Rumors shadow sundial as Pennsylvania central point


Monday, June 8, 1998	Rumors shadow sundial as Pennsylvania central point By CHRISTINE KOSOVAC Collegian Magazine Writer Most have probably never noticed it. Many frisbee players might have tripped over it. But it carries with it a legend sprinkled with enough plausibility that many want to believe the tale is true. The stone sundial, the 1915 Senior Class Gift, stands just more than three feet high in the center of Old Main lawn and holds a peculiar, but believable legend. Many speculate that it was placed there not by accident, but because it marks the exact center of the state.
*" It's a popular rumor, but there is no truth to it. "* - Austin Krablin (senior-telecommunications)	Austin Krablin (senior-telecommunications), a Lion Ambassador, said he is often asked about the Old Main sundial on campus tours. "It's a popular rumor, but there is no truth to it," Krablin said. The sundial's proximity to Old Main, one of the most recognizable landmarks in the area, coupled with the county's and University's geographical location may have caused the rumor to be passed down through the years, Krablin said. State College Mayor Bill Welch said he never heard that the sundial marks the center of the state. People more typically think that the center of the state is located in Aaronsburg, Welch said. Many people thought Aaronsburg would house the state capital instead of Harrisburg because of its location. The true center of the state is probably located a few miles southwest of Bellefonte, near Buffalo Run Valley, Welch said.
`www.urbanlegends.com`	Peirce Lewis, professor emeritus of geography, said that to his knowledge, no one has ever researched the spot that would mark the exact center of Pennsylvania. It is "someplace in the neighborhood," he said. The probability of it being located where the sundial stands is very low, he said. Still, there are some people, such as Edward Donnelly (senior-psychology) who still believe the fabled tale could be true. Donnelly said he first heard about the sundial his freshman year when the floormates of his dorm used to talk about it. A number of factors contribute to his belief that there may be truth to the urban legend. First, State College is located right in the middle of the state, Donnelly said. Second, Old Main lawn is located in the center of town. With the placement of the sundial in the middle of the lawn, it just seems kind of weird. "Why would it be made up?" Donnelly asked. "It just seems like kind of a ridiculous thing."