Samantha Herbert knows what is like to live in a college town as a high school student. She has assumed a college persona and has hunted for parties, but she claims that behavior is all in the past.

"It's mainly the (high school) freshmen and sophomores who get all dressed up and try everything imaginable to get in the door. But most of the juniors and seniors have done all that. The whole scene gets old after a couple of years," said Herbert, a senior at State College High School, 653 Westerly Parkway.

Bill Welker (graduate-mechanical engineering) said he sees many high school students flock to apartment floor parties and anywhere else where free beer is available.

But Herbert said she and her friends do not spend their weekends littering College Avenue and Fraternity Row. Instead, they frequent Campus Casino, 320 E. College Ave., or Playland, 350 E. College Ave.

Unless high school students have friends who are University students, she said they do not infiltrate the college scene because the stores are too expensive and the parties are difficult to get into.

Instead, Herbert and her friends said they can usually be found hanging out at the Nittany Mall or a local bowling center.

Herbert also said University students are unaware of the complexity of State College.

The high school is huge, said Jen Long, a senior and one of more than 1,800 students at the school. One building contains freshmen and sophomores, and the second building contains juniors and seniors.

Herbert and Long agreed that there are advantages and disadvantages to living near such a large and prominent university. Long said she has come to appreciate the prosperity that State College has enjoyed.

"The community has made a ton of money. If Penn State weren't here, this place would be a ghost town," Long said. High school students get exposed to many different kinds of people because of the University, she said.

The two seniors agreed that the majority of their peers view the exposure to different cultures as interesting and educational. They enjoy seeing new faces every day, Long said.

But Long and Herbert said sharing their town with 37,000 college students can become tiring. Working at the local Bi Lo Foods, 1659 N. Atherton St., Herbert has seen some busy days.

"Sometimes it gets frustrating because it's so crowded, and it seems like everyone decides to go grocery shopping on the same day," she said.

When it comes to support for the University, Long said her high school is the University's No. 1 fan. She said if there is one thing that will not be ignored in State College, it is the University's sports teams.

The halls of State College High are "polluted" with University paraphernalia, Long said. Hats and sweatshirts with University logos are everywhere, she said.

This pride is not the only reason that local students attend the University. Some students attend the University for the athletics and academics, "the much-talked-about" social scene and the convenience, Herbert said.

Other students may have parents who are employed by the University, and are eligible for a break in tuition costs. Both Herbert and Long agreed many high school students are also encouraged to attend the University by many of their teachers and counselors who are often alumni.

Tina Peters -- an intern who finished her undergraduate study at State College High and is now earning her master's degree in secondary guidance by interning at Bellefonte High School -- said living near the University does have an effect on the students.

Always being exposed to University happenings causes the students to take an early interest in their future and opens the door for higher education to a greater number of people, she said.

Long said other than the basic things about the University that many people know, other aspects of college life remain a mystery.

"We live kind of out in the country," Long said. "So we don't hear much (except sports)."

Both high school students said they think most of their peers appreciate how the University affects their lives. They agree there is a mutual awareness and economic dependence. But for the most part, they said University life and State College life remain unconnected.

"I think that the students who live at Penn State and the people of the community have just gotten used to seeing each other around," Herbert said.