Mount Nittany Newsletter
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A newsletter for all those who love Mount Nittany and dwell at heart in her gentle shade.
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Inaugural Marathon Post-Race Runner Comments
Following are unsolicited email comments we received from runners after the race:
“…thought it went great.”
“Thanks for all your and the volunteers’ efforts in putting on a great experience!”
“Mt Nittany was my first marathon. The course was beautiful, the volunteers were outstanding, the water/aid stations plentiful! I appreciate your efforts and those of all the volunteers. I fully anticipate making it an annual race to participate in for as long as it continues.”
“…enjoyed your 1st marathon! The course was lovely and the efforts of everyone involved were greatly appreciated.”
“Our congratulations on putting together a very fine event. From our viewpoint, everything seemed wholly planned and well executed.”
“Thanks for a well run marathon, a little challenging to say the least, but well done.”
“Thanks for organizing a great race yesterday. It was a lot of fun.”
“Although I dropped out halfway through I really enjoyed your race. It was very well supported and the volunteers were fantastic! My only suggestion would be to start at 6 or 7 am next year. Thanks for starting a great new race!”
“Congratulations on a successful inaugural event! From what I saw, everything went very well (aside from the weather). There were lots of people along the course, it was well marked, and there was plenty of water and Gatorade. State College really came out to support the marathon and your volunteers deserve huge thanks!”
“Thank you very much for you and your teams hard work. The marathon was a beautiful challenging course. It was extremely well run and the support was fabulous. Despite the weather being a few degrees too warm I would highly recommend this to any of my fellow runners.”
“Great tough course, great support, amazing volunteers, under really tough weather conditions!! Thanks for putting this on!”
“I wanted to take the opportunity to say thanks for putting on such a great event. I think it went really well. The course was well marked, there were plenty of aid stations and volunteers to make for a smooth run. Not to mention, the whole race and event just had a good vibe. Everyone just seemed glad to be there and happy to have the chance to run some miles on a challenging, but familiar course.”
“The race was great and wonderfully organized with all the volunteers and made the course easy to follow. Thanks again.”
“Very nicely run race for being the 1st. You and your committee obviously spent a lot of time thinking of what was needed for a smooth race and getting it organized. Plenty of great volunteers that were extremely supportive!! I also really enjoyed the community based aid stations (music, water sprinkler, drinks and fun people to make us smile when smiling was the last thing we runners thought about doing).”
“Thank you very much… for all of your work in directing the marathon! It was a great event, and wonderful to be able to run a ‘home town’ marathon”
“Enjoyed the race and am so happy to have accomplished my goals (to finish and not walk)! Your crew was incredibly supportive and that was really great. Their yellow shirts made them easy to spot too. Stonebridge neighborhood was awesome…especially the lady with the sprinkler in her yard that she let me run through! Police assistance was excellent–did not have to wait at a single intersection. Can’t say enough about such a great and memorable first marathon experience! Thank you!!!”
“Great, great work making this happen. I hope to see it continue in the years to come.”
“I just wanted to say thank you for a wonderful run on Sunday. I truly hope this becomes a yearly tradition. Great route, great volunteers, excellent water stops and aid stations – and FINALLY, an affordable marathon. Thank you…”
“Thank you for all the work you did…! [Name’s] first marathon, & despite be hot & humid, he plans to train & run again next year & improve his time & endurance…”
“…everyone had a lot of fun at the marathon this past Sunday. We are hoping you guys do the marathon again next year.”
“Spectators and volunteers are soul restorers and Happy Valley has some of the best.”
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At Homecoming, More Than Penn State Lives Here
Ok, so I couldn’t resist the urge to have a little good-natured fun with the University’s newly-unveiled marketing campaign:
Gary Cattell, the Willard Preacher, Knows Where Penn State Lives I’ve been thinking that I needed to add a post about this past Saturday, but to be honest, it’s the Tuesday morning after, and I’m still processing it. Suffice to say, things happened in Happy Valley this weekend that embodied the essence of “the Old State Spirit”. This will be a brief and tangential meditation on one of the more remarkable Homecoming weekends in memory, so I reserve the right to come back and comment further if I ever manage to wrap my brain around it.
I was struck by some comments from Onward State’s Casey Dexter, who, in a piece published this morning, bravely copped to bolting the Beav early and missing the epic conclusion of our instant classic against Michigan. Having left the stadium halfway through the fourth quarter, Casey and her friends were not in the stands for Allen Robinson’s gravity-defying catch, the heart-stopping four overtimes or the pandemonium after…
Instead, I stood in line at Yogurt Express waiting for a very average-tasting smoothie.
