HARRISBURG – Spotlight PA is reporting… Penn State trustees and high-ranking university representatives met privately twice in January to discuss whether to name the football field at Beaver Stadium after former coach Joe Paterno, according to three people with direct knowledge of the conversations.
The meetings potentially violate a state law that requires governing bodies to conduct business in public view, and continue a decadelong pattern of the board convening behind closed doors.
A group of trustees are pushing to name the football field after Paterno, while board and university officials are hesitant, according to the three sources, who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak openly about the discussions.
The board fired Paterno in 2011 during the fallout of the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal. A statue of Paterno outside the football stadium was removed, and the NCAA vacated more than 100 wins from Paterno’s record. The wins were later restored, and Paterno holds the record for most wins in NCAA football history with 409.
UNIVERSITY PARK – The Centre Daily Items is reporting… The biggest event of Penn State’s spring semester is this weekend. Penn State’s IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon, better known simply as “Thon,” will get underway at 6 p.m. Friday before concluding at 4 p.m. Sunday.
The 46-hour no-sitting, no-sleeping event will keep 708 student dancers and far more volunteers on their feet inside Bryce Jordan Center all weekend long. Penn State’s Thon is annually recognized as the largest student-run philanthropy event in the world.
Each year, it raises millions of dollars to fight pediatric cancer by supporting the Four Diamonds Fund at Penn State Health Children’s Hospital in Hershey. Those funds benefit cancer research efforts and help cover medical bills for families whose children have pediatric cancer.
Thon’s 46-hour event doubles as a massive entertainment spectacle. Those who have visited Bryce Jordan Center in years past know to expect live music, surprise performances and plenty of fun, ranging from students dancing in tutus and children playing with water guns to spontaneous appearances from local and Penn State celebrities.
