Topics

More

Duel Of The Fates: The Story Behind The Viral HUB Lawn Lightsaber Duel

During Penn State’s first major snowstorm of the spring semester last week, two Penn State students were caught on camera doing the unthinkable: having a lightsaber duel on the HUB Lawn.

Naturally, the video quickly went viral on TikTok. In just a few short days, the clip racked up nearly 500,000 likes and more than 1.6 million views.

Although a lightsaber duel on the HUB Lawn is an uncommon sight, it’s nothing new for Ernesto Estremera and Tyler Dickerson, who also happen to be members of Penn State’s Star Wars club. The group regularly meets up to play video games, get food, and, unsurprisingly, live and breathe Star Wars.

While the club often hosts spontaneous lightsaber duels, the opportunity for a snowstorm duel caught the pair’s attention ahead of time.

“We had talked about how it was going to be snowing a few days before, and we thought it would be cool to do some lightsaber dueling in the snow,” Dickerson said.

The idea of having a lightsaber duel in the snow is a dream for many Star Wars fans, and Tyler and Ernesto didn’t want to waste the chance they had.

“We just saw the opportunity and took it,” Ernesto said.

Once the illustrious duel was underway, a video was then posted by passerby @liariccione on TikTok before it started to go viral. The video was reposted to many Penn State media outlets and even a few national platforms like Barstool Sports.

“In the club, we’ve been trying to get on Barstool [Sports] forever. That’s what we’ve been trying to do,” Ernesto said. “Later on, we found out that it got posted on Star Wars Reddit. Honestly, for me, that is top tier. My life is done. I’m satisfied.”

The two were excited about the passion they saw from fellow fans, who posted supportive comments on the video and expressed jealousy over the experience.

“It’s nice to see people that have a really strong appreciation for fun stuff like that. Even though we’re all technically adults, it’s fun to see people act like a kid again,” Ernesto added.

Your ad blocker is on.

Please choose an option below.

Sign up for our e-mail newsletter:
OR
Support quality journalism:
Purchase a Subscription!

About the Author

Mikey DeAngelis

Mikey DeAngelis is a Penn State graduate with a degree in film production who served as Onward State's visual editor from 2023-2025. While not reminiscing about his time at Penn State, he enjoys making content for his YouTube channel. Mikey loves Philly sports, traveling and hiking in National Parks, and watching movies. To reach Mikey, feel free to reach out on Twitter (@mikey_deangelis) or by email ([email protected]).

Penn State Men’s Volleyball Head Coach Mark Pavlik To Retire Following 2026 Season

Pavlik is going into his 32nd season with the Nittany Lions.

The W’REC’king Crew: Penn State Volleyball’s Famous Student Section

The student group’s mission is to build community and foster a love for volleyball on campus.

OS Debates: Should Penn State Opt Out Of The Bowl Game?

Would the bowl game just be a distraction from the chaos surrounding the football program?

113kFollowers
67kFollowers
4,570Subscribers
Sign up for our Newsletter
Other posts by Mikey

[Photo Story]: Mikey DeAngelis’ Senior Column

Every moment of the past four years has been precious and fleeting. Why not capture and preserve each of them to remember forever?

[Photo Story] A Photographic Time Capsule Of Penn State In May Of 2025

I Asked Every Bar In State College For A Glass Of Milk & This Is What They Said