For those that experienced a Penn State summer: What is your favorite summertime activity or memory?

[wex18]

Summer 1967 -- The first Arts Festival -- a temporary fence was constructed along "the wall" along College Avenue where people displayed their non-juried art work. South Allen Street was blocked off one night for a concert by a local band (Robin & The Hoods).

Summer 1969 -- Beginning my junior year, I stayed in the dorms with all the incoming freshmen. This was a year and a half after the Orange Bowl win over Kansas, and the Pa. governor had won a buffalo in a bet with the Kansas governor. The buffalo was kept in an enclosure way out past the agriculture barns. I'd talk freshmen girls into going on "private tours" of campus which included seeing the buffalo. (And I know some of you are probably thinking it, but no, I do not refer to any of my body parts as "the buffalo.")

I planned to hitchhike to Woodstock with two of the women on Saturday, but another friend had already tried Friday and returned and told us the roads were closed and we'd never be able to get there.

 

[TXHILL89]

ArtsFest 1987 or 1988, not certain - recall it being blistering-hot....

using a three-man slingshot to launch waterballoons out of our attic window toward people partying 300+feet away on the balconies at neighboring Cedarbook.... one Zapruder-film esque moment my friends and i still talk about where one poor co-ed took a head-shot that knocked her back through the (open, thank god) sliding-glass door and into her living room... quite relieved when she reappeared smiling/laughing on the balcony with a fresh beer in her hand about 15sec after disappearing...

Slingshot confiscated by Borough police later that night after some hooligans plinked a patrol car sitting down in front if UniMart Still haven't gone down to the station to claim it

I'm pretty sure I remember witnessing this event. I also recall one of those sling shots putting a balloon straight through a window on beaver that summer.

 

[Zenophile]

(And I know some of you are probably thinking it, but no, I do not refer to any of my body parts as "the buffalo.")

 

[Victor E. Bell]

I suspected Manca and I were contemporaries but I don't think I ran in the same circle. Should have!

 

[Manxome_Lion]

Funny you all bring that up. 1988 or 1989 a couple of dorm buddies and I played around with one of those "wingers" three man slingshots. Targeted a jogger just east of North Halls, back in the days of parking lot 80.

Someone had painted the Nittany Lion statue orange recently and we tossed around the idea of using it to launch blue and white paint balloons to paint the Carrier dome in retribution (thankfully that REMAINED just a plan!)

I DO recall using that contraption to launch fruit from the dining hall at an outdoor handball court wall. Amazing what happens to a banana or orange at approximately 300 fps when it hits concrete! Almost as amazing as what a few young adults will come up with to occupy their free time.

I'm pretty sure I remember witnessing this event. I also recall one of those sling shots putting a balloon straight through a window on beaver that summer.

 

[Thorndike2012]

I was there for the summer of 1980. We bombed the girls who were sunning themselves around the dorms with their tops unhooked with ice cold water balloons. We got to see MANY wonderful hooters and nipple shots that way. I know...it was a bad thing to do, in retrospect. We enjoyed it at the time.

 

[Norm Petersin]

Doing it at mid court at Rec Hall one night. But that doesn't top the Beav story from earlier.

 

[YeOldeCup]

Whether it was your pre-freshman year or you just stuck around to get into a coveted ESACT class, State College is lovely in summertime.

I have fond memories of
- daytime swimming at the Quarry,
- camping/caving at J4,
- late night swims in Stone Valley (Shaver's Creek).

- Having no trouble getting into any downtown establishment (outside of Arts Festival)
- being in a crowd of six at the Garden Theater for a midnight showing of "The Empire Strikes Back" upon original release
- living above Mid-State Bank with a clear view to the sights outside the main College Avenue campus entrance and "the wall" (across from the Corner Room)
- "accidentally" getting into the PSU tennis club and playing on clay for about 45 minutes before we were informed that "students" were not considered "members"
- no waiting for racketball or squash courts
- practically owning Campus Casino and Playaway Arcades
- the sights at the campus pool

 

[mrtailgate]

Great thread with great posts. Anyone remember the short lived Wuv's? I seem to remember it opening in the summer on College Ave or maybe I just noticed it then. For me, it was the outdoor pool, Arts Fest and just the joy of sitting onthe steps of Pattee and walking through a nearly deserted campus.

 

[humpydudas19]

ArtsFest 1987 or 1988, not certain - recall it being blistering-hot....

using a three-man slingshot to launch waterballoons out of our attic window toward people partying 300+feet away on the balconies at neighboring Cedarbook.... one Zapruder-film esque moment my friends and i still talk about where one poor co-ed took a head-shot that knocked her back through the (open, thank god) sliding-glass door and into her living room... quite relieved when she reappeared smiling/laughing on the balcony with a fresh beer in her hand about 15sec after disappearing...

Slingshot confiscated by Borough police later that night after some hooligans plinked a patrol car sitting down in front if UniMart Still haven't gone down to the station to claim it

Made one out of large surgical tubing stolen from labs and old BB glove webbing. Launched all sorts of fruit, tennis balls, balloons and other things hundreds of yards. Buddy made one that he looped around his feet, and watched one time as orange came back and nadded him as webbing/tubing spanked ass when tubing slipped off one foot.

 

[kgilbert78]

Great thread with great posts. Anyone remember the short lived Wuv's? I seem to remember it opening in the summer on College Ave or maybe I just noticed it then. For me, it was the outdoor pool, Arts Fest and just the joy of sitting onthe steps of Pattee and walking through a nearly deserted campus.

