Guard the Lion Shrine |
The Lion was successfully guarded for Homecoming 2011!
Immediately after the Homecoming Pep Rally, the Lion Ambassadors throw a huge event called Guard the Lion Shrine, which is jam packed with guest speakers, food and drinks, a DJ and, of course--Penn State Pride.
This tradition began in 1966 when Sue Paterno and a friend daubed the shrine in orange latex paint to stoke interest in that year's Homecoming football game against Syracuse. They left the scene in a getaway car when they thought they had been spotted by campus police. The paint washed off easily, but Syracuse fans later doused the shrine in oil-based paint, making the removal process much more difficult. Since then, "Guard the Lion Shrine" has been recognized as a Homecoming event, making it one of Penn State's best traditions.
What the Lion Shrine means to Penn State
“For more than half a century it has been vigilantly watching over its corner of the University Park campus. The sun has beaten down unmercifully on its head while it has borne patiently the pats of a million hands. The rain, sleet, hail, and other winter delights we watch from inside have marked its back with wear, as have the pants and legs of a million riders. Over the years, it has been hugged, kissed, and stroked by countless friends, and a few enemies have drawn, painted, and otherwise defaced it. It has been photographed more than any Penn State or State College landmark, more than all the presidents of the University combined, perhaps more than any single President of the United States. The Nittany Lion Shrine has withstood all with dignity that is abundantly evident in a first glimpse of the sculpture.”
-"The Nittany Lion: An Illustrated Tale" by Jackie Esposito and Steven Herb
"The shrine is more than just another location on campus dedicated to some tradition or another: it is the embodiment of what we believe Penn State represents. First and foremost, anyone who has looked into those big eyes knows that it is one smart lion - having, of course, studied at the land-grant university he protects. He is powerful, yet not overbearing; regal, yet not snobbish. The Nittany Lion Shrine symbolizes Penn State's past accomplishments while reflecting its hopeful future, which is the key to Penn State's success in all its academic and athletic endeavors. A great university must simultaneously represent what it has been and promise what it will be. No school symbol does that better than Penn State's Nittany Lion."
- Joe and Sue Paterno
-"The Nittany Lion: An Illustrated Tale" by Jackie Esposito and Steven Herb
"The shrine is more than just another location on campus dedicated to some tradition or another: it is the embodiment of what we believe Penn State represents. First and foremost, anyone who has looked into those big eyes knows that it is one smart lion - having, of course, studied at the land-grant university he protects. He is powerful, yet not overbearing; regal, yet not snobbish. The Nittany Lion Shrine symbolizes Penn State's past accomplishments while reflecting its hopeful future, which is the key to Penn State's success in all its academic and athletic endeavors. A great university must simultaneously represent what it has been and promise what it will be. No school symbol does that better than Penn State's Nittany Lion."
- Joe and Sue Paterno
