The STATEtorialist

New Site!

2010-04-13T23:33:00.000-04:00

The STATEtorialist is now on WordPress!! If you aren't automatically redirected, check out the new URL

http://thestatetorialist.wordpress.com

Get on Deck with Spring's Most Popular Footwear

2010-04-12T20:23:00.000-04:00

Walk downtown on a nice spring day, and I bet you that it's hard not to spot someone strolling around in a pair of boat shoes.

The boat shoe, originated in 1935 by Sperry Topsider, has become more and more popular as the years have gone by, and as of recent, when the weather gets nicer, the more Sperry's you see on the streets.

Sperry has evolved from just a leather boat shoe, and now works with tons of different materials to put a innovative spin on a classic look. Sperry Topsider put's out a ton of different styles, not just boat shoes, and when it comes to footwear for the Spring and Summer months, your first stop should be to Sperry's deep catalogue of shoes and sandals.

This Spring, Sperry has put out a ton of new looks and styles that I really like, and I think that you will too. My tip for shopping Sperry--when you start building your collection, diversify the material. Don't load up on leather. Take advantage of the unique materials Sperry offers like canvas and linen. Dare to be different, because with Sperry Topsiders' seemingly endless popularity, pretty soon everyone is going to have the brown leather boat shoe.

Here's a few of Sperry Topsider's New Arrivals this season that I think you'll really dig.

Inspired Authentic Original 3-Eye by Band of Outsiders: Retail at $166. This has got to be one of my favorite shoes Sperry has every put out. Why? Because it doesn't just come in a few different colors, but the materials vary by pattern. The four different materials are Linen, Suede, Marl, and Houndstooth. My Favorite: The blue/white linen pair that give off a seersucker vibe, (left).

Cloud Logo Authentic Original Boat Shoe: Retail at $90. I really liked this pair, again because of the material. It is constructed of hand-sewn true-moc, that has a cloth-y feel with the vibe of mesh when you look from afar. The leather laces tie together this alteration of a classic. My Favorite: The blue pair (left) are the most unique and I think of all the colors it looks the best, but the olive, ice, and classic brown look great too.

Striper Laceless CVO: Retail at $55. These ones are made of canvas, and put a classy touch on the classic Converse Chuck Taylor laceless, canvas shoe look. The Laceless CVO comes in a lot of colors including some really unique plaids and a pale yellow that I really like. My Favorite though, are the Chino/khaki plaid, (left). Out of all the colors, this pair is in my opinion the most versatile, and like a pair of khaki shorts, you can match them with just about anything. The best part is the touch of plaid on the tongue that turns a plain khaki shoe into something people are sure to notice.

These are just a few options Sperry Topsider has to offer. Don't get me wrong, I love the classic leather boat shoe that they make, and I think that classic pair of Sperry's is something that is vital to your shoe closet. But when you've finally got your basic shoe collection down, go back to Sperry.com and check out all the unique shoes they have like these ones. You'll be sure to get noticed for your impeccable style.

A Site You Need To Know About...Seriously

2010-04-06T17:50:00.002-04:00

Don't always ignore those random flyers people hand out or slide underneath your door. A few weeks ago someone stuck one to the door to my apartment that I couldn't help but look into, and boy am I glad that I did. This particular flyer told me to check out a website, and when I see words like men's designer clothing and discount on the same piece of paper, I rarely ignore.

The site was Gilt Man, and I think it is something every man who cares about they way they live needs to sign up for and check out. In the words of the About page of the site, "Think of Gilt Man as a hardware store selling the tools for life: workware, playware, lifeware. Right now we have hundreds of items for sale at up to 70% off their original price: killer stuff at killer value."

Basically a few different labels have a new sale every day, and you can get all kinds of stuff way cheap. This is a resource I am glad I stumbled upon, and if I didn't think my mother would absolutely murder me, I'd be spending her monthly grocery check all on Gilt Man.

GQ creative director Jim Moore describes the best way to take advantage of the site in the April 2010 GQ.

"Each weekday at noon, GiltMan.com rolls out brand-new merchandise from labels like Rag & Bone, Alexander Olch, and Unis. The catch? Everything you put in your shopping cart only stays there for ten minutes. Meaning noon to 12:10 p.m. on GiltMan.com has become the dirtiest, most low-down free-for-all the Internet has seen since Ticketmaster."

"Sign up for the daily e-mails, not the weekly ones. They arrive at 11:57 a.m. and will give clues to what's becoming available."

"Right at noon, log in, and spend five minutes quickly scrolling through the new stock. If there's anything that stands out-anything you'd even consider buying-add it to your cart before it dissappears."

"Now it's 12:05, and you've got a shopping cart full of maybes. Spend the last five minutes deciding which items, if any, you absolutely have to have. Then pull the trigger before the time runs out."

-Jim Moore, Creative Director, Gentlemen's Quarterly.

The best part about Gilt Man? If you refer someone and they sign up, you get $25 credited after their first purchase has shipped! In my opinion this is one of the best websites on the Internet all together. I highly recommend taking full advantage of Gilt Man.

Check out the site HERE to sign up for membership and start taking advantage of their deals.

A Comeback Worth Noting...

2010-04-05T12:31:00.004-04:00

When you're on a road trip, you see tons of rest stops along the way. So many in fact that you pass up some of the ones with Coffee Shops and Burger Kings, because you know in a a few miles or so you're going to come across one with the same places in them. Well the fashion world works the same way sometimes. Styles come and go but if there's anything I've notices it's that a certain trend can probably be traced back two or three times over within the past 50 years. A great example of this is the wayfarer. In my opinion, the hottest sunglass style around today is the wayfarer, and you can't go anywhere without seeing tons of different styles, colors, and shapes of wayfarers. Wayfarer sunglasses are a perfect example of a trend reincarnated. In '05 if you saw someone wearing them you'd probably be thinking, "Where did this person come from 1983?" Well the wayfarer has had an up and down road but they were redesigned in the early 2000's and lately you probably have trouble walking outside on a sunny day and not seeing a pair.

Well something I've noticed in the J.Crews and Gaps of the world is a comeback that went away in the 90's and came back in the 2000's (No, I'm not talking about Michael Jordan). The Denim look is on it's way back into your favorite stores in many ways. The most popular that I've seen, and surprisingly liked, is the denim, and chambray collard shirt. I don't know where it came from, but it's like the late Billy Mays somehow made it into Gap's design studio and started whispering in people's ears. Now usually I would say unless your Billy, or Paul Mitchell posing for a GQ ad with a rattlesnake around your neck, a denim looking dress shirt is a no-go. But Gap has brought it back in a way that actually seems acceptable. I will say this though. There are some denim makings that I won't ever condone. Here's a few do's and don'ts when it comes to embracing the comeback of Denim.

Do:

Find a shirt that isn't too heavy, or one that isn't actually denim but has a soft denim look to it, like this chambray one from J.Crew. Chambray is a different material, but to the non-textile savvy eye it looks very denim-ish
Be innovative! Jeans are the only way to rock it. Keep an eye out for different items like chambray ties, or pocket squares.

Don't:

Over-do it. Although there are some people that can somehow pull it off, none of them are college students. Don't tuck a denim shirt into jeans. I'm not really big on tucking anything into jeans, but some people make it work.
Buy a jean jacket. I've read around that jean jackets are making a comeback, but don't count on that lasting. There are exceptions to this don't and it comes in the form of celebrities. They can do whatever they want even if they look stupid. So just because Kanye has a jean jacket on doesn't mean you can pull it off.

(Wayfarer photo credit: http://www.ray-ban.com/usa/products/rb4105/710) (Denim shirt photo credit: http://www.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=52771&vid=1&pid=719567)

Vice President Colleen Smith, Outside the HUB

2010-04-01T10:15:00.004-04:00

From "The College Minds"...Pattern Of The Month

2010-03-31T15:53:00.001-04:00

Just a little syndication from my column on The College Minds.

April is only a day a way, which means it will soon be officially acceptable to wear anything pastel and with Easter Sunday approaching, don't be alarmed, you're vision is not distorted, many people will in fact be rockin' the purple. The first few weeks of Spring are a gold mine for new styles and a great time to notice people being innovative (they've had all winter to think about what they're going to wear on that first 60+ day. We've had a few of them already here in State College, and I'm no meteorologist, but it seems that the sun is here to stay. Generally, different seasons are associated with different colors, but colors aren't the only thing that change along with the seasons. Different patterns emerge when the official start of a new season has passes on the calendar. So for a new segment I am going to call "Pattern of the Month", I'll tell you about a different print every month that your sure to see more of when you step outside. April's Pattern of the Month-Gingham.

If you didn't know what gingham was, look above this sentance. Gingham is like the younger, more fun brother of plaid. It's a pattern that is eye-catching, and if you pick the right color, you can really make a gingham item very versatile. My personal favorite use is to wear a gingham dress shirt under a suit. You can all different kinds of ties with a gingham shirt, but my advice is to stick to the two extremes (Very busy or Solid). Let's face it though, we don't wear too many suits too often up here in Happy Valley. Rockin' a gingham dress shirt with a nice pair of khaki shorts, Sperry's and some sunglasses is the perfect look for those first few weeks of hot weather. Gingham stands out and draws attention, but doesn't draw too much like some patterns such as paisley. For a solid, cheap gingham shirt, check out American Eagle. They usually have a few on the clearance rack. Basically you can find gingham by most brands, and it varies too. It comes in all shapes and sizes, so find the right sized square that goes with the outfit (For the record, I'm personally not a fan of the giant-squared ones).

