Still Life

With four guide ropes attached to it, the east-side clock face is raised into position. While it didn't seem that windy on the ground on Saturday, Jan. 28, winds higher up were strong, requiring extra guidance to bring the clock face safely to the Old Main bell tower.

Old Main clock faces installed

Ben White of New Vibrations Audio and Video works on a ledge of the Old Main bell tower, to remove the speakers from the old chime system. The company installed a new carillon system today (Jan. 27) that will play a digital recording made of the original Old Main bell that now sits adjacent to Old Main and other bells of comparable sizes.

New carillon, restored clocks being installed

The funeral procession for Joe Paterno made its way past Beaver Stadium and down Porter Road as crowds applauded on Jan. 25. Thousands lined the procession route through the University Park campus and downtown State College to bid a last farewell to Joe Paterno.

Joe Paterno's funeral procession

Coach Joe Paterno was on the field for the first half of the Nittany Lions' football game. Penn State beat the Iowa Hawkeyes 13-3 on Oct. 8, 2011, in front of an enthusiastic crowd at Beaver Stadium.

Joe Paterno through the years

Katie Knobloch and Andrew Adamietz, members of the a capella group Blue in the Face, shared a candle at the vigil held Sunday, Jan. 22, to mourn the death of Penn State football coach Joe Paterno, who passed away earlier in the day. Several thousand members of the Penn State and State College community came out to the Old Main lawn on Penn State's University Park campus for the vigil.

Thousands mourn Paterno's passing

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Pennsylvania soldiers show Penn State, Pennsylvania pride in Iraq

Tuesday, July 21, 2009
It is 6,000 miles from the Nittany Valley to the desert of Taji, Iraq, but the distance did not stop members of the 56th Stryker Brigade, based in Lancaster, Pa., from taking along their Penn State pride. Click on the image above for a high-resolution version.
It is 6,000 miles from the Nittany Valley to the desert of Taji, Iraq, but the distance did not stop members of the 56th Stryker Brigade, based in Lancaster, Pa., from taking along their Penn State pride. Click on the image above for a high-resolution version.

It is 6,000 miles from the Nittany Valley to the desert of Taji, Iraq. The soldiers of Pennsylvania’s 56th Stryker Brigade had to leave many important things behind when they were deployed in January, but the distance didn’t keep them from taking along their Penn State and Pennsylvania pride.

Spc. Dirk Omerzo, deployed with the rest of the brigade in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, painted a mural featuring the logos of Penn State and Pennsylvania’s professional sports teams. The mural covers 60 square feet and was painted outside of the dining hall at Camp Taji, north of Baghdad.

“As you can imagine, soldiers sacrifice many things while they are deployed, and cheering for their local teams is certainly one of those things most missed,” said Maj. Gen. Jessica Wright of the Pennsylvania National Guard in a letter addressed to Penn State President Graham Spanier. “Soldiers have been known to stay up until all hours of the night and early morning, due to the time difference, to watch [the Penn State football team] play.”

Wright said Penn State holds a special place in the soldiers’ hearts.

“Individual packing lists often include a favorite player’s jersey and other team memorabilia. Even if they can’t wear these items, just having them means a tremendous amount, as it brings a part of Pennsylvania to them,” Wright said. “Though you may not have been aware of the impact your team and its athletes play on the morale of our warriors, you continue to be a major contributor in support of our soldiers.”

Members of the 56th Stryker Brigade, based in Lancaster, will return to Pennsylvania in September.

For a high-resolution version of the photo above, visit http://live.psu.edu/image/25147 online.