When I was a writer and editor at The Daily Collegian, Penn State’s student newspaper, we wrote about a lot of topics important to students. You know that sports was big among them. We covered everything from club sports to the biggie—the nationally ranked Penn State football program, the Nittany Lions. But we also covered women’s sports, especially nationally ranked women’s basketball—only they were known as the Lady Lions. Back in the less-aware, Aussie Sprunch Spray-filled ’80s, I don’t remember anyone thinking that was odd. Now, it leaps off the page to me. They were, and are, Nittany Lions, just like the men’s teams are the Nittany Lions.

Other sports have changed, but the women’s basketball team still carries the Lady Lions moniker. I wish it didn’t.

A female doctor’s title is “Dr.” Yet several years ago, three doctors in the Mayo Clinic system noticed that male colleagues were more often introduced using that title, but they and other female doctors were introduced using their first names. A subsequent study published in the Journal of Women’s Health noted that male introducers used professional titles for women about half of the time but they introduced males using “Dr.” 72 percent of the time.

Let’s file that under Maya Angelou’s “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”

In that spirit, we present to you a lovely story written by our Stephanie Hacke, profiling some of the amazing first responders on our corps: police, fire and Medical Rescue Team South Authority. They have earned their spots because of their dedication to excellence and their deeply embedded work ethic.

Women can and do excel in these careers, and we want young ladies to aspire to such futures, to see that the women in our ranks are valuable members of the team, viewed and treated respectfully by their peers.

On a related note, several Mt. Lebanon residents are passionate about careers in beers. Bob Batz Jr. talked with many of them to learn why brewing, serving and perfecting beer is fomenting—and fermenting—happiness in them and their patrons.

Our advertising guides this month focus on health and fitness, and dining. Those businesses were among the hardest hit during the pandemic so now is the time to safely head back to the gym, to get a massage, complete those procrastinated health appointments and celebrate by feasting with friends and family.

We hope this issue reminds you to never let anyone else define you. Do what you were meant to do. Prosit!