Generation Three My life as a third generation Penn State student

I’m sitting at my usual desk in the library, the same desk where I wrote the first post I made for this semester, about to finish up the last week of classes of spring 2014. Brace yourself for the cliche but… The semester went by so quickly! I can’t believe we’re at the end of another fun, unpredictable and amazing semester at Penn State.

Here are some of my highlights from this past spring:

1. THON

I think this would be close to the top of everyone’s list, but I had an amazing time at THON this year. I spent a lot of time on the floor supporting my friend who danced, got no sleep, ate a ton of granola bars, and introduced some friends to the magical weekend that is THON.

2. Classes

The bell tower on Old Main- a really cool picture I took during an Old Main tour!

I’m going to be honest, I was a little unsure of my class schedule at the beginning of the year. I was pleasantly surprised, however, as I really enjoyed some of the classes I was most concerned about. My feature writing class became one of the best writing courses I’ve taken at Penn State and I really feel like I am walking away a better journalist. In my sports/ethics in literature class, I read intriguing pieces of literature I never would have been exposed to otherwise and our discussions still linger in my mind as I watch sports and read sports coverage. It’s a testament to the quality of professors you learn from here at Penn State who are so passionate about what they teach that the class will leave an impression on you far past inside the classroom. Each semester I feel like I have a new favorite professor to add onto my list!

3. Reorganizing

I spent many, many days this semester reorganizing my apartment. This sounds a little trivial, but there is no better satisfaction then walking into my clean apartment knowing everything has a designated place. As a college student, you attract clutter and seldom have time to put everything away. (To be honest, a lot of it isn’t worth your time. That free frisbee you picked up? Not necessary. The free sunglasses? You already have a pair. Save yourself the space in your closet.) I am going to move out of my apartment in the near future and it’s going to make it so much easier to pack up and move on. Getting rid of the chaotic mess also creates an easier learning environment. After all, if my apartment is clean, I can’t procrastinate doing my homework by picking up my room!

4. New Opportunities

As you get close to the end of your college career, the looming idea that you have to be an adult rests heavily on your shoulders. The real world is rapidly approaching whether you’re ready or not. I feel like I’ve been on a roller coaster of emotions towards my career and life after Penn State. For a while during the middle of the semester, I was pretty close to an emotional breakdown every time someone asked me, “So do you want to do with your life?” Fortunately things started looking up and there are a few opportunities that will (cross your fingers) pan out. To answer the question though, I still have no idea what I want to do. But at least there are steps to getting to an answer! My professors have been so willing to help me or even offer their own advice and or suggest me for things they see as a fit. Everyone at Penn State wants each student to be successful and anytime I’ve looked for help as I face the “real world,” someone here has helped me or even listened to me rant a little bit.

5. Sleep (well, sort of…)

This was the first semester ever that I didn’t pull any all-nighters. I’m kind of famous for staying up all night to get work done but it really does take a toll on your mind as you keep going the rest of the week. I was organized this semester and had to be really smart about how I used my time since I was crazy busy. I also spent the most time in the library then I ever have before and I really think that being in a designated, distraction-free, study zone helped me use time effectively.

As I finish the end of this semester, the big date is tomorrow for the class of 2018. May 1st! Tomorrow is the last day to make your decisions if you haven’t already. Here’s one last pitch:

Credit: admissions.psu.edu

Penn State is the best place on earth to study, have fun, and work towards a strong future, even if the path isn’t visible yet. There are so many opportunities here and people who want to see you reach your goal. It’s also a pretty fun place to be, in case you haven’t noticed! Happy Valley wants you!

Since State College revolves around a major university, there is an endless amount of things to do every time of the year. However, there are a few events that you definitely need to know about and experience.

1. Art’s Fest

Credit: news.psu.edu

Credit: arts-festival.com

Art’s Fest is this awesome festival and art showing that brings super talented, eclectic artists to the streets of downtown in July every year. There are also pop up food shops, including kettle corn, my favorite, and a chocolate-covered strawberry stand that brings endless amounts of joy for $5. The vendors that come vary from super expensive scupltures to affordable jewelry and hand-made clothing and home decorations. Since I was a kid, our family tradition was to buy a new Christmas ornament from a booth every year and it makes for a great story behind a unique piece of art. Another plus is that after being empty for two months, students and alumni flock back to State College to enjoy some vacation time with art exposure mixed in. For that weekend, Happy Valley is filled with Penn Staters of all ages.

