Collegian Magazine Friday, Oct. 9, 1981
Parade to kick off weekend
By DINA DeFABO
Collegian Staff Writer
The U.S. Navy Cracker 'Jack Drill
Team, a hot air balloonist, the Nittany
Lion and the Blue Band will march
through the streets today as
University students past and
present celebrate 126 years of
midterms, football and tailgates in
Happy Valley. • .
Kicking off a weekend full of
reminiscing and traditional
festivities, this year's homecoming
parade promises to be a lot of
nostalgic fun, said Jenny Fouse,
parade chairwoman.
"We wanted to pull Homecoming
back to a more nostalgic and
historical event and also pull more
alumni into it," she said. "We hope
that the theme 'Penn State : A
Tradition' will make Homecoming
more enjoyable for the alumni who
come back as well as the students who
are here now.
"We have some great ideas for
floats and it should be a great
parade," Fouse said.
Although fraternities and sororities
usually participate in Homecoming,
Fouse said the festivities are open to
all University groups and
organizations.
"Any group or organization who
wants to and can afford it is welcome
to participate in Homecoming," she
said. "Usually a fraternity and
Seniors are Homecoming veterans
By PHIL EVANS
Collegian Staff Writer
They were here as University Park experienced the
euphoria of a nationally-ranked team on its way
toward an undefeated season and an invitation to the
Sugar Bowl, but they also felt the despair as football
fans asked if the 'Penn State Way' was a thing of the
past.
Now, these students are seniors and Homecoming 'Bl
marks their last chance as students to participate in
the special events that mark the annual Homecoming
game.
Homicoming 1978 Israel and Egypt announce a
peace treaty . . . John Paul II begins his papacy . . .
Chuck Fusina leads the Lions over Syracuie.
Today's seniors were freshmen that year and
watched the festivities as they learned the pitfalls of
dormitory life. Many have since established strong
feelings about Homecoming as they have experienced
it during the previous three years.
"Penn State Homecoming for those in dormitories
isn't that much different than - any other weekend
except that they close the frats for the alumni," Brian
Vensel (10th -accounting) said.
Vensel also said the dormitories don't participate in
sorority pair up and split the cost,
however, Black Caucus is doing
Homecoming for the first time this
year."
The parade will begin at 5:45 p.m.
this afternoon at Parking Lot 80 and
will proceed down Bigler Road. The
parade will turn right onto Pollock
Road, turn left onto Shortlidge Road
and then turn right onto College
Avenue. The parade will finish at Rec
Hall.
- Despite a problem in getting some
float materials and the early date of
Homecoming this year, parade plans
are running smoothly, Fouse said.
"Things are going really well and
we're pretty excited to have the
Cracker Jack Drill Team- up," Fouse
said. "Despite the fact that
Homecoming is so early this year, tho
fraternities and sororities have been
really good in getting their money and
sketches in on time."
University alumnus George Page,
launch director for the NASA Space
Shuttle, will serve as grand marshal
of this year's parade.
Until about three weeks ago, Page's
appearance in the parade was
tentative.-But because of a delay in
today's scheduled Space Shuttld
launch, Page will be able to
participate in the festivities.
The parade will feattue the U.S.
Navy Cracker Jack Drill Team from
Memphis, Tenn., and the Penn State
Jugglers.
The Penn State cheerleaders, the
Blue Band and team captains from
various sports teams will also appear
in the parade.
In an effort to get the community
involved in the Homecoming
festivities, the parade will feature a
local resident and his hot air balloon,
and antique machinery owned by
residents from central Pennsylvania.
"We hope to get a bigger
community turnout than in past
years," Fouse said. "We've tried to
get the community involved in the -
parade by having the balloonist, the
antique machinery and balloons."
Mark Bigatel, a State. College
realtor, and the Nittany Lion will ride
a partially inflated hot air balloon
attached to a trailor in the parade.