In my defense, watching the rest of the game in that little shop was actually really cool. A small group had gathered inside to huddle around the TV, and people from the other local shops kept popping their heads in to see the final moments. It was heartwarming to see that everyone, whether they were at the game or not, was in the Penn State spirit. Even Michigan fans (who dared not come inside) watched the end of the game from outside the window. It was nothing compared to the electric shock of pride and awe I imagine was felt in the stands, but it really exemplified the close-knit downtown community that is Penn State.
I guess with this confessional I’m trying to make two points. First and foremost, I’m an idiot and will probably always regret leaving this game early, but secondly, the Penn State spirit was (and is) palpable across campus, and probably across the country, regardless of whether you’re screaming in the stands or at your TV.
Yes, they missed out , but their consolation prize was a chance to share in a smaller, more intimate moment that was, nevertheless, just as unique and as revealing of the character and spirit that make this Valley special.
It is very easy for Penn State students to forget that the Nittany Valley is a broader community—of place, culture, time and spirit—that extends beyond the borders of campus, and that their years in school are the beginning, not the totality, of the journey. Likewise, it is all too common for residents of State College and alumni of Penn State to forget that the youthful energy of the student body has always been what sustains and gives life to this place. The symbiotic relationship of Town and Gown—and the reality that there is no line where one ends and the other begins—defines us.
It is very appropriate that this is a story about Homecoming, the time when the Penn State community comes together to celebrate its shared identity. When I look back on this weekend as time passes, I’ll think not only of white-clad students crowding together behind the south endzone goalposts, desperately hoping for a missed field goal attempt that reason and probability left them no right to expect, but also of students and shopkeeps, standing together around the Yogurt Express TV set, sharing that same tension, also daring to hope. Both tell the story of who “We Are.”
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Old Willow and the Heritage Tree Endowment
Onward State broke the news that the Senior Class of 2014 Gift Committee has released its three options for seniors to choose from for their class’s permanent visible symbol on Penn State’s campus.
Of the three options, one is called the “Heritage Tree Endowment” and relates to Old Willow, one of Penn State’s earliest symbols and something that Nittany Valley Press popularizes through its book, “Is Penn State a Real University?: An Investigation of the University as a Living Ideal.” Here’s how the Senior Class Gift Committee describes the Heritage Tree Endowment:
This gift “will preserve the beauty and unique character of the University Park campus through the creation of an endowment to protect trees that have special historical, cultural or aesthetic value and are designated as Penn State Heritage Trees. The University would recognize the gift by transplanting on to campus a fourth-generation descendant of ‘Old Willow,’ a landmark tree planted soon after Penn State admitted its first class of students in 1859, by Professor of Horticulture William G. Waring. Members of the senior class of 2014 could enjoy watching this tree grow as they return to campus again and again throughout their lives, while the endowment provides permanent funds to protect and nurture the University’s Heritage Trees.”
In “Is Penn State a Real University,” author Ben Novak writes about the origin of Old Willow in the chapter “Old Willow, Monarch of the Campus.” It seems only appropriate to excerpt a bit of that here, to provide even more context for why the Heritage Tree Endowment is such an innovative, sustainable, and yet culturally meaningful concept:
In the 18th and 19th centuries many new institutions were founded. One of the ways people chose to show their faith in them was by planting a tree at the time of the founding. It was a symbol of faith that the new tree, like the new institution, would outlive its founders. At the time of the American Revolution, for example, Liberty Trees were planted in town squares up and down the land to signify faith in the vigor and permanence of the new nation.
Penn State also had a tree that symbolized the faith of her founders. When Dr. Evan Pugh was invited to become Penn State’s first president, he was still living in England conducting research. Once on a visit to the estate of the poet Alexander Pope, Dr. Pugh took a cutting from one of the willows at Pope’s villa at Twickenham. He remembered this cutting as he was packing to leave for his new post at Penn State, and decided he would bring this scion with him as his special tree to plant on the campus of the new college. It was also said that he wished to transplant “a bit of England on our pioneer campus.”
When he brought his tree and his idea to William G. Waring, former principal of the Bellefonte Academy and Penn State’s newly-appointed first superintendent of grounds, there was instant enthusiasm. Dr. Pugh and Dr. Waring scouted the area to pick the most suitable spot for the tree. They chose to plant it at the main entrance to the college. At that time Allen Street ran through campus, and the Mall was a fenced driveway. The entrance to the college was at a point where a path veered over to Old Main. President Pugh’s willow was planted beside the gate and stile. A sidewalk still veers off from the Mall at that point.
