This is A Blog

At Penn State you will see people wearing everything and anything every day. Whether it’s those guys that think it’s cool to wear shorts in the middle of winter or someone wearing a gorilla suit to your CAS 100 class (true story), you will witness absurd, creative, and crazy outfits on a daily basis. While I definitely approve of whipping out a costume in the middle of April, there are a few things everyone should remember while getting dressed in the morning.

Beware of green and orange headbands.

You may have not heard of it yet, but Humans vs. Zombies is a big deal at Penn State. Like I did, you will quickly learn about it when you first have to dodge sock balls and Nerf gun ammo while walking across West Quad. I am by no means an expert on the game, I actually know nothing but what can be seen visually, but I do know that the humans and zombies identify themselves with green and orange pieces of cloth, sometimes tied around their skulls in a head band like fashion. (You can probably see where I’m going with this.) If you dare step out in that cute bright orange headband, beware that you may quickly become involved in a game of Humans versus Humans vs. Zombies.

Deciding to wear your winter coat can feel like a big commitment.

It seems obvious enough, if it’s winter, you should probably wear your winter jacket.  Alas, this is not always the case. With weather being as fickle as it is in State College, deciding to just throw on that jacket in the morning can become a big deal. Sure, it might be a bit nippy at 7:45 am while you trek to Econ, but by 3 pm EDesign, you’re likely to see several kids rolling around in just a t-shirt. You may want to hide your head in your fur-lined hood because you’re the goof in a winter coat, but keep looking around and you’ll probably see someone in a full on parka.

Always wear blue or white on the day of a home football game.

Although many Penn Staters call me insane, I don’t attend the football games. Unfortunately, I can’t claim insanity for wearing a bright green t-shirt on a football game Saturday. While walking to a friend’s tail gate, hundreds of eyes, all attached to blue and white clad bodies, glared at me as I trekked down Curtain Road. It was as if no one could imagine daring to step foot on campus without wearing the beloved colors. After powering walking through a sea of stares, I learned you must always adorn the blue and white, even if you aren’t going to the game.

Carrying around a case will make you look cool.

Although this isn’t technically getting dressed, carrying something is still part of your ensemble, and when that something is a case, you instantly become intriguing. Whether it’s a case for your trumpet, your video camera, or an alphabetized set of all of your comic books, people will tend to stare. Now this isn’t a that-girl-is-way-awkward stare, it’s more of a what-hidden-objects-is-that-person-carrying kind of stare. Trust me, you’ll feel like an important person with a conspicuous case in your hand.

Moral of the story: wear what you want, when you want. Penn State is a diverse place, and anything goes. Just remember, be yourself:

Lauren Murphy is a junior double majoring in Mechanical Engineering and Film. She is a Mentor for WEPO 2011, and is also involved in SWE, E-House, Phroth and No Refund Theater. She has completed internship rotations for Xerox in Rochester, NY. Feel free to contact her at lem5256@psu.edu .