2. Trash to Treasure

Credit: onwardstate.com

This sounds a little weird, but Trash to Treasure is basically a giant garage sale that happens in Beaver Stadium. At the end of the spring semester, students dump everything they don’t want to take home with them or things they just want to get rid of into bins outside of their dorms. There are also community donation points throughout town so the local residents can get rid of anything they want off their hands- clothes, furniture, books, etc. When I moved off campus into an apartment downtown, I had no furniture except for my bed that I took from my parent’s house. My first step was Trash to Treasure. There I bought my TV stand, night stand, vacuum cleaner, desk, two bookcases, some random books, a lamp, a microwave stand and iPod dock for $25. For everything. $25! With a little Clorox wiping everything looked great and I had a furnished apartment in less than two hours. The sale always happens in the beginning of May so if you’re still in town, make sure you go line up early in the morning to get first access to the best stuff. All proceeds go towards the United Way, so you’re spending money towards a good cause. The goal of the event is to eliminate too much waste ending up in a landfill. This was people’s “trash” becomes a new (cheap) “treasure” and prevents a buildup of unnecessary junk.

3. AAUW Book Sale

Credit: aauwstatecollege.org

This is another community sale that happens in the beginning of May, right at the end of the semester. Imagine, rows and rows of books taking up an entire arena… Sounds like heaven right? Well to me, the journalist and English major, it does. It’s actually held in the Agriculture Arena where they have horse shows, livestock, sales and other general farm-like things. The books are used but cheap. Towards the end of the sale, they will have a half-price day where everything is 50% off, and then the best, bag day. On bag day, you pay $5 and can bring your own bag to fill with books. As many books as you can stuff in your bag, for $5! Every genre is there too and if you know what classes you’ll be taking you can grab some textbooks for really cheap.

4. First Night

Credit: news.psu.edu

State College celebrates the New Year in a big way. I’m talking eight feet tall ice sculptures along the street way. First Night includes midnight fireworks, local events like shows, dances, and other performances throughout downtown. The most famous aspect is the multitude of ice sculptures that line the streets of downtown done by talented artists. They actually close down Allen Street and display the sculptures for everyone to see and celebrate the New Year with. The “parklet” downtown, a little community park next to the high school football field, is home to the ice slide- a slide comprised entirely of ice for kids (of all ages) to ride down on a sled. First Night is a really cool tradition that brings the whole community to downtown State College to ring in the New Year.

5. Fourth Fest

Credit: statecollege.com

Credit: statecollege.com

Have you noticed a theme yet? State College likes to celebrate holidays in style. For the 4th of July, State College puts on a GIANT fireworks show completely choreographed to music that is consistently mind-blowing. The festival includes a 4th of July parade, a 5k race, a lumberjack competition, a giant American flag cake, an indoor amusement park (imagine a basketball arena filled with bouncy houses), and a carnival right next to Beaver Stadium. The main event is of course the fireworks. It’s the third largest annual fireworks show in the country and Travel Channel has named it as “one of the best fireworks displays in the world.”

It’s Earth Day! I know I’m going to be a little more conscious of my electricity use today and make an effort to be nicer to the planet. Penn State also has events planned throughout the whole day to celebrate which you can find about here.

So make an effort today, turn off the lights, recycle your newspaper, whatever you can do!

Today, we are… green!

The long winter is over and spring has arrived in Happy Valley! During the first couple weeks of warm weather, people are in better moods, campus looks even more beautiful with bright green grass sprawling everywhere, and parts of campus that were covered with snow have opened up again to be used underneath sunny skies.

Credit: pennstatermag.com

One of the things I love most about our campus is how much open space and greenery there is. What would a classic collegiate campus be without big, weathered trees to rest our backs on? The “mall,” the stretch of land that runs from the library to downtown, is lined with elm trees that have been a classic part of the scenery at Penn State. The first elm was planted back in 1890!

The mall is just one of many places to take advantage of now that spring has graced State College again. Check out my favorites!

1. The Creamery

Credit: statecollege.com

This is an obvious one, I know. But let me tell you, the first day it reached over 70 degrees, all I was craving was a WPSU Coffee Break ice cream cone, one of the Creamery’s Hall of Fame Flavors. It’s named after the the public broadcast channel! There are lots of tables right outside the creamery to study or hang out at and it’s next to some greenhouses to give you even more of a spring feel.

