Homecoming weekend, typically filled with football, royalty, parades and excitement, also often means the return of alumni and other visitors. But police say they expect no problems from the influx of people.

Police said that like the visitors, they are positively anticipating the weekend and are not over-estimating that behavior will be bad.

Even though tonight starts the festivities of the traditional party-filled weekend, police are taking no extra precautions from what they do during a normal home football weekend.

"We will be, as always, increasing security and police presence throughout the weekend," said State College Police Sgt. John Wilson.

Wilson said his department is not taking extra precautions in terms of riots or the terrorism threats against the United States, but an increase of police protection and presence, more than an ordinary weekend, will remain in effect.

The State College police began to increase its presence, sometimes on horseback, after Penn State students went "too far" a few times in the area of East Beaver Avenue known as "Beaver Canyon" because of its high-rise apartment buildings.

Police get nervous when large amounts of students venture into the "canyon," State College Police Lt. Tom Hart said in an earlier interview.

Penn State Police Services have been working to secure the campus and events that take place there with more security since the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C.

The Penn State vs. Southern Mississippi football game tomorrow will not be any different.

Since the Sept. 11 attacks, Penn State Police Services has upped security at all of the home football games.

Tomorrow's homecoming game will not have any extra security outside of the increase that began after the attacks.

"It will be the same as all the games since Sept. 11," Penn State Police Det. Chris Weaver said.

Weaver said the department has not had any requests to increase security at Beaver Stadium tomorrow.

Some students, however, have fears of terrorist attacks and going to the game with so many people in one place at one time.

"I'm a little hesitant about going to the game considering what (Secretary of Defense Donald) Rumsfeld said terrorist attacks could happen this week," said Miranda Depto (sophomore-finance).

Other students have no fears about going to the game and plan to arrive early and shirtless.

"I'm definitely going," said Pat McDonald (senior-management science information systems), an avid football fan who usually stands in line outside of the stadium as early as 8 a.m to get the front row in the stands. McDonald said he and his friends sometimes paint their chest blue and white spelling out "Lions" or names of Penn State football players. "I don't think anything's going to happen, so I'll be there early like I always am," he said.