The Penn Stater Magazine

09/03/2026

From student manager for the 1983 season to head equipment manager to Beaver Stadium’s events and facilities coordinator, Brad “Spider” Caldwell ’86 H&HD has spent more than four decades with the Nittany Lions. Before retiring in July, he invited us to share a small portion of the many memories enshrined in his office. While you wait for Saturday’s kickoff, read about and view them:

When Brad “Spider” Caldwell retired in July, it marked the formal end of his more than four decades as part of the Penn State football program. That run started when Caldwell ’86 H&HD joined the team as a student manager for the 1983 season, and it continued through a 31-year career, most of i...

09/01/2026

The September/October ’26 issue of the Penn Stater magazine is online now (and in member mailboxes soon). Features include an exploration of the many Penn Staters playing essential roles in developing NASA’s upcoming Dragonfly mission, the 50-plus-years legacy of the Renaissance Fund, and a look at a small portion of the rare keepsakes that longtime football equipment manager Brad “Spider” Caldwell has amassed in more than four decades with the Nittany Lions. These and more at pennstatermag.com.

08/27/2026

The mission of Penn State's Star Wars Club is to create an environment for all students at Penn State to connect, have fun, and share their love of Star Wars. Read more about the club in the Campus Life section of our July/Aug '26 issue: https://pennstatermag.com/campus-life/campus-life-july-august-2026

08/26/2026

Ten years after its first class left Happy Valley for an immersive spring semester in Southern California, the Penn State Hollywood Program has evolved into both a destination for students in the Bellisario College of Communications—increasingly, the reason many of them choose Penn State in the first place—and a thriving network of alumni in prominent roles across the entertainment industry. ICYMI, check out our feature on Penn State Hollywood:

Like producers finding the perfect combination of director, actors, and a compelling script, the Penn State Hollywood Program is building its own blockbuster—pairing eager students with a dedicated staff and a growing network of alumni insiders to create the next generation of behind-the-scenes st...

08/24/2026

On the first day of the fall 2026 semester, tell us: who was your first college friend? Check out answers by five alums: https://pennstatermag.com/campus-life/campus-life-july-august-2026

08/20/2026

The serve can dictate the tone of a badminton match, so it’s important for skilled and backyard players alike to be proficient—and versatile. John He, the vice president of the Penn State Badminton Club, breaks down what goes into a successful serve, and when and how to change it up:

How to serve excellence in a badminton match.

08/19/2026

"My grandfather, Jacob Cohen ’31 Bus, was the news editor of the Penn State Collegian newspaper in the summer of 1931. The Penn State Collegian was the direct predecessor to The Daily Collegian...In recognition of his service to the newspaper, Jacob received a charm that found its way to me upon his passing several years ago." Read more from Andrew Cohen '95 Com:

Commemorative charm from the Penn State Collegian, submitted by Andrew Cohen ’95 Com

08/13/2026

From our May/June '76 issue: Today, Pennsylvania produces more ice cream than any other state. And, believe it or not, just about every ice cream company in the world has a Penn State connection—someone on its staff who holds a Penn State degree or who has attended the oldest and, most authorities agree, best course of its kind anywhere—the two-week ice cream short course taught every January at University Park. Read more: https://pennstatermag.com/icecream

08/11/2026

In historian Amanda Scott’s HIST 492 class, students learn that witches weren’t “warty old women stirring cauldrons.” Beginning in the ancient world with the study of Biblical references to witchcraft, then moving onto superstition and magic in the Greek, Roman, and medieval periods, students learn how the 16th and 17th century fears of heretics, religious minorities, and other persecuted people factored into perceived witchcraft. Read more:

Students in Amanda Scott's HIST 492 study the portrayal of witches in 16th and 17th century Europe.

08/10/2026

One of the university’s most beloved destinations was dedicated in 2010, but it was more than three decades in the making by that point. Read our Campus Life section for more on the Arboretum's origin story: https://pennstatermag.com/campus-life/campus-life-july-august-2026