Penn State is turning 152 years old today and is throwing itself a birthday party.

"We want to celebrate Penn State's birthday with the entire Penn State community," said Kristin Avagliano, (senior-English education), the committee director for the Lion Ambassadors, which is sponsoring several on-campus activities to celebrate.

Lauren Patton (senior-accounting), executive vice-president of Lion Ambassadors, said she hopes the day will promote tradition and pride among the students and community.

The first event of the day will be a birthday cupcake handout from noon to 2 p.m. in the HUB-Robeson Center. There will also be performances by student organizations such as Kappa Alpha Psi, RAM Squad, Lionettes, jugglers and more, Patton said.

From 4 to 5 p.m. at the Hintz Family Alumni Center, there will be a symposium to discuss Penn State history, Avagliano said. This is the first year a symposium will be held on Founder's Day.

Speakers include Lee Stout, head of Public Services and Outreach for Special Collections at the Pattee Library, Roger Williams, executive director of the Penn State Alumni Association and Roger Geiger, a distinguished professor, Patton said.

"It seems to me that it's impossible to understand why Penn State is the kind of institution it is today without understanding where it came from, what the motivations were behind its founding, and how it developed over time," Williams said.

Lastly, from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Hintz Family Alumni Center there will be an evening celebration.

It will feature a mocktail bar and desserts, in addition to ice cream and birthday cake. Avagliano said there will be live performances by the Pennharmonics, the Glee Club and NOTA. "We want to incorporate as much of the Penn State community as possible," she said.