The Old Willow at the gate was well deserving of the faith that had been placed in it. It grew to be a magnificent tree. Dr. Runkle, the College Librarian, wrote of it, “no one who saw it and loved it in its prime will ever forget its beauty and majesty.” It became the focal point of the campus.
The gate where it was located was the place of many fondly remembered comings and goings, and many a campus meeting was held under its branches. As a result, it became one of the best remembered symbols of early Penn State.
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Day of Caring – Oct 3, 2013
The Conservancy would like to send a huge THANK YOU to all the volunteers who came to help on Mt. Nittany during the annual Day of Caring.
Over 20 total volunteers from the following companies donated their time and efforts on the 3rd.
- Keller Williams Advantage
- Wells Fargo
- Columbia Gas
- HRG, Inc.
- Earth and Mineral Science (EMS) PSU
- Ohio Logistics
Work accomplished included:
- Multiple trail widening efforts were accomplished
- Many leaners removed on total trail system
- 10 big waterbars and a bench installed on Blue between 1 and 10
Columbia Gas
Earth and Mineral Science (EMS) PSU & Keller Williams Advantage
HRG, Inc.
Keller Williams Advantage
Keller Williams Advantage
Hans Huber from Keller Williams Advantage
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Work Party Sept 22, 2013
Volunteers from the Alpha Phi Omega Co Ed Service Fraternity and the Gamma Sigma Sigma Service Sorority came to help on the Mountain.
Work accomplished included:
- Cleared 2 big leaner’s on Blue Trail between Stations 1 and 10.
- Installed 3 water bars in same area.
- Widened some of White trail between Stations 10 and 2.
Alpha Phi Omega Co Ed Service Fraternity
Gamma Sigma Sigma Service Sorority
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Mount Nittany Work Party
MNC would like to thank the members of Penn State Circle K for their work on Sunday Sept 8th.
Four Circle K volunteers (Evan Kohl, Nataline Nguyen, Alex Brandt and Aaron Told) and MNC Board member John Menzell did trail maintenance tasks. John and two Circle K’ers walked the White Trail with a chainsaw and took care of six blow-downs. The remaining 2 volunteers hiked the Blue Trail, picked up trash and marked a map of other blow-downs for future work parties this fall.
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The ‘Magic of Simplicity’ at the Nittany Lion Shrine
The Nittany Lion Shrine was reopened this week after a summer of renovation. Kevin Horne, Managing Editor of Onward State, shares his perspective on the iconic symbol of the campus:
I grew up only an hour away in Williamsport, so this campus was no stranger to me when I enrolled at Penn State three years ago. Consequently, neither was the Lion Shrine. (Proof: Flat Stanley and myself, circa 1999. I was a lot cooler back then, as you can see.) I didn’t realize it then of course, but there was something magical about the simplicity of the whole thing. When Heinz Warneke sculpted the Shrine 73 years ago, I don’t think he could have imagined the landmark — some might even call it sacred ground — that it would become. Indeed, you would hard pressed to find ANY Penn Stater who hasn’t snapped a photo with their arm around the thing.
It was, in a phrase, a true “symbol of our best.” It wasn’t much, of course — just a statue on top of an eroding mountain of mulch — but isn’t there an endearing quality about something like that? Isn’t that sort of modesty something Penn Staters have always held close to the heart, much like the basic blue uniforms our football team will run out of the tunnel wearing on Saturday?
I still get chills when I walk by the Lion Shrine. I would map out my nightly runs accordingly so I’d be able to pass the shrine with no one else around, looking stately as ever under the single spotlight. It was an emotion I couldn’t control, not because of how it looked or the landscape surrounding it, but because of what it symbolizes to generations of Penn Staters. A student today could talk to a student who graduated 50 years ago and the Lion Shrine is one symbol they share in common. In today’s thirst for modernity, that timelessness is difficult to find.
I walked over the new Lion Shrine yesterday morning and I just couldn’t shake the pit in my stomach no matter how hard I tried. Don’t get me wrong — the place looks fine. Aside from the base of the statue, which clashes with the actual Shrine and sticks out like a sore thumb, it’s an aesthetic improvement for certain. It’s also important to have a ramp for handicap access. But I don’t think it will ever be the same for me. The area just feels so scripted and manmade — almost like there should be a gift shop peddling Lion Shrine postcards and coffee mugs off to the side somewhere (don’t get any ideas, Old Main). It has lost the magic of simplicity. In this era of change, that magic is hard to come by.
I’m sure I’ll get over it. It is, after all, an impressive display. But I know that I’ll always miss that modest mountain of mulch. And I know that when my kids come to Penn State and I take their first Lion Shrine picture, something will be missing. At least to me, anyway.
Photo credit: Penn State University
