Last night hundreds of Penn State students overflowed the Pasquerilla Spiritual Center and stood elbow to elbow to celebrate Ash Wednesday and mark the beginning of the season of Lent.

"I've never seen so many people here for a mass," Rev. Boniface Hicks said. "We're going to have to practice our Christianity to get along since we're all so close to our neighbors."

Yesterday marked the beginning of Lent for many religions, including Lutherans, Episcopalians and Catholics.

Penn State Catholic Campus Minister Rev. David Griffin said Lent is a 40-day period, which people use to prepare for the resurrection of Jesus.

"The focus is to repent our sins, renew our faith and prepare for the celebration of Easter," Griffin said.

During the day yesterday many students, faculty and community members took the time to go to church for Ash Wednesday. There they were marked with ashes on their forehead in the shape of a cross.

"This is something that connects us with Jesus," Hicks said during a Catholic mass.

Rev. Marsh Drege is a Lutheran pastor and a member of the campus ministry. He said that while many people give up something for Lent, there are also a large number who take something on.

"For example a lot of people give up something like chocolate," Drege said. "But some people also make vows to beef up their prayer life or attend church."

Lauren Farrell (freshman-journalism) said she no longer gives something up, but now works to do something for the better.

"I used to give up junk food or something like that," Farrell said. "This year I'm vowing to do more service."

Kerry Ann Meyer (freshman-actuarial science) is using the season to work on her faith.

"I don't really give anything up," Meyer said. "But I try to say the rosary every night before I go to bed."

In addition to either sacrificing or pledging to do something for Lent, Griffin said Catholics are required to abstain from eating meat on Fridays and only eat one full meal on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday.

Brian Necastro (junior-marketing) hasn't made a final decision about what he's giving up this semester, but he has made one resolution.

"I don't know if I'm giving up food, but I'm going to try extra hard on my work."