Good morning, State College.

Happy Valley Casino opened Monday morning at the former Macy’s in the Nittany Mall — following state-required test days — and now features 600 slot machines, 30 table games, and in-house dining with extended hours.

More than 200 students from 40 school districts entered the WPSU Poetry Writing Contest in April as part of National Poetry Month.

Evelyn Morath (from the State College Area School District) won in the sixth through eighth grade category with her poem 'Parental Pruning.'

Penn State's Movin' On festival is scheduled for Friday, May 1 at Park Avenue IM Fields on North University Drive between Park and Services Road.

Attendees can park at Stadium West plus East Deck, and temporary road closures on Park, University, and Services Roads may lead to traffic delays.

Pittsburgh native Hunter Badamo was named the spring 2026 student marshal for Penn State Smeal College of Business — he studies accounting and business analytics and information systems while minoring in history, will graduate May 9 with a 3.93 GPA, and is known for blending music and research.

On April 7, the Paul Robeson Cultural Center held its annual Legacy Awards event at the HUB-Robeson Center (formerly the Paul Robeson Birthday Bash) to honor eight Penn State students for leadership, service and social justice.

Jody Pritt, associate vice provost for Penn State Global, recently completed a Fulbright International Education Administrator experience in Taiwan.

She visited 13 universities and met education leaders to build international ties.

Penn State doctoral students Natalie Ford and Mackenna Yount will spend eight weeks in Germany this summer at QIAGEN headquarters to gain practical experience in molecular diagnostics as part of a three-year internship program by the One Health Microbiome Center.

They will learn new techniques to advance their research.

Penn State hockey forward Gavin McKenna will join Team Canada at the 2026 World Championships and travel to Switzerland in May with NHL stars such as Macklin Celebrini and Mat Barzal after setting records at Penn State and winning bronze at the World Juniors.

Penn State men’s lacrosse remained No. 15 after earning a bye week as the No. 2 seed in the Big Ten Tournament.

The team will meet No. 10 Maryland at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 30 in Piscataway.

On Saturday, April 25, Penn State’s Blue-White Practice at West Shore Home Field saw freshman corner Josiah Zayas score on a 50-yard interception return and redshirt freshman Zay Robinson catch a touchdown pass, while backup quarterbacks struggled with turnovers.

High school lacrosse teams across Pennsylvania will battle for state tournament berths after their season ends on May 30, with early rounds running through June and finals set to take place — at Panzer Stadium at PSU in State College — while fans watch games on the NFHS Network.

Eight former Nittany Lions were picked in the NFL Draft in Pittsburgh as teams sought fresh talent after a 7-6 season.

The Ravens, Steelers, Cowboys, Packers, Panthers, Titans, Bills and Commanders selected players such as Vega Ioane and Drew Allar + others set to contribute.

Penn State softball outfielder Breanna Hanik earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week recognition on Monday after a three-game series sweep of Illinois that saw her hit a season-high tenth home run, breaking team records.

She and the team will host Nebraska on Friday in a three-game series.

Former Penn State WR Malik McClain is expected to sign with the New York Jets as UDFA after playing college football at Florida State, Penn State and Arizona State.

Penn State wrestling heavyweight Lucas Cochran entered the transfer portal on April 27.

He may seek a sixth season of eligibility (pending a medical redshirt) after a season-ending injury.

Anna Pearl Belinda Live

6:30-10:30 p.m. — Titan Hollow — Tickets available — Celebrate Taurus Season with local singer-songwriter Anna Pearl Belinda performing original music.

Lucy Kaplansky Concert

8-11 p.m. — The State Theatre — Ticket prices vary — Experience the rich folk sounds of New York City artist Lucy Kaplansky.

PUULUUP with The Wild Shoats

7-10 p.m. — Manny's Live Performance Space — $28 — Experience a unique blend of ancient sounds and modern flair as Ramo Teder and Marko Veisson showcase their musical journey.

Natural Information Society Concert

7-9:30 p.m. — Manny's Live Performance Space — From $15 — Experience the unique sounds of Natural Information Society, creating long-form compositions since 2010.

2026 XL Fest All-Access Pass

5:59-7:29 p.m. — Blue Brick Theatre — $99 + fees — Experience 12 shows of hilarious improv magic at the Happy Valley XL Fest.