When Penn State spokesman Tysen Kendig gets stressed out at work, he has four little words he says to himself to help relax.

"It's just a job."

Look around Kendig's office on the third floor of Old Main, however, and it's clear that he has treated his time at Penn State as more than just a job: It's his life. There is a commemorative football from Penn State's January trip to the Orange Bowl behind his desk. There are various framed copies of Sports Illustrated on the walls that feature Penn State football players on the covers. Kendig even has a miniature replica of the Nittany Lion shrine; the place where he proposed to his wife.

But it's all coming to an end. Sometime this October, Kendig will pack up all of these memory-soaked items and head for his new home at the University of Arkansas, where, beginning Nov. 1, he will be serving as their associate vice chancellor for university relations.

In the meantime, though, Kendig will continue to be one of the voices of Penn State.

He calls himself and his colleagues in Old Main's office of public information "facilitators of information flow" -- his day-to-day responsibilities include writing press releases for the university-run newswire, www.live.psu.edu, and fielding calls and visits from reporters.

At the University of Arkansas, he'll be doing a lot of the same things, but he'll also focus on marketing, the school's Web site and other communications projects.

"It's more of an administrative position that I'll be filling down there," Kendig said.

Kendig was a Penn Stater long before he came to campus in January 2000 to be a Penn State spokesman. He is also an alumnus of the university, having graduated in 1995.

Kendig sounded like a graduating senior when reminiscing about what he will miss the most from his time at Penn State.

"I'll probably most miss the beauty of this campus," Kendig said. "I'll miss the buzz of football Fridays and going down to College Avenue with friends."

Still, Kendig maintained that his new position at the University of Arkansas will be a great career opportunity.

"It was the hardest decision of my life; not just my career, my life," he said.

Kendig has worked closely with Penn State spokesman Bill Mahon during his six years in the office of public information.

"He's been a great colleague, and I've enjoyed working with him," Mahon said. "I think this is an
opportunity he should pursue."

Penn State President Graham Spanier wrote in an e-mail message that he is "heartbroken that [Kendig] is leaving Penn State."

"He is steady, unflappable, dedicated, and tireless. He has been masterful at representing the university to external audiences," Spanier wrote.