college

Weighing In: Making Christmas Cookies Healthy

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December means Christmas, and Christmas means cookies. While we could never say a bad word about cookies, it’s easier than you may think to mindlessly eat an entire day’s work of calories just in Christmas cookies. This doesn’t mean you need to give up sprinkled snowman cutouts altogether, though. There are simple substitutions you can make while baking to eliminate some of the fat and calories in your cookies.

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Dealing with Disapproval

Dealing with Disapproval

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You can officially eat Easy Mac for breakfast, Ben & Jerry’s for lunch, and use the leftovers for dinner without anyone telling you not to. But just because you’re in college now doesn’t mean there aren’t some things you still have to answer to your family about, and more often than we’d like, the answer they come up with is ‘No.’

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Meet Your 2015 Homecoming Executive Director, Brandon Rittenhouse.

Meet Your 2015 Homecoming Executive Director, Brandon Rittenhouse.

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The 2014 Homecoming celebrations took place in State College not long ago, but planning has already begun for next year. Penn State junior Brandon Rittenhouse was elected as the 2015 Homecoming Executive Director on Oct 27. He sat down with Valley to share his excitement for the future, and offer a word of advice to students seeking involvement. Read on to get to know your new Homecoming director!

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Timberland Boots

Timberland Boots

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Lately, not being basic has been everyone’s main concern. We all know the classic traits of the basic Penn State girl are, and it’s been mocked endlessly. But we cannot forget that Penn State boys are just as likely to exhibit those basic boy traits too. One of those trends that we love to see when the weather gets colder is Timberland Boots.

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How to Tailgate (The Right Way)

How to Tailgate (The Right Way)

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As if you didn’t already know, tailgates are one of the highlights of every football season—scratch that, every fall semester. What’s better than hauling your favorite party dips and bevvies up to the stadium to consume with your friends and family and pump yourself up for yet another great game? Let us answer that for you—nothing, friends, nothing.

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Covert Advice: On Approachability

Covert Advice: On Approachability

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Dear Thoughtful Penn Stater,

A few days ago, you asked me a question that really hit home: Why do you think cute (and normal) girls don’t get approached by guys? If we’re being honest, I think I’m a pretty girl and I don’t think I’m one of those “psycho chicks,” but I never really get much attention from guys, as in guys don’t ask for my number, things like that. Why do you think this happens? What should I do to be more approachable?

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You Are What You Wear: Valley Chats with Penn State Fashion Blogger Simi OA

You Are What You Wear: Valley Chats with Penn State Fashion Blogger Simi OA

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Simi OA is a fifth-year senior from Lagos, Nigeria gracing Penn State with an unbeatable sense of style. Busy with her double major in psychology and business, Simi found spare time to create a blog sharing her passion for fashion with other college students. Although the site was started for fun, “House of Àrà” has gained feature on popular fashion websites like CollegeFashionista, Fashion Bomb Daily and The Style Hub.

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Bad Neighbors: It Could Be Worse

Bad Neighbors: It Could Be Worse

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Neighbors can be good, or they can be really, really bad. We complain about our neighbors to everyone any chance we get because bad living situations are always the topic of a good conversation. But if you think you have bad neighbors because they blast too much Taylor Swift really late on weekends, here are five students’ stories that prove it could definitely be worse.

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Shopping Made Easy for Tall Girls

Shopping Made Easy for Tall Girls

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Whether it was going through the awkward middle school phase of deciding what homecoming dress would be an “appropriate” length since your knees were two to three inches higher than your friends, or even battling the stress of not wanting to wear heels to prom just so you wouldn’t tower over your date. There is nothing wrong with being a tall girl, but dealing with the constant scrutiny of making sure the little things that other girls don’t have to worry about are in-check becomes a task in itself.

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Fall Hair Colors

Fall Hair Colors

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With fall blowing in, so are the newest hair trends! We stopped into Look’s Hair Salon in downtown State College to gain insight on these newest trends. Samantha Jeffery, Redken Certified Colorist and Looks Stylist, explained to us what the hottest looks will be this upcoming fall.

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Maximizing the Power of the Sweater

Maximizing the Power of the Sweater

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Now that it’s October and the leaves are beginning to change colors, we can finally pull our favorite heavy knit sweaters from storage. For most of us, we like to throw our sweaters on over top of a pair of leggings and a cute pair of boots. It’s a simple and easy way to look like you actually tried to put yourself together even though you just rolled out of bed. Instead of wearing your usual go-to, try mixing up your fall flair by styling your best sweaters with these tips.

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Weighing In: Healthy HUB Lunches

Weighing In: Healthy HUB Lunches

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When you only have half an hour to grab lunch, the HUB is everyone’s go-to lunch spot. With an ideal location and reasonable prices, it can be hard to pass up. When you’re bombarded with big names like Burger King, Chick-Fil-A and Sbarro, it’s easy to grab a burger or a slice of pizza and be on your way. But if you’re stopping at the HUB between classes every day, you probably want to stick with healthier options to keep yourself feeling healthy and energized. Lucky for you, the HUB has lots of options for the health-conscious student.

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