This year, 1,000 helium balloons will
be distributed to children along the
parade route.
Competition and judging
chairwoman Jodi Gentzler said that
although floats will be judged on
color, originality, construction and
attractiveness, the largest percentage
of an entrant's score will be based on
how well the set of competition --
guidelines are followed.
Although 24 teams have entered the
overall Homecoming competition and
16 groups have entered the Crazy
Band competition, Fouse said only
five teams will have , floats in the •
parade.
the Homecoming activities enough to add variety to the
events.
Marlene Petter (11th-general arts and sciences)
said: "Dorm floors aren't organized enough, it takes
too much time and money, and they're just not tight
enough." Petter is experiencing her first Homecoming
as a member of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority.
More school spirit should be generated to result in a
better turnout at the vigil at the Lion and at the bonfire
on Friday night, Petter said.
Contrary to Vensel's opinion, Diane Marroccoli
(10th -marketing) said that everyone is involved in the
activities.
Marroccoli, a member of Alpha Chi Omega sorority,
said the parade is for everyone and that a lot of
independents come back for the festivities.
Mike Molvik (13th-mechanical engineering) said:
"It's true that fraternities and sororities do most of the
work. However, it's something to come back to
afterward."
Homecoming 1979 Ronald Reagan and John
Connally gain the support of the Pennsylvahia
Republican party in their bids to win the Republican
presidential nomination . . . Matt Suhey rushes for 225
yards and Booker Moore for 103 yards to lead the
Nittany Lions to a 24 to 3 win over the cadets of Army.
Traditions
Above, Studenis and alumni conduct an alI•
night .vigil at the Nittany Lion Shrine last
year, while, at left, students march in the
Crazy Band division of the Homecoming
parade.
The fact that this year's Homecoming would be their
last as students also has affected many seniors.
"I won't be a student the next time I comeback and it
won't be the same knowing I'll have to go back to a job
on Monday," said Andy Clark (10th -accounting).
There are also alot of scenes unique to Happy Valley
that seniors said that they would miss after their
graduation.
"I probably will miss the carefree attitude. There's
not that many problems here - and that's good, in the
future it won't be that easy," Marroccoli said.
"I'll miss the tailgates; going to the game, watching
the whole game and not remembering any of it," Tim
Long (12th-mining) said. "At times the people in the
stands are really interesting."
Homecoming 1980 Booker Moore rushes for 100
yards and leads a 24 to 7 win over Syracuse.
Many eniors said they will miss the youthful
atmosphere of State College as compared with other
cities.
Despite the fact that Homecoming brings out many
differing thoughts in graduating seniors, their overall
feeling about it remains unchanged.
"Everyone's into the game on. Saturday," Vensel
said. "People who during the week weren't into it come
out of their shell. It's the'people that make it big."
Traditions change:
By DONNA WARYANKA
Collegian Staff Writer
Can you picture heaver Stadium filled
with fanatic fans all dressed in bright pink
and black colors?
When the University was first
established the original school colors were
pink and black. Around 1890, the Athletic
Association voted to change the school
colors to today's navy blue and white,
because students became disgusted when
the pink color always faded to white in the
sun.
The changing of the original school
colors is just one example of the many
hidden tales about the University's various
traditions. The University has gone
through many changes over the years,
including its traditions such as freshman
rules and regulations, the Homecoming
Queen, bonfires and many others, some of
which have been completely discontinued
and others that have just been altered with
the changing times.
The University's history is filled with
many traditions, many of which are still
being practiced and others that have just
faded away with time.
The hazing of underclassmen is one
tradition that has been discontinued. This
tradition was practiced by juniors and
seniors on unlucky freshman victims.
Sometimes a hazing ritual included
'blindfolding unfortunate victims and
stripping them of their clothes. Then the
participants were seated on the floor and
made to feed each other a bucket full of
molasses. By the time they had finished,
both of them would be covered with the
sticky syrup. To top it off, the
upperclassman would finish by covering
them with feathers.
