In 1899, new students did not participate in the broad range of orientation events they do today, but they did receive a guide. Aside from athletics, at least two student activities from that era still flourish. The Blue Band, started in 1899 as a six-member cadet band, today has 275 students. The Penn State Thespians, who had given their first performances by 1900, today have 35 active members who perform a wide range of shows each year. In 1899, some students lived on the upper floors of Old Main while others lived in boarding houses.
Students still can get one of the best weather forecasts in the country.
Penn State's Weather Communications Group, a unit within the Department of Meteorology, prepares the daily weather report in The New York Times and Weather World, a 15-minute, live weather show on statewide public television.