The Bryce Jordan Center is celebrating its fifth birthday.

What began in 1997 as 360,000 square feet of brick, steel and concrete with a skeleton crew of six employees has grown into the largest venue between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Today, hundreds of administrative, sales, maintenance, security and food service employees host live acts, sporting events and conferences.

However, a ticket holder witnesses only the icing on the cake. Beneath the public frosting lies a rich history of behind-the-scenes flavor. Sweet, sour, smooth and lumpy — the center has earned its five candles.

General manager Bob Howard directs seven departments, books the building and settles the finances. In short, he shoulders the center's reputation and serves as the last word when controversy brews.

In September 1999, for example, Howard took a stand against Limp Bizkit front man Fred Durst. According to Howard, Durst said he wouldn't take the stage unless he could call everyone in the stands down to the floor during the show. Howard, guarding against stampedes and trampled fans, refused. Limp Bizkit performed as planned, but Durst launched the show with a fiery monologue that repeatedly associated Howard with several choice adjectives. The next day, Howard said, Durst's manager phoned from California to apologize.

In general, however, the center attempts to maintain smooth relations with the visiting acts. Bernie Punt, director of public relations, serves as liaison between the public and the performers. On a daily basis, he works with promoters, record companies, newspapers and radio stations. On show day, Punt heads the last minute publicity push while ensuring a smooth, comfortable visit for the acts.

"Our job is to keep people away from the stars and they appreciate that," Punt said. "They feel very free here. If they feel that comfortable, they'll come back."

Meeting the request lists, or riders, that precede an act's arrival, is not always a simple task. According to Punt, Tori Amos requested a current copy of The London Times. It arrived by airmail the day after her show. David Copperfield ordered 57 varieties of hand soap and a gallon of peanut butter. Gavin Rossdale of Bush requested a solar blanket that met NASA specifications. A space-ready blanket could not be located, but Rossdale later told Punt he made the request for fun at every venue. Not one had delivered the goods.

The center does deliver in dressing room accommodations. The Caperella Star Dressing Room never fails to astound those who stay in its sophisticated safari-style setting. A green jungle print sofa, massive leather recliner and ottoman, giant prints of Sahara scenes, a gold-framed full length mirror, entertainment center and bizarre tables, including one carved to look like gazelle antlers — this is just a sample of the interior design.

According to Punt, many acts hail the Caperella as the finest dressing room they've seen. Rossdale said it was nicer than his British flats at home, Punt said. In fact, the center has never had a problem with performers damaging the room.

The Backstreet Boys added to the bathroom's interior design with a panty chain of underwear collected on stage. Some lingerie, Punt said, included names, addresses, phone numbers and even curfews like "don't call after 10 because my parents will be mad."

Tight security is the center's priority. A star's privacy from the press, the fans and the employees takes precedence over photos and meet-and-greets.

Occasionally, however, research on behalf of the center pays off for fans. Whitney Houston, for example, initially denied meet-and-greets during her visit, but when Punt discovered she was a former model for Seventeen magazine, he called the editor and arranged a promotional contest. Houston agreed and the winning girl met Houston before the show.

Reba McEntire agreed to meet a young woman battling cancer. According to Punt, the woman, in her twenties, had not walked for weeks, but when she saw McEntire she rose from her wheelchair to embrace the star. "Everyone at the scene was teary eyed," Punt said. "The girl died the next day."

Employees at the venue are constantly amazed by the impression the center makes on its acts.

When Garth Brooks stormed State College in April 1997, selling out five shows, he also sold his character to fans and employees. Before one show, Punt said, about 200 fans had gathered on the hill adjacent to the center to wait for the tour buses to arrive. Brooks, disguised in a backward cap and sweats, was riding a bike through the crowd. When the buses arrived, he pedaled to the gate, and the security guard stopped him. After revealing his identity to the baffled guard, he cruised up and down the fence waving to the astounded crowd. Then, he invited everyone inside. Brooks and fans gathered in the auxiliary gym and conversed for nearly two hours. Punt said Brooks signed every autograph and posed for every photo.

