Under the baobab: LION Bash, sports victories and more make a happy week in Happy Valley
It has been a happy week in Happy Valley.
The LION (Living in One Neighborhood) Bash returned with over 100 exhibitors and over 1,000 patrons. The mission of LION is to enhance the unique town-gown relationship between Penn State and the Borough of State College by providing experiences that bring Penn State students, permanent residents, community organizations and community leaders together. “Engagement Stations” set up on three blocks of Allen provided information about community services, service to the community, and presented interactive games where participants could win prizes.
Coach Franklin and Penn State football returned to Beaver Stadium with a bang, beating Ohio, 46 to 10, in the home opener. Over 107,000 fans enjoyed the carnival-like atmosphere as the Nittany Lions scored six touchdowns in spectacular fashion. Starting quarterback Sean Clifford passed for one touchdown and scored another on the ground. Freshman quarterback Drew Allar went 6 for 8 with two TDs. Running back Nick Singleton ran for 179 yards with two touchdowns including a 70 yarder that broke the game wide open.
Among the fans in the stands were several elders of African ancestry: Cathy and Blannie Bowen, Bill and Deborah Atwater Asbury, Grace Hampton and her husband Nadhir Muntaka, and Charles and Jo Dumas. President Neeli Bendapudi and her chief of staff, Michael Wade Smith, had invited us all to her tailgate, a gracious gesture on their part. Those of us past a certain age are potentially a valuable resource for the community. It takes insightful and discerning leadership to recognize and make use of that. As we continue to attempt to transform our community and world for the better it is good that we have that kind of enlightened leadership.
On Thursday, The McCourtney Institute for Democracy sponsored a lecture by Rhiana Gunn-Wright on why climate change is everybody’s fight. Gunn-Wright is one of the leading architects of the Green New Deal and director of climate policy at the Roosevelt Institute. “The McCourtney Institute’s mission is to promote scholarship and practical innovations that defend and advance democracy in the United States and abroad. Through teaching, research, and public outreach, the Institute leverages the resources of Penn State to foster a model of deliberation, policymaking, and responsiveness that is at once passionate, informed, and civil.”
The Forum on Black Affairs (FOBA) held its annual picnic and introduction of new faculty at Tom Tudek Park on Friday. New FOBA president Andre Culbreath, Dr. Stephanie Danette, Shannon Holliday, Evan Williams, Suzanne C. Adair, Dr. Ashley Adams, Letitia Tajuba welcomed a dozen or so new faculty, staff, and grad students of color. “FOBA’s mission is to ensure that all people of color especially those of African descent, participate fully in and benefit from the mission of the University, as a land grant institution and as a leader in higher education in the nation, to provide educational opportunities for all citizens ‘in the several pursuits and professions in life.’ FOBA is dedicated to the principle of equality for all people. This dedication is manifested in a renewed commitment to achieve equal opportunity for Blacks at the Pennsylvania State University through affirmative action and through effective administration of policies and procedures of this institution.”
On Friday, Bendapudi, Mayor Ezra Nanes and Hillel executive director Aaron Kaufman opened the Penn State Hillel Gutterman Family Center for Jewish Life in downtown State College. Hillel’s mission is “to enrich the lives of the estimated 5,000 Jewish students at Penn State so that they may enrich the Jewish people and the world.”
And the No. 20 Penn State Women’s Volleyball team upset No. 11 Stanford 3-2 in the Big Ten/Pac 12 Challenge. It was the teams’ first victory against a ranked opponent this season.
We’ve had a good week.