Hot summer nights mean carefree plans and a fast-paced night life for students attending summer sessions this year.

Students who have reached the "golden age" of 21 will, as always, find it easier to make plans.

Bars and nightclubs are obvious options for those looking to have a good old-fashioned alcoholic time, but those who have not yet reached the legal age might have some extra difficulty finding an interesting scene this summer.

Jess Bly (freshman-division of undergraduate studies) spent last summer on campus, looking for parties. She found the party experience to be different from the crowded fraternity scene of the fall and spring semesters.

"Parties [at fraternities] weren't like they are [in the spring]," she said.

"They were more like apartment parties, than raves."

Bess Goodwin (freshman-international business) also chose to seek out fraternities for fun, but agreed that parties during fall and spring were better.

"I wasn't too impressed," Goodwin said.

"It was kind of lacking, because not many of the big frats were open."

This summer, many of the larger fraternities will be closed for the first summer session, but open during the second, due to the recruitment period for freshmen.

Andy Miller, president of Lambda Chi Alpha, said smaller fraternities, including those closer to campus, will likely remain open because incoming freshman will be living in West Halls.

Fraternities are not the only available options for fun seekers.

Those choosing non-alcoholic activities this summer will find that there are many different things to do in order to fill weekends with excitement.

Late Night Penn State will be sponsering movies during both sessions.

The second session will have a fuller schedule, with the addition of bingo and ice skating at Greenberg Ice Pavilion.

John Harlow, assistant director of student activities, said the schedules for many of the events have not yet been confirmed.

However, the movies will be shown at 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday nights.

Players Nite Club, 112 W. College Ave., will have nights designated for those who feel like dancing.

Bill Rock, manager of Players, said the club will be hosting 18 and over night every Tuesday and under 21 night on Wednesdays.

The under 21 nights will begin Wednesday, June 18, following the closing of area high schools on June 13.

The atmosphere will provide a nightclub-esque feel without alcohol.

For the more subdued students, creativity might be useful in finding fun things to do.

These students find that even the traditional movie and bowling alley outings are not fun enough.

David Scovill (sophomore-mechanical engineering) and his friends found different ways to have fun last summer.

He and his friends had potluck dinners, hung out in their apartments or went camping in the nearby mountains.

Scovill and his friends also enjoyed last summer's annual Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts.

He said the crowds were huge, and the police were everywhere trying to control the "party atmosphere."

"There were cops on horses, cops on bikes, cops in cars, more cops than you could imagine," Scovill said. "It is seriously crazier than homecoming or any football weekend."

Scovill, who had many friends come to visit during the Arts Fest said he went to free concerts and everyone he knew that was living in State College was throwing a party.

"I don't know if the mid-summer's boredom drives people up here to party harder than they normally do, or if they are really in search of cheesy art," said Scovill, "but there are a million parties."

Last year's crowds, though larger than usual, were calmer than those of the past.

The hot temperatures in August bring alumni and many others to visit the Arts Fest celebrations.

The Arts Fest will last from July 9 to 13 this summer, with sidewalk sales, free concerts, and crowds expected to be in the thousands.

Visit www.arts-festival.com for more information.