When Patch Adams walks into a room, his rainbow-colored pants and Penn State-inspired blue and white hairstyle doesn't evoke the stereotypical look of a medical professional.

But Hunter "Patch" Adams is resolute -- he's not changing his clothes or his attitude.

"I'm a clown that is a doctor, not a doctor that is a clown," Adams said.

The professional clown, doctor, author and political activist spoke Friday at the Nittany Lion Inn to 50 people about an array of topics including poverty, malnutrition and the U.S. government.

Adams told the crowd how he founded the Gesundheit! Institute, a "model hospital" which provides free care to people in need, in 1971 after graduating from medical school.

"We wanted to eliminate the idea of debt in the medical interaction," Adams said. "We didn't want people to feel like they owed something when they got care."

Throughout all his years of practice and the 15,000 patients he's helped, Adams said he has never seen an insurance form or adopted malpractice insurance.

"We've made millions of mistakes, and we've never been sued," he said.

Adams became famous when actor Robin Williams portrayed his struggle to promote alternative health care methods in the 1998 film Patch Adams.

Students in attendance said Adams' selfless attitude and consideration toward others impacted their outlook.

"I thought it was thoroughly inspiring," Jaimie Gordon (senior-political science) said.

Lisa Santini (junior-anthropology) said college students should be the ones taking Adams' message about love to heart, and she hopes to start spreading the word.

"Love everyone, no matter what," she said.