PHOTO: Dan Saelinger/Collegian
Beaver Stadium’s student section holds memories that seniors will cherish, such as this scene from last fall’s University of Michigan game.

By Heather Cook
Collegian Staff Writer

As the semester winds down and finals are handed in one by one, seniors are thinking about stepping out of State College and into their futures.

But before they pack their things, many of them also are making lists of all the activities they want to get in before walking out of the University Gates, or down the street from their apartments, one last time.

For some, the thing they will miss most when they move to other cities, towns or countries will be the whole atmosphere of the State College area and the Penn State community.

Joe Gervasio (senior-business management) included football, Mario and Luigi's, 112 S. Garner St., and Damon's Restaurant, 1031 E. College Ave., in his list of things he'll miss and the last places he wants to visit before he leaves State College after graduation.

Just being able to hang out with friends was something else seniors seemed unwilling to say goodbye to.

Gabe Perez (senior-telecommunications) said he would spend his last days at Penn State going to clubs with friends who were too young to go the bars with him.

Others said they would get in one last night at a particular downtown restaurant or bar.

Mike Del Rosario (senior-telecommunications) said he would go to table wars at Phyrst Inc., 111 1/2 E. Beaver Ave., which is a contest to see which table can shout the loudest.

The losing table, he said, has to chug their beers.

He also wants to do something he's never done before.

"I've always wanted to jump off the high dive," he said. "I can't dive, but I'd cannonball off of it."

Muna Yve Heaven (senior-biology and French) said she wouldn't be able to say goodbye to Penn State without that one last cone from the University Creamery or Ben and Jerry's, 124 S. Allen St, or both.

She too is determined to jump from the highest diving board, something she's never had the time to do at Penn State.

"And I definitely have to take a long, slow stroll around the campus," she added. "And feed the squirrels. I love to feed the squirrels."

For others, the thing they will miss the most is something they've already done for that one last time — walked up to Beaver Stadium for the last football game they will see from the student section of the stands.

"I went to the game in the fall with all the people I usually go with, and they aren't graduating, so they kept saying, 'Oh, you can come back next year,' but it really just won't be the same," Rachel Wellen (senior-human development and family studies) said. "Yeah, I cried a little there."

Not everyone, however, feels so sentimental about graduating and moving on.

"I just want to get out of here. Pass those final exams and go," Jamie Vinson (senior-business management) said.

And there are some students hoping to fill their last days at Penn State with one final bang that just might not land them on the right side of the law.

Byron Blevins (senior-telecommunications) grinned as he said the one thing he would love to do before he gets out of State College would be to pull that last big prank — big enough to get him arrested.

Others agreed doing something out of the ordinary during the final days of college life would be a good way to say goodbye to State College.

"I will definitely miss skipping classes and sitting around all day," Memi Chang (senior-marketing and international business) said. "But the one thing I've always wanted to do but haven't yet is get in the Collegian. Even if it's just the police log."

And not many could say what they would miss or wanted to do just once more before their last drive out of State College without adding the things they never wanted to deal with again.

"I'll tell you one thing," Michael Mazack (senior-civil engineering) said, "I will not miss parking."