STILL STANDING: Even as the leaves on nearby trees surrender predictably to gravity each fall, the famous Obelisk at University Park remains stubbornly upright, for 130 years and counting.

Everyday People: Abigail Conrad

Budding PR specialist Abigail Conrad helps clients reach audiences they care about. Read the full profile by Amy Strauss Downey '04 Lib.

Club Hopping

Survivor at Penn State

Founded: 2025
Current membership: 20
Mission: To create Survivor-style competitions on campus for everyone to enjoy.

Charlie Papiernik was a big fan of Survivor and other team challenge shows growing up, so much so that he hosted backyard competitions modeled after the game as a high school student. He founded the club at Penn State during his sophomore year. “I think I originally named it the Reality Game Club, but I’m glad I changed it,” he says. More than 100 students filled out an interest form during the last Involvement Fair, and Papiernik selected 14 for the first event. The club held nearly a dozen of these competitions over the course of last year, in which members voted out one player each hour and held challenges such as a giant rope maze where teams had to collect a series of discs to complete a puzzle. Papiernik was pleased to see other club members take over hosting duties as the semester went on. “It takes a lot of people to be able to do this,” says the rising senior and graphic design major. “We have an amazing executive board, we have an amazing crew, we have amazing people who come to play these games.” 

What's Up With That?

Q: Why does the Blue Band wake up East Halls students on home football Saturdays?

A: The Blue Band’s “Wake Up East Halls” tradition has two pieces. For several years, the band has rehearsed at 7 a.m. for home football games that kicked off at noon. Its practice field was across Park Avenue from East Halls, so it would face that direction and play its warmup songs to serenade the students in those dorms. In 2005, a trumpet player named Jim DeLancey ’08 Eng had an idea: “Wouldn’t it be funny if we did it, but in East Halls?” Many of the Blue Band members lived in South or Pollock Halls and would have to walk through East on their way to practice, so that year, DeLancey and a few other members of the trumpet section began playing songs on the walk, beginning around 6 a.m. After a few games, someone complained, so band director O. Richard Bundy Jr. ’70, ’87 PhD A&A called DeLancey into his office and said, “I have to tell you to stop doing this.” But DeLancey left that meeting with the impression that Bundy didn’t really have a problem with it, so after taking a break for a couple of games, the trumpeters resumed. “I never heard another peep about it again,” says DeLancey. Members of the trumpet section continue the 6 a.m. tradition today, to the delight—or chagrin—of East Halls residents. 

Reminiscing

What was your favorite off-campus getaway spot?

“Going to the cow barns was a nice getaway from my studies. I lived in Nittany Apartments when they were old army barracks and had chickens next door. Going to the barns gave me time to decompress. Therapy animals weren’t a ‘thing’ yet. So I loved to pet the ‘therapy’ cows! Do you know how long a cow’s tongue is and what it feels like? So interesting!”
Mary Kohut Planiczki ’77 Edu

“There was nothing better than having a beer on spring and summer evenings at the Train Yard. It was one of the few downtown watering holes where you could sit outside. I had a M-W-F 3:30 literature elective spring term 1983. I elected Happy Hour at the Train Yard every Friday. The class was pass/fail; I passed.”
Jeff Hansen ’83 Eng

“Stone Valley. I loved to drive there on a nice spring day in my blue MG convertible with a roommate or two and spend the afternoon just relaxing and watching the sailboats on the lake!”  
Robert Nagy ’83 Eng

“When it came to decompressing, a walk in Lederer Park would do the trick. However, on a slow morning after a night out, there was no better prescription than the Eat N’Park buffet on North Atherton (RIP).”
Rick Burchfield ’03 Com

“There was an area about a 
20-minute bike ride from campus that I nicknamed “Ireland,” because it was a very green, rocky hillside. I’d ride there and enjoy the silence and solitude.” 
Walter Meyer ’78 Com

Illustrations by Joel Kimmel.

Then & Now

Heindel Memorial Library

Penn State Harrisburg’s Heindel Memorial Library (shown here in a 1968 yearbook photo) was named for Dr. Richard H. Heindel, the first dean of faculty, and located in the east wing of the Olmsted Building’s first floor from 1979 until 1990. The campus’s current library was completed in 2000 and in 2021 was named the Madlyn L. Hanes Library in honor of the university’s senior vice president for commonwealth campuses and executive chancellor, who retired that year.

Common Wealth

Highlights from four Commonwealth campuses.

HARRISBURG
Penn State Harrisburg is offering a new bachelor of science degree in artificial intelligence methods and applications. The program is designed to equip students with the technical expertise, experience, and ethical grounding to lead in an AI-driven world. Students will learn to design, implement, and evaluate AI solutions; gain hands-on experience in machine learning and generative AI; and examine the ethical implications of AI in society. Students will also benefit from the college’s AI education and research community, including the Nittany AI Alliance, and will complete a two-semester capstone or research project.

YORK
Michelle Lam, a junior majoring in biology at Penn State York, earned second place in the Organic Chemistry II division at the Intercollegiate Student Chemists Convention in April. Her project, “Polymerization properties and antibacterial effect of copper-infused photocurable dental resins,” explores how enhanced dental materials could improve durability and reduce bacterial growth in restorative treatments. The work aligns with Lam’s goal of attending dental school after graduating in May 2027. The convention marked Lam’s first time presenting research at a scientific conference outside of Penn State.

BERKS
The campus was named to the prestigious Carnegie Opportunity Colleges and Universities—High Access, High Earnings Classification in recognition of its commitment to providing access for students from all socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds and preparing those students to earn higher wages. Of the over 3,700 U.S. institutions evaluated, only 478 received this designation. The classification, Carnegie’s highest designation for colleges and universities that facilitate social and economic mobility, is part of the Carnegie Student Access and Earnings Classification, a system that evaluates how effectively institutions create pathways to success for students from diverse backgrounds.

ABINGTON
The Board of Trustees approved a $25 million renovation of the Physical Education Building in May. The project encompasses both a full renovation of the existing 46,483-square-foot building and 6,017 square feet of new infill construction. Key elements include a renovated gymnasium, auxiliary gymnasium, weight room and training room; new space for fitness and cardio equipment on the second floor along the exterior of the building to maximize natural light; a redesigned main entrance and welcoming public commons area; enhanced locker rooms and ADA improvements; and upgraded restrooms and public spaces. The building is scheduled to be open in September 2027.

The Big 3

adidas-clad Lion greats

Nittany Lions varsity teams are now officially sponsored by adidas, but Penn State athletes have been no strangers to the brand over the years. Here are a few Lion greats who have donned the three stripes:

Heisman Trophy winner 
JOHN CAPPELLETTI ’74 H&HD

All-American soccer player and NFL placekicker 
CHRIS BAHR ’75 Sci 

Two-sport star and longtime field hockey coach 
Char Morett-Curtiss ’79 H&HD 

Photos by Penn State Archives.