News from the 2009-2010 Season
SPRING ELECTIONS (April 22nd, 2010)
First, the PCC extends its thanks and best wishes to outgoing two-term PCC Secretary, Amanda Meyerson. Thank you for all of your hard work!
Secondly, the PCC extends congratulations to all the newly elected officers who won in elections last night. The newly elected officers include: Michael Higgins (Secretary), Stacy Bartholomew (Organizational Officer), Adam Brown (Organizational Officer), Steve Huber (Organizational Officer), Jeff Lowe (Organizational Officer), and Evan Rothey (Organizational Officer). The PCC also thanks all the other candidates who ran for showing your interest in becoming a part of the PCC's leadership.
Last night, the PCC also passed new Constitution and Governing Policy documents. Both are now available on the Rules and Regulations page of this site.
The PCC leadership will work hard this summer to prepare for the upcoming football season, so kick back, relax, and enjoy the break (after you study for and take your exams, of course). We will see you all early in the Fall 2010 semester for the 2010 preseason meeting. Youngstown State is just around the corner!
Check back on the PCC site and social networking accounts every so often over the summer to see if the PCC has any news about preparations for the season.
FIRST SPRING MEETING (April 14th, 2010)
Tonight was the first Spring semester meeting of 2010 for the PCC. Primarily, the officers presented the changes to the sign-in procedure for 2010. Amongst the advantages of the system is eliminating the problem of people showing up at Gate A long before the actual designated start time for camping, easier selection of sections, and reduction in disputes over arrival time of different groups. In addition, the officers presented a possible "loyalty" system for camping and fielded questions and suggestions for a system if the PCC fields one in the future. Finally, the PCC officers discussed changes to the Constitution and Governing Policy to be voted upon at the next meeting.
The PowerPoint presentation from the meeting can be viewed by clicking here.
The current PCC officers also accepted nominations for the current executive positions (President, Vice President, Secretary, and Public Relations). In addition, the previously-appointed gameday assistant positions have become elected positions. The PCC will elect four Operations Officers this year. These are non-executive positions, but with greater responsibilities than helping load the serpentines on game days. Operations offcers, or OOs, will be asked to help out with various tasks throughout the camping week.
If you would like to nominate someone for a position, please send an e-mail to PSUpaternoville@gmail.com with the name of the person you wish to nominate. For the four executive positions, you cannot nominate yourself and you must have a "second" nomination for the same person. For the OOs, you can nominate yourself and only one nomination is required. Nominations are due by Friday, April 16th, 2010.
The next PCC meeting, at which elections will be held and during which the PCC will vote on changes to the Constitution and Governing Policy, will be held on Wednesday, April 21st at 7:00 pm in 121 Sparks. We hope to see you there!
SPRING MEETINGS (April 7th, 2010)
Yes, that time of year has finally come. It's time to wrap up the 2009 season and look forward to the 2010 season. With growing interest in Paternoville, that means having spring meetings. Yes, meetings. Plural.
The first of two spring meetings this year will take place on Wednesday, April 14th, 2010 at 7:00 pm in 121 Sparks. The PCC hopes that you can take time out of your busy end-of-semester work to come hear about the many new changes Paternoville will face in 2010. One week later, we will hold annual PCC elections on Wednesday, April 21st, 2010 at 7:00 pm in 121 Sparks.
PROJECT PATERNOVILLE (February 28th, 2010)
In order to form a more comprehensive history of Paternoville and its unnamed pre-2005 form, the Paternoville Coordination Committee has begun "Project Paternoville." The PCC asks for your assistance in compiling information on how Paternoville has grown from the first few camp outs way back in the day (the unofficial beginnings of camping are contested, and could be as early as the 1970s) to the current form. An initial list of over 100 sources has been compiled and the first round phone calls and e-mails should be going out within the next 24 hours. If you are not initially contacted, please be patient. We are asking our initial sources to provide us with more names we can contact.
Thank you for your cooperation. With this, hopefully we can all begin to understand how this great tradition has grown and changed.
LETTER TO CAMPERS (November 15th, 2009)
A letter from PCC President Alex Cohen:
Dear Paternoville,
It is hard to believe another season out at Gate A is in the books. After finishing my third year camping out and my first year as President I wanted to take this time to say thank you. This season wouldn't have been as fun or as memorable if it weren't for everyone who camped out. We had over 1,700 different students camp out this season. The passion and dedication every single one of you demonstrated this season in camping out is why we continue to be the "Best Student Section in the Country".
Looking back on this season, it is impossible to pinpoint my favorite memory. There was the first campout against Akron and the excitement that comes with a season opener. Although the game result wasn't what we wanted, Iowa week as a whole were some of the wildest 5 to 6 days I have ever experienced. I will never forget homecoming week and all the ups and downs of those 7 days in mid-October that culminated in Paternoville winning best float for an independent org.
