Campus Traditions
Penn State proudly engages in some of the oddest rituals known to any university. The most poignant is the Mifflin Streak, an annual event during which a group of nude joggers bare themselves to a crowd of semi-aroused onlookers. On a less pornographic level, Arts Fest brings thousands of people back to State College every summer. Local artists showcase their work alongside mouth-watering food kiosks and family-friendly events. “A combination of creativity and the love of PSU, it’s definitely one of my personal favorites,” Penn State alum Evon Onusic said.
Annual Bashes
Saint Patrick’s Day fell during spring break in 2007, so students created their own holiday – State Patty’s Day. It quickly became one of the largest annual celebrations in the state. Held each year the weekend after THON, hundreds are drawn into town to partake. Students party so hard on the holiday that the university and local police have started paying bars to shut down that weekend, hoping to quell some of the rampant destruction.
If It’s Your 21st, You Should Be At the Phyrst
It’s a Penn State tradition to celebrate your 21st at the Phyrst. In fact, so many poor souls have been annihilated at this bar that they’ve banned fresh 21-year-olds from taking shots on their birthday. On the bright side, they give you a plastic green bowler’s cap that says “Happy Twenty Phyrst Birthday,” because no one can pass up a good pun.
