In this article, VALLEY wants to take you back in time to what it was like to be a Penn State female student in the 1990s—the resources Penn State didn’t have before that we have now: THON, academic life, social life and some friendly advice based on Jen Thompson, a former students experience.
A Day in the Life
Picture this: You are a management major living in Beaver Hill apartments, which was the place back then, with two other roommates who are your best friends. You go straight to your Forum class, where you have to write all your notes on paper since there weren’t any laptops. You leave class to go to the gym, and on your walk back, you pass the Willard Preacher, who is much younger at the time. However, because Rec Hall was the only option for non-athletes, you are a bit fancier than that and work out at Bodyworks Health and Fitness. Then, you meet up with some of your sorority friends to eat at the HUB, which was much smaller back then but still remained the go-to meet-up spot.
After going to class, studying, and hitting the gym during the day, the fun begins, and the night starts. While getting ready to be picked up with roommates, you are talking about what bar to go to after the party and whether your friend Claire is on the list. Once at the party, with your bouncy hair dancing to Nirvana, your friends want to go to The Gingerbread Man bar, as it is your tradition to sit at your table, which you named the G-Man, and do some girl gossip. When the night is finished, you and the girls get a midnight snack at Unimart and are ready to lay in bed and have a good night’s sleep.
THON and Football
When it came to THON, it took place in the White Building, and Thompson stated that people used to go canning on the streets to fundraise. Since THON started in 1973, in the 1990s, it still wasn’t as big as it is today, but students were still extremely passionate about it.
On the other hand, Penn State football didn’t have a White Out yet, but the blue and white spirit still remained. As Thompson walked places, she would see Joe Paterno around campus.
Advice
Thompson’s advice as a freshman in college is to not let your insecurities guide your decisions. Instead, embrace your personal self and meet as many people as possible by joining clubs and activities—therefore finding your people.
“Spend as much time with friends as you can. Make memories, laugh a lot, and do as much as possible before graduation.”
Let us know what you would have enjoyed the most back then on our instagram @VALLEYmag!
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