Joe Battista
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Thank a Veteran Today
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I am asking you for a favor. It’s actually a pretty simple one and it will be more appreciated than you may realize: Reach out to a veteran today and say a heartfelt “thank you.” Give them a hug, a high-five or a fist bump. If you can’t thank them in person, call them, Facetime…
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The World Needs a Lot More Kumbaya
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I have such a hard time watching the news these days. It just seems like the world is coming apart at the seams in real time. I wrote my last column about a recent visit to the Flight 93 Memorial with a message to “Never Forget” and for us to be on guard. Well, with…
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The Flight 93 Memorial: A Reminder to Never Forget
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Many Americans, me included, can tell you what the final score was and specific details of their favorite sports team’s competition from this past weekend, whether it was pro or college football, the Major League Baseball playoffs, college or professional soccer, volleyball, etc. But I wonder how many of us are paying attention to what’s…
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The White Out Is Special, Even When It’s a Wet Out
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September 23 was circled on our calendar for a long time. Our 10-day trip north to Happy Valley would allow us to see our two oldest children in the D.C. area, many old friends in State College and family in Danville and Pittsburgh, and to attend our good friends’ (Wendy and Ken Bachman) son’s wedding.…
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It’s All About the Core (Values)
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Anyone who has ever worked out with a personal trainer or strength coach will tell you that the key to healthy physical movement is to focus on your core muscles. Without a strong core, nothing else is sustainable. In fact, according to a Harvard Medical School blog post, “Whether you’re hitting a tennis ball or…
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Let’s Get It Started
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It’s back to school time, whether it’s K-12, trade school, community college or a university. To me, it’s one of the most energizing and exciting times of the year and it brings back a flood of memories. Whether you are a student, parent, teacher, professor, coach or staff, it’s a brand-new academic year. It is…
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Our Fascination with Souvenirs, Trinkets and Memorabilia
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This past Sunday my wife, Heidi, and I celebrated our 34th wedding anniversary by attending a production of the Broadway hit show “Jersey Boys” at the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina in Shelter Cove on Hilton Head Island. The sold-out show was a part of a fun day with our usual State College area friends…
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Six Degrees of Separation, Penn State-Style
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Networking, as we all know, is a crucial skill and the research on happiness shows the more we are engaged socially, the happier and healthier our lives will be. Most of us are also familiar with the Six Degrees of Separation game that gained popularity because of actor Kevin Bacon. According to the blog New…
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Weekend Warriors
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This past weekend we hosted the third annual Weekend Warriors Adult Hockey Camp in Sun Valley, Idaho. Attendees included high school best friends John and Colin, originally from Maryland, who met up to have a mini-reunion and play some hockey. We had a 72-year-old Vietnam War veteran, Phil, from Chicago reviving a dormant adult hockey…
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Let’s Huddle Up
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“Let’s go, huddle up! Bring it together.” That was a regular command I shouted during my short-lived quarterback days as a youth football player. After each play it was the role of the QB to reassemble the other 10 players as quickly as possible to call the next play. It was the first time I…