UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Later this month, the Penn State Alumni Association and the World Campus Alumni Society are teaming up to bring Penn Staters everywhere the very first “Roar Where You Are for the Nittany Lion’s Birthday” celebration on April 22. Registration is required by April 15.
This evening of networking and fun will take place both online and at multiple locations in cooperation with local Alumni Association chapters.
The event will take place just two days after the Lion’s 121st official birthday. The Nittany Lion was brought to life through the imagination of a Penn State baseball player on April 20, 1904. On that day, as Penn State players entered Princeton’s gymnasium, a member of the rival team proclaimed, “See our emblem, the Princeton Tiger, the fiercest beast of them all.”
Penn State had no official mascot then, but Penn State third-baseman Joe Mason responded, “Well, up at Penn State we have Mount Nittany right on our campus, where rules the Nittany Mountain Lion, who has never been beaten in a fair fight. So, Princeton Tiger, look out!”
In the years that followed, Mason urged his fellow Penn Staters to adopt the Nittany Mountain Lion as the school’s symbol, and after being prominently featured on the cover of the 1908 LaVie yearbook, the Nittany Lion took off.
The inaugural Roar Where You Are social event aims to bring alumni and friends together in their communities to celebrate the Nittany Lion’s birthday. Attendees will enjoy informal socializing throughout the evening, sign an e-birthday card for the Lion, and learn about additional opportunities for connecting with Penn State alumni around the world.
Local chapters hosting Roar Where You Are events will include:
- Baltimore Chapter, at the Nobles Bar and Grill Restaurant, 6-8 p.m. ET
- Northern New Jersey Chapter, at Redd's Restaurant & Bar, 6-8 p.m. ET
- Greater Pittsburgh Chapter, at Southern Tier Brewing Co., 6-8 p.m. ET
- Centre County Chapter, at Axemann Brewery, 6-8 p.m. ET
Those who don’t have a gathering in their city can join a virtual celebration hosted by the Alumni Association's Los Angeles chapter from 8-9:00 p.m. ET.
Additional local sites are being added. If your city is not listed and you’re interested in hosting, reach out to Marcia Kimler, associate director of alumni relations, at alumni@worldcampus.psu.edu.