Over the course of students’ four or more years at Penn State, students tend to collect a lot of paraphernalia. Certain items are more cherished than others, but every little item means something different to all of us. Whether it’s a ticket stub or a free t-shirt from a sporting event, every Penn State keepsake reminds us of special memories made during college.

We compiled just a few of the often-forgotten sentimental items Nittany Lions hold near and dear to their hearts.

Football Tickets & Wristbands

In preparation for the 2023 football season, Penn State Athletics and Beaver Stadium switched from paper tickets to fabric wristbands. For those who kept their paper tickets from each game in the Beaver Stadium student section, they’re now collectibles. Some students pin them up on their walls, write the final score on them, or put them in a safe place. With the new wristbands, they’re harder to lose but still hold the same value.

Free T-Shirts

Everybody loves a free t-shirt. As a freshman, you’re handed free t-shirts left and right. Then, all of a sudden you have too many t-shirts to close your drawer.

These shirts come in handy for the gym, IM sporting events, tailgating, or pajamas, though. Whether it is an S-Zone, THON Pep Rally, convocation, or “King of Delco” t-shirt, each one reminds us of an exciting time as a student. You never know, maybe Joe Pa’s Closet will sell your t-shirt for $55 one day.

Twenty Phyrst Hat

Penn State students go crazy for that plastic green hat at the Phyrst. It’s a rite of passage on your 21st birthday to put the hat on, demolish your blowjob shot, and smile for a picture. For most students, the hat makes it home, marking the end of a memorable, or not so memorable, night.

Beaver Stadium Shakers

As students walk into Beaver Stadium’s Gate A, they’re greeted by a massive bin full of shakers. You grab one, or multiple to hand to your friends, then walk up the ramp to meet your fellow students in the student section.

As “Kernkraft 400” plays, everyone’s hands are up in the air shaking their shaker. It’s a feeling rarely forgotten, and those shakers are a token of our Penn State pride.

THON Entrance Bands & On-Shift Shirts

At the beginning of every THON weekend, individuals who step into the Bryce Jordan Center receive a plastic band that is used as their entrance ticket for the 46-hour event. Volunteers receive an on-shift shirt when they’re working their hours over the weekend.

Those who switch committees every year might be sentimental about their experience the year before. As the largest student-run philanthropy event occurs once a year but takes months of planning, it’s a most magical time that touches volunteers’ and spectators’ hearts.

Media Credentials

Students involved in student media tend to collect a lot of credentials and tags from sporting and student life events. From photographers to videographers to writers to sports staff, students can acquire hundreds in four years. Credentials showcase the various sports and unique events covered over the year and serve as a time capsule for each event. College sports are some of the most electric events and experiencing them from a different angle is something special.

I️n the end, college is only a small portion of our lives. It’s good to hold onto the small things we receive as students that we’re going to miss when we get older. Small items or large, Penn State is full of laughs, smiles, and memories we’ll cherish for a lifetime.