It's April, kids. Sport the gingham

(Photo credit: http://www.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/5837130/2/istockphoto_5837130-green-pink-yellow-purple-gingham-seamless-patterns-with-fabric-texture.jpg)

ROY G. BIV Your Closet for Spring

2010-03-17T11:52:00.000-04:00

It's apparent that spring has sprung in Happy Valley, which means when walking the streets, you'll probably notice a little more variety in what people are wearing. I think females have a 6th sense when it comes to when the weather has definitely made a turn for the better, because the day where you see 90% of the girls around town in skirts or shorts is the day where you know its okay to hang up your North Face. Tuesday was the first significantly nice day in State College, and Wednesday for St. Patrick's Day, it has improved again. Spring brings out a lot of potential wardrobe choices, but make sure you're not just wearing shorts and a t-shirt, or no jacket. Show that you know it's spring by rocking a variety of colors. Since it's still early, and can get a little chilly at night, I think the best way to do this is by adding a little color to two classics that happen to be perfect go-to items as well. First, check out Dockers colored Soft Khaki's. I just picked up two pair for $30 each. You can get them at Kohl's and they have a lot of great colors for spring and summer. I bought a pair of Confederate Blue and Desert Red. These are pretty lightweight so you won't get too warm in them, and they give off the vibe similar to girl's wearing skirts that say, "It's Springtime." Another great go-to is the pocket tee. Now you can get pocket tees almost anywhere. Gap has great prices on pocket tees and plenty of colors. When it comes to buying these, think easter eggs. You can get pocket tees in a number of pastel colors that look great with pretty much anything. Because they're so basic, but the colors stand out, these are perfect for the break of spring and will even do you great into the summer months. Check out Riley's Clothing's Southern Marsh collection for some really nice ones. There's also nothing wrong with a little graphic pocket tee either. For bulk tee shirt orders check out M. Custom Tees. Michael from M. Custom tees has great pricing and can pretty much customize a shirt any way that you want. I've become a big fan of graphic tees, and to be able to customize your own in the colors that you want for the spring.

Referring To A Previous Post...

2010-03-15T18:12:00.000-04:00

Check out the GQ Eye's Grady Laird's Man-station. Proof that it does in fact exist and I (mostly) don't make things up. Even though he was talking about the lip balm he still showcases his man-station which contains the classic keys-wallet-watch.

GQ Eye's Article

Check This Out

2010-03-10T19:20:00.003-05:00

Check out this T-shirt, made for The STATEtorialist on behalf of my friend Michael Moses and his business M.Custom Tees! Check out M.'s site for his portfolio. His prices are great, he does good work, and will work with you personally to make sure you get the exact shirt you want.

Not Something You See Every Day...

2010-03-03T12:46:00.004-05:00

Much love and thanks to Kenny and Marie for sending me this picture from Venice. If you can't tell by looking, it's made of wood. Ken tells me they had duffle bags, ties, and all kinds of other wooden clothes and accessories. I'm guessing this is not something you'd wear on a rainy day though.

You Can Never Have Too Many Of...

2010-03-01T13:48:00.000-05:00

I'm not going to lie, I have a lot of clothes. So much in fact that the studio apartment I live in that is made for two people, has two closets and two dressers full of my clothes. But even with my plentiful wardrobe I never feel like I have enough of certain items. I'm all about re-wearing jeans because they seem to be more comfortable that second time around, but there are certain things you cant pull out of the laundry basket and throw back on without feeling at least a little bit grimey. So in the past few months I've been thinking and there are a few things I really wish I had an extensive collection of, and I like to think of these things as essentials. So here we go, the few items you shouldn't feel bad about overloading on.

Waffle or Thermal Tees: I've come to discover these are about the most versatile item in my wardrobe. You can wear them under jackets, under tees, or even just plain. They come in so many colors, and really give you a way to keep it simple and also look good. I wish I could pull off dog tags, (Like my buddies Marcus, Jay, and Kenny do so well) because I think the thermal tee with a jacket and dog tags is one of the best, simple looks out there. Stock up on waffle tees, you can get a solid, cheap collection of waffle tees at Gap. Buy Them Here!

Shoes: Alright, I know it's expensive, and takes a long time, but building up a shoe collection is something so key, and also something I've done poorly. I figure I might as well give some advice so people don't repeat my mistake. When you buy shoes, always think of how many different outfit combos you have that you could wear with them. I can't tell you how many times I've wanted to wear something but then realized I did't have shoes to go with them. Yes, it is something that takes a long time, but at our age, our feet are growing that much so it's well worth it to keep building a collection. In the long run you'll be happy you did. Shoes are expensive so some of my favorite places to look are Zappos and Finish Line's Sale Page.

Colored Socks: Already had a post about this so I'll keep it short, but only having white socks has killed me so many times. Stock up on different colors, focusing on the simple ones though (Navy, Black, Grey, Brown). Certain shoes just don't call for white socks. Socks are cheap and you can get them anywhere, so no link here.

Coats/Jackets: This also can get expensive, but if you take your time, a spread out collection of jackets could do you well. I only have 3 and I can't tell you how many times I ended up resorting to my North Face with dressy clothes because the only dressy jacket I have is a black peacoat. I would have to say, there are 3 essential colors to have and they are black, Some kind of brown, and grey. Personally I like a more khaki brown, and a charcoal-ish grey, but with these three colors it'll be hard not to find something that matches. A jacket can really bring an outfit together, and I like to think of a well matched jacket as a perfect ending to a daily dress. After you get a solid base, go crazy, you never know when that bright blue zipper jacket might come in handy. (Mopedding in Bulgaria?)

These are just a few things I've recently found myself on the short end of, so I thought it might be nice to let you guys know a few items that having multiples of will help.

John, Hetzel St.

2010-02-28T13:05:00.002-05:00

So Saturday of course was State Patty's day, and in my excursions I never thought I would see someone really Natty Nittany-worthy. But then I ran into John down by where else but Sharkies Bar and Bottle shop on Hetzel Street and the fashion photography Gods gave me a State Patty's blessing. Unfortunately I didn't have my good camera with me, but you shouldn't need too sharp of an image to see why I couldn't pass up photographing John. It's not only that he's god the all green look going on in a fashionable way, (rather than t-shirts and four leaf clover hats), but what I really liked about John's ensemble was the way his jacket fit him. Too many times around here do I see people with blazers and suit jackets poorly tailored or not tailored at all. All sartorialism aside though, John did State Patty's Day, and he did it big, and I respect him for it. Oh, and a little side note, when I told him who I was and asked to take his picture, the girl he was with enthusiastically informed me that indeed John's clothes were, "All high end stuff!"

State Patty's Day

2010-02-26T11:47:00.002-05:00

The now infamous State Patty’s day is upon us, and people are flooding the stores downtown that did not agree to pull all State Patty’s merchandise. This has nothing to do with fashion, but in my opinion, long live State Patty’s day and let college kids have their fun!

To the administrators opposing it: think back to when you were in college. Did you want people raining on your parade? Of course not. No one gave you trouble about sneaking into Beaver Stadium after the National Championship and carrying a goal post across College Ave.!

But I’m really here to talk about State Patty’s Day fashion. The holiday has a lot to do with what people are wearing. Shops downtown have a bunch of different types of clothing with a few standard phrases, like the classic “Kiss Me I’m Drunk.”

My advice is to go all out! Wear the best of the best printed tees from People’s Nation and get to McLanahan’s before it’s too late to get your green shotglass necklace. The more green this Saturday, the better. Rock your green to show your passion for our famous Saturday in late February/early March. From socks to hats, wear that green.

Last year I wore the traditional green PSU shirt, but I’m hoping people to get more creative this year. My choice this year was a shirt from the Phyrst that’s on display at Ernie’s Steaks(Best Cheesesteaks in State College). If you have green slacks, please wear them. The goal is to stand out. (But not too much because of the increased police enforcement.)

Long live State Patty’s and going overboard with green.

From The Desk Of Jay...

2010-02-25T12:35:00.004-05:00

-J.C.G.

Tolani, College Ave.

2010-02-23T20:54:00.002-05:00

Tolani posted up outside one of my favorite downtown stores, Bare Foot

I passed Tolani on my way to class last week and couldn’t help but notice that not only did he look fly, but also that his swagger matched his ensemble. I was just telling one of my friends the other day that I love outfits that are “Murdered out”, a.k.a all black with a subtle touch of color or design somewhere. From the Chuck T’s to his black framed glasses, Tolani’s got this look down. I really dug his shirt though too. It matched perfectly and I really like the Burberry-esque black, red, and grey plaid. I’m a huge fan of ALL one color and then adding a hint of another, especially when the dominant color is black.

Hmmm....

2010-02-22T23:26:00.002-05:00

Maybe the writers for the GQ Eye starting reading the STATEtorialist?? I sure hope so, or maybe we actually do know what we're talking about!!! Check out this oddly familiar post on one of my favorite blogs.

http://www.gq.com/style/blogs/the-gq-eye/2010/02/switch-your-watch-strap-1.html

THON

2010-02-19T15:52:00.002-05:00

http://www.THON.org

Help us beat childhood cancer, donate today!!!

Stay Warm, Look Sharp

2010-02-18T00:41:00.003-05:00

The other day I was reading my favorite blog, The Sartorialist, and underneath a picture of someone walking through a blizzard in New York City, the author Scott Schuman exclaimed his disapproval of “The system” and how it kept him from being able to buy a pair of gloves. The system he is referring to is the one that makes everyone, specifically store owners, think that just because the holidays have ended, that spring has sprung (regardless what happens in Punxsutawney).

