Hometown Boy Ben Fellers Returns to Happy Valley

03 31 2011_EMCKENNA-Ben Feller

By: Emily McKenna

           

Ben Feller grew up with University Park as his playground.

           

The Foster Conference of Distinguished Writers brought Feller, the chief White House correspondent for the Associated Press, downtown to the State Theatre on Tuesday night.

            “When you’re from here and then you go to school here, it really does become a part of you,” Feller said.

            The State Theatre was a packed house as Feller turned on his charm and offered the audience some sincere advice about life as a journalist.

            “My trick is that there isn’t a trick,” Feller said. “Writing is really a craft that you have to work at.”

            The room was silent as Feller read one of his own articles on President Barack Obama’s visit to the Dover Air Force Base where he greeted 18 fallen American soldiers in October of 2009.

            Feller spoke of the gravity of that moment for him as a journalist. As a correspondent in the press-pool of only a few individuals he was telling a story that no one else could see.

“For me that particular article was about capturing the imagination,” Feller explained.

He emphasized to the students that good stories are everywhere and that they should never overlook what is right in front of them.

After a few Bill Clinton impressions, and stories of his days covering bear hunting season, it was clear that Feller doesn’t save all his charisma for his writing.

Kate West, a communications major, asked Feller what he thinks of the future of the journalism field.

Feller responded, “The medium will change, but I think that journalism is as important as ever.”

Hobo the Bulldog

Hobo the English Bulldog, is 7-years-old and is being given away for free at a PETCO in NY. He was given away after his owner was diagnosed with cancer and could no longer take care of him.

Fifteen Minute Description

I am sitting in a chair and staring out a window with a wire mesh screen. I see a cloudy sky and everything has a gloomy, gray tint. I see four trees, each with its wirey limbs barren from the winter weather. On the tree closest tiny buds are just appearing almost ready to blossom for spring. Two people are walking quickly across from the archway on the other side, both have a folded umbrella hanging from their wrist. Another girl appears from inside the archway, she has on a raincoat and a pink backpack, she is holding a water bottle. From the right a boy in running clothes comes down the stairs on to the main level and jogs across cutting off the girl with the water bottle. Half the windows in the building across have their shades drawn, others windows are flung wide open. Two guys and another girl linger in front of the window I am sitting at slowly smoking their cigarettes. The smoke drifts up toward my window and mixes in with the humid air. The air is moist but the wind brings a familiar winter cold in to the room. The fan on the window sil is on because the heater is still blasting. The light on the archway across the way flickers on. The sky becomes a darker gray. I look down at the clock on my phone, its 5:50. Its almost time. Suddenly doors are opening and closing behind me, people are trickling out of the dorm building and hurrying across the quad. Some people are alone, others in twos or larger groups. They march across and then disappear into the building.  I am sitting in my dorm room in West Halls watching the dinner rush across the quad. Like clock work, every night at 6pm the flood gates open and like "Pavlov's dogs" students rush to the commons.

News Coverage of the Crisis in Japan.

It was definitely interesting to check out this website for a large overview of the news coverage on of the crisis in Japan on March 12th. (http://www.newseum.org/todaysfrontpages/default_archive.asp?fpArchive=031211) For the most part a lot of newspapers kept to the general description of the shocking devastation across Japan. I think that some of the coverage was not as specific because they are headlines from the day of the Tsunami so it was hard to cover initially. Some papers like the Daily News-Miner and the Imperial Valley Press only dedicated a section to Japan on the front cover, no picture or anything. I think that the covers that featured a large photo of Japan were the most moving. Seeing such destruction from almost a whole world away really brings the tragedy home. It's hard to imagine that in just two minutes, an earth quake can wipe away every part of your life that you know. Your house, school, stores, friends and family, entire villages. It really puts things into perspective. 

Valentine's Day Feature

  01 14 2011_Emily McKenna

A College Long-Distance Relationship

A large display of red roses sat on the common’s desk as she handed the clerk her ID card and waited for him to return with her package. 

It was a beautiful crystal vase filled with a dozen roses. Large, green fern leaves filled in the gaps between the roses creating an extravagantly large bouquet.

 Jessica Isenberg giggles as she recalls thinking, “Aw, whoever’s boyfriend sent that really loves them.”

Her cheeks pinked as she added, “And then they gave them to me.” Jessica had just surprised her boyfriend for Valentines Day so the flowers were more than unexpected.

           

Jessica Isenberg and Alex Falcon met a in the summer of 2009 working as wait staff at Welling Assisted Living Community, in Downingtown Pennsylvania. They embarked on a long distance relationship in the fall when Jessica left for her freshman year at Penn State University and Alex left for his freshman year at Lehigh University.

           

            “I was nervous to start dating him because I didn’t know what it would be like both at different schools.” Jessica said.

           

            A year and a half later, Jessica and Alex were just about to spend their second Valentines Day apart when Jessica decided to surprise him.

The large bouquet was sitting behind her on her desk next to a framed picture of her and Alex as she sits down, leans back and explains, “We both had four tests the week after Valentine’s day so it didn’t make sense for him to come to Penn State or for me to go to Lehigh.”

Friday at 3:45 p.m. Jessica was on a bus headed straight for Lehigh. At the last minute she decided that it was worth it to surprise Alex for the weekend. Even though they wouldn’t be together on Valentine’s Day, it was better than nothing.

