User Profile
qtpiektw
Penn State '12
Member since 12/11/2009
B+
Campus Dining...Where the Good Stuff's at
Waring Commons at West Halls have the BEST freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. Redifer Commons at South Halls also has a great variety to choose from. Nacho Night at The Big Onion in East was by far the best meal freshman year. The Hub probably has the best food out of every place on campus, but it's also the most expensive. The best kept secret for in-campus dining is Cafe Laura. It's in Keller Building where the HRIM students looking for a little hands-on experience. The food is great! Paninis, pizza, mac 'n' cheese, salad, you name it. There's no mystery meat here, but be prepared, on campus food isn't your mom's cooking.
Dec 11, 2009
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The Landmark on Allen Street
The Corner has the best burgers downtown. They aren't that expensive, and it's a nice diversion from repetitive dining commons food. For a nicer place to take your parents, walk upstairs and have dinner at the Allen Street Grill. The food up there is a little more pricey so wait for your parents to come visit.
Dec 11, 2009
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#1 in the Country for a Reason.
There are plenty of parties for underagers to attend. Hit up frat row wednesday through saturday...there's bound to be something. When you start to know a few upperclassmen with apartments, apartment parties are another option for you. Keep all of your fake IDs at home! Downtown bars are very strict with checking IDs, so don't waste your time unless your of age. Both the White Loop and the Blue Loop take you from downtown to the dorms on weekends and run until 2am. There's always a way home, and ALWAYS use the buddy system!
Dec 11, 2009
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Campus Housing: East Halls
Campus Housing: East Halls
Most people say that East Halls are the worst dorms to live in on campus. However, most of the people that say this are upperclassmen. East is known for being the freshman dorms. Here is a look inside! Each room is identical on both sides. Every room comes equipped with a microwave, fridge, and curtains. This room used a trunk and drawers for extra storage space and has the TV in a common spot.
Campus Housing: East Halls
Campus Housing: East Halls
Every room in East Halls has a two-shelf bookshelf next to the bed and comes with a garbage can. The closets feature coat hooks on the outside wall, and four drawers inside for storing clothes. There is a shelf at the top of the closet and a pole to hang shirts, coats, etc. Generally, there is plenty closet space for all of the clothes you bring, but don’t bring your entire wardrobe from home.
Campus Housing: East Halls
Campus Housing: East Halls
Rooms in East come with desk chairs and an overhead light. The desks have two shelves underneath them and a large cabinet under the mirror. Each desk has a small drawer in front of the chair that can be locked and two large drawers for storing school supplies. Although there is lighting in the room, a desk lamp and other lighting is suggested. Most students bring a carpet for the room as well.
Campus Housing: East Halls
Campus Housing: East Halls
Beautiful sunsets are a common occurrence at Penn State. This is the view of the quad from a room in Curtin Hall.
Campus Housing: East Halls
Campus Housing: East Halls
Since Penn State is located in the valley, cold winters and regular snowfall are common. Make sure you pack warm winter clothes and heavy jackets! This was taken from Curtin Hall looking out onto the quad in East during a heavy snowfall.
Campus Housing: Pollock Halls
Campus Housing: Pollock Halls
Every residency has a commons. This is a photo of Pollock Commons. Inside you can find: area dining commons, mailboxes, a small convenience store, study and recreation rooms, as well as equipment rentals (vacuums, pool sticks, ping pong paddles).
Popular Photo Spot
Popular Photo Spot
If you know Penn State, you know Joe Paterno. "JoePa" is our beloved football coach who has led PSU to many bowl games and winning seasons. On football weekends, the "JoePa" statue outside Beaver Stadium is a popular place to have your picture taken. You usually find people posing like his statue in their picture.
Popular Photo Spot
Popular Photo Spot
The Nittany Lion Statue, more commonly known as the Lion Shrine, is where every graduating senior has their picture taken. Many students take a picture there every year to document their Penn State journey. Photos taken at the Lion Shrine also make for unique holiday cards showing off Penn State pride.
Campus Housing: Pollock Halls
Campus Housing: Pollock Halls
Almost all residence hall bathrooms look alike. There are doors on both sides of the hallway. At one end there are about five showers, and at the other is a line of bathroom stalls. In the center is a long counter with sinks running along either side of it. There are outlets in the bathrooms to plug in blow-dryers and straighteners, too.
Campus Housing: Residence...
Campus Housing: Residence Halls
All residence halls at Penn State have the "Safety and Security" flyer posted on the door inside of every dorm room.
Campus Housing: Residence...
Campus Housing: Residence Halls
This is an example of the crime bulletins that are posted on every floor of the residence halls when a crime is committed in a surrounding dorm building. Crime is opportunity, so be smart and don't leave things unattended!
Campus Housing: Residence...
Campus Housing: Residence Halls
Every incoming student is given an official Penn State photo identification card. Don't lose this! It has LionCash, dining dollars, your personal ID number on it, and is the ONLY way to get into your building. To access your residence hall, you simply swipe your card and the door unlocks for you. Don't leave the door open too long though, you'll set off the alarm and campus security arrives.