Clearly, if you look out your window, winter is still going strong, as it is in New York as well, and stores are in a spring fashion state of mind. Scott’s post got me thinking that while we’re still getting mounds of snow here in State College, my posts might as well still be winter fashion oriented, especially since stores like Harpers and Barefoot are putting their fall and winter stuff on sale right now.

Something that I never really thought about until recently is the uncomfortable, un-versatile accessory that is the dress sock. A lot of “nice” dress socks are not only thin and uncomfortable, but when the weather is the way it is now, you might as well not be wearing socks. So what do you do when it’s time for that career fair or summer internship interview? All you have to do is loosen up your wingtips a little bit and put on some wool socks.

Wool socks are great for the winter, and not just because they’ll keep you warm. Wool socks are made in a plethora of colors, so although it may take a while, I recommend trying to achieve a ROY G. BIV collection of wool socks. I’m a big fan of socks that don’t necessarily match anything except maybe your base tie color or pocket square if you’re wearing one. Just to be clear, I’m not talking about the kind you double layer to go skiing, but a merino wool sock that are kind of the in-between, where winter sports levels with the summer commute. Also, for those winter interviews, something that I’m a huge fan of, and that will look great with the matching socks, is a wool tie. Even if you’re not wearing a suit, the colored wool sock will keep you warm and keep you looking sharp while it’s still snowing.

The Shoe Box on College Ave. currently has a 25% off sale on SmartWool socks. I don’t believe they have a huge color selection, but Grey, Brown, and Black are good colors to have to go with those winter suits. Luckily for us, State College stores haven’t completely fell into “the system” yet.

Wool socks come in tons of colors, keep you warm, and look great if you match it with the rest of your outfit.

Dongju, College Ave.

2010-02-17T20:18:00.003-05:00

I ran into Dongju on College Ave. last week and couldn’t help but notice that grey peacoat. You see so many blacks and browns around (I’m guilty of conforming too) and it was nice to see something different. Then I looked down and noticed what I really loved about Dongju’s outfit; it was her shoes. I wish I could tell you what material they are, but what I loved about them is that they look so sturdy and classic. Most of all, why the shoes make her look is how she’s wearing them. For some reason a lot of dressier shoes look better without socks, and with the weather in the 20s that day, it took a lot of guts not to wear any socks. In the end it payed off for Dongju. She’s rocking them in the best way possible, and not to mention I really like the accent her green sweater gives to the peacoat. Lastly, check out the buttons on her peacoat below. I like trying to notice the little things that make people’s outfits look unique, and I didn’t even notice this until I cropped the photo. The eagle and shield emblem on the buttons are awesome.

Check This Out

2010-02-13T11:34:00.003-05:00

So I got a random friend request on Facebook today from someone I didn't know, and these are the ones that I usually ignore, but when I checked out his page and realized he was an artist, I decided I would check out some of his music. I went to his myspace and listened to two of his songs, "Never Met Her", and "Crashing Down." I have to tell you I really dug this dude's style. If you get a chance check out Moses Haughton Jr, or "Young Moses". I think you'll enjoy it. Here's a couple of links below.

http://artistmoses.wordpress.com

http://MySpace.com/MosesHaughton

What's On Your Man-Station?

2010-02-12T11:33:00.002-05:00

I am going to admit something in the second sentence of this post that most guys probably wouldn’t on just their third post for a widely-read blog at their college. The inspiration for me writing this very column today came from a movie, which I am now admitting that I’ve seen, and actually liked, called “P.S. I Love You.” Wayy back in ‘07 when my friend and I first saw this movie (on separate occasions), we developed a name for something we saw in the beginning of the movie. My friend, Mark, told me about how when he gets married he and his wife (like Gerard Butler and Hilary Swank did) will have separate dressers (see the picture below). Shortly after, I helped Mark re-arrange his room, and born was “The Man-Station,” a masculine alternative to some sort of giant jewelry box with drawers.

Whether you know it or not, in your dorm, apartment, house, bedroom, hole in the wall, or wherever it is that you sleep at night, you have a man-station, even if you don’t call it that. Its function lies between what you do after your morning shower and before you leave for the day. Having something like this is essential, because it’s your one stop before you go out the door. I promise you, the man-station is key because us guys aren’t as organized as most females with their jewelry boxes and color coded closets. Ever since I dedicated a dresser in my room to all these essential items, I have yet to lose my keys, my wallet, my cell phone, or any of the other items on it. If you don’t already have this separate, set-aside, organized station, my suggestion is to make one – it makes starting the day a lot easier. Here’s some typical things to start with.

The Classic Keys, Wallet, Cell Phone
Cologne
Glasses (if applicable)
Important miscellaneous items that you need for the next day
Picture of mom (just kidding, but if you tell her it’s there she’ll love it)

So the next time you lose forget your keys, can’t find your iPod, or are begging a professor to let you run home and grab that paper that you left at home, go home immediately, clear off a dresser, and fill it with the essentials. If you already have one, tell us…What’s on your man-station? Props to you if it’s as legit as Gerard’s here with a tie and belt hanger.

Gerard Butler's Man-Station in P.S. I Love You

Window Shop....And Then Go Online

2010-02-05T11:03:00.003-05:00

Every time I pass by Harper’s men’s clothing store on College Ave., I look at the same item in the window, but never walk in and peruse the store, because from word of mouth I know there’s nothing in there that’s really affordable. Well I finally inquired about the price of the Lambswool Penn State “S” sweater that’s been in their window for as long as I can remember. Turns out it’s $158. Needless to say, us college kids are strapped for cash. And when I say strapped for cash, I mean the selling your plasma and working jobs we hate kind of strapped.

So what are the fashionistos and fashionistas of Happy Valley to do when it comes to looking good and saving money? One option is to raid your parents and grandparents closets for “vintage” clothing that no longer fits them. But another option is go go online and look for cheaper items that are pretty much the same. I started browsing the internet and came up with a similar “S” sweater for only $48 from Smart Turnout. Sure, the S is a little different, and you can’t get it in white, but it still gives off the same throwback vibe. Plus, when people ask you about it you can just say, “Yeah it was my dad’s back when he was an undergrad here at Penn State,” because we all know how sweet it is to have a legacy that passed down his or her favorite PSU memories to you. Check out the comparison below.

Here's Harpers' Lambswool "S" Sweater, $158

Here's an alternative from a great store, Smart Turnout $48

Buy It Here!

I know a lot of my friends that have passed by Harpers with me have always commented on the “S” sweater in the window, so I hope if you’re reading this and you’re the same way that this helped in some way shape or form. If nothing else, check out some of the other stuff that Smart Turnout has to offer. They’ve got some really cool watch straps, ties, belts, and a lot more that’s not too expensive.

What We've Been Talking About

2010-01-13T18:49:00.003-05:00

What We've Been Talking About:

The J.Crew Timex Military Watch

Buy It Here

We've been talking about watches a lot this year, and Mike and I both really have the same taste in watches. For a while, I never really was a watch guy, and only recently have I really gotten into it, and given that I had the funds I'd probably have about 10 by now. Unfortunately I have two, one being a vintage Timex that my grandfather gave me last year. I recently purchased a Michael Kors watch over the holidays too. Black leather strap, larger silver face, black dial, chronograph, pretty basic. Not until catching up with Mike after Christmas did I realize I should have gone a different route. The watch I bought it basic but kind of dressy, and isn't what I'd call a "go-to watch". I think I got a little excited and wanted to be Clooney in an Ocean's movie, but I digress. Mike told me about the watch he got and needless to say, that watch is what we've been talking about. This Timex military watch from J.Crew is the definition of a go-to watch. It's casual enough to wear with anything and appropriate for the workplace too. The best part of this watch, though, is that for 30 more dollars, you basically get 2 more watches. J.Crew sells this watch for $150, which is probably a little more than it should be. But they have a 2 for $30 deal on the bands, which come in tons of colors. Mike says, "I wear the black to work, and can do the navy and white striped one too, and then can get something like orange for the summer time." Our advice is just that. It comes in black which is basic, but spend 30 more dollars and pick up 2 more straps. Get something that matches the other half of your closet, like brown, navy or whatever, and then something that pushes the envelope a little. Personally I'd get some kind of green.

What We've Been Talking About

2010-01-02T14:16:00.006-05:00

Hey STATEtorialites,

So Mike and I have been having discussions about new stuff we could put on here, and one thing we decided to do for the fashion portion is to once a week, post a picture and a link of an item that he and I have been talking about, that we both like, or something we would suggest to buy (Even if we don't have it yet). This is similar to our post on the Clark's Desert Boot, which I have really been seeing quite frequently around town. (Must have been this years hot gift from Santa). Mike and I are always talking about something, and now since he's in Princeton, NJ doing a co-op, and I'll be in Happy Valley taking a rigorous schedule of 13 credits, including a ski class, and EGEE 101 online, all we have for the next semester is what we talk about over the phone when Mike is on his lunch break and I'm making my morning coffee. So here goes nothing; our first pick is something we've been talking about for a while, ever since I picked up a pair in a Bulgarian gypsy market.

What We've Been Talking About:

The Ray-Ban RB 4105 Folding Wayfarer in Tortoise Shell

Buy Them Here!

