Pennsylvania State University
Hallmarks and Quirks
Things I'm Good At:
Penn State is known for people who are obsessed with Penn State. Anytime you meet alumni, all they want to do is talk about their time spent in Happy Valley. Each fall semester, there are seven home football games and thousands—yes, thousands—of alumni students and fans packed into Beaver Stadium to cheer on their beloved Nittany Lions.
My Top 5 Must-Haves:
- A warm winter coat…and a hat/boots/mittens/scarf. It gets cold in Pennsylvania. Expect snow anytime between November and April. Great excuse to buy a new winter wardrobe, right?
- A hike up Mt. Nittany. It's stunning.
- Pokey Stix from Gumby's. Great comfort food for cramming—for a test or into your face.
- Your dancin' shoes. I hold annual dance marathons that raise millions of dollars for charity every year.
- Wings from Wings Over Happy Valley
Why You Might Have Heard of Me:
- I may be known as a big party school. Yes, Penn Staters do enjoy a good time.
- Penn State's Dance Marathon, known as THON, is a yearly 46-hour no-sitting, no-sleeping dance marathon. Last year alone, students at Penn State raised $13.3 million dollars.
- I have over 15,000 student volunteers that help the community. We're all over the place.
- I've won seventy-six Big 10 Championships. Just sayin'.
On a regular Saturday night, you can find me...
I'm probably at the Rathskeller. If you're under twenty-one and looking to have a good time, your best bet is to join Greek life. There's plenty of fun to be had on campus.
Once you do finally turn twenty-one, there's a lively bar scene throughout downtown. Some fan favorites are Bill Pickle's Tap Room, Café 210 West, and the Phyrst.
Favorite Hangouts:
- HUB Robeson Center.
- PSU Creamery. I mean, ice cream, hello?
- Irving's, a bakery/cafe.
- Mad Mex on Mondays.
- The Lion's Den on Tuesdays.
- The Shandygaff on Wednesdays.
- Indigo on Thursdays.
Quirks:
- I'm home to the largest university creamery in the world. I just like cows, okay? There's a peaceful stoicism about them that is oh so entrancing...oh, and I do a lot of dairy production research. Love ice cream? You can get some from me four days after the cow was milked.
- Despite the name, I'm not actually state owned...more state-related.
- My original mascot was a mule named Old Coaly. I've got nothing against stubborn beasts of burden, but I'm glad to have switched to the mighty Nittany Lion in 1906.
Famous Alumni:
- Lara Spencer, co-host of Good Morning America.
- Ty Burrell. Ever seen "Modern Family"? Does "Phil Dunphy" ring a bell?
- John Aniston, father of Jennifer Aniston.
- Adam McKay, writer and producer of "Anchorman" and "Step Brothers".
- Lt. Michael Murphy, former Navy Seal, Medal of Honor recipient, famous from the movie "Lone Survivor".