It's not every day that Penn State alumni appear on TV, especially two in one year. First it was Ian Rosenberger (Class of 2004) on CBS' Survivor: Palau and now MTV has taken on Penn State's own alumnus John Devenanzio in this season's The Real World: Key West.

The 17th season of The Real World kicks off tonight at its usual 10 p.m. spot, bringing fans seven new strangers picked to live in a house. John, who goes by the name "Johnny Bananas," graduated from Penn State last spring just in time for his departure to the Sunshine State.

"Senior year was the best year of my life," Devenanzio said. "I didn't take the serious route; however, of applying for jobs, and I thought applying for the show would be an awesome thing to do."

John, who said he considered landing on the show to be a long shot, wasn't a huge fan of the reality series until he arrived at Penn State.

"In my eyes, the dynamics that they showed in the [Real World] house made me think that it was something I could fit into," John said.

John's friends at Penn State said they were a bit overwhelmed at first to hear their friend would be applying to The Real World, but soon grew accustomed to the idea.

"It was a little shocking," Ryan Barth (senior-civil engineering) said. "After a while, we came to expect it. He fits the role, and we became gung ho about it, supporting him."

Barth followed John throughout the entire process, from sending in a tape last January to casting interviews in the spring semester, until he was eventually cast.

This past week, MTV has been running a show, Casting Special: Coral's Casting Couch, introducing audience members to the seven new cast mates. Penn State

students who watched closely enough were lucky to catch a few glimpses of John's audition tape, as well as a quick shot of him on the front lawn of Old Main.

Some students said that they are more inclined to watch the show solely because a fellow Penn Stater will be on TV and to see any University Park references.

"[When Ian] was on Survivor, the whole campus watched him," Lauren Appel (sophomore-public relations) said. "I think that a lot more people here than usual will watch The Real World because there is a PSU student on the show."

John said that he sported Penn State clothing throughout the entire taping, which happened to fall during the entire football season.

"Penn State gave so much to me, and I want to give so much more back," he said. "I had to even go on to ESPN to check out football scores."

Maybe it was the exec's at MTV predicting the future, but John said that one of his cast mates was a Florida State University alum.

"He and I definitely had a rivalry going over football, especially when it came time for the Orange Bowl," he said.

While some students will be watching tonight to see a bit of Penn State fame, Barth said he and his friends are expecting to watch the same "Johnny Banana's" they have always known.

"He will probably be the person who won't be afraid to speak his mind and cause some drama, especially with the ladies," Barth said. "He'll also be in the middle of all of the drinking and dancing on stage."

Don't expect John and his friends to be the next version of HBO's Entourage, though.

"When he visits, it'll be the same old 'Johnny Bananas,' " Barth said. "We're not going to ride his fame."