It goes without saying that the wayfarer is back, and has been back for a while. Im hoping that soon, the "Sunglasses bigger than your face" look will completely dissolve, but more recently everyone from hipsters to rap moguls have been rocking some sort of wayfarer. We really like any type of tortoise shell sunglasses, but the wayfarer is what's hot, and is our top pick. Now, I know as you read this it's January 2nd, and the tortoise shell look is more for the summer (They'd go with with a seersucker suit, not with your new years black tux), but we have been praising this pair of shades since July, so we thought it'd be fitting for our first post of this nature.

Celeb That Makes Tortoise Shell Look Fly:

Daniel Craig as James Bond

Celeb That Sports Wayfarers Like A Boss:

Jay-Z

Some Thoughts on College Football

2010-01-02T10:56:00.004-05:00

Let's Geaux State! Congrats to the Penn State football team on being 2010 Capital One Bowl Champs!!! What a great win for our seniors, the team, and the Big Ten. It was an up-and-down roller coaster type season and there's nothing better than ending the season with a W. JoePa has done it again, an 11-win season is nothing to laugh at, especially playing in the Big Ten. (See article below for more on that). For Daryll Clark and his senior class, they ended a very successful career on a high note, they deserved nothing less. A new era is coming in Happy Valley and I am pumped. Period.

I would like to preface the upcoming thought by saying, yes, I am a very huge Penn State fan and love Joe Paterno. But, I am also a huge college football fan, so there may be a tinge of Penn State bias, but I'm saying this as a college football fan for the most part. I love Penn State I can't help it!

The Urban Meyer saga has brought a lot of attention to college football coaching in the past week. The story goes that Urban Meyer is taking a leave from Florida because his health is failing due to the stress caused him by coaching at UF. A coach having health issues due to the rigors of coaching sports...a game for goodness sake! Personally, I think it's simple: Urban Meyer can't handle it, the health issues are good distraction, but I digress. All ESPN is talking about is how much stress is put on coaches at these high level "football factories." It's a shame. Not that these guys are under that much stress, but that it has come to this. The issue at hand is that College Football has become something that is bad for your health. Yikes! To Florida's fans, only National Championships are good enough them, the so-called upper echelon of college football fan, I feel bad for Meyer. If Urban Meyer loses a game and they don't win the Nat'l Championship, he's gotta be rushed to the hospital. Again I say, Yikes! It's coming out that UF Football is his life and that he sleeps in his office and watches film 24-7. That's great, it's nice to see a committed coach who loves his program and has some loyalty. I can respect that.

But, the reason he is having these health problems is that Urban Meyer has built nothing to fall back on if he loses a game at Florida. When he showed up there, he made his program about winning, nothing else. And by-golly, he's done it well. He's brought in kids to play football and that's it. Wanna dispute me on that? Check it out --> http://deadspin.com/5428266/uf-football-not-about-to-get-any-classier . Do these recruits really want to attend class? Maybe, but only if they can bring their 9 millimeters and make it rain on their sociology professor. And building your program to do nothing but win is fine, but don't sell out if you lose a game. He signed up for this. Meyer could have built a program that would have been about more than football, so don't say the stress is too much when your own experiment bites you in the butt. He's a great coach, I've heard a lot of great things about him, and a lot of not great things. But Meyer's decision to take a leave of absence is interesting, and brings up a great point...

What I meant about having nothing to fall back on if you lose a game can be summed up in 3 words: The Great Experiment. Joe Paterno's attempt to see if you can have both a successful team on the field and in the classroom. At the end of the season, Penn State had the highest graduation rate in the top 25, 89%, 14 points higher than the next highest. Also, Penn State led all FBS teams with 3 ESPN Academic All-Americans. Combine that with an 11 win season and...Mission accomplished Joe! Joe Paterno has done more than create a winning program, he created a lifestyle. The Penn State lifestyle; where kids come into the PSU football program and come out as better people. I am thankful for it, my dad is my hero, and I know that Joe has helped form the person he is. I am 100% sure about that. Joe hasn't done it through specific acts, he has done it over time by building a program that is committed to class and doing things the right way. He hasn't slacked on his recruiting standards and still continues to win. So if Joe loses a few games one year, let the moron PSU fans call for his head, those who get it know that winning a National Championship is tough, and it can't be done every year (Florida made us think differently, until Meyer had to quit). Joe does more than coach football and I have to credit Meyer for mentioning how amazing JoePa is in one of his recent press conferences.

Now that Bobby Bowden (has been forced to) retired, when Joe hangs it up, college football as we know it will be over. The Urban Meyers and Nick Sabans will only stay at programs for 4, 5, 6 years before a tough year will force them out because all they're expected to do is win. This isn't an attack of those 2 guys, but more of a change in the landscape of college football. Joe has mentioned it briefly and it is happening. I'm not saying it's a bad thing, it's just the way it is, I love college football enough to understand that. I just wanted to make sure to give credit where credit is due, and Joe, you deserve it.

Love ya Lions,

Mike Donchez

Big Ten vs. SEC

2010-01-02T10:53:00.004-05:00

The following excerpt is from the Wall Street Journal's Darren Everson on the biggest misconceptions on college football. Thank you Mr. Everson!!

"One of the great misunderstandings in college football is that the Big Ten's bowl troubles are all-encompassing, that all of its teams look out of their depth against the Southeastern Conference.

In fact, the Big Ten does just fine year after year—in the early New Year's Day bowls that no one remembers, save for the schools involved. (It's the big games that have been the embarrassment.) Over the past dozen seasons, the Big Ten is now 13-11 against the SEC in the Outback and Capital One bowls. That's a winning record over a significant timespan against upper-level SEC teams in SEC country.

This dynamic was on display again Friday, as Penn State defeated LSU in the Capital One. And even though Auburn outlasted Northwestern in an epic Outback Bowl, the Wildcats amassed 619 yards to Auburn's 425. Anyone who watched the two games would be forced to conclude that the supposedly superior level of play throughout the SEC is an illusion.

Of course, the Big Ten might've dropped both games if coach Les Miles's team were better at clock management. Down two, LSU got the ball back at its own 41 with just under a minute left, but again the offense was bizarrely inept at the two-minute drill, just as they were in a loss against Mississippi earlier this season. This is the sort of bugaboo that enrages fans—who are always inclined to second-guess coaches—and could one day imperil Mr. Miles's standing if it keeps up.

Another myth that needs to die: the belief that Big Ten teams are boring and stuck in the Stone Ages strategically. Northwestern put on arguably the most entertaining bowl performance since Boise State's classic Fiesta Bowl victory over Oklahoma following the 2006 season. The Wildcats threw an outrageous 78 passes, tied the game on a trick-play two-point conversion that involved a reverse and a pass, and then tried to win the game on a fake field goal in overtime.

The Big Ten's year-by-year performance against the SEC in the Outback and Capital One games—which typically match the conferences' third- and fourth-best teams, since the top two often wind up in the Bowl Championship Series—suggests the depth and quality of play across the Midwest is equal to the sport's most-feared conference. If not better. The problem has been the lack of powerhouse teams at the top."

Article

Happy Holidays from The STATEtorialists

2009-12-24T22:24:00.002-05:00

Happy Holidays everyone! Hope you're enjoying your time off from school or work, and are taking advantage of the time you have to spend with your families! Thanks again for reading, commenting, following, becoming a fan, or all of the above!

Finals Fashion

2009-12-14T12:02:00.004-05:00

So, I've said before that your daily outfit should be based on your daily mood. So what do you do during finals week when all that's (hopefully) on your mind is crunching numbers for your accounting exam, or the conjugation for every single freakin tense, plus vocab for random words and how to compose your own sentence for each of the tenses for your spanish 3 exam. (Deep Breath). Sorry, Spanish is stressin me out, man. Where was I? Oh, what to wear, got it. Here's what you do. Wake up, go to your closet and.....DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT. If you're thinking about what your wearing this week then your priorities are not by any means in order. If you're really that nervous about fitting in here's a sure fire way to. Wear Penn State sweats and/ or hoodies. Grow out that finals beard even if you haven't been studying and you've been showering every day, it'll give you that, "OMG I've been studying so hard I haven't been able to worry about anything else," look. Keep the beard until you go home so even if you fail every final, your parents will see some evidence that you worked hard. Wear those sweats every day, they will get comfier each day. Each second you waste putting product in your hair is another theorem you pass up on studying for your econ class. And most of all stay off of Facebook, ESPN, Perez, and all those other tabs in your bookmarks that you only click on when you're procrastinating. Now that I've been writing for a few minutes it hit me, I have a final in 4 hours so I should probably stop bloggin'. Gotta go, meeting Mike at Dunkin' Donuts to do some studyin', I'll be the one in the Penn State sweats with the finals beard.

Good Luck this week everyone

Peace and Love,

Ben

Condemned to Repeat It...

2009-12-14T11:52:00.004-05:00

“It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends on his not understanding it.” Upton Sinclair

Everyone take a minute to read Paul Krugman's take on what needs to happen to fix this mess we're in. It is a very broad base article that summarizes what has happened. We've been in a mess like this before with the savings and loan crisis and the taxpayers bailed everyone out. Again, a level of deregulation has lead us down the same path and again our money has bailed them out. When will we learn? When will they clear away all the B.S. in front of their eyes and take a look at what's really going on so maybe, just maybe some necessary changes in the greatest country in the world will take place.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/14/opinion/14krugman.html?_r=1&ref=opinion

Check This Out

2009-11-25T17:08:00.002-05:00

Hey everyone. If you're a fan of The STATEtorialist you might like this as well. Check out our buddy Joe's Blogspot blog.

http://theyachtclubs.blogspot.com/

We must be doing something right?

