May 2016

Since initial construction of the H.O. Smith Botanic Gardens was completed in 2008, the Arboretum at Penn State has been an ever-changing work in progress, with director Kim Steiner there every step of the way. Before becoming involved with the arboretum, however, he came to Penn State to teach in what was the School of…

On a recent trip to Denver to visit my brother and his family, I had the opportunity to spend time with my nieces who are 3 and 5 years old. We spent a lot of time at the playground and playing outside. What struck me in our time together was how important my brother’s approval…

The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines brewing as: to make (beer, ale, etc.). OK then, what else could we make by brewing besides those usual suspects (beer and ale)? What could that “etc.” possibly refer to? How about “distiller’s beer,” for making whiskey and other spirits? We usually think of vodka, whiskey, and the…

The Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State 2016-17 season begins with a set of café doors swinging open on an exhilarating evening in the mythical Wild West. Cirque Éloize (Cirkopolis, iD, Rain) rustles up a mix of theater, music, acrobatics, and emotion in its new production, Saloon. Co-commissioned by the Center for…