Another night, Brooks gave Punt two tickets for the best seats in the house. Punt said he was ordered to give the two fans with the worst tickets the front row passes. According to Punt, he approached a couple in the highest row of the top tier saying, "Excuse me, may I see your tickets?" Concerned, the pair handed over their stubs. Switching the tickets, Punt returned them and said, "You're in the wrong section. You belong down way down there."

During his visit, Brooks also played pick-up ball with the Lady Lions, ate lunch with the maintenance crew and learned how to body check from the hockey team. According to Punt, Brooks was not the only athletic star to practice at the center. In 1996, Kenny Rogers volleyed with men's tennis coach Jan Bortner. When Rogers returned the following year, he asked for Bortner.

Aerosmith's Steven Tyler wanted to meet Joe Paterno. According to Punt, Tyler kept asking, "Where's Joe? Is Joe coming? Well why not?"

As for the Backstreet Boys, Punt said, "the boys slept, rehearsed and played basketball."

Stone Temple Pilots also shot hoops in the center. In fact, it provided Punt the perfect opportunity to steal a photo.

Every headlining act receives Penn State jerseys compliments of the center, which also tries to get a photo of the performers in their shirts. When Stone Temple Pilots played the center December 1996, one member, Punt said, had just been released from rehab. As a result, the tour manager forbade all photographs. Punt saw some of the band members playing ball. He offered them basketball jerseys but said they couldn't receive them because their tour manager prohibited photos. Desperate for the jerseys, STP instantly agreed.

In 1998, Greek new age composer and instrumentalist Yanni received his jersey from Yanna, a center employee and native of Greece. Yanna presented Yanni's jersey in Greek. Later, Punt said, while Yanna was vacationing in Greece, she heard someone yell her name across the street. It was Yanni, who invited her to his home for lunch.

For the average fan, running into a celebrity downtown is one's best bet. Punt said the Backstreet Boys' dancers hit up Players Nite Club, Cher shopped downtown, LeAnn Rimes loves the Ye Olde College Diner's sticky buns and prowrestler The Undertaker prefers the Rathskeller All American.

Then again, would students even recognize a star if they saw one? Billy Joel was in town on Halloween, Punt said, and a student approached him and said, "Wow, that's a really great Billy Joel costume!"

Managing ecstatic fans go hand in hand with the center's security measures. Ticket sales agent Beth Tressler has heard it all. Center employees cannot accept gifts of any kind and cannot buy tickets until the line is gone, but that doesn't stop people from trying. "They try to bribe you," Tressler said, "They'll pay anything for front row, and offer you flowers and candy. They'll actually hang up and call right back to try someone else."

Sometimes, however, security problems are not triggered by the fans, but the acts themselves. According to Punt, during Houston's concert, husband Bobby Brown, who was on probation at the time, appeared backstage.

Another incident involved Smashing Pumpkins bassist D'Arcy and guitarist James Iha. Between the set and the encore, Punt said D'Arcy and Iha got in a fistfight. Iha threw a punch that D'Arcy dodged and smashed his hand against the brick wall behind her. Covering his bleeding fist with his sleeve, Iha didn't play during the encore. Lead singer Billy Corgan, who had not witnessed the brawl, was stranded on stage clueless and confused.

Despite the unforeseeable mishaps, the center has never cancelled a show, but there have been some close calls.

The Eagles' flight landed in Harrisburg at show time, Punt said. The center had to coordinate a police escort to get the band to State College as fast as possible. "They arrived, strolled right on stage, minus a sound check and put on an awesome show."

The bottom line behind all the mayhem, however, boils down to the audience. "If there's 15,000 tickets sold, you want 15,000 people having a good time," Howard said.

With five years of exciting moments packed away, what will the future bring to The Bryce Jordan Center? Make a wish and blow out the candles.