That's a site that has had more lives than a cat. Was Burger King, I think, and has also been a clothing store and at least one more restaurant. Now it's a restaurant again, as I recall.

 

[loosey goosey]

Arts Fest,outdoor pool and I loved riding the Cannondale with my dog around the deer pens to Houserville.

 

[Mister Magoo]

Drinking!

 

[MtNittany]

That's a site that has had more lives than a cat. Was Burger King, I think, and has also been a clothing store and at least one more restaurant. Now it's a restaurant again, as I recall.

Didn't Wuv's become Roy Rogers? Then Old State Clothing? BK was the old Train Station property I thought.

 

[loosey goosey]

Didn't Wuv's become Roy Rogers? Then Old State Clothing? BK was the old Train Station property I thought.

It was a nite club,right?

 

[kgilbert78]

Didn't Wuv's become Roy Rogers? Then Old State Clothing? BK was the old Train Station property I thought.

I think it was a Roy Rogers for a bit. But it was something else before WUVs, which I forget, though I was in school then. I'd thought it was BK (as the Train Station was also in State College at that time).

 

[BBrown]

Didn't Wuv's become Roy Rogers? Then Old State Clothing? BK was the old Train Station property I thought.

That sounds about right. I don't remember Wuv's but I loved Roy's and I think it did become a clothing store. Didn't it have an entrance that was a mt. lion mouth and didn't the Lion sound when you opened the door?
Train Station became a Burger King and then something called the Crowbar. Not sure what it is now since I haven't been downtown in a long time.

 

[mrtailgate]

It was a nite club,right?

No, was a burger joint. I can't remember exactly what the special was but it was pretty good as it was trying to attract customers. I hit it a lot that one summer since whatever the special was it was really cheap.

Back in the 70's, there was a place called The Red Barn which was on Atherton across from the Pizza Hut. Lower level burger place. Saw the most amazing thing in there one day. Some kid came in with a big hefty contractors type bag and proceeded to empty the entire salad bar into the bag and then casually walked back to Parkway Plaza with it. Most amazing thing I ever saw in a food place.

 

[manatree]

No, was a burger joint. I can't remember exactly what the special was but it was pretty good as it was trying to attract customers. I hit it a lot that one summer since whatever the special was it was really cheap.

Back in the 70's, there was a place called The Red Barn which was on Atherton across from the Pizza Hut. Lower level burger place. Saw the most amazing thing in there one day. Some kid came in with a big hefty contractors type bag and proceeded to empty the entire salad bar into the bag and then casually walked back to Parkway Plaza with it. Most amazing thing I ever saw in a food place.

That restaurant was most likely owned by former PSU lineman Glenn Ressler. For a spell he owned/ran about every Red Barn & Ponderosa in Pennsylvania, New jersey & Maryland.

 

[PSUFBFAN]

That restaurant was most likely owned by former PSU lineman Glenn Ressler. For a spell he owned/ran about every Red Barn & Ponderosa in Pennsylvania, New jersey & Maryland.

Guys - you are taking this thread off the rails with your restaurant naming discussions. Let's get back to stories involving parties and girls - that's what summer in SC is all about.

 

[Zenophile]

Guys - you are taking this thread off the rails with your restaurant naming discussions. Let's get back to stories involving parties and girls - that's what summer in SC is all about.

Hear, hear!

 

[manatree]

Guys - you are taking this thread off the rails with your restaurant naming discussions. Let's get back to stories involving parties and girls - that's what summer in SC is all about.

Do you prefer fact or fiction? .

 

[MrDibbs]

My first term was summer of 1967. Graduated high school on June 1 and moved into Shunk Hall on June 12 or so. I was 17 years old and when Mom and Dad drove me onto the campus, it was the first time I was there at UP.
Freshman engineering student...taking calculus, chemistry, English, phys ed and an engineering graphics course. The calculus and chemistry were especially difficult for me. To be honest, I don't know how I got through academically.
My dad got sick and mom didn't tell me for a week after he went into the hospital. Got home for a very short weekend and that seemed to make it tougher with the studies.
He recovered and I survived. Wish that I would have had the experiences that many of you enjoyed, but life isn't always fair. I attribute my difficulties to youth, immaturity and just dealing with a much more rigorous academic adjustment than expected.
Hindsight being 20-20, it was much better making that adjustment during summer term than in the fall.

 

[Zenophile]

Perhaps those who attended Arts Fest 2017 will have a story (or 2) to share.

 

[gregoryj95]

Whether it was your pre-freshman year or you just stuck around to get into a coveted ESACT class, State College is lovely in summertime.

I have fond memories of
- daytime swimming at the Quarry,
- camping/caving at J4,
- late night swims in Stone Valley (Shaver's Creek).

Very much like your experience, Zenophile. Spent the summers of '93 and '94 rock climbing climbing the rock walls at Bellefonte quarry and then jumping off the cliffs on either side of the water. Climbed the sandstone cliffs outside of Donation a few times. We crawled through J-4, Deerbone, and a couple of other caves whose names I can't remember. Black Moshannon State Park was a favorite place, and as someone else mentioned the old fire towers were cool. The one above Shingletown Gap in particular. Rothrock State Forest was another spot.

Dropping my oldest, my daughter, off at East Halls a month from now is going to bring back some memories. Going full circle.

 

[bwifan]

We hit the salad bar at Roy Roger's one memorable evening after partaking in a little "herbal refreshment." We still laugh our asses off over that night.

There was a thread a few years ago if I remember correct that people told of the craziest places on campus they got busy... no names just different places across campus. Pretty amazing places people have gotten busy up there especially during the summer semesters.