Gazette The Centre County
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Penn State head coach Bill O’Brien has his Nittany Lions focused as they travel to Bloomington, Ind., to open Big Ten play. The Lions finished the nonconference portion of the schedule at 3-1. Gazette Gameday./Pages 19-22
October 3-9, 2013
Volume 5, Issue 40
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Library study areas popular with students By JOHN PATISHNOCK
correspondent@centrecountygazette.com
UNIVERSITY PARK — Looking out at the nearby community of students occupying the workspaces and group study rooms that surround his office, Joe Fennewald explained he wasn’t witnessing an aberration. “We’re fairly new into the semester and it’s been like this all day and it’s been like this all week,” Fennewald said in early September. “Last week was just as crazy as it is right now. It’s incredibly popular.” As the Head of the Tombros and McWhirter Knowledge Commons, a student-centered workspace on the first floor of West Pattee Library on the Penn State University Park campus, Fennewald enjoyed a prime view of that day’s activity. Students occupied nearly inch of workspace, which included individual computer stations and group study rooms. “There’s a lot of activity and that’s part of the excitement and that’s part of the learning process going on, is that people are talking with one another about
things they’re working on,” Fennewald said. “It just generates a buzz.” The chattering commotion was noticeable but not boisterous or unnerving. Nobody seemed to mind because students don’t want to study in a vacuum, he said. And with the group study rooms boasting glass walls, nothing goes unnoticed. “(Students) love the idea of being seen,” Fennewald said. “So this whole kind of social dynamic is going on as well.” The project launched in 2007, with Peter and Ann Tombros and John and Jeanette McWhirter providing the private money for the construction. Former associate dean Sally Kalin, who helped spearhead the development before retiring in 2011, said the library conducted intensive planning, both internally and with an architect group, and sought the support of the dean and other library administrators. Formal planning committees were created to seek out what students want and need in this new era of college life. Study areas, Page 5
ANNA UNGAR/For The Gazette
POPULAR DESTINATION: The Tombros and McWhirter Knowledge Commons, on the first floor of West Pattee Library on the Penn State University Park campus, has become a popular destination for students.
PSU soccer team pays tribute to Mack Brady By CHRIS MORELLI
editor@centrecountygazette.com
UNIVERSITY PARK — The Centre County soccer community continues to pour out its heart for Mack Brady. Brady died unexpectedly on Dec. 31, 2012, as a result of a swift, severe bacterial infection about two weeks shy of his ninth birthday. Since that time, there have been several tributes for the youngster, who is the son of Christian and Elizabeth Brady. On Sept. 26 at Jeffrey Field, the
Penn State women’s soccer team paid tribute to Mack. His No. 7 was everywhere — on T-shirts, hats — even on the field. Christian Brady, dean of the Schreyer Honors College at Penn State, said the support from Penn State, Centre County and the soccer community has touched his entire family. “It’s incredible. It means so much to us. It really encourages us,” Brady said. “There’s nothing that can replace Mack, but Brady, Page 6
TIM WEIGHT/For The Gazette
GOING GLOBAL: SilcoTek, located in Bellefonte, is one of several businesses in Centre County active in exporting.
Selling to the world from Centre County By HARRY ZIMBLER
correspondent@centrecountygazette.com
STATE COLLEGE — The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has long been a leader in helping its companies establish meaningful contacts worldwide that lead to business expansion through exporting. In fact, the state maintains connections to 77 nations through 23 international trade Opinion ............................. 7 Health & Wellness .......... 8, 9
offices. Pennsylvania’s Center for Trade Development offers more opportunities to connect to international trading partners than any other state. Many Centre County companies have expanded their businesses by entering the exporting marketplace. Well-established local companies such as Supelco, Minitab,
Education ................... 10, 11 Community ................ 12-17
Sound Technology, The Drucker Company, Chemcut, AccuWeather, Videon Central and Restek are just a few of the organizations that do considerable business internationally. The list also includes relative newcomers SilcoTek and AcousticSheep. Both companies are active exporters. Selling, Page 6
Gazette Gameday ...... 19-22 Sports .......................... 23-29
CHRIS MORELLI/The Gazette
SPECIAL NIGHT: Christian Brady speaks to the crowd at Jeffrey Field on a night when the Penn State women’s soccer team honored his son, Mack.
Arts & Entertainment .31, 32 What’s Happening ..... 33, 34
Group Meetings .............. 35 Puzzles ............................. 36
Business ...................... 37, 38 Classified ......................... 39