News from the 2012-2013 Season
A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT (December 2nd, 2012
To campers and supporters,
It was back in 2009 when I first camped out in the shadows of Beaver Stadium for a purpose - to secure the best seats for Saturday so that I could cheer as loud as possible and give our Penn State Nittany Lion football team the best home field advantage in the country. As a wide-eyed freshman, it was that purpose that drew me to Gate A. Looking back four years later, the purpose eventually became a secondary reason why I loved it so much. Eventually, it developed a meaning. A deeper meaning that went far beyond the benefits of sitting in the front row or the excitement of being seen on TV by people back home. Camping out with other people had become fun. Those people had become my friends. And those friends eventually became my Penn State family.
This season was the most enjoyable of my four years here. The energy surrounding every game, especially at each campout, was unique. Whether it was playing trashcan football, doing the drum line or just hanging out under the canopy, every moment was exciting and enjoyable because of the people who I was surrounded by. I've met some of my best friends throughout my four years camping out at Gate A. I am a firm believer in the fact that it's the people that make it such a truly special place, not the seats.
The support from Penn State Athletics, numerous vendors who brought us food and members of the community was unbelievable and I am grateful for that. I would like to thank our advisor, Mike Poorman, and Joel Diamond in the ticket office. Also, some former officers - Mike Higgins, John Tecce, Troy Stram, Alex Cohen and Dan Saxton, to name a few - who showed me the ropes when I was an underclassman.
This year would not have been as great as it was without the hard work and dedication displayed by all members of the Nittanyville Coordination Committee. I would like to thank Jeff Lowe, Carolyn Lasky and Allen Sheffield, the Executive Officers who I could not be more proud of for representing our organization the way they have. I would also like to thank the Organizational Officers, Heather Biasucci, Brian Sanvido, Lauren Tecce and Brad Vasko, a group whose enthusiasm and energy represents the future of this great organization. Also Scott Lattimer, our homecoming chair, who put in countless hours of labor to ensure that we brought the Nittanyville experience downtown for the 2012 Homecoming Parade.
A special thank you is in order for Chris Grassi, our Webmaster and Graduate Advisor. Not only has Chris meant a lot to the camping experience at Gate A, he has meant a lot to me on a personal level. In my four years here, I was able to interact with Chris as both a camper and officer. The knowledge he imparted on me helped me become a better leader, but his impact goes far beyond that. Simply put, if it wasn't for Chris and his contributions over the last eight years, I don't think I would have had the privilege of meeting all the great people I have over the years.
And lastly to you, the campers of Nittanyville. In troubled times for our university, you showed each week exactly what it meant to be Penn State proud. Your unwavering support for this group of young men exemplified the meaning of family. Through our organization's name change and sanctions that were levied on the program, the camping experience remained the same - our purpose was not altered, our pride was not compromised, and our passion was unrivaled in all of college sports. You proved that no matter the circumstances, we would still be out there, we would still be loud, and we will make a difference in the game. Whether it was only a couple hundred students or a record-breaking campout, the message each and every week was simple - We Are, In Tents. We Are, One Team. We Are, Penn State.
I was only able to call Gate A my home for four years, but I have the privilege of calling you a part of my family for a lifetime. And for that, I thank you.
Sincerely,
Troy Weller
Penn State Class of 2013
TEMPLE SIGN-IN PUSHED BACK (September 17th, 2012)
Normally, ANGEL sign-in for a game takes place at 9 pm on the Wednesday prior to a home game. However, for this week only (the week of the Temple game on Saturday, September 22nd, 2012), the NCC will be pushing back ANGEL sign-in time to 10 pm.
The NCC encourages students to use this extra time to go to Rec Hall on Wednesday evening for the 8 pm women's volleyball match between #3 Penn State and #4 Nebraska, the first Big 10 match of the season for both teams. Cheer on the Nittany Lions as they try to take down the Cornhuskers in Rec Hall for the second straight year and put themselves in the driver's seat for the Big 10 season ahead!
RENAMING TO NITTANYVILLE (July 16th, 2012)
The newly-named Nittanyville Coordination Committee has issued the following press-release available here as a .PDF file and following in text:
PENN STATE STUDENTS' BEAVER STADIUM ENCAMPMENT RENAMED NITTANYVILLE
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA (July 16, 2012) - The officially-recognized student group that manages the encampment of Penn State students outside Beaver Stadium for home football games has changed its name to "Nittanyville."
As such, the group -- one of more than 900 student organizations under the Office of Student Affairs -- will be known as the "Nittanyville Coordination Committee."
"This is a decision undertaken by and made solely by the Penn State student officers," said president Troy Weller, a Penn State senior. "Our four major officers, plus our six organizational officers, met via conference call and after careful deliberation decided, by a vote, that moving forward the group will be named Nittanyville."
"We have informed Penn State administrators in both Student Affairs and Athletics of our decision. They said we will continue to have their support, which has been the case since we became an official organization in 2006."
According to the group's bylaws, the group's core mission is to "represent the body of students that camps out for football tickets at Gate A of Beaver Stadium. The organization works with University officials to keep the encampment a fun and safe place to be, doing so by helping the University formulate and uphold encampment regulations."
Since Penn State joined the Big Ten in 1993, Penn State students have camped out at Beaver Stadium in order to guarantee themselves a rail-side seat - though students hardly ever sit - for a home football game. In 2005, a student termed the encampment "Paternoville," and the name stuck through the 2011 season.
"Now, it's a new era of Nittany Lion football," Weller said. "And by changing the name to Nittanyville we want to return the focus to the overall team and the thousands of students who support it. We thank the Paterno family for their gracious assistance and support over the last several years."
Throughout the 2012 football season, to raise awareness of child sexual abuse, students at the encampment will donate a portion of the proceeds from their fundraising efforts to the newly established Center for the Protection of Children, based at Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital.
"It is important that we continue to do all we can to raise sexual abuse awareness," said vice president Jeff Lowe, "not just because of our connections to this scandal as Penn Staters, but because of its importance in our efforts as people to help make the world we live in a better place."
CONTACT: President Troy Weller / Vice President Jeff Lowe at nittanyville@gmail.com/(Twitter) @NittanyvillePSU
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