Liz Remus got the chance to experience two of her favorite things Thursday night: lumberjacks and bicycles.
Remus (sophomore-English) donned a festive flannel shirt as she joined fellow students dressed as lumberjacks and beavers while they traveled through the Penn State campus on bicycles and tandem bicycles, wishing everybody a "Happy Thursday."
Starting outside the Pattee and Paterno libraries, 34 cyclers got ready for an hour and a half ride. Will Morgan (senior-psychology) coordinates the Happy Thursday Bicycle Ride, which he said is geared toward getting people on their bicycles and having fun.
"We're trying to be a thing for fun, for people who don't race" said Jordan Thomas (sophomore-communications arts and sciences).
Besides having fun, biking is a way to be good to the environment.
"Just riding a bike in itself is an act of eco-friendliness and a step towards reducing your carbon footprint," Morgan said. "If people associate their bike with positive feelings, then it will increase their likelihood to ride their bike to class, the supermarket, anywhere."
Cyclers were encouraged to ride at their own pace and not leave anyone behind. The course, which changes each week, gave riders the chance to ride on pavement, grass and even through the woods. Some rode leisurely through the course, while others did tricks on their bikes.
"I think I got a twenty-foot slide," said Sam Black (senior-classics and ancient Mediterranean studies). "It's frightening at first but once you realize you're not going to fall over the handlebars, it's exciting."
Another aspect that made the event more enjoyable for bikers was the theme.
"I'm glad to see so many people got into the lumberjack theme," Thomas said. "I obviously went all in -- I had to get a red and black plaid shirt, the hat was luck, and I had to go short with the shorts. You have to show off during this time of year."
While it was geared toward fun and exercise, there was a good bit of healthy competition between the bikers, and even cars.
"This was my first time and it was kind of nice to dominate the road for a change," said Kristen Meyerback (senior- rehabilitation and human services).
The ride ended at the Allen Street Gates after passing by many Penn State landmarks.
When the riders stopped to have a bicycle derby around the sundial on the Old Main Lawn, they interrupted Zach Shue (senior-business management) who was in the middle of a game with his friends. Shue then stopped to watch the activities and couldn't be upset.
"They're really friendly and they just keep saying 'Happy Thursday', " said Shue.
The bicycle derby, which Thomas won, involved riding around in circles and nudging other riders so that their feet would touch the ground, taking them out of the competition.