To my fellow officers, John Tecce, Dan Saxton, and Chris Grassi, thank you. To the other members of the serpentine crew, Tom Boroch and Michael Higgins, thank you. To our homecoming chair Nick Rotondi, thank you. To ESPN Analyst Rob Stone, damn you. And last but not least, to three Paternoville veterans who will be leaving us, Secretary Amanda Meyerson, serpentine crew-member Kevin McCaffrey, and lead cow-beller Bud Parks, thank you for everything you did for Paternoville and good luck in wherever life takes you.
When I took on the responsibility of being President, my number one goal was to make sure that everyone who camped out at Paternoville had an enjoyable experience week to week. I hope every one of you enjoyed your stay at Paternoville and I look forward to seeing all of you out at Gate A next season. To any seniors, good luck and don't hesitate to visit. Thank you to all of you for making these past months some of the most memorable of my entire life. Have a great rest of the semester, a safe and happy holiday season, and I think we can all agree in saying, to the football gods, "May TCU, Boise State, Iowa and any other team ahead of us in the BCS polls lose." Thanks again and see you all next September for Youngstown State.
For the Glory,
Alex Cohen
PCC President
P-VILLE B-BALL PROMO (November 12th, 2009)
As the football season winds down, basketball season is set to begin. To drum up support for the basketball team and to reward students for participating in Paternoville, the Athletic Department is offering a promotion for Friday night's men's basketball season opener v.s. Penn at 7:30 PM at the Bryce Jordan Center.
So, what do you have to do to take part in this promotion? It's simple. On Friday, November 13th, 2009, Mr. Joel Diamond of Athletic ticketing will be at the Resolution Booth at Gate A of Beaver Stadium from noon until 2:00 PM. There he will have a list of every student who has camped out for a game this season (as well as a list of all students who hold season tickets for basketball). If you name is on the list, you can buy one ticket for the game and get another ticket free. Tickets cost $5 and you must present a valid PSU ID and you may only pay in cash.
Basketball season ticket holders must merely show their ID and they receive a free extra ticket for a guest. If you purchase a ticket for a guest, and you hold season tickets for basketball, you will be able to bring your guest into the game with you 15 minutes before doors open for regular patrons (season ticket holders get a 15-minute head start on entering the BJC).
So come on out and support the Nittany Lions as they begin a new season, fresh off their NIT Championship season in which the Penn State basketball team won more games in a single season than they ever had before!
COLD TEMPS CLOSE CAMP (November 5th, 2009)
Cold temperature, more appropriate for November than they were in October, have forced the closure of Paternoville for the night of November 5th to the morning of November 6th. Campers must leave camp by 9 PM on Thursday the 5th and return by 9 AM on Friday the 6th. Campers are encouraged to remove their valuables from their tents but to leave their tents standing during the closure. Thank you for your cooperation.
SNOW CLOSES P-VILLE (October 14th, 2009)
The earliest accumulation of snow in State College has managed to close Paternoville for this week. Due to safety reasons, the University cannot allow students to camp outside in this kind of weather. Thank you to everyone who came out for this week.
If you did come out and signed up before camping was officially suspended, your name remains on our list. On Saturday morning you will receive your wristbands and we will enter as normal. Everyone in your group must return to Gate A by 11:45 AM at the latest on Saturday. Thank you for your cooperation.
HELP BUILD THE FLOAT! (October 14th, 2009)
Paternoville has a float for Homecoming 2009! And we need your help to build it!
The float has been delivered to the Fleet Operations truck park north of Beaver Stadium. In order to get there, you must go to the building marked FLT on this campus map. Please contact PCC President Alex Cohen if you don't know where it is even with the map. We need all the help we can get to help make this a success.
P-VILLE IN THE MEDIA (September 25th, 2009)
Folks, just as a reminder, you can keep up with all the festivities at Paternoville through various means. First, we have the Paternoville in the Media section of the website where we post news articles and videos involving Paternoville.
Secondly, we have our interactive electronic resources, namely our Paternoville Fan Page on Facebook and our Paternoville Twitter. Both are updated fairly regularly with information, pictures, and videos of Paternoville. Don't miss anything!
IOWA CAMP OUT NOTES (September 20th, 2009)
Iowa, as you might have guessed, is a "week-long" camp out. Tents may go up at 12:01 AM Tuesday morning.
WHEN YOU ARRIVE: The officers will be signing people in. Make sure you have the names of those in your group ready at this time (group limit is 10 people). You will sign in on the "short list" with just one name, the number of people in your group, and a contact number. Your group will then be called later to sign into a section, so please make sure that anyone who will be out at Gate A for your group will know the names (we recommend a written list). You will be given a slip of paper with your section and group number at this time, this will be needed on Saturday morning to get your wristbands.
