Jay Paterno
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Today’s Challenges vs. Tomorrow’s Dreams: A Call for Defiant Optimism
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On July 2, 1862 this nation was at war for its very existence. The Union Army was retreating from a campaign to capture Richmond. Victory was far from certain. On that day, the United States Congress and President Lincoln had their eyes on a future clouded by massive uncertainty. Lincoln signed into law The Morrill…
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Pope Francis: It Was Never About Him
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“There is one sin I have come to fear above all others: certainty. Certainty is the great enemy of unity. Certainty is the deadly enemy of tolerance.” – From the movie “Conclave.” In the death of Pope Francis it has been incredible watching the outpouring of love and respect for him. But what has been equally…
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Open Bigotry on Display Today a Product of Weak-Minded People Given Permission to Act on Hatred
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Monday night on X (formerly Twitter) a guy posted a video showing a packed cruise ship pool deck filled with an overwhelmingly Black crowd dancing and having a good time. His caption/question was “Name something you’d rather do than take a vacation on this cruise ship.” Now maybe his question was about the fact that…
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Bring the Noise: The Art of Picking Closer and Walk-Up Songs
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Major League Baseball’s official opening day is today and hope “springs” eternal for fans of our nation’s pastime. From Fenway Park to Dodger Stadium and everywhere in between a new season will carry us from the chill of early spring through the heat of summer to the drama of October baseball. One of the best…
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The Ghosts of Spring Break Road Trips Past
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Author’s Note: The names in this column have been changed to protect the not-so-innocent and the outright guilty. This column may or may not be a true story. Thankfully no cell phone cameras existed at the time… Let’s start with three friends, we’ll call them Jim, Dan and Eric. They were all students at Penn…
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Amid a Time of Tumult, a Challenge to the Party in Power
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At a tumultuous time in our history, with the long-held norms and expectations of the federal government being dissected, it is a time to have a frank discussion. One side that has professed a steadfast commitment to a strict interpretation of the Constitution seems content to ignore that commitment with each day. But we must…
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After Further Review: Like It or Not, the Super Bowl Halftime Show Was Great Art
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Super Bowl Sunday was a great day for the Eagles and their fans. But there was this other thing on Super Bowl Sunday that was almost as big: the halftime show. And like it or not, there is no denying that as artistic expression it was a work of great art. Allow me to explain……
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A Time to Remember Our History, and to Speak Out
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Monday, Jan.27, was Holocaust Remembrance Day and marked the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. It is a day to remember an era that represents the very worst of man’s inhumanity to man. The raids, the roundups, the deportations, the killing of millions and millions of people is a sin which marks all…
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A 12-Team Playoff History: What Might Have Been for Penn State Through the Years
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With the end of Penn State’s 16-game season amid a 12-team College Football Playoff run, it’s a good time to look back and play with what might have been for Penn State if the 12-team playoff had been the norm in the modern post-World War II era of college football. First let’s start with setting…
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The 12-Year War: When Penn State vs. Notre Dame Was the World
in College Football Playoffs, Columns, Local & Penn State Sports, Local News, Penn State Football, Penn State Sports—
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Penn State vs. Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl national semifinal game… the words alone send chills along the spine of any college football fan. But for Penn State fans of a certain age, the match-up between Penn State and Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl has an extra meaning, a mystique and a nostalgia…