2009-11-24T14:36:00.005-05:00

Check out GQ's blog, "The GQ Eye", and thier their "obsession of the day". Hmmm looks like something the Statetorialists endorsed here.

http://www.gq.com/style/blogs/the-gq-eye/2009/11/obsession-of-the-day-9.html

Hey, we might actually know what we're talking about!

My Spanish Professor, Ernesto.

2009-11-11T16:05:00.006-05:00

Mi profesor de español canta y toca la guitarra. He's got some serious pipes on him, not to mention he's definitely looking good in his black tux.

"God's Work"

2009-11-09T11:51:00.005-05:00

Lloyd Blankfein believes Goldman Sachs is doing "God's work". If God was on Goldman's side, I don't think He would have needed TARP money. This is a sad joke and I truly hope Blankfein chose his words incorrectly and isn't being serious. Amidst the controversy over the size of GS's employee compensation and the general discontent of Main St. towards Wall St., Blankfein found it appropriate to declare that GS serves a "social purpose." All of this commentary coming from an interview with London's Sunday Times. Blankfein says they're doing social work. "Social work," eh? Well to those who have lost their jobs recent and who's monthly budgets cost less than Lloyd's shoes, this social work hasn't quite helped society. Also, these guys sure get paid a lot for doing social work, don't you think? Well, maybe it's not such a great deal. My cousin Ron joked that aside from the humongous salaries public school teachers make in the south Bronx, they also get a 10% discount at the museums! Now THAT is a great deal. I don't know what it is with these executives, but Jeffrey Skilling (ex-CEO of Enron) also believed that he was "on the side of angels."

So, let me recap. Lloyd says that he and his crew are doing "God's work" and are serving a social purpose. He is equating GS and himself to likes of any Saint, and great social workers like Martin Luther King, Jr. My brother, Pete, had a great idea; maybe we should conduct a re-vote of the Nobel Peace Prize and give it to Blankfein instead of Obama. According to Lloyd, he is just continuing the work of Mother Teresa, the hand of God.

It's scary, they have lost touch with reality. The culture that they live in surrounded by like-minded people and their money has made them believe they really are adding something to society. Sheesh.

MWD

Be a Renaissance Man

2009-11-04T17:08:00.006-05:00

I'm not a huge believer of some of the nit-picky "don'ts" aimed towards the fashion of everyday people. I realize in the high-end fashion world there are spoken and unspoken rules and they're going to be followed, but I'm talking about things that influence normal people when they look into their closet each morning. The biggest one, and I think this happens subconsciously, is that everyone feels like they have to be ONE demographic. There are unspoken rules for each type of person. Athlete's wear sweats and hoodies with some Air 1's, or anything supporting their favorite squad. Hipsters rock skinny jeans and a shirt they've had since 6th grade with chucks or combat boots. Thugs take the Athlete look to the extreme, making things baggier, adding hints of colors like neon green and electric blue, and have a collection of New Era 59/50 fitted caps. Rich kids wear some kind of Ralph Lauren oxford with normal jeans or khakis and loafers or some kind of classy boot. The list goes on and on. I could include a few female ones but that list could literally take me all night, but everyone knows these stereotypes. The thing is, the people I see everyday and am impressed with, are the people that don't give in to these things.

I read an interview on The Sartorialist a few days ago where Scott asked a woman a fill in the blank question. It said, "I build my everyday look on:". This woman's answer was exactly what everyone else's should be. She simply said, "An emotion". I love this because I feel like when you wake up in the morning, and walk to your closet, your thought shouldn't be, "What can I wear today that is similar to what I always wear, and not too different that people will think I'm trying too hard, but still represents my image?" That's too many things to think about! Build your daily look on an emotion. Be a Renaissance Man (or woman), a Jack (or Jill) of all trades! In a similar sense, don't just try to blend in with what you think other people are doing. Eliminate the mentality of, "Well I think other people would do this too so that's okay". I realize what I am saying may not apply completely at the collegiate level. We all have seen people on College, Beaver, Pollock, and Curtin wearing something out of the ordinary, and a majority of the people they pass give them some sort of look. I get it, college kids are judgmental. But there are ways to be innovative, and still be simple. I guess my goal with writing this would be to motivate people not to give in to the zombie population of day after day of Penn State Hoodies, Sweats, Uggs, etc. Do something different more often than not, and bum it when you're bummed. Dress on your daily emotion, not on others expectations.

BWB

"The Book the NBA Doesn't Want You to Read"

2009-11-03T22:36:00.004-05:00

As Ben mentioned in a previous article, the NBA is becoming a little ridiculous. In the summer of 2007, allegations came out about a referee, Tim Donaghy, betting on games. It was shown that Donaghy had placed thousands of dollars on games and eventually became involved in a low-level mob gambling ring. He was eventually sentenced to 30 months in jail and proceeded to write a book. (I feel like I'm the only one not writing a book these days! I guess that's why I have a blog). Well, this book, titled Blowing the Whistle by Tim Donaghy, has been released and there is a great set of excerpts available at Deadspin.com. I will leave the reading up to you guys, but I have a few things on my mind about the National Basketball Association related to the exceprts, or as my favorite writer Bill Simmons calls it, the "No Balls Association."

The first problem I have is with star treatment and how it affects the way the game is played. Something I'm glad Donaghy mentioned in his section on star treatment was the specific "relationship" between Kobe Bryant and Raja Bell. Donaghy says Bell was penalized by the league and referees for being too good! Too good! Are you kidding me? Raja Bell has the ability to shut down Kobe Bryant, who he met often and "shut down" in the Western Conference playoffs. Shut down is a relative term because there's really no shutting down the Black Mamba. But see, Kobe had some help. The league doesn't like to see Raja Bell shut down a superstar who can score 40 a game, it's "not good for business." People don't pay to watch a defensive stud like Bell, they pay to watch Kobe and Tim Duncan and most superstars for that matter, get calls and put up inflated numbers. More times than not, those who pay to watch Kobe wouldn't know a good basketball player if Bill Russell punched them in the face with a fist full of rings. For those who remember watching Jordan, there was nothing I'd rather pay for than to see him get mauled by Detroit's Bad Boys or the 90's Knicks and still put up 30. It may not be 40 or 50, but it's a magical performance seeing him earn his points. The problem with today's NBA is that these refs are directed by David Stern to make sure the game is a good show his paycheck suppliers. Sure it's fun to watch today's stars put up insane numbers, but it's not good basketball. The hand-check era is over and there is nothing to help a defender against a scorer other than pure talent; and even when that comes along, the refs are there to make sure the offense has the advantage.

Donaghy also writes about other referees he worked with and all of their evils. For example, Dick Bavetta loved the spot light more than he loved refereeing. See any problems? For one, when the referee thinks the game is less important than his face-time, he starts controlling the game instead of making sure the game stays under control. Bavetta even speaks of specific games he was assigned to work to make sure one team had a favorable advantage. Another ref, Tommy Nunez, loved the Hispanic community in San Antonio so decided that they would win a 2007 playoff series against the Suns so he could go back to San Antonio to ref. Yup! That's fair! There are also a couple accounts of player-referee feuds (and friendships) that affected games.

It's very disturbing that many of these refs have been in the league for a decade or so, and that David Stern has been the commish for even longer. This only says one thing. Sure "the NBA cares" but about dollar signs, not basketball. The reason NCAA basketball is so much fun to watch, is because those guys go out there and play hard. Not always does the most talented team win, but the team that plays good basketball and works harder normally wins. The quality of basketball has undoubtedly declined over the past few years, and something needs to change.

Don't get me wrong, there are some SERIOUS basketball players in the NBA. Chris Paul's court sense is awesome to watch. Watching Kobe slice and dice a defense (and not get a call) is spectacular. The physical dominance of LeBron. The run and gun Phoenix Suns. And Shane Battier and Raja Bell's defense that makes real basketball fans smile no matter your loyalties. I guess I'm saying that once the players are allowed to play basketball, and it's talent vs. talent, we'll re-run the glory days of Bird, McHale, Magic and MJ.

With a fade away J,

Mike Donchez

Da Na Na-Da Na Na

2009-10-27T17:54:00.003-04:00

One of my ultimate childhood memories was being so excited that it was summer vacation, because I could stay up and watch the 11 p.m. SportsCenter, rather than just catching 15 minutes of it in the morning before I caught the bus. I remember the classic set up, 2 anchors in a red, black, and silver room with a picture next to their head as the talked about the sports news at hand. It was cut and dry, and literally could recap everything that happened that day in sports. Sure, it wasn't live, there weren't a lot of breaking news updates, and virtual re-enactments, not to mention the only time you saw an anchor standing up was for the Sunday Conversation. Maybe it's just me being (kinda) old fashioned, but I miss the old ways of my favorite T.V. show.

The show is so feature-ish now that I seem to watch it way less. I'm 20 years-old now, and can stay up as late as I want, but not as often as when I was 11 do I live for the 11 p.m. SportsCenter.( I loved the ESPN ads where they showed which athlete watched which airing of the show, ex: Randy Moss watches the 6 p.m. SportsCenter, which do you watch?) Is it just me or does the PTI-inspired bar one the left of the screen seem to consist of the same 4 things, usually containing at least one of either Brett Favre, T.O., A coaching issue, or expert's opinions of the same topic over and over again. I know it's college football season but why does every third topic have to be, "What Todd McShay and Mel Kiper think of this". I don't understand why a sports news show has now been somewhat transformed into a sports feature show.

