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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Student Stories: Her long search finally led to toxicology

Friday, July 2, 2010
Brooke Osborne hiking in the Smokies.
Brooke Osborne hiking in the Smokies.

University Park, Pa. -- From literature to art to science, Penn State offers students a plethora of academic interests, but choosing is never easy. For recent graduate Brooke Osborne, two years of searching led her to the College of Agricultural Sciences, where she excelled in toxicology.

Osborne, the self-proclaimed queen of the undecideds, began her academic career in the Division of Undergraduate Studies. "I signed up for Discover House as a freshman and was introduced to a variety of academic options within each individual college," she said. "I found that I could take a creative approach to finding a major that fit my interests."

After working with advisers, participating in lab groups for undergraduate research and personally investigating her options at Penn State and abroad, Osborne chose to major in toxicology, with supporting majors in Spanish and international studies.

"There are a lot of resources at Penn State that most students don't use to their advantage," said Osborne. "When it comes to choosing your major, it pays to be persistent. You find so much more when you research and are an active participant in your education."

Osborne's persistence led her to Ghana on an expedition to conduct research with a geography professor.

"I contacted her to learn about her research and to find out how to enter the field," she said. "She invited me to Ghana, where I assisted her in conducting an interdisciplinary workshop on ecological and social resilience in small-scale gold mining."

While her experiences abroad helped to refine her academic interests, Osborne credits her toxicology adviser for continually assessing her academic goals and lending support. "He helped me adapt the toxicology program to my interests to specialize in ecotoxicology," she said.

A native of Montoursville, Pa., Osborne currently is pursuing a master's degree at Colorado State University.

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