A lot of students were heading off campus to raise money for the annual Penn State IFC/Pan-Hellenic Dance Marathon, so Alex was frustrated that Jess was not making the trip to see him. The night before Alex was texting Jess upset about her decision.

 “I just couldn’t understand why if no one else was going to be on campus she couldn’t come to Lehigh,” Alex said.

Jessica laughs joking about how Alex was sounding like Ronnie from the hit TV show The Jersey Shore.

“The whole time he was texting me freaking out, I wanted to scream, shut up and stop complaining, I am surprising you,” Jessica said.

One of Alex’s friends who was in on the surprise picked her up from the bus depot at 7 p.m. on Friday. Jessica was dropped off at his dorm. She took the elevator and knocked twice. She heard Alex moving toward the door.

 “Right before he opened the door, I got weird butterflies in my stomach, like I was nervous,” Jessica said.

Alex opened the door and saw Jessica, after a split second of confusion, he picked her up off the ground and swung her around. This tense didn’t match the other sentences with “when.”

 “Honestly, she was the last person I was expecting to see and it made my night, I was so happy,” he said.

The couple got pizza for dinner and watched a movie. They slept in late on Saturday and then studied for their exams. Saturday night Alex’s fraternity had a Valentines themed social so they spent the night out. Sunday Jessica’s bus was early so they had to end their weekend the morning before Valentines Day.

 “ As fun as the weekend was, it goes fast and it makes me miss her more once her bus leaves,” Alex said.

Jessica and Alex still have two more Valentines Days to spend at separate schools, but both are optimistic they will last even if they fall under the dreaded label of a “college long-distance relationship”. On Monday Alex sent Jessica her bouquet of flowers, chocolates and a framed picture of the two of them.

Jessica reaches over and plucks a red rose from the vase and says, “On a scale of one to ten, this Valentines Day was an eleven.”

Man on the Street

01 31 2011_Emily McKenna

Winter Storm

Penn State students all across campus are bundling up and preparing to head to class as a massive winter storm is predicted to hit a large area of the country, including State College.

The Weather Channel predicts for Tuesday through Thursday that, “Periods of snow during the morning will transition to a wintry mix in the afternoon, some icing possible”.

Craig Fugate, administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, told CNN, “A storm of this size and scope needs to be taken seriously”.

            The Daily Collegian reports that this winter the Office of Physical Plant workers said that State College has received 42 inches compared to the 50 inches of typical snow accumulation. This winter ranks average among previous winters but the harsh winds and low temperatures fool students like Dani Poole.

            “For some reason I feel like it snowed more this winter than last winter,” said Poole, 19-year-old sophomore Public Relations major at Penn State.

            State College has not received a large amount of snow at any one time, but has seen a consistent wintry mix.

            Penn State sophomore psychology major Kiera Craig said, “I think this winter has been one of the worst. It’s that kind of snow where it’s not bad enough to cancel but bad enough where no one wants to go outside”.

            Even a little bit of snow or ice can complicate the commute for faculty and students.

Brian Brunnet, 20-year-old junior Architectural Engineer major at Penn State recounts, “Last Friday I saw a girl wipe out on Burrowes. It was funny but it had to hurt”.

Many students are hoping that they will see classes cancelled in the wake of this predicted storm, but according to The Daily Collegian, Penn State has not seen a snow day since February 2007.

            “I don’t think people will freak out if classes aren’t cancelled because this is Penn State. People would be more shocked if it actually closed,” said Brunnet.

           

The pending storm has even pushed President Barrack Obama’s visit to Penn State to Thursday according to the Centre Daily Times.

            Sophomore forensic science major Kelsey Sakaida is skeptical about a cancellation but still plans to take a snow day.

“I’d say I would catch up on homework but really I would probably sleep all day,” she said.

Tuesday morning as Penn State comes alive for the first classes of the day everyone will be layered up and cautiously traveling around campus.

Connor Amice, 19 year-old sophomore, said “I just head to class in the morning and hope for the best that I don’t fall down and embarrass myself”.

Rosenblum Stories

The first Rosenblum piece, Unbroken Spirit, is heartwarming to say the least. The first couple of lines are shocking but also informative. If you didn't know what "Osteogenesis imperfecta" was before the opening lines, you immediately knew the technical definition. The rest of the piece is set up to show the reader what it means to live with this disease. He describes the day to day activities of this little girl and her family and as a reader I felt as if I had witnessed all of it myself. I think Rosenblum did a very good job of being the readers eyes. I also liked how there is a number for donation, this isn't just something to raise awareness for this family's troubles, it isn't just and entertaining heart-wrenching article, but it is a way to help this family financially.
In the second Rosenblum piece, even though the title tells you that it is about the Virginia Tech shooting, the opening lead immediately makes me want to keep reading. The anecdote of the mother saying she misses the sound of her sons foot-steps is sad and compelling. I think it would be hard for a anyone to read this and not think about what it would be like to lose a family member, or if your family lost you. I sort of teared up as the article went on, because in the wake of a tragedy there are always loved ones left behind with nothing but questions and memories to cling to. I really enjoyed reading both of these articles and I think that Rosenblum does a great job of not telling a someones story but showing their story.