Winter Break with Bobcats and Lions

Over February break, Sarah and I attended accepted-students days at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut, and Penn State University in State College, Pennsylvania. They couldn't be more different.

Quinnipiac, which Don has taken to calling "the Q" because its correct pronunciation seems elusive, is a small school, with fewer than 10,000 students, on a suburban campus. It offers a bachelor's degree in sports communications, along with a 4+1 program for earning a master's. And it's just a 1.5-hour drive from home.

We heard from their program director for sports communications, who used to work for ESPN.com, and a recent graduate who works for Yahoo Sports. They touted the school's location between Boston and New York City and internships with big-name sports organizations. 

We didn't have a full campus tour but walked quite a bit. The buildings are mostly brick, and it reminded me of a military base (not a plus). Their mascot is a bobcat. Sarah wasn't impressed.

When we were done, we visited my "Aunt" Jane, who lives about 10 minutes away (a definite plus!). It was wonderful to see her after more than a year. 

On Wednesday, we drove 385 miles to State College in drizzle and fog. It's not a fun route, via I-84 from Hartford to I-81 through Scranton, then I-80 to central Pennsylvania. It took nearly seven hours. The last half hour, on state highways, reminded me of Wisconsin, with rolling hills and farm fields.

After settling into our hotel room, we went downtown to check out the shops. We visited four Penn State merchandise stores, in search of the perfect Penn State sweatshirt. Sarah settled on a white quarter-zip with the Nittany lion logo.

We ate dinner below street level, at Big Bowl Noodle. The portions were huge! We then crossed the street for a short walk through campus, past Old Main, and back to the car.

Sarah was excited to check out the pool and hot tub at the hotel. I was too tired to bother with putting on my suit, so I just sat poolside.

Thursday was foggy and drizzly once again. The formal program for admitted students didn't start until 12:30, so we had all morning to kill. We parked in the large lot across from Beaver Stadium -- the second largest sports stadium in the Western Hemisphere -- and couldn't even see it through the fog until we were right across the street.

We took a campus bus to the northwest corner of campus to visit the Nittany Lion Shrine. It's so cool! When I first heard Penn State sports teams were called the Nittany lions, I pictured an African lion and was not impressed. Once I learned it's a native mountain lion named for a nearby mountain, however, I was on board.

Although we were still early, we walked to the HUB, where the event was to start. After checking in, we doubled back to Waring Commons, where lunch would be served. It was still mid-morning, so we got drinks at Starbuck's and cooled our heels for a bit.

Lunch was upstairs, and the man in charge gave us a full overview of the options -- he was so nice! I had a yogurt bowl, and Sarah went for the southwest burger and curly fries. There was self-serve ice cream from the on-campus Berkey Creamery, so we sampled Cookies-N-Cream and THON Gold Ribbon Ripple. (THON is the world's largest student-run philanthropy, which features a 46-hour dance marathon that was taking place the next weekend.)

We returned to the HUB for a couple of student panels talking about their experiences. They emphasized the internships they had and all the opportunities to do broadcasting and journalism through campus clubs. We then toured the Bellisario College of Communications, which was renovated in 2024. I wasn't as impressed as I was with the Newhouse School of Communications at Syracuse, but it seemed to meet the need.

At the end of the tour, the assistant dean for diversity and inclusion of the College of Communications, Gary Abdullah, was sitting at the top of a stairway as Sarah and I walked up. A big, gregarious black man with a bow tie, he was part of the virtual event we participated in a few months ago, as well as the in-person event. He described his job as helping students with whatever they need to feel they belong and succeed academically and emotionally.

As we ascended the stairs, I told Sarah I wanted to ask him about how Penn State is responding to the Trump administration's anti-DEI policies and threats to withhold research funding. She was mortified and begged me not to. After we had passed him, I said she could wait while I went and talked to him. 

When I approached him, he immediately asked where my companion was. I pointed to Sarah and said she was hesitant to come talk to him. He called her over warmly and drew her out right away. She told him he's "famous" in our household because we saw him on the virtual admitted students' event, and we liked him right away.

