AI Can Do the Assignment. Now What Are We Teaching?
Something subtle has changed in our classrooms.
Students are still completing assignments. In many cases, their work appears more polished than ever. Essays are clearer. Arguments are structured. The surface quality has improved.
But when asked to explain their reasoning, many students hesitate.
Not because they are unwilling.
Because they are unsure.
In a college town like ours, that should give us pause.
Education is not just something that happens here. It shapes who we are. Penn State, our local schools, and the families who come here for opportunity form the backbone of our community. When something begins to quietly erode the value of learning, we should pay attention.
Save the Date: WE ARE…Family
Mark your calendars for Saturday, July 25, 2026—an evening that promises to be more than a celebration. It’s a homecoming of spirit, a gathering of purpose, and a powerful reminder of what it truly means to say: We Are.
This year’s Rise Above, supporting Penn State Adaptive Athletics, is built around a theme that needs no explanation for those who’ve lived it: WE ARE Family.
Not the Hallmark version. The Penn State version.
Inside the Story of Penn State Football: The Early Era
You know what I miss, as a lifelong fan of the Nittany Lions? The Penn State Football Story. Sunday mornings after every game, win or lose, I was tuning in—first with my dad and then eventually with my wife. One last look back on the weekend’s result before turning the page. I can still hear Charles Dumas’ booming voiceover that opened every episode: “They put on college football’s most distinctive uniform…”
Penn State Students Help Power a Shared Solution to Happy Valley’s Longstanding Calendar Challenge
For years, people across Happy Valley have been trying to solve the same frustrating problem.
“Oh, I wish I had known about that event.”
Or worse, spending an hour searching through eight different calendars just to plan a decent date night.
From alumni and retirees to students, local business owners, and longtime residents, the sentiment is universal. Great events happen every week, yet too often people hear about them only after the seats are empty and the moment has passed.
Gratitude in Our Blue-White Zone
In our blue-white zone, gratitude is more than a sentiment. It’s a way of life. While Happy Valley is celebrated for its scenic beauty and Penn State pride, the true soul of our community shines through in our everyday expressions of thankfulness and the many ways we practice it together.
The Palmer Museum: World-Class Art in Our Own Backyard
The first time I walked into the new Palmer Museum of Art, I was amazed. The attention to detail, and the architectural ingenuity required to protect the art from light while still maintaining a bright, inviting space, was breathtaking.
Penn State at Its Finest
If you want to understand what makes Penn State truly exceptional — not just as a university, but as a community built on spirit, service, and shared purpose — watch this video.
Research Cuts at Universities Around the Country Have Happy Valley on High Alert
A national squeeze on federal research funding is forcing America’s universities into difficult choices, and Penn State is squarely in the crosshairs. Across the country, institutions are pausing projects, shrinking graduate cohorts, and merging departments. In Happy Valley, the implications extend well beyond campus, touching everything from local jobs to the innovation economy that has long defined this region.
My Saturday at Beaver Stadium
Maybe it was inevitable that with months of mounting excitement over returning superstars, expensive coaching hires, and transfer portal treasure hunting, a three-game opening slate populated with the likes of FIU and Villanova would prove underwhelming. So much buildup for so little substance, at least early on, left plenty of space to find fault with all the flaws on State’s path to a 3-0 record and 132-17 margin of victory.