Transportation
Transportation
Penn State has four free buses that run on campus: Blue Loop ("Bloop"), White Loop, Green Link, and Red Link. The Blue Loop runs from Curtin Road to College Avenue until 2 a.m. on weekends. The White Loop runs from Curtin Road to Beaver Avenue until 4 a.m. on weekends. Both the Red and Green Links run across campus. If you need to get to Innovation Park or west campus, take the Red Link.
Transportation
Transportation
CATA Bus Company also provides students with buses that go off campus to Walmart, the mall, movie theater, etc. These buses cost a small fee, $1.25 each way, but it is totally worth it when you don't have a car. For students living off campus, semester bus passes are available. The library (pictured), College Avenue, and Curtin Road are the most popular on-campus pick up locations for these buses.
Campus Construction
Campus Construction
There is some truth to the rumor that Penn State is always under construction. It's not overwhelming or everywhere, but there is always a new project going on. This photo was taken at night and shows the ongoing construction of a new building across from Pollock Halls and the Student Health Center.
Pattee and Paterno Libraries
Pattee and Paterno Libraries
Pattee and Paterno Libraries are connected, forming one huge building, and hold 5.3 million books, 22,000 films/videos/DVDs, and 88,000 serials. Unlike other schools, the libraries here are always busy, especially during finals week. Even though "the stacks" are creepy (and rumored to be haunted), they are the best places to study and write a paper since it's so quiet.
Berkey Creamery
Berkey Creamery
Berkey Creamery, more simply known as the Creamery, makes 102 flavors of ice cream. About 20 different flavors are available at once, and you cannot mix flavors. Former President Bill Clinton was the only person to ever mix flavors! The Creamery sells about 4,000 ice cream cones during a home football weekend, and 2.5 million cones each year. Coffee and bagels are big sellers for students, too.
Penn State Blue Band
Penn State Blue Band
This is a photo of some Blue Band members watching the end of the game. They help pump up the crowd before the game, and put on some awesome half-time shows. During the 2009 Season, they paid tribute to Michael Jackson with songs like "Beat It," "I'll Be There," and "We Are the World." During "Thriller," the Lion came out dressed in a red jacket ensemble Michael wore and performed the iconic dance.
Penn State Football
Penn State Football
"Don't be intimidated...it's just me and 110,000 of my friends." That was the catchy slogan to 2009's student section white out t-shirt. Built in 1960 and holding over 107,000 fans, Beaver Stadium is the second-largest college football stadium in the nation. In 2002, fans packed in tight to witness the 40-7 win over Nebraska, stretching the stadium's maximum capacity to 110,753 people.
Penn State Football
Penn State Football
Football is like a religion at Penn State. Students live for football season! Here, students line up outside of the Student Section entrance before a white-out game. Even if you aren't a football fan, you should still buy season tickets. Warning to all incoming freshmen: be ready to buy the tickets as soon as they go on sale! They literally sell out within two minutes.
Penn State Football
Penn State Football
There is tailgating everywhere! Whether they attend the game or not, Penn State fans and alumni from all over the country come to tailgate. RVs and cars stretch for miles and miles, all the way out to the agricultural fields!
Penn State Football
Penn State Football
The Blue Band's conductor and the rest of the student body are all hoping for a field goal during the white-out game.
Win Over Ohio State
Win Over Ohio State
After winning against Ohio State during the 2008 season, students poured out of their buildings and into the streets and commons. This was the celebration that took place outside East Halls.
Penn State Football
Penn State Football
The Nittany Lion Mascot is known for his student section crowd surfing. During each game, all the sections scream, "We want the lion!" Whichever section screams the loudest gets the lion.
Penn State Football
Penn State Football
Here is the team in action during the last home game against Indiana in 2009.
Penn State Football
Penn State Football
Daryll Clark (#17) gets ready to make a pass to the open man during a 2009 game against Indiana.
Penn State Football
Penn State Football
The student section is given white pom-pons to shake during the white-out game, instead of the usual blue and white ones.
Rave at the HUB
Rave at the HUB
Modeled after the student rave that took place in the library at James Madison University in Virginia, Penn State students organized one of their own in the Hetzel Union Building (HUB) the weekend before finals. Hundreds of students danced the night away in Alumni Hall of the HUB at midnight to release building stress from studying and cramming for upcoming finals.
Penn State Football
Penn State Football
Here, Penn State's beloved Joe Paterno is being interviewed by a sportscaster at half time. "JoePa," who is commonly recognized by his big old-fashioned glasses, ditched the trademarked specs when he recently had eye surgery. His glasses were auctioned off for $9,000.
Penn State Lion Mascot
Penn State Lion Mascot
Meeting the Nittany Lion mascot is like meeting a celebrity here at Penn State! People from all over jump at the chance to take a photograph with him whenever possible. If you decide to participate in Paternoville, he may very well stop by one night.
