About the Paternoville Coordination Committee
The Paternoville Coordination Committee was formed in 2006 by Jordan Cascino, a then-sophomore who camped out at Paternoville regularly. He formed the PCC, as it is known for short, in response to Penn State University's unilateral decision to restrict camping.
Founder of the PCC, Jordan Cascino.
Jordan felt that a student voice had to be brought to the University in order to protect the tradition of camping out for home football games. In November of 2006, the first meeting was held. Many issues were discussed and plans for an official organization were formed. A week later, several students met with the University to discuss the restrictions.
Since then, the Univesity and the PCC have met in several meetings and much has been accomplished. The PCC has increased in membership and, in April of 2007, new officers were elected.
Second PCC President, Tom Boroch.
Under the leadership of the second PCC President, Tom Boroch, the PCC continued to meet and negotiate with Penn State University on various issues related to Paternoville. President Boroch continued to cultivate relationships with Athletic Department officials, giving the PCC broad-ranging connections.
President Boroch's first major institution came with birth of the official Paternoville list. Previously students planted tents and lined up on gameday based on where they thought they should be. The PCC now maintains a list beginning when the first campers show up, assigning sections and places in line, and then on gameday makes sure each group goes to the right place.
In the summer of 2008, the PCC was given a major task. Penn State's Athletic Department informed the PCC in a pre-season meeting that new crowd-control devices would be used to protect students from the crush of the crowd when gates opened. These devices would greatly change Paternoville's operation given their placement. President Boroch developed, on very short notice, and without time to test, a workable procedure to allow stadium operations workers to set up the barricades without Paternoville getting in the way. President Boroch instituted a wrist-band system to allow campers to return their gear to their residences on gameday without losing a place in line. The system worked itself out during the course of the 2008-2009 season and received positive reviews.
Third PCC President, Alex Cohen.
In April of 2009 new leaders were selected as President Boroch stepped down and Vice President Chris Grassi graduated. Paternoville's new President, Alex Cohen, is going into his Junior year at Penn State and has camped for every game since the 2007 Season. During his first two seasons as a resident of Paternoville, he assisted PCC leadership in running Paternoville. Paternovillers might be more familiar with Alex and his gameday speechs and enormous enthusiasm for Penn State. President Cohen already has developed strong relationships with the Athletic Department in his first two years through a marketing position with Penn State baseball and another athletic club, Nittany Nation; this ensures that even with complete new leadership the PCC will retain excellent relationships with Athletics officials.
Paternoville's new Vice President John Tecce is going into his Sophomore year at Penn State and like the new President has camped for every game since he was a freshman. Alex and some of the older Paternoville campers took John under their wing in the 2008 season and see John as a great leader for Paternoville. John has experience working with the Athletic Department as a member of the Penn State Marketing Association.
Together Alex and John are looking to build on Paternoville's previous leaders' success. They are in talks with the Athletic Department to improve the camping experience for students by bring new ammenities to Gate A. Paternoville is in good hands for yet another season.