That's only one thing that bothers me though. In the words of Mike, SportsCenter has become too "Hippity Hoppity" and I know things have to change with the times, but it bothers me that it's not the show I worshiped as a kid. Also, it seems like highlights of games are cut short. If it's not the biggest game of the week in any sport, the highlights don't get past one or two hits, dunks, or TD passes. BTW as I watch right now they have had 3 segments on the Yankees, and will come back after the break with more on the World Series. Just like they have been doing recently, their going to overanalyze the game and all the random statistics that only The Schwab knows about. I feel like I get more efficient information recently from the ESPN bottom line. As far as the side bar goes, I hate it. Don't get me wrong, I love PTI and have actually grown to prefer it to SportsCenter, but I don't like knowing what's coming next. That was part of the fun when I was a kid. Me and my best friend Jeff would watch SportsCenter as if it were some kind of movie, anxious about what John Anderson or Linda Cohn were about to tell us.

That brings me to another point. The Anchors. My favorite anchors of all time are Scott Van Pelt, Linda Cohn, John Anderson, and Kenny Mayne. They all are so much better than the ones I've seen recently. I know people move on to different things, but I feel like I've seem Mike Greenberg anchoring SC more often than actual anchors. SC anchor used to be the coolest job in the world, what's happening that they can't find people to do it anymore? P.S. another current update. They just did their recap of last night's MNF matchup of the Redskins and Eagles. They showed 4 plays, and have been talking about the retraction of play calling privileges from Jim Zorn for 5 minutes. My point is they spent more time talking about sideline issues than what happened in the actual game! The Eagles played really well and they cover the game as if the 'Skins just lost the game and the Eagles didn't win.

Really, there are still a lot of good aspects to SC. I love some of the things they've added like showing little picture-in-picure interviews of players and coaches while they show the play that they're talking about. I Like that the anchors chat with viewers during commercial breaks. The fact that it's live is cool because you see the mess ups, but also I've watched a show where the anchor didn't recover from a mess up and it threw of the whole broadcast. I like that they have huge big screens in the studio now, but I hate that the anchors get up and act like their touching it like a weatherman. P.S., another update, breaking news, Andre Agassi used crystal meth while he played tennis, prepare to hear about this way more than you want to in the next few days.

I'll leave you with my Top-5 list of my favorite SC Anchor duos.

1. Linda Cohn and John Anderson

2. Stuart Scott(late 90s early 2000s, not now) and Kenny Mayne

3. John Anderson and Scott Van Pelt

4. Robert Flores without Chris McKendry

5. Steve Levy and John Anderson

Peace and Much Love, Happy Valley,

Ben

Get Angry

2009-10-26T19:11:00.005-04:00

Hey Penn State! On the drive home from Michigan this weekend I stumbled upon this article in the Detroit Free Press by Mitch Albom. It covers some of the atrocities happening on Wall Street right now with a few of the financial institutions bailed out by the U.S. government (i.e. us). Mitch Albom does a spectacular job of dumbing down complex problems, cutting through the fog and getting right to the point. Even if you don't follow nor understand the economy, give this a read and you will most likely understand the issues as explained by Albom. I feel that it's very important our younger generation understands what is happening right now (I know we don't because if we do, we'd be burning down buildings on Wall Street). It's nice that the government is attacking problems like executive pay, but the root problem still stands that these banks are getting passes (and taxpayers dollars) that you and I don't. Fair? Nope! Look, I agree that what the government is trying to do is good, but they are just trying to appease the public and draw our attention away from the real problems (banks deemed too-big-to-fail are even bigger, the same issues that got us into this mess). Pay close attention to the first two, and last two paragraphs; if it gets your blood boiling, join the club. Enjoy...

Mitch Albom, "Bankers dislike pay cuts? Join the club"

Mike Donchez

Ernie's Steaks...Penn State's Best Cheesesteak

2009-10-18T22:12:00.008-04:00

Ernie's is located on Beaver Ave. right next to the Phyrst, and if you're not looking for it you might actually miss it, (I walked right by it when I was on my way there Saturday night). All week my friend Kenny had been telling me about this place so by Saturday night we were all dying to try it. All I can say is that I am so glad I took Kenny's words to heart. This was the best cheesesteak I have tasted at Penn State. Not only that, but they also have the best wings too. I am not just saying that, Ernie's has the best cheesesteak, and best wings you can find at Penn State. The guy working (Who knew Kenny already because it was his 3rd trip in 2 days), threw an entire steak on the grill, which I thought was pretty awesome, and I'm not from Philly (Thank God) so until Mike told me tonight I didn't know this was the norm over at Geno's and Pat's I mean this sandwich was hearty, and the wings were just how I like 'em. To be honest I don't know how many readers we have at this point, but if you're reading this, go get food from Ernie's TODAY. You won't be sorry.

Here's how my cheesesteaks rank this year, got any suggestions? Leave a Comment!

Ernie's
Grillers
Eb's
P.S. Sub Shop #1
Fresh Harvest

A Snowball to the Back of the Head

2009-10-18T16:09:00.007-04:00

At a game where the originators of the "We Are...Penn State" chant were in attendance, We Were... not a good Penn State student section. I've never been embarrassed to be a Penn State student before this weekend, but the display put on by my fellow students infuriated me and the majority of students trying to watch the game and cheer for the Nittany Lions. It was ridiculous.

I have a couple of problems with what happened. First of all, safety. It was cute that you and your friends thought it'd fun to have a snowball fight, but come on! The snow some idiots were throwing wasn't just white and fluffy, it was heavy, wet, and icy snow. That can be very dangerous, and even though I personally don't know anyone who was injured, I would bet the barn that someone was hit in the eye or face. The last thing we should worry about while attending a game is our safety (unless we cheer so hard during "Zombie Nation" the steel Coliseum known as Beaver Stadium decides to give out!). But I'll trust the engineers on that one. Sitting with two of my good friends and the rest of our row, I counted nearly ten times one of us took an ice ball to the head in a 20 minute span. That's awesome, I love getting icy cold water down my neck in 30 degree weather. Not.

The entire Penn State sideline had to take their attention away from the game and make sure they weren't whacked with a snowball. All of the alumni (those who paved the way for us!) and cheerleaders on the sideline were the majority of victims being hit. Ki-Jana Carter looked like a flashback to the 1994 season, except instead of shaking defenders he was shaking off snowballs from some punk. Do you kids even know who he is!? He's the reason you love Penn State, he's one of the guys that has made us all fall in love with Penn State football and cheer like we do. I don't think he or any of the other alumni enjoyed the attack of the snowballs. Then, as Penn State was driving in the second quarter some geniuses though it a good idea to try and hit the Minnesota players and the refs. Great idea. One, we could get a penalty against our team. Two, the referees would most likely not be happy about that and forget to blow the whistle on some holding calls against Minnesota. And three, the Minnesota players don't need that crap. They're out there trying to take on our Nittany Lions and some jerk in the stands thinks it's funny to whip a snowball at them. Either way though, the snow probably doesn't even phase those Gophers! The weather on Saturday was like Hawaii to them.

It took two announcements over the PA system as well as our captains and starters to come to the student section and yell at you to stop. What are you, 5 years old? If you want to tell Jared Odrick it's fun to throw snowball and you don't care what he says. Go for it. And good luck...

The worst part about the snowball episode was after the snowballs stopped falling. During half-time the 1946-1947 Nittany Lion football team was honored. For those of you not at the game, the 46-47 Lions were the originators of the "We Are...Penn State" chant. They stood up to racism and segregation by declining to play (and lodge) without their black teammates and let the country know that Penn State doesn't stand for that. They let the country know that "those who came before us and those who will come after us have some respect for all and pride". So to those of you who wanted to impress your friends and throw snowballs, before you clapped for those elder Lions, you should have thought about what they stand for and if they would have approved your actions. And before you decide to do something stupid again remember the pride we carry as Penn Staters. Many of is don't want to be associated with students who disrespect others and shame our school. So next time you or a friend are about to do something that would give Penn State a bad name, think for a millisecond, and remember that We Are...All Penn State and what you do will reflect back on your school.

(Still) Love ya Lions!

Mike

Colorful Sighting on a White Weekend...Beaver Ave.

2009-10-18T13:33:00.003-04:00

I see this bike all over the place so finally I snapped a picture of it last night, and then whataya know I saw it again outside Baby's today on my way to Dunkin' Donuts too.

Fall and Winter College Fashion

2009-10-16T16:42:00.006-04:00

Hey Everyone! Ben and Mike here and we want to give a simple run-down of the "must-haves" for guys this winter in Happy Valley. Of course, this is only a small guide and doesn't encompass everything you'll need to look good, but it's a great start with some of our favorites. Enjoy!

Dark Jeans-These go with every look and are especially good for the winter. Dark Jeans match tons of different types and colors and are not only functional in the winter. So these will do you good all year round. You can rock them with a plain white tee shirt to class, or with a button down and jacket to dress up.

Our Favorite: Levi's 501 Original

Cords- A nice way to mix it when you get tired of jeans. Jeans can sometimes be boring, while cords can stand out, but aren't over the top stand-outish like plaid or seersucker. Cords work in the winter because there are a lot of boot styles that look good with them. Cords are a good utility look as well

Our Favorite: J.Crew 5-Pocket Vintage Cords

A Good Peacoat- For a good college look, get a peacoat thats well fitted to you (This looks better and also keeps you warmer). There are a lot of styles to choose from, but you can't go wrong with the classic military look. Anchors on the buttons giving homage to the navy doesn't hurt either.