Once names are on our list, they are FINAL, and no names can be added once you are signed in. In the event that a group member cannot attend the game, their spot on our list will be forfeited and wristband will be discarded, it cannot be used for someone else.
DURING THE WEEK: You must have one person at your tent at all times, including overnight. There is no alcohol allowed at Paternoville, and the officers hold the right to remove your group from the campsite if a member of your group is involved in any alcohol-related activities.
SATURDAY MORNING: All tents MUST be down by 7:45 AM. You will collect your group's wristbands from an officer once your tent is down and trash is taken care of. Please have your group section & number slip ready at this time. Your entire group must be back at Gate A at 1:45 PM.
IF YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS: Please feel free to contact an officer. Their information can be found in the "Contact Us" section. You can also browse the "Camping Basics" section for any questions related to what you might need for the week.
IMPERSONATE JOEPA (September 14th, 2009)
The PCC officers have received the following e-mail from a PSU journalism student who is doing a story for ESPNU. Can you impersonate Coach Joe Paterno for him? Here is his request:
"I'm doing a story for ESPNU featuring students doing their best Joe Paterno impersonations. This could be his mannerisms, his voice, the things he says, how he looks, your favorite JoePa moment, how he acts, etc. Guys and girls are welcome and the more enthusiasm the better. We're looking for someone to dress up like Joe Pa as well. Again, this would be on ESPN U so it's a fun opportunity.
We are filming in front of the Joe Paterno statue. I plan to be out there tomorrow (Tuesday 9/15) between 2-6PM and possibly Wednesday if people can't make the Tuesday time. This wouldn't take much of your time, but I'd like to know who is interested and who would be able to make it during that time frame. If interested please e-mail me at rzh5021@psu.edu or call me at 203 217-1800 and we will go from there with specifics. Thanks!"
FIRST MEETING RECAP (August 31st, 2009)
Tonight the PCC held it's first meeting of the 2009-10 season. We covered lots of stuff. Most importantly, we covered the new gameday procedure. It is neatly sumarized by this PowerPoint Presentation. Please view it in order to become familiar with the changes.
At the meeting we also covered such things as the Paternoville Ball, Homecoming, electricity at Paternoville, and the buy one/get one deal for Paternoville campers and the Men's Basketball home opener. You can view information about these items in this PowerPoint Presentation.
Also, because of fear surrounding the spread of the H1N1 flu virus (better known as "Swing Flu"), University Health Services will be providing the PCC with free hand-sanitizer bottles to be distributed to campers when they register. Please be mindful of your surroundings, and if you're sick, please follow University Health Guidelines in order to protect both yourself and others.
FIRST MEETING INFO (August 26th, 2009)
We've secured a room and time for the first meeting of the 2009 season. On Monday, August 31st, 2009 at 7:30 p.m. in 102 Thomas, the PCC will have its first meeting of the 2009-10 season. Please do your best to make the meeting. We have a lot to cover, and even if you only plan on camping out for one or two games, you'll be really glad you made it to this meeting.
Amongst other things, we'll be discussing how the new ID card swipe system affects us, the changes to the Gate A area, and new gameday procedures.
2009 PATERNOVILLE VIDEO (August 11th, 2009)
PCC President Alex Cohen has produced an another outstanding video, putting last year's effort to shame. It is really awesome. If this doesn't get you pumped for Penn State football and Paternvoville, then you pretty much can be declared legally dead.
Be forewarned, though. This video is gigantic. It's almost 150 megabytes, so your best best is to open the below link in a new window and let it go for a while. Also, it requires Apple Quicktime. It'll take some time to load... but it is totally worth the wait.
Penn State Football 2009 by PCC President Alex Cohen.
ELECTRICITY AND CHANGE (August 9th, 2009)
Recently, the University has made some changes to the Gate A area. There used to be three parrallel rows of trees heading from the corner of Porter and Curtin up to the gate. Now only the middle of the three rows exists (starting behind the Big Rock). Also, the Grassi Knoll, the small hill to the right of Gate A, named in honor of former PCC Vice President Christopher Grassi, has been leveled.
The most important change to Gate A this off-season, though, has been the installation of three small, black towers each with a standard electrical outlet. These three towers, one directly behind the Big Rock and two about 20 feet away to either side of the middle one, will provide limited-use power to Paternoville. When tents go up for the week, campers will be allowed to charge their air pumps for air mattresses. Also, campers may be allowed to use their laptop charger at these towers. However, any use beyond that is strictly prohibited. On Saturdays, the stadium staff will power their ID card scanners from these towers.
You can see the changes in these three pictures below (click on the thumbnails for a larger image). Note the leveled Grassi Knoll on the right in the first picture. In the second picture, some black patches of asphalt leading up to the Gate on the far right and left of the picture show where the old rows of trees used to be. Also, the areas where you see some orange and white road barriers are where the electrical towers will be placed. In picture three, you can see an example of what the towers will look like.
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