Its name may not be Paternoville anymore and the 2012 Nittany Lions are off to a slow start, but students camping out at Beaver Stadium for killer seats is still a tradition that should be carried on. Regardless of names or team performance, this is still the same campground we all know and love. Here are the top five reasons you should be at Gate A this week, and weeks to come.

5. Free food — Lots of it. Good stuff too, not Canyon pizza/wings. Rotellis, Clem’s BBQ, Pizza Hut, and many more Happy Valley favorites make regular appearances with ample amounts of on-the-house fuel for your camping needs.

4. Getting to hang out with people that care about football as much as you do — Many of my friends love football and going to the game every week, and I love having them around. But when it comes down to it, finding that group of ten that are hard core fans willing to camp out in cold, rainy weather and forgo sleep is much more important than meeting your floor mates at 2:30 on Saturday.

3. Breaking up the monotony of dorm/apartment life — Hey, my bed is just as comfortable as the next twin XL with a foam mattress pad, and sometimes that’s just what I need. But for a few days a week for seven weeks in the fall, it’s nice to get outside and switch it up a bit. Two steps from my Nittanyville bed is the bench I stand on to throw a football with my friends (who stands on the ground?), and my front porch is always covered with board games, blankets, and sour patch kids. Also, screw bunk-beds.

2. Late night drum lines/pep rallies with the best fans in the nation — If you haven’t been to a Nittanyville drum line I don’t know how to tell you about the awesomeness that occurs there. Just watch. All the Penn State cheers you could ever need plus a major Big Ten hate fest? I call that one a win. It usually happens around midnight, coincidentally a time when Michigan still sucks.

And the number one reason you should be at Nittanyville in 2012…

1. Because We Are Penn State — And nothing anyone says, nor the abhorrent actions of a few officials, will ever change that. Support your team, support your school, support the pride and passion of the Nittany Lion way of life. Onward, State.