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Sometime during the day’s festivities, the right ear was broken off the Nittany Lion Shrine. Penn State campus police said they are aware that the ear is broken, and they have the missing piece in their possession as of 2 a.m. Sunday. This is the fourth time the Nittany Lion has lost its right ear; the shrine was vandalized in 1978 and again BREAKING: The right ear was broken off the Nittany Lion Shrine and is in possession of campus police. JUST IN: OPP has repaired the Lion Shrine's broken right ear. The Nittany Lion Shrine’s ear, which was broken on Feb. 25 during State Patty’s Day celebrations, remained detached for a few days. While students tried to solve the problem with everything from Band-Aids to 3D printed ear replications, Penn State’s Office of Physical Plant soon swooped in to save the day. According to an affidavit of probable cause filed by Penn State University Police, Cipparulo broke an ear off of the 81-year-old Nittany Lion Shrine and doused it in red paint in the early morning hours of May 8, 2022, during commencement weekend. The popular campus photo spot was closed to the public for about three weeks. Two teenagers are facing criminal mischief charges for breaking off the ear of the Nittany Lion Shrine in February. They'll also pay $468 in fines, each. — Aimee Lewis (@aimee_lewisTV) March 27, 2018. The ear was broken off on State Patty’s Day, Saturday, February 24, already notorious as a day of debauchery in State College. But this time Penn State’s Nittany Lion Shrine has reopened to the public following repairs to damage caused by vandalism earlier this month. The popular 80-year-old campus landmark had its left ear broken I wonder if Penn State will renew its most active approach to shutting down State Patty's Day now that the Nittany Lion was damaged. Whomever broke the That ear was cracked fifteen years ago! Posted by u/[Deleted Account] - 263 votes and 76 comments — Nittany Lion (@NittanyLion) February 28, 2018. The ear was originally broken off over the weekend, and Penn State’s 3-D Printing Club fashioned a makeshift replacement that it taped onto the ear Wednesday morning before the official repair. University police are continuing to investigate how the ear broke off. The PSU 3-D Printing Club took it upon itself this week to construct a new ear for the Lion Shrine, which was broken off over the weekend. Did you hear? It’s been a long week with only one ear, but thanks to the #PennState 3D Printing Club, (@psu3dc on Instagram), I’ve got a temporary replacement — in blue, of course. ? The Nittany Lion Shrine’s month-long renovation project has finally concluded, the university announced Thursday. Stretching from June 1 to July 2, the conservation project included touch-ups to the shrine’s right ear and claws as well as an all-around deep cleaning and treatment. Although still visible, the landmark’s previously cracked She drew a comparison to Penn State’s “guard the Lion Shrine” tradition, which remembers when Sue Paterno covered the Lion Shrine in orange water-based paint before a football game against Syracuse to rile up the student body. Syracuse fans then used more permanent oil-based paint to vandalize the shrine themselves, spawning the tradition Since a group of Syracuse fans vandalized the Lion Shrine, the Guard the Lion Shrine event has been a tradition since Penn State’s Homecoming Week. The orange paint prank was originally the idea of Joe Paterno’s wife, Sue. When student spirit was at one of the lowest, she believed it would rally the students together. 2/25/25 4:00 am THON 2025 created a Home for Hope with endless dancing, emotions, and core memories for life. This year, THON raised $17,737,040.93 , breaking its fundraising record for the fourth consecutive year. Since 2020, the Nittany Lion Inn, though, the hotel has been vacant. It was purchased in June 2022 by the Scholar Hotel Group after approval by the Board of Trustees. The Nittany Lion Inn has been a staple to the Penn State and State College community since its opening in 1931. THON Weekend’s final day capped off with the announcement of the this year’s record breaking total. Penn State Alum Dan Bongino Named FBI Deputy Director Bongino graduated from Penn State in 2010 and has since protected presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, before creating his own podcast and radio show. 1/30/25 4:02 am Redshirt freshman Josh Barr has been a pleasant surprise for Penn State wrestling fans this season. After four-time national champion Aaron Brooks’ last year of eligibility, speculation over who would start in the 197-pound slot was seemingly a toss-up between Lucas Cochran and Barr. Waldo showed up to THON 2025, and now, you need to find him!
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