Oh Penn State, you rascally university.

You tell students that this little hamlet in Happy Valley is a "student-oriented" university. Sometimes, you're so funny you should do stand-up.

Too bad the joke you pulled this week by shutting down Paternoville until 6 a.m. tomorrow without any student input would only get you pelted with rotten tomatoes.

Paternoville residents and all Penn State students, you have a reason to be angry this week. Your university has let you down.

This issue goes much further than just a few tents outside Beaver Stadium. This issue is about your Penn State experience. Not President Graham Spanier's or Vice President for Student Affairs Vicky Triponey's, both of which no doubt had some involvement in the decision to turn Paternoville into a ghost town this week.

Neither graduated from Penn State and neither knows what it's like to be a Penn State student. And they never will.

But Scott Paterno does. The son of Joe Paterno and a graduate of Penn State, he remembers taking road trips to support the team. He remembers his four years here as some of the best years of his life (he says some of the best because he has children now).

"This is your four years," Paterno made sure to remind me yesterday. And now Penn Staters, I'm telling you the same thing.

Old Main is trying to steal the Penn State experience from you. First, the administration banned the consumption of alcoholic beverages during football games (I'm sure Penn State will be defending that SI.com best tailgating venue title this year).

But what's more alarming to me than the absence of alcohol outside the stadium during games is this Paternoville situation. Penn State has always been image-conscious, but this is ridiculous.

Penn State doesn't seem to understand that a Nittany Lion football weekend is its best marketing tool. Paternoville was a national story last year. No doubt it helped contribute to the huge increase in admissions this year. No doubt high school football players would love to play in front of a great fan base.

And no doubt, an alumni coming back to hang out for a weekend might want to chip in a few extra thousand to the university for the chance to see a great fan performance and throw a few back in the parking lot during the game.

"It's a good image," Paterno said. "Our students love our school so much, they'll camp out."

Understandably, Penn State is worried students might be injured at Paternoville, thus they instituted some new regulations. OK, students can deal without extension cords, but to cut the time back is just stupid.

"There are ways to remedy this that weren't explored because the knee-jerk reaction was ... the easiest thing to do," Paterno said.

Duke basketball's Krzyzewskiville knows how to do it. They provide students with a tent supplying power and Ethernet. You'd think with the tuition increases we see at University Park Penn State could do the same.

Worst of all, there was no student input. The biography of Graham Spanier reads, "Graham Spanier has been described as an unconventional university president. His favorite activity is spending time with students."

That is, unless that time means getting their input.

Last year, ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit called Penn State the best student section in the nation. Unfortunately for Penn State fans, their administration was never a part of that.

"It's been so much fun to watch," Paterno said of Paternoville. "I'm so pissed off right now it's not up and running."

And Penn State fans, you should be, too. Camp out on Old Main if you have to. After all, this is your four years.

"Don't let them kid you," Paterno said. "There's nothing wrong with enjoying college."