By Todd Miner, owner of Vamos! Lion Chariot Tours
Penn State's traditions are a big part of what makes Happy Valley feel like more than a campus. Behind the chants and photo spots are real stories, and knowing them makes a visit richer. Here is a local's primer on the traditions you will encounter — and the story of the lion at the center of them.
Why the Nittany Lion?
Penn State's mascot is the Nittany Lion, named for Mount Nittany, the mountain that overlooks the University Park campus. The mountain lion — once native to central Pennsylvania — was adopted as the school's symbol in the early 1900s, and it has represented Penn State ever since. The name ties the university directly to the landscape around it.
The Nittany Lion Shrine
Dedicated in 1942 as a gift from the graduating class, the Nittany Lion Shrine was carved from a single 13-ton block of Indiana limestone by sculptor Heinz Warneke. It has become the emotional center of campus — the place students photograph at graduation, fans visit on game day, and visitors seek out first. If you make one stop on campus, make it here.
"We Are... Penn State"
The call-and-response chant of "We Are... Penn State" is the university's signature. You will hear it at games, on campus, and even out in the world whenever two Penn Staters cross paths. The mirrored "We Are" sculpture near the HUB has become a modern monument to the phrase and one of the most popular photo spots on campus.
The White Out
Among the newer traditions, the football White Out has become one of the most famous scenes in college sports — a night game where more than 100,000 fans wear white and Beaver Stadium roars. It is a spectacle worth planning a trip around if you can get a ticket.
THON
Not every tradition is about football. THON is Penn State's student-run philanthropy, culminating in a 46-hour no-sitting, no-sleeping dance marathon that has raised hundreds of millions of dollars for childhood cancer research over the years. It is one of the things Penn Staters are proudest of, and it says a lot about the community's character.
Experience the traditions firsthand
Reading about these traditions is one thing; standing at the Shrine or hearing the stories on campus is another. A guided chariot tour weaves the history and lore together as you pass the landmarks, so the traditions come alive rather than staying on a page. Plan a ride and let a local guide show you where it all comes from.