Our Favorite: J.Crew Authentic Peacoat

A North Face Jacket: Penn State is no stranger to inclement weather, which makes The North Face the most necessary item on this whole list. Let's face it, the peacoat wont always keep you dry, so for the nasty, sub-zero days with wind and all sorts of precipitation, go with The North Face.

Our Favorite: The North Face Vortex Jacket

A Variery of Neutral Colored Sweaters: Pretty self explanatory. There are so many ways to rock a sweater, so your best bet is to have a variety, and keep them of neutral colors so it's easy to mix and match. Wear a v-neck with a white crew neck tee underneath, or a half zip with a button down collared shirt underneath. Really when it comes to sweaters and layering it's hard to go wrong. In addition, a good blazer could have the same function and be warm enough come winter.

Our Favorite V-Neck: Banana Republic Merino Wool V-Neck Sweater

Our Favorite Crew Neck: J.Crew Cotton Cashmere Crewneck

Our Favorite Half-Zip: Banana Republic Cotton Knit Half-Zip

Our Blazer Of Choice: BDG Shrunken Blazer

Pretty Much Any J.Crew Secret Wash Shirt: The J.Crew secret wash shirt is not only one our favorites for when the weather starts to change, it's our favorite for any occasion. These shirts are so versatile and you don't really need to iron them, which makes them the ideal college-shirt. As far as winter goes, you can't ever go wrong wearing one of these underneath any type of sweater with a pair of jeans, or khakis if the occasion suits them.

Go to J.Crew's Site and pick out your favorites.

In addition to these items it's always good to have a few of the basics as well. These are items like a few Waffle Tees, Wool Caps, Scarves, and a good pair of Boots. <

NBA to allow traveling?

2009-10-16T15:43:00.003-04:00

I read a story on ESPN.com today that really took me back. According to this article, the NBA has put into writing, a rule that would allow players to take 2, yes I said it, not 1 but 2 steps after gathering the ball. Now, I know the professional sports leagues have been making rule changes for a while now, and trying to adjust the rules of the game to the way it's played these days, but THIS IS DOWNRIGHT RIDICULOUS. I know rule changes, and additions are necessary because of the ever changing nature of sporting events, but how can you change a rule that is one of the basic, fundamental rules that the game of basketball is built off of. This rule change is essentially allowing players to travel on what would be normal basketball standards. I really believe that this needs to be reconsidered. From what I know it's just in writing now, so I am guessing it will still need approval, and hopefully the basketball Gods will wake up and say, woah woah woah. In light of this projected rule change, I thought of a few other rule changes that might make the game a little more easier and make Jimmy Naismith roll over in his grave.

No over and back- players can cross back over halfcourt after they have already brought the ball across it.
Only one foot in bounds needed-Only when both of a player's feet cross the boundary line are they technically out-of-bounds resulting in a turnover.
Shots beyond the arc are now worth 1/2 point, others are worth 1/4 point, and dunks are worth 10 points.
Double dribbling is now allowed- You may pick up the ball at any point, and then start your dribble again at any time.
The game no longer starts with a Jump ball. One player from each team will now have a rap-battle at half court, and first possession is decided by an applause-o-meter that may or may not be already rigged so that the home team wins.

You might be thinking these are a little ridiculous, but hey why not continue to change the fundamental nature of the game while we're at it?

Don't get me wrong. I am all about the creation of new rules to ensure safety in the ever changing nature of the game, but even some of these rules put on by the leagues (i.e. the Hines Ward rule) are a little ridiculous.(OK so maybe I'm Pittsburgh biased). Traveling is a violation that has been around since the game was created, and I really feel like these are the ones that the league's shouldn't touch. If they continue to make these changes, they might as well change the name of the game too.

Professional sports change a lot over the years. There's no doubt that the way people play the game now is way different than when it was created, but every sport has its fore fathers, and the rules that they made. Rules like these are the foundation of the game, and like those of houses, are necessary to remain intact (and not altered).

Besides, the only person I ever rooted for to travel and get away with it, is long retired. He wore #23 and played for the Chicago Bulls.

For The Love of the Game,

BWB

Check This Out

2009-10-15T17:28:00.005-04:00

Hey everyone! I was forwarded a very interesting article about the collapse of the financial system by my brother, Pete, today by New York Times op-ed contributor Calvin Trillin. It has a college theme to it and thought some of our readers might find it interesting!

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/14/opinion/14trillin.html?ref=opinion

Vinny Chase in Paris

2009-10-15T00:48:00.004-04:00

Check out Adrian Grenier from my favorite show Entourage, featured on The Sartorialist today.

http://www.thesartorialist.com/photos/10019Isabel2496Web.jpg

Tzonev in Europe Part II-Tzoni in Dijon, France

2009-10-12T19:03:00.002-04:00

Nii Dzan, Off Of Curtain Rd.

2009-10-07T15:26:00.003-04:00

UPUA Proposed Bus Loop

2009-10-06T23:41:00.007-04:00

"Penn State students who need a ride after a night out on Fraternity Row might soon be able to take a bus back to their dorms." Wow. Wouldn't this have been a savior a few weeks ago. This is the lede sentence of an article written last April of 2008 by Daily Collegian writer Kevin Cirilli about a proposed bus route that would aid fraternities goers in getting home safely at night. Frat goers like Penn State freshman Joseph Dado. After a night of partying at fraternities and (to be fair) elsewhere, he was tragically found in a stairwell on a Monday night this semester. Today in the Daily Collegian, another article by Laura Nichols talks about UPUA president Gavin Keirans' proposal of another, slightly modified, bus route (left) that will also aid frat goers in returning to their beds safe and sound. In my opinion, the reappearance of this issue is in response to the incident I mentioned above. Am I saying that its UPUA's fault this happened for not getting the route approved? NO! Especially because the old route doesn't include a West Campus leg like the new route does that would scoop up on-campus frat goers. (For those of you who don't know, the incident I spoke of occurred near an on-campus frat). Also, I applaud Keirans for keeping his word on the issue and pursuing it some more. It is a great idea but could have some draw backs.

Pros:
The obvious reasons to have a "Greek Route" would be to increase the likelihood of frat goers getting home safely. Not even a point of conversation, freshmen are the majority of non-members attending frat parties. With only the finest Natural Lights and shots of Vladimir practically being thrown at you when your a young buck on campus, it is very easy to get into trouble. The route would greatly reduce the risk of party goers wandering home drunk and wandering right into trouble. With the route, it would also be very easy to wander right out on to Fairmount Avenue or South Garner, right onto a bus, and right into your Twin XL bed in your dorm room. I'm not singling out the younger students at PSU who are in dorms, but the proposed route obviously benefits those living in East and West Halls traveling to and from the frats. The loop would keep students safe from the obvious threats of injuries and underages as well as other problem that arise. Greek Route would run off campus, into State College, it would cut down on vandalism to homes as well as help to eliminate on-campus vandals.

Aside from the initial costs to set up the route, the Greek Route would cut down the university's cost for police and security around the frat area. Of course, it wouldn't wipe out the need for officers but with the increased traffic through the area it would deter students from doing anything that could harm themselves or their surroundings, eventually reducing the need for law enforcement. I don't know the numbers for the cost of maintaining the loop, but less cops couldn't be a bad thing right?

Cons:
The only one here has already been voiced by Keirans: having the ability of safe transportation without the fear of repercussions could encourage bad behavior. An extra couple of shots couldn't hurt, right? as long as you have a safe ride home? False. Hopefully that isn't the mentality of our students. The loop is provided to help the party-goers, not allow them to get even crazier. Slipping in a "Pro" here: Greek life has a traditionally negative connotation, with time, this proposed idea could help improve their image in the Penn State community.

Like I was saying before, I hope that the mentality of my classmates isn't that this will provide an opportunity to become more reckless. I also hope that the tragic event surrounding Joseph Dado teaches the Penn State community something. Not that we shouldn't drink, as many have suggested, to honor his death. Stress relief is an important part of college life. In my opinion, having the #1 party school in the country isn't something to be downplayed. Why can't our administration contrast our outstanding academics with that fact that our students also know how to enjoy ourselves! Coming back to Dado, wouldn't it be something if as a student body, we attended one less party a night, had a couple less drinks, and made sure none of us leaves alone when we've been drinking a lot. Keirans is doing his part by making sure that even if we have too much to drink we can get home safely. Now it's our turn, go out and be crazy, but do it with a fraction more responsibility, we will all be in better shape!

Stay classy Happy Valley,

Mike Donchez

"...Penn State has the classiest fans in the Big Ten"

2009-10-02T18:06:00.006-04:00

So I may have came down hard on some Penn State fans in my last post. While I don't take those words back, I do want to say that they are a minority of the culture at PSU. I just received an article from my dad, Tom, that is a testament to the fact that Penn State fans are the most stand-up and genuine fans you can find. It is by a writer for The Daily Iowan, Jon Linder, about his experience at Beaver Stadium on that dreadful, rainy night. Thanks for the kind words Jon, and be sure to check out this article!

http://www.dailyiowan.com/2009/09/30/Sports/13236.html

MWD

S. Pugh St.

2009-10-02T14:41:00.008-04:00

I saw this bad boy parked on South Pugh today. I don't know a lot about cars, but I'm assuming its British because of the front license plate and also there was a British flag sticker on the back that said "1971". Hats off to "Larz 88", this is sweet.

