the constant movement up and down the court or field that other sports boast, but baseball makes up for this aspect in so many ways. Baseball doesn't have a salary cap which means that you have both be big city, money spending, free agent buying teams as well as low market teams that build their farm systems. You never have the same teams consistently winning or the same matchup like the NBA. In basketball, you need star players to win. Football, you need a solid quarterback and to a certain extent, you need star players in the same way that you do in basketball. There are so many MLB teams that rise to be playoff contenders from nothing within a few seasons, making for a dynamic league and playoff picture every single year. And as far as the pace of the game itself, I can see how at a glance other sports would seem to hold an onlooker's attention for longer. But if you look at the number of commercial breaks the NFL has nowadays between timeouts, penalties, kickoffs, and punt returns, the amount of time you spend watching the action part of the game itself is not too different from baseball.
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My last, probably most overused, but also the most important point is the fact that no other sport can hold the title "America's Pastime." There is a tradition and a history behind baseball that's more deeply rooted in America's history than any other sport. There is something so nostalgic about being at the ballpark on a summer day with your friends or family. With its rich history, baseball ties generations and brings people together. Hopefully, this tradition will remain deeply rooted in American culture, so that others can experience the magic that being raised in a baseball family brought me.