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Ryan E. Pfister is a senior majoring in information sciences and technology and economics. He has served as a student government, administration and crime and courts reporter and the Web editor. When he’s not geeking out on the latest Web technology or trying to figure out the marginal utility of Cheetos versus Sun Chips, he enjoys camping and reading.
Best dance: the robot
Worst dance: Soulja Boy
Best shoes: Crocs
Worst shoes: high heels
Best nap spot: lounge on the third floor of Paterno library
Worst nap spot: Collegian office
Worst food that sounded like a good idea at the time: Taco Bell
Worst food that always sounded like a bad idea: dining commons breakfast burrito

Prehistoric phones still get the job done

I was at a corporate board meeting the other day when this woman in a power suit took out her Blackberry, fired off a quick e-mail and in doing so averted some type of corporate disaster. Oh wait. It wasn't...

During rough times, coupons can help

The stock market's tanked. Consumer spending is down. People are getting laid off. But, for me, there's a silver lining: Being cheap is finally cool. I can convince my friends to go to the cheap bar, to eat at the...

UPAC, despite flaws, is still best system

Everyone loves to hate UPAC. The University Park Allocation Committee is one of the most well known organizations on campus. And it should be. After all, the all-student organization dishes out more than a million dollars to groups on campus...

Being different was key to Obama victory

Last Tuesday, being a Republican in State College was decidedly uncool. While dozens of supporters of Sen. Barack Obama frolicked around, handing out fliers and "I voted for change" stickers, Sen. John McCain's supporters were almost non-existent. I saw maybe...

Valley magazine should respect readers

Penn State ladies, wet your page-turning fingertips: It's Valley magazine time. Valley, if you're not aware, is a chance for all the Penn State girls (and a few male staffers) who dream of working for Cosmo or Vogue to put...

Preparation key to 'celebration' success

A prepared partier is a happy partier. That was the lesson I learned Saturday night, when thousands of students held a rather enthusiastic celebration in Beaver Canyon after Penn State defeated Ohio State. When I ran out after the game,...

McCain camp must rediscover pride

My freshman year, I noticed a bumper sticker on my friend's dorm room wall that summed up, for me, what it means to be a Republican. "W," it read. "Still the president." The liberals were screaming about George W. Bush....

Column shows outsourcing is easy, cheap

I had a great time at Indigo on Thursday night. The music was good. The beer was cheap. And somewhere halfway around the world, someone else was doing my work for me. Boy, did it feel good. Last week, if...

With outsourcing, I can write while I sleep

Ever have one of those weeks where you wish you could just pay someone else to do your work for you? Well, this was that week for me. And thanks to the miracle of globalization, I can make that wish...

When investing money, ignorance is bliss

It was a calm summer evening in June when I stared at my computer screen and said, "Hey, the financial crisis is pretty much over -- time to start investing!" Um, yeah. So that was pretty much the worst miscalculation...

Pen, though boring, still 'swagalicious'

When it comes to swag, you can't go wrong with a pen. Swag, if you're not familiar with the term, is free stuff, typically with company logos on it, that is given away at events. And for Penn State swag...

Beneath mask, mascot still smiling

When faced with being laid off, some people get depressed. Others reluctantly take a lower-paying job in another industry. And just a few decide to become baseball mascots. Cliff Michel, who graduated from Penn State in 1996, used to work...

Simmons should not hog health food

My name is Ryan, and I want my curly fries back. I used to get them every day in Simmons Dining Hall, fried tastefully brown and seasoned to perfection. What a wonderful world it was -- before the nutritionists came...

Right to run naked comes at high cost

Penn State is in the midst of a new civil rights movement. No, it's not for the right to an education. It's not for the right to marry. It's for the right to streak. The controversy centers on the annual...