Fall is Falling, But Bad Habits Still Arise

2009-10-01T16:38:00.002-04:00

As I walked along College Ave today (without my camera unfortunately) I started looking around like I always do to see what people were wearing. It seems like the fact that the weather has changed has really brought out the best in people's ideas. Unfortunately it has brought out the worst as well, or at least a bad habit that you see EVERY YEAR. Just as I saw about 80% of the girls walking wearing this, Mike texted me...it read, "We can't take pics of spandex tho. No spandex, [especially] the new denim colored tights! wtf." My thoughts exactly. One of my very close friends reminds me frequently about her feelings on this as well. She says, "Leggings are not a substitute for pants." I have to admit, as a guy, seeing a good looking girl wearing a pair of leggings instead of pants isn't the worst part of my day, but sartorially girls, it has to stop. Of course this is only my opinion, and Mike's...and Jess', but I feel like leggings should be used for function, not fashion. I know its getting cold out and that's a good excuse to wear them, but the fact is, I rarely see girls wearing them with a top that goes farther than their waist or thighs. Leggings are great to wear underneath to keep you warm, and I don't think I'd mind seeing a girl showing off her leggings if it were only from just above the knee down, but honestly, most of the time you look like a baby when they have a big diaper on under their pants, and pampers hasn't come out with a thong yet, so I dunno if that solves the problem anyway. In the end, I'm a guy, and Its hard to get into a girl's head and see why she is wearing what she's wearing. And hey, I'm not saying I know much about women's fashion, but in the end.....Isn't it us guys that you're dressing to impress anyway????.......Don't say no, you know it is

Bienvenido

2009-09-29T12:41:00.001-04:00

Hey everyone,

I thought Mike had a good idea of a little intro to everyone so here goes nothing. My name is Ben Boskovich and I'm a junior, journalism major at The Pennsylvania State University with minors in Economics and Business. I previously attended Slippery Rock University, where I worked for the school's newspaper, The Rocket. After working for the paper for a year I decided being a reporter really wasn't for me, and even now I think I joined the blog game too late, but hey, everyones doin' it so I should too, haha. Anyway, I have been a subscriber to GQ for about 3 years and my favorite aspect of the magazine is the highly respected editorials of Scott Schuman a.k.a The Sartorialist. I didn't realize until earlier this year that this editorial column in GQ started as a blog that still runs today. Even before I knew about this blog, while reading GQ and looking through the ads in the beginning, I always thought, "Who really dresses like this?", and always caught myself analyzing people I saw on the streets. Then I read Scott's bio on his blog explaining how he had done the same while he worked in the fashion industry. I wanted to bring the STATEtorialist to Penn State because I think it will be cool to show people how college students can still look really good on the daily, on a college student's budget. Like Scott, I want to share what REAL people are wearing on the streets, and since this is where I reside 9 months of the year, this is where I'll be looking. If nothing else, I think this will be fun for Mike and I to have something else to do for fun besides homework and taking advantage of our attendance of the #1 Party School in the nation, but the truth is...there's some people on these streets that actually have some swagger, and we wanna find 'em. Stay tuned for pictures, commentary, and rants on everything from sports to the financial world. I hope eventually this blog can be on someone else's bookmarks besides mine and Mike's.

Ciao,

Ben

Iowa at PSU (9/26/09)

2009-09-28T21:30:00.002-04:00

Anyone on Penn State's campus with a pulse, even those without, have noticed over the past few weeks the vibe and mounting excitement surrounding the Iowa weekend. Arguably the biggest tailgating weekend of the year and easily the second biggest game of the year, second only to Ohio State. The only reason I give the nod for biggest tailgating Saturday is the fact that Penn State students, faculty, alumni and Hawkeye fans (even with a late start time of noon) have more than 7 hours of tailgating with an hour available to watch pre-game warm-ups. With that amount of time to get yourself riled up, who can deny the fact this is a BT (big time) weekend. Yes, the OSU kick-off time hasn't been announced yet but we will most likely get a 3:30 or 4:30 kick-off. That said, can anyone argue the aura surrounding game day at Beaver Stadium?! This weekend was the perfect testament to the fact that Penn State tailgating is second to none. In the horrible weather we come to love as Penn Staters there was a massive turnout of more than 300,000+ fans to tailgate from the early hours (8 a.m.) to right before kickoff. The aerial seen of Happy Valley must be breathtaking on game day: cars and RVs for miles in each direction and Penn State pride emanating from each one. The craziest thing is, Beaver Stadium only holds 110(112),000 fans, so what do the rest of the 200,000+ fans do? Keep tailgating of course! No where else is the excitement of a football game enough for people to tailgate in the pouring rain for hours on end without tickets. Love it.

Iowa. Oh, Iowa. With the Hawkeyes, it was more than just beating us the last 6 of 7, it was the heartbreak of last year's loss they handed us in a sloppy game that ended all hope for a BCS National Championship. Ferentz has JoePa's number? Doubt it. Maybe it's the pink locker rooms of Iowa that mess with your mojo heading into Kinnick Stadium? Who knows? But it was tough, JoePa says we can't dwell on it though so I won't. So I say this is this second biggest game of the year (ahead of Michigan and behind OSU) because a loss of that magnitude isn't easily forgotten. Ask Michael Robinson: 2005 at Ann Arbor, about 2 seconds gets put back on the clock near the end of the game, why? No one has a GOOD reason. Nonetheless, with a little under 1 seconds left in the game Chad Henne rifles a ball to Mario Manningham on a slant into the endzone, game over, bye-bye National Championship hopes. Tough losses, the only losses of promising seasons, don't go over well. Ohio State is always huge because they represent all that is wrong with college/college football :) and it's our biggest rivalry. And Michigan, they're the new West Virginia, no doubt they are a good team and their offensive scheme is tough to beat, but it's Rich Rodriguez. Gotta beat him

The stage was set: Lee and Kirk had made their picks, liquor and beer (of course not in glass bottles) was saturated into the thousands of tailgaters just like the unrelenting rain. It was game time, 8 p.m., Beaver Stadium, Whitehouse. Yo.

If you want a synopsis of the game, check out the coverage on ESPN.com. I'm here to rant, not to give you highlights of the game you shouldn't have missed.

It wasn't a normal Penn State loss. It was sloppy. JoePa's teams don't lose sloppy, if you're going to come into our house and beat us you need to earn it. Was it ugly? You better believe it, there were students in the stands calling for Daryll Clark's head (more on that later). But a blocked punt!? You gotta be kidding me. Sound special teams are a PSU staple. And Royster fumbling and dropping a pass that lead to an INT?! That never happens, he is the most fundamentally sound RB in the country. Clark had a sloppy game, tough. It happens. Sometimes it's not your day, and Saturday wasn't the Nittany Lions day. So what? It was a wake-up call and Joe Paterno's teams don't pack it in. But it happened and Iowa knocks off 5th ranked PSU. Did we deserve to be ranked 5th? Probably not, but then again that brings up the discussion of "should rankings not come out until the 3rd week of the season?" I believe the answer is "NO," but with all the money (and we know it's all about the money) that hippity-hop ESPN and other sporting-news companies brings in through marketing and debating over the rankings, a delayed system will never happen.

Southern Cal (and Pete Carroll) have made a name for themselves losing a game a year to a crap Pac-10 team and yet, at the end of the year they are said to be the best team in the country. I don't agree that they're the best each year, some years, yes, but not always. But what do all their losses have in common? They lose early in the year. Voters forget about it because it's easier to make up ground after and early season loss. My point is that Penn State is just fine. Last year we lost late, that'll kill you. We win out in an underrated Big-10 and this season is a HUGE success given the talent we lost after last year. We won't make it to the National Championship due to the lack of respect given to the Big-10, but a BCS birth makes this loss bearable, somewhat.

More on the the students calling for Clark's head. SHUT UP. Nothing makes me angrier than you and your 150 pound frame yelling to our star players that they have no right being on a football field. Obviously you know better than 2 of the longest tenured coaches in the history of college football (Joe and Tom Bradley), that's why you're in the stands. I understand the die-hard fan who wants to hold their beloved team accountable, but it's different when you curse at the players like they can hear you. Football is a simple game, yes, but by no means is it easy. These are some of the best athletes in the country, they had a tough game, but if you think you can do better, strap up and walk-on.

Coach Paterno's big motto is "act like you've been there before," same to us fans. The guys who curse at their own college team are the same guys who haven't been there before. And it makes it obvious when you make a fool out of yourself in the stands. Your friends won't think you're any cooler if you curse out Evan Royster and say you could do this or do that better than him. And if they do, find new friends. All the greats (of sports or what have you) are understated and humble. So are we PSU fans, we cheer hard and we're behind our team. We're Penn Staters, we don't flip off opposing fans and we don't call out our players. That's what makes us the program that's been honorable forever and kids want to play for.

Welcome again to the STATEtorialist and enjoy!

For the glory....
MWD

Welcome to The STATEtorialist

2009-09-28T21:21:00.000-04:00

Hey everybody! My name is Mike Donchez, I'm a co-writer on The STATEtorialist along with founder Ben Boskovich. We're here to talk everything Penn State as well as give our opinions on just about anything we feel like: from Ben's commentary on fashion to my commentary on sports to all of our rants and raves. We hope you enjoy the blog and once again welcome...to The STATEtorialist.

Tzoni in Geneva, Switzerland

2009-09-22T12:07:00.001-04:00