It's official: in celebration of the Pennsylvania State University's 150th birthday, the University Creamery's new ice cream flavor is Sesquicentennial Sundae.
The flavor will be unveiled this afternoon at a kick-off for Penn State's birthday party, which will be celebrated in various ways throughout the year.
"The new flavor is delicious," Creamery Manager Tom Palchak said.
"It's vanilla with a blue ribbon brownie, chocolate covered peanuts, chocolate ribbonette curl sauce and a small amount of annatto ice cream color."
Thousands of names for the new flavor were submitted, but only one was chosen, Palchak said.
Those in attendance at the birthday kick-off, which starts at 4 p.m. today at Schwab Auditorium, will have a chance to sample the new flavor. The ice cream will be available at the Creamery all year, Palchak said.
The event, which is free and open to the public, will feature speeches from Penn State President Graham Spanier and football coach Joe Paterno. Also speaking at the hour-long event will be Board of Trustees chairwoman Cynthia Baldwin and Alumni Association President Marianne Alexander.
A historical video produced by WPSX-TV and a performance by Four the Glory, a quartet of students and alumni, help round out the hour. Gov. Ed Rendell was scheduled to attend, but had to cancel because of conflicts. He will instead send a video message.
Although the university's birthday celebration begins today, events will continue throughout the year until June 2005.
"You can't put this big a celebration into just one day," said Michael Bezilla, a sesquicentennial committee member. "If we spread the events over the year, more people will be able to celebrate with us."
An Olympic-inspired sporting event called the Sesquicentennial Games will begin Friday, Oct. 1 and will end Sunday, Oct. 3.
Events commemorating the year will include a punt, pass and kick competition, basketball and soccer shootouts, football and ultimate Frisbee among other games.
"I think the games are going to be really great," Jamie Hodin (freshman- advertising and public relations) said. "I think I'm definitely going to attend the kick-off."
More than 10,000 people are expected to attend the games, according to Penn State's news Web site.
The celebration of the sesquicentennial officially started when workers began stamping a commemorative meter mark on outgoing mail at the University Park Post Office July 1. The mark will be used for the next 12 months.
Today's kick-off events mark the official date of Feb. 22, 1855, the day ex-Gov. William Pollock signed the charter for the school that became Penn State.