Once the ice was broken, Sarah turned on the charm and started bantering with him. He asked what she wanted to study and whether she wanted to be behind the camera or in front. When she said in front, he responded, "Good, because I bet your parents spent quite a bit on that smile." He asked which NFL team is her favorite and expressed condolences when she told him the Minnesota Vikings.

He told her about renovations to the football stadium that will be complete by the time she's a sophomore. He said when the stadium was full and the fans started singing and swaying, the whole place rocked. She responded, "Cool!" and he said, "No, not cool, that's why they're installing steel beams to strengthen it."

He asked where else she's considering. When she told him she's waiting to hear from Syracuse, he put it down good naturedly and told her she wanted to come to Penn State. She talked with him for about 15 minutes, and at the end, he said, "I like you!" He handed her his phone and told her to type in her name so he could look her up and send her messages about attending Penn State. 

It was a terrific experience and a perfect lesson in making connections. It was also a joy to watch Sarah hold her own in a conversation with an authority figure.

As for DEI, Gary said the university has a policy of not obeying in advance (Timothy Snyder would be proud!). There's a position like his in every college there, and university leadership is supportive. That was reassuring.

Sarah and I headed for the northeast corner of campus, where we had ice cream made from milk from campus cows at Berkey Creamery. I had Happy Happy Joy Joy (coconut-flavored ice cream, butter-roasted almonds, chocolate chips), and she had Raspberry Fudge Torte (vanilla ice cream, fudge pieces, red raspberry swirl). Rich, creamy goodness!

We then searched for Findlay Commons in East Halls, to see a sample dorm room. Sarah was frustrated because I kept using the campus map, without success, instead of walking directions in Google Maps. We eventually found the building, and she was impressed with the food and drink options in the first-floor commons area. The dorm room was a double and seemed pretty standard.

Next was the Intramural Building, which houses the largest fitness center on campus. By then, it was about 5:00 p.m., and there was a long line of college guys waiting to pass through the doors. Once inside, I stepped out of line to assess the situation. Sarah, mortified, told me to get back in line.

When I saw the students swiping their i.d.s to enter, I diverted to the small public lobby and asked a young woman at the reception desk if there was a way we could look around. She offered to give us a tour. The place has everything you could possibly want, and then some.

We passed Beaver Stadium again to return to our car.

Weeks prior, when I was making hotel reservations for our trip, I stumbled upon a program taking place at the college's art museum on the 19th, the evening of the admitted students event. It was a talk by a retired U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service forensic ornithologist. I thought it would be great fun to attend, if it worked out. 

We ended up back at our car at about 5:30, and the talk started at 6. Sarah didn't want to go back to the hotel so early, so we decided to attend. I navigated to the art museum in the dusk, fog, and drizzle and parked in a nearby lot. 

We were greeted at the museum by two women, a staff person behind the desk and a volunteer. I told them we were there for "the program," and they both looked confused. When I provided details, the volunteer said, "Oh, that sounds like a program I read about that's taking place in March." 

I pulled out my phone, opened the page for the event, and saw that, yes indeed, it was taking place March 19th, not February 19th. Somehow, I had misread the date and not realized my mistake, even weeks on. Sarah was not amused, and said, "Mom, you need some rest."

The women laughed it off and encouraged us to tour the museum while we were there, since they were open until 8:00 p.m. I knew Sarah wasn't enthused, but I couldn't say no. We did a quick circuit, and it really was beautiful. I discovered a painting of Lake George by Georgia O'Keeffe and learned she spent summers there at her husband's family estate in the years before she moved to New Mexico.

We got back to the hotel a little after 6:30 and ate leftover noodle bowl for dinner. Sarah went to the pool/hot tub again.

We left for home a little after 7:00 Friday morning, not knowing what to expect, since snow was predicted. It was foggy and drizzling once again, with icy conditions at the higher elevations. The car's oil light came on -- a frequent and annoying occurrence -- about halfway home. I finally pulled off the freeway in Danbury, Connecticut, and went to a Target to buy oil. Putting it in the engine while holding an umbrella in the cold rain was a challenge.

The rain continued until close to home, where it turned to snow, and we arrived around 3:00. As much as Sarah likes Penn State — it's her top choice — the drive is a big con. That and the cost. Everything else is great!