Penn State and sports are sort of like Barbie and Ken, or Abbott and Costello, or Beavis and Butthead. Sports is a very big part of the Penn State community and one reason is because of the promoting and marketing of Penn State athletics.

The Penn State Bookstore on Campus, the Student Book Store, 330 E. College Ave., and the University Book Center, 206 E. College Ave., in town, and the University Park airport, 2535 Fox Hill Rd., all do their share of promoting and marketing for Penn State athletics.

These places use displays and sales "gimmicks" to help generate interest in events and teams. These displays are also used to attract customers and increase sales.

Norm Brown, manager of the Student Book Store said, "We try to do more than just open our doors."

The Big Blue invites the Nittany Lion, the pep band and the cheerleaders to the store to help generate spirit.

Another thing the Big Blue does is to give out game day stickers to customers that come in on the day of a football game. The stickers have a paw print and a message about the opponent printed on them. Brown said that they put the stickers right on the customers as they come in the door.

At the Penn State Bookstore on Campus, assistant manager Don Gilbert works with buyers -- people responsible for ordering merchandise -- along with the athletic department on the displays. The displays are usually prepared two to three weeks in advance of an event.

Gilbert said that during the football preseason they begin working on ordering merchandise and designing the displays. Then, on game day, the clothing and merchandise are stocked full and properly displayed.

Steve Long, general manager of the University Book Center, works with buyers on ordering merchandise and designing displays. They begin preparation in the spring for the football season. They also work with suppliers such as Champion and others, which change yearly, to determine what kind of products and special promotions they can receive. One type of promotion that was done last year was buy a sweatshirt and receive a free t-shirt.

Generally the displays at the University Book Center are up for two to three days, possibly a week. It depends on the event being promoted. During Homecoming the displays stay up longer.

"We try to do as much as possible," Long said.

Kelly Gillin (freshman-political science/psychology) said that she likes the job the bookstores do in preparing their displays because they are creative and let people know about the events.

And even the airport is also involved in promoting Penn State athletics.

Charles Welch, manager of the Centre County Airport Authority said, "We feel that placing displays is a public service. The university is a big part of the community and the university is very valuable to the community.

"The displays show visitors, athletic teams and recruits that they are in Lion Country," he added.

The displays around town and campus help generate interest and spirit in Penn State athletics.

"This has and always will be a rah-rah school," Brown said. "We are just trying to keep that spirit."