Paternoville
Paternoville
During a massive camp-out outside Beaver Stadium for the football game against Ohio State in the 2005 season, freshman Dan Clark (along with some friends) coined the name Paternoville for the "tent-city" where they had been living for the past six days. Before home games, students camp outside the stadium to guarantee themselves front-row seats.
Paternoville
Paternoville
These students camped outside Beaver Stadium for three days to ensure rail-side seats for the game against Indiana in the 2009 football season.
Paternoville
Paternoville
This is just one of the many tents that are pitched outside Beaver Stadium during a Paternoville camp-out.
Penn State Drum Major
Penn State Drum Major
Like the Nittany Lion mascot, the Drum Major (Matt Sabo) is another campus celebrity. Before the start of every game, he performs is signature flip at each end zone. Here, Paternoville participants snagged a photo with him before the start of a football game.
Penn State Lion Mascot
Penn State Lion Mascot
The Nittany Lion crowd surfs in the student section during a game.
Penn State Football
Penn State Football
Before the start of the game, Penn State football players have a team huddle.
The HUB Lawn
The HUB Lawn
On warm fall and spring afternoons, students gather on the HUB lawn to relax, play games, and sunbathe with friends. In this photo, students are celebrating the warm late-March weather by playing Frisbee.
The HUB Lawn
The HUB Lawn
The HUB is the center for all student activity on campus. In addition to the student bookstore, there are eateries inside such as Sbarro and Panda Express. Free movies are shown every week in the auditorium, as well as guest speakers. The HUB is a great place to study, too. The most common meeting spot is downstairs by the fish tanks.
Campus Housing: Pollock Halls
Campus Housing: Pollock Halls
The closets in South Halls and Pollock Halls are designed slightly differently than those in East Halls. The closets have a shelf up top, a rod to hang jackets, and a shoe rack at the bottom. One of the closet doors is bare. The other door, pictured, has five shelves to store random knick-knacks.
Campus Housing: Pollock Halls
Campus Housing: Pollock Halls
Every dorm room comes equipped with a refrigerator, freezer, and microwave unit. These students put their TV and DVD player on top of the microwave, a common spot.
Campus Housing: Pollock Halls
Campus Housing: Pollock Halls
All the refrigerators have an inside light and temperature control. There are two shelves on the door and inside the fridge. In addition, there is a slide-out drawer at the bottom.
Campus Housing: Pollock Halls
Campus Housing: Pollock Halls
All students are given their own desk, chair, overhead light, and cork board. Each desk also has two drawers, one of which is lockable. This student bought her own chair (to replace the wooden one provided) and built a bookshelf for the desk. Also, a desk lamp comes in handy when when you don't need a ton of light to study.
Campus Housing: Pollock Halls
Campus Housing: Pollock Halls
Both desks in Pollock are connected by a long tabletop with a mirror in the middle. Between both desks are ten drawers (five for each student). The closet, drawers, and long bookcase next to each bed are the only storage places provided. Many students buy plastic drawers or bins to get more storage.
Campus Housing: Pollock Halls
Campus Housing: Pollock Halls
Some students choose to loft their beds to create more space in the room. The beds in both Pollock and South make an "L" shape. By lofting at least one of the beds, space was made for a chair and additional shelving. Some people put a futon under the bed, as well.
100 Thomas Building
100 Thomas Building
Thomas Building is comprised of both small and large classrooms. It is also home to the largest lecture hall on campus, 100 Thomas. This lecture hall holds up to 726 students. A class held in here that every student should take before they graduate is SOC119, "Race Relations" with Professor Sam Richards.
Penn State Classrooms
Penn State Classrooms
This is an example of a small lecture hall that holds less than 200 students. Most classes have either a whiteboard or blackboard (sometimes both), an overhead projector, and speakers. Every seat comes with a desk, so students have the option of taking handwritten notes or using a computer.
Campus Housing: Sororities
Campus Housing: Sororities
Not all Greek life is off campus. The fraternities are located downtown and have their own houses. The sororities, however, are given a floor in a dorm building. They normally put their letters up in the dorm windows and decorate large windows in the lobby. Non-Greeks can live in the same building as a sorority, but can room with other non-Greeks.
Free Hugs!
Free Hugs!
Every day when you leave your room and wander around campus, you are guaranteed to see students from a class or organization involving themselves in different activities. Students from a sociology class had to give "Free Hugs" out to random students for an assignment.
Free Hugs!
Free Hugs!
As an assignment for a sociology class, this student had to give out "Free Hugs" to fellow students. One of the other students giving out "Free Hugs" (not pictured) received a hug from Penn Stater Bronne Bruzgo of MTV's "The Real World"!
THON
THON
THON is the largest student-run philanthropy in the world, and it all started here! Since its start in 1977, THON has raised over $61 million for the Four Diamonds Fund. Student organizations raise money year-round for pediatric cancer. The hard work culminates in a 46-hour dance marathon when the total is revealed. THON 2010 raised $7,838,054.36. (Photo taken by Molly Gindin)