From conventional traditions such as attending football games at Beaver Stadium to other traditions deemed otherwise unconventional, Penn State students have a number of ways to pass on Penn State pride.

Football

With the timing of Coach Joe Paterno's arrival coinciding with the post-World War II college attendance boost, football became a tradition that put Happy Valley on the map.

After posting four losing seasons at the beginning of the 21st century, the Nittany Lions won the Big 10 championship in 2005.

"Last season was the greatest sports experience of my life, especially the Ohio State game and attending the Orange Bowl," Tim Holwick (senior-English) said.

Holwick said though his girlfriend and friends attend Penn State, a big reason he transferred was the comradery involved in football fandom.

"In all honesty, the football team was a huge reason I decided to transfer to Penn State. I wanted to go to a school proud of itself, however silly that might seem," Holwick said.

A recent tradition started in the last several years at Beaver Stadium has the student section hopping and singing in unison to the thumping dance number "Zombie Nation."

Camping out before games to obtain prime seating has also become a tradition. "Paternoville," as the campsite is called, increased in population during the winning 2005 season.

Late Night Pizza

Margaret Cruz, owner of Margarita's Pizzeria and Italian Cuisine, said when students get the late-night munchies they tend to choose pizza to sate their appetites.

"Pizza is the standard for kids hanging out in malls and local pizza shops, so I think when they get drunk they go back to that youth," Margaret Cruz, owner of Margarita's Pizzeria and Italian Cuisine, said.

While Margarita's appeals to a more traditional Italian palette and doesn't stay open late on weekends, there is a long standing tradition of late night pizza at the corner of Beaver Avenue and Locust Lane at Canyon Pizza.

Canyon Pizza gets its name from the term "Beaver Canyon," referring to the towering student apartments lining the sides of the street.

Any weekend in State College will produce pizza-craving party-goers, and not only is the intersection a provider of food, it's also a reference point for meeting people late nights at Penn State.

Streakers

Running down Mifflin Road naked during finals week has been a long-standing tradition at University Park.

"It's a life goal for some, to be able to say you've done it, but it's mainly just a fun way to release stress," Brett Morton (sophomore-kinesiology) said.

Morton participated in the Mifflin streak during the Spring of 2006. He found out about the tradition while studying for a physics final and initially attended just to take a break from studying and to be entertained.

Morton's friends egged him on, and he found himself participating and being arrested for open lewdness a few minutes later.

"If I get arrested again, my mom would kill me," Morton said.

In recent years, Penn State University Police have cracked down on the temporary nudists, putting a damper on the unconventional tradition. Streaking is considered open lewdness and is a misdemeanor offense that includes a $500 fine.

Virgins

The College of Earth and Mineral Sciences built the Penn State Obelisk in 1896.

According to the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences Web site, http://www.ems.psu.edu/, the obelisk was orignially built to be used as an instructional tool to those curious about the stones native to Pennsylvania.

According to the Penn State Lion Ambassadors' Web site, legend goes that if a virgin co-ed passes the monument it will crumble to the ground.

The fact that the Obelisk is still standing is supposed to be a testament to the party atmosphere at Penn State.

New Traditions

The State Theatre has been a part of the State College community since 1938 but closed in 2001 for renovation. The incoming freshman class at Penn State will be the first to experience the multi-dimensional capabilities of the new and improved venue.

"With this kind of venue and the amount of talent and interest in the theatre in the community, we will be open all the time as opposed to the normal 2 to 3 days every week," CEO and Executive Director John Hook said.

Hook is very eager to appeal to the community living in State College as well as the Penn State student community.

"We don't expect one demographic to be the main user of this facility, so students are definitely a part of our audience," Hook said.

Each year brings new opportunities to create new traditions, making the Penn State experience a plastic concept that can appeal to everyone involved in the community.

The class of 2010 has every opportunity to make the community their own.