The Penn State community will celebrate its 151st birthday today with a two-part party featuring music, cake and history.

Sara Snyder (junior-advertising) helped the Lion Scouts plan two events, a birthday party from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. today in the HUB-Robeson Center and another celebration from 7 to 10 p.m. tonight in the Hintz Family Alumni Center.

Snyder said Lion Scouts will turn the main floor of the HUB into a birthday bash, featuring 500 pieces of cake and performances by the Blue Band, cheerleaders and the Nittany Lion.

Natalie Cheng (junior-accounting) is the director of the Walker committee, a part of the Lion Scouts that plans Founder's Day each year.

Cheng said her committee will use more than 4,000 balloons to decorate the HUB for the party. Then, at noon, there will be a balloon drop that unleashes 15,000 balloons from the ceiling and a cake-cutting ceremony.

"No one will recognize the HUB when they walk in there," she said.

Tonight in the Hintz Family Alumni Center, a second birthday celebration will feature more free food and drinks, a live jazz band and several speakers.

This year's theme is "For Her Founders Strong and Great, For The Glory We Celebrate!"

University archivist Lee Stout will deliver a presentation about the first 50 years of Penn State history. "We will be looking at the first seven presidents, and we will talk about the curriculum, student life, admission of women when the school went coed in 1871 and the school's name changes," Stout said.

Founder's Day organizers said they were pleased that students were still interested in celebrating after last year's monumental birthday. "This is the first year after the sesquicentennial, so it is good that the students are continuing to keep the Founder's Day tradition going," Stout said.

Cheng said the alumni center will be decorated with life-sized black-and-white photographs depicting Penn State life through different eras, spanning from 1855 to 2006.

Snyder said Mary Ai-Li Kuntz, the great-granddaughter of former Penn State President George Atherton, will also speak.

Penn State spokesman Tysen Kendig said Penn State President Graham Spanier will not attend because he will be in Harrisburg meeting with the House Appropriations Committee. "The university had a huge celebration for our sesquicentennial last year," Kendig said. "This year's birthday certainly will not be as extravagant, but that makes it no less historical."

Snyder said the party has changed from past years. "We always used to do carriage rides through campus, but that was very geared toward couples and was not efficient with all of the construction," she said. "Now we are trying to reach as many groups as possible."

Snyder said this is the first time the group has held a two-part celebration. She said a large turnout is expected at both events.

Alumni Association spokeswoman Kate Poorman said it is important for students to understand Penn State's history and role in the community.

"It is a fun look at student life through the ages," she said.

Poorman said several classes will attend the evening celebration as part of the curriculum, and sororities will come to represent the greek community. She said the Alumni Association sent invitations to alumni chapters within driving distance. "We want this to become an annual celebration of not only Penn State's birthday but of its history as well," Cheng said.