2. The Arboretum

Credit: arboretum.psu.edu

Credit: statecollege.com

If you ever need a calming place to do some homework or just relax for a bit, the arboretum is a great place to visit. Next to the Katz Building (the law school), the garden is full of beautiful plants- over 17,000 to be exact! Not to mention the waterfall, tons of benches, and a pavilion.

3. The IM Fields

Credit: pennstatermag.com

Now that it’s warm, people can exercise freely outside again. Runners pop up everywhere on the streets of downtown and campus. However, if you’re like me and running is not your thing, head over to the IM fields with some friends for pick up touch football, soccer, baseball, even Quidditch games.

4. Medlar Field at Lubrano Park

Credit: Onwardstate.com

Speaking of sports… I seriously love going to Penn State baseball games. Student tickets are only $3! Where else can you enjoy a spring day at a ballpark for that kind of deal? The seating is not reserved so you can pick your favorite spot. Mine is behind the visitor’s dugout, that way I can rest my feet on the top. The view from the park looks out to Mt. Nittany and it’s just a great atmosphere. (Also: if you buy student tickets, they’re only $20 and you get a free tee shirt plus a batting practice with the team.) The park was named the 10th best park in college baseball by College Baseball daily last July.

5. Old Main Lawn

Credit: worldcampus.psu.edu

Credit: stateimpact.npr.org

This is the most popular place for students to soak in some sunshine once spring hits. At any given moment when the temperature is above 65 degrees, you will find students sprawled out all over the place whether they’re studying, playing frisbee, just hanging around, or eating lunch. The lawn is huge and overlooks College Avenue, one of the main streets downtown. It’s a great merging point of campus and downtown and one of the most scenic areas in State College.

6. The Hintz Center Gazebo

I walk by this gazebo every single day to get from my apartment to campus and all throughout winter I just couldn’t wait for it to warm up so I could sit in it comfortably. Right next to the Alumni Center, the gazebo is part of a courtyard with a pond and scenic little bridge where ducks tend to hang out. Didn’t get to use up the entire box of cereal before it went stale? Just feed it to the ducks instead. The gazebo is just so quaint and is somewhat tucked away so you can focus on work but still close enough to some of the main classrooms that you won’t be late to class.

Once you’ve made the fantastic decision to attend Penn State, you’ll quickly learn about campus and downtown State College. Your dorm room will become your new home and State College will be your new hometown. Let’s face it; you’ll spend more time in Happy Valley than you will at your parent’s house. While it might seem daunting, it’s easy to make State College your domain. As a college town, State College adapts as the tastes and trends of campus life. Trust me, almost everyone and everything in State College caters to us students.

1. Explore the town!

With downtown State College being mere minutes from campus, you’ll be acquainted with the charm and eccentricity of downtown shopping, dining, and entertainment. However, there’s still much more to State College. The CATA bus system makes it easy to get from one end of town to the other and easily serves all shopping areas in State College. There are two Wal-Mart’s and a Target plus several grocery stores (Wegman’s, Giant, Weis, etc.,) and even specialized grocery such as Trader Joe’s. Prices are usually much steeper downtown for staples such as cereal and personal care items so find a group of friends and pick a day to make a trip to Target and pick up what you all need together. Better yet, befriend an upperclassman with a car who can shuttle you around.

2. Embrace the change!

Everyone will miss their hometown and certainly the normalcies they’re used to. However, going to college is no excuse to go months without a haircut or visit the dentist.. Like I said before, Happy Valley is your home now and it’s worth fully diving into a regular lifestyle here. There are some great local businesses to support that are used to the influx of students and offer great deals just by showing your PSU id+ card. (Personal recommendation: Adam Cole Salon on College Avenue. Amazing quality and super friendly people!)

3. Find your new favorites!

You’ll pretty soon discover all new favorite places to eat, study, and hang out. Be open-minded and embrace our college student-friendly community. Go to the public library downtown and get a library card, find a local restaurant that makes your favorite dish, and figure out where you can make a positive impact on your new home. Some of my “townie” favorites:

-The Deli- a downtown restaurant with a huge menu and amazing cheesecake!

-Otto’s Pub & Brewery- a restaurant that has great vegan/vegetarian options as well as classic American food with a gourmet touch.

-Schlow Library- The local community library. I love having a public library card. You can also rent DVD’s there for free! This also makes a good study spot as it is located in the center of downtown.

-The State Theatre- located downtown on College Avenue, this is a great place to see community theatre productions, intimate concerts, and see screenings of movies and documentaries. It’s a part of State College’s cultural history and they typically run great deals for students on tickets!

