Nittanyville has elected its next batch of officers, including its new president, Brian Sanvido, a senior majoring in Architectural Engineering.

Sanvido — who is currently in Reno, Nevada for a design competition — has plenty of experience when it comes to leadership and involvement within the university. He is a co-founder of Boulevard, and Sanvido danced in THON 2013 for the organization. The Anna Kendrick enthusiast born in State College but raised in Orange County, California, took time out of his busy schedule to chat with us about his new role as Nittanyville President.

Onward State: How long have you been involved in Nittanyville? What made you want to do it originally? How many times have you camped out?

Brian Sanvido: I have been in Nittanyville since the first game of the 2011 season. I wanted to do it because my friend Joe Robison and I would go early to games but still weren’t up front, so sophomore year a group of us got together and haven’t stopped camping since. Now I am President and Joe is Vice President and we have camped out for 21 games.

OS: What changes can we expect to see in the upcoming year with your presidency compared to the Sheffield Era?

BS: Allen did a great job this year and we want to just continue to improve the experience of camping out for every camper every week. Obviously one of the biggest changes to Penn State football is Coach Franklin taking over so we hope to develop a great relationship with him and his staff.

OS: What are your responsibilities as the Nittanyville president?

BS: My main responsibilities are to make sure that all of the logistics of Nittanyville are taken care of so everyone can have fun at Gate A and I have to get campers ready to cheer for the entire game. Luckily I have help from great officers to get everything done.

OS: What’s the best thing about being involved in Nittanyville? Besides, you know, having some sort of social status within the student body.

BS: Becoming close with all of the campers up there. It quickly becomes a close group of friends to anyone who camps out.

OS: Can we expect a Nittanyville campout in Ireland?

BS: I think we are just going to keep campouts outside of Beaver Stadium for now.

OS: You’re going to be a fifth year senior during your presidency, which means you’ve seen a few too many coaching changes at Penn State. How do you think James Franklin might differ from his two predecessors? 

BS: I think Franklin brings a fire to every aspect of the college game. He is great at relating to recruits, players, and students. He has a unique personality and in his press conference says he is a relationship guy. He seems to care more about people than football which will be a great fit here.

OS: Any tips for first time campers?

BS: Yes, talk to everyone. Come talk to me, talk to your tent neighbors. They will either be a new camper and want to meet people or an experienced camper who will love to help you with anything. Make camping out more than a PSU bucket list item, make it part of your Fall lifestyle.

OS: Any plans to rename Nittanyville again to reflect Coach Franklin? If so, we suggest Jamestown.

BS: Haha we’ve heard a few good suggestions, but no. The name became Nittanyville so that the name wouldn’t have to be changed every time we got a new head coach.

OS:  What game are you looking forward to the most (other than Ireland)?

BS: It’s hard to choose one because a lot of these games offer great story lines. Ohio State will be a huge game obviously, but Maryland is where Coach Franklin was before Vanderbilt. Northwestern and Penn State have had some classic battles over the past 4 years, Temple is always a vicious in state rivalry, and Michigan State won the Big Ten last year. We have a great lineup of home games next year.

OS: If you were a dinosaur, which would you be and why?

BS: I would be a T. Rex just to see how they get up off the ground with such small arms.