Homecoming is a tradition that has
survived throughout the years since its
start in 1914. Homecoming has its own
unique traditions, some of which have just
been altered over the years and others that
have been discontinued completely.
Homecoming will be celebrated at the
University this weekend as the alumni
return, and the annual parade, bonfire,
candlelight ceromony and vigil at the
Nittany Lion Shrine take place once again.
The bonfire, held outside Beaver
Stadium the night before the Homecoming
game, is an old, familiar tradition. It had
its beginnings on the corner of College
Avenue and Allen Street, but because the
fires damaged property and initiated
explosions, they were stopped for several
years. •
Each year during Homecoming a vigil
takes place at the Nittany Lion Shrine. It
began many years ago when opposing
teams began to paint the lion with their
school colors on the night prior to a game.
After this happened a few times,
fraternities made their pledges stand
guard over the shrine. As the watch
became more popular, many other
students participated in the vigil.
One of the Homecoming traditions that
no longer exists is the crowning of a
Homecoming Queen. This practice ended
in 1972 in response to a student petition
that said the contest was sexist and
derogatory.
Some fade away, others remain
When the University began as a college
in 1855, there were many rules and
regulations that freshmen had to abide by.
In 1950, "frosh" were expected to wear
green dinks (beanies) and black ties. They
had to doff their dinks when they passed
the Old Willow on the Mall, or when an
upperclassman gave the command,
"Button Frosh."
Freshman males were forbidden to talk
or associate with women that were within
a three-mile radius of Old Main. However,
the men were permitted and encouraged to
say "Hello" to each other.
In the 1950 Student Code Book freshmen
were told, for the first time in the school's
history, that they were not required to
carry matches for upperclassmen, nor did
they have to wear black socks or have
their coats buttoned at all times. Of all
these many requirements the last to die
was the custom of wearing the dink, which
did so in the 19605.
The adoption of the Nittany Lion as the
University's athletic symbol was an idea
of H.D. "Joe" Mason, class of 'O7. At a
baseball game against Princeton, Mason
decided not to be outdone by sophomore
tour guides boasting of their emblem, the
Princeton Tiger.
Mason said, "Well, up at Penn State we
have Mt. Nittany right' on our campus,
where rules the Nittany Mountain Lion,
who has never been beaten in a fair fight.
So, Princeton Tiger, look out!"
The team defeated Princeton and Mason
persevered with his idea. The Nittany Lion
was adopted by the students almost
immediately, but it was not approved by
Collegian Magazine Friday, Oct. 9, 1981 9
the University Board of Trustees until
1942. The class of '4O then presented its gift
of the sculptured Nittany Lion, which now
stands outside Rec Hall.
The fight songs that are sung at games
have been a tradition at the University
since their origin. "Fight On State" was
written in 1915 by Joe Sanders, and "The
Nittany Lion" was written in 1914 by J.A.
Lehden.
The Alma Mater was written by Fred
Lewis Pattee in 1901, although the students
have never bothered to learn the words to
the Alma Mater; they are notorious for
making up their own creative lyrics when
the song is played at games.
Another tradition that still remains
standing today is the Obelisk, located near
Willard on the mall. The Obelisk constains
281 different Pennsylvania commercial
building stones. The monument was
conceived in 1898 by Thomas C. Hopkins,
assistant professor of economic geology,
and was built to study weathering
conditions of the stones.
The legend of the Obelisk is that if a
virgin walks past it, it will fall down.
A favorite tradition shared among
students and alumni is tailgating. Full
blown tailgating did not actually begin
until 1960 when the present Beaver
Stadium was built. The old football
stadium was located near the present Kern
Building, so parking space was limited
making it almost impossible for
communal parking and tailgating to be
successful. Once the new stadium opened,
it didn't take long for the popularity of
tailgating to increase.