When I was in high school and would watch episodes of Gilmore Girls when Rory was at Yale, I was awed by how all the college students seemed to be well-dressed and preppy at all times. There was an abundance of khaki pants, sweater vests, and blazers, all which of which they wore to class on a regular basis. 

Let me dispel the myth right here, kids: No dresses that nice in college.

At least not on a consistent basis. There is a kind of college-student dress code where it becomes totally acceptable to wear yoga pants five days of the week and the same sweatshirt two days in a row. It’s not like high school where you go to the same classes every single day- you’re not going to see the same people two days in a row so who is really going to be able to tell?

That is a kind of gross exaggeration but trust me, it happens. Especially when you’re in desperate need to do laundry.

Since my experience comes only from dressing myself, a girl, I asked my brother, a freshman here at Penn State about what he wears:

I even made him provide photographic evidence. He was thrilled.

“Whatever is clean and closest to my bed.”- Evan Galimberti, Freshman, Earth and Energy Engineering

On that note, here is a list of seven outfits common outfits you see at Penn State. This isn’t to say you shouldn’t dress up if you don’t want to! But let’s face it, when else in your life are you going to get to be able to wear a tee shirt seven days out of the week? Take advantage of it while you can.

1. The “I Have Been Awake for Two Hours but It Looks Like I Rolled Out of Bed”

This is my most worn outfit. Yoga pants (best invention ever), a PSU sweatshirt, and sneakers. I threw in the hat because sometimes my hair doesn’t look great and this is a very easy way to show PSU pride yet hide my bad hair day. Plus it takes no time to put on and once you have been at Penn State for more than a month, half of your closet will be just Penn State clothes.

2. The “This Outfit Makes Me Look Like I Either Came from the Gym or Am About To Go To the Gym, but Psych!”

When it’s warm enough, this is what I live in. Nike tempo shorts are a favorite amongst all college girls, I think, especially since you can get them in any color. Plus, nothing says laziness like wearing one of your 75 tee shirts! And if you actually do go to the gym, you’re all ready!

3. The “It’s Winter”

If you’ve been on campus in the winter before, I bet 75% of the girls you saw were wearing some variation of this outfit, me included. It starts with a big, warm, puffy  coat and snow boots that keep your feet warm even if it didn’t snow. A lot of girls wear this with leggings and Ugg boots, two fashion trends I am not on board with. (Leggings are not pants!) Get used to wrapping yourself up in a scarf, hat, and gloves. I really like the gloves that are touch-screen compatible.

4. The “White Out Game!”

Penn State students take the white out themed football game very seriously. It’s usually the biggest home game of the year against a top opponent. The main things you need are a white Penn State shirt and a white jacket. Penn State hair bows are a favorite accessory among many girls and of course you’ll need temporary face tattoos!

Photo credit: York Daily Record

 Body paint is optional.

5. The “Ugh, It’s Raining…”

 Rain happens. Sometimes it will happen in the middle of class. For instance, when you walked into Willard building it was sunny and beautiful. But when class was over, the sky exploded and a full rain is pouring down. Good thing you have that mini-umbrella in your backpack, right? If you were smart and checked the forecast that day, maybe you would have been a little more prepared. Make sure you have a pair of rain boots and a lighter rain jacket. I always keep the mini-umbrella in my backpack for the unexpected storm but you’ll want some trustworthy boots to make sure your feet stay dry on your walk around campus.

6. The “It’s THON Weekend, Where’s My Tutu?”

This set of clothes is supposed to look crazy. THON (which if you don’t know about, immediately go to thon.org) is all about putting on as many different colors and patterns on your body at one time. Most people will have colored shirts for the organization or groups but they are almost always decked out in tie-die, knee socks, and girls (sometimes guys) love to wear tutus throughout the weekend. Why not? Tutus make everything more fun!

7. The “Better Look Like A Real Adult For This”

At some point, you’re going to need to have professional attire that is appropriate for interviews, workshops, and luncheons while you’re on campus. I had an interview for a THON committee in my first two months as a PSU student. I was pretty surprised how many people didn’t think to bring professional clothes with them! Bring pieces that can be dressed up or down but make sure you have some go-to looks for when you need to look professional. There are lots of opportunities on campus and you don’t want your attire to hold you back!

Of course, you should dress however you want to. If you want to dress up, go for it. Love your pajamas? We’re not judging you. Don’t be afraid of fitting in or looking “uncool” when you’re on campus. These are examples of what the norm of dress is- casual and decked in Penn State apparel.