It seems as though running a bar in a college town requires the patience of a babysitter and lots of gumption, especially with hordes of students converging nightly for concentrated bouts of bacchanalia.

In State College, many watering holes see spring break as a chance to back up and dust off for awhile.

At the All American Rathskeller, 108 S. Pugh St., the staff uses the week to clean up and do special projects, manager Pamela Mowrer said.

"When the students go home it's very slow on the weeknights. We don't have anybody in here drinking until two in the morning," she said.

However, Mowrer said that during the University's long breaks, local residents pick up the slack on the weekends.

Manager Steve Bailey at the Allen Room, 100 W. College Ave., said his bar's business should increase during the break, and that acts are scheduled every night of the week to accommodate the crowds. The Allen Room benefits from its reputation of having a more mature atmosphere, he said.

"We get a great mixed crowd . . . from businessmen down to students who are still around. When the students go away, our regulars and town people come out in droves. They figure it's safe," he said jokingly.

Some bars don't make any changes even though they have to deal with a drastic drop in the number of customers.

The Gingerbread Man, 130 Hiester St., maintains its current lineup of events, owner Judy Cocolin said.

"We're not changing anything . . . I'm starting a new entertainment schedule after the break," she said.

Other bars, such as Stoney's Post House Tavern, 146 N. Atherton St., focus their efforts less on the bar and more on the establishment's other offerings.

Stoney's manager Tom Eames said his business adjusts easily to the student exodus.

"The difference for us is that we're a restaurant, also. A lot of professors still come in for lunch and dinner, and they still do over break. We really don't change anything, but we tend to concentrate less on the bar . . . and we might close earlier on weeknights," he said.