The Class of 1904 donated the clock atop Old Main's bell tower, the first gift presented to the University by graduating seniors.

The Class of 1915 donated a stone bench. The Class of 1940 chose to give the Penn State Nittany Lion a permanent den near Rec Hall.

This week, the members of the Class of 1990 will cast their ballots for the gift which will leave their mark at the University.

Senior students can vote on four gift choices throughout this week in the HUB basement, outside of Willard Building and at the main gate across from South Allen Street from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., said Ed Boksan, Senior Class Gift Committee member.

After consulting with University administrators and representatives of the Office of Physical Plant, the committee chose four options to put on a written ballot which also includes a blank space for new suggestions . The project choices are:

A courtyard outside of the University Creamery.

An outdoor terrace on the west side of Pattee Library.

A student transportation van for student volunteer organizations.

A class of 1990 Renaissance scholarship for outstanding undergraduates who prove financial need.

The final choice could be declared by Monday, said Sue Powell, staff advisor for the committee.

To be considered for a class gift, projects cannot cost more than $20,000 and must appeal to the majority of the University, Powell said. Projects are chosen based on the needs of the University which cannot be met because funding constraints, she said.

"We want something significant enough, but we want to be able to afford it so we can fund it," said Powell, the assistant director of Annual Giving to Department of University Development.

Most of the funding for the gift is raised through pledges from members of the senior class, Powell said, adding that graduating students donate the remainder of their general deposit to the fund.

The rest of the money comes from a flower sale in the spring and the sale of senior class shirts, she said. Any money not used for the gift is donated to the University's general scholarship fund, she said.

"We want something that will have mass appeal," she said. "We don't want to target just one group."

The Penn State Creamery court project is a special lounge area outside the east end of the Creamery. The plans include paving, seating areas, plants or flowers and new trash receptacles. Lighting will be added if the committee can raise enough money, Powell said.

The plans for the Pattee Library outdoor terrace -- the second project on the ballot -- consist of adding earth-tone brick paving, flowers, shrubbery, litter receptacles and lighting. The terrace addition on the library's west side would complement the east-side terrace area which was last year's senior class gift.

A student transportation van, another option, would be used to transport students involved in the University's volunteer programs to other parts of the state.

The last choice on the ballot is to endow a scholarship for undergraduates who excel academically and prove financial need.