UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State football is rolling, and you’re invited along for the ride.
All season long for road games, per tradition, the Alumni Association has hosted a gameday pep rally, along with co-hosting an alumni mixer the night before the game. For each event on Friday night, the Alumni Association partners with a local alumni chapter, with the Central New Jersey Chapter helping to organize this week’s mixer.
On Saturday, Nov. 19, the Alumni Association’s pep rally tent will be located on the Busch campus along Fitch Road, just steps from High Point Solutions Stadium and behind the Busch Practice Bubble. Fans are encouraged to use the complimentary Rutgers University shuttle bus system to reach the Busch campus. Please note that depending on your parking location, the shuttle bus could take approximately 20 to 30 minutes to reach the Busch campus and stadium.
Chances are good that plenty of Penn Staters will converge on Piscataway.
When Rutgers joined the Big Ten Conference a few years ago, it gave Nittany Lion fans in New Jersey the chance to cheer on their team in person.
And that’s exactly what they’ve done.
Central New Jersey Chapter President Katie Dunn noted that two years ago, the chapter sold out its allotment of 40 tickets in 45 minutes. For this season’s contest, the chapter has added an extra tab on its website to share information about the alumni mixer and gameday pep rally. There’s also information available about the group’s THON fundraising efforts that’ll take place this weekend, and the group will also have a large cardboard cutout of the Nittany Lion for photo opportunities.
“It’s exciting in the fact that people who can’t get back to Penn State still have the opportunity to support Penn State teams when they come to Rutgers,” said Dunn, a 1991 Penn State alumna who studied at Penn State Altoona for two years before finishing her degree at University Park.
“We’ll also get tickets for wrestling and basketball. Last year, when women’s volleyball played Rutgers, it was standing room only. It was a Penn State crowd, so it really gives the team a home-field advantage at Rutgers.”
Dunn said Friday night’s event will have a casual atmosphere. The mixer will be at an area restaurant, and it will feature the Pep Band, Penn State cheerleaders and Nittany Lion. The planning is going by quickly, though it’ll be fun, she said, and Dunn speaks with an enthusiasm that tells you she’s happy to be back closer to home (she grew up in central Pennsylvania).
She moved to Dallas for five years before relocating to New Jersey in the early 2000s. During that time, the Central New Jersey Chapter had dissolved after existing for the previous few decades, and Dunn was part of the group that helped reform the organization.
The chapter was formally re-chartered in 2007, and Dunn ascended to the presidency in 2009 after serving as membership chair and vice president. She’s also helped the chapter create a scholarship that supports incoming freshmen from the area, something she’s particularly proud of.
Dunn’s background aligns with all the planning that went into this weekend. As a student, she participated in Circle K of Penn State Altoona and the Penn State Marketing Association.
A busy schedule, though it fits for Dunn, who attended the initial meeting about re-starting the Central New Jersey Chapter and volunteered right away.
“You have to be passionate about what you do,” Dunn said. “Don’t get involved in anything unless you’re passionate it. But if you’re passionate about something, you’ll figure out a way to make it happen.”