Still Life

Lady Lions Alex Bentley, left, and Zhaque Gray celebrate their Big Ten championship after beating Ohio State 84-66 on Monday, Feb. 20, at the Bryce Jordan Center on Penn State's University Park campus. The Lady Lions clinched their first conference regular season title since 2004.

Lady Lions win Big Ten championship

THON 2012 shattered last year's total, raising $10,686,924.83 for the Four Diamonds Fund.

THON 2012 breaks $10 million

THON child Megan Eslinger, 4, chases bubbles blown by dancer Elizabeth Ferrari on Saturday afternoon, Feb. 18, during THON at the Bryce Jordan Center on Penn State's University Park campus. The 46-hour no-sitting, no-sleeping event raises millions of dollars each year for the Four Diamonds Fund.

THON 2012 going strong

Owen Divers and Quinn Allen started off strong for THON 2012 on Friday, Feb. 17.

THON 2012 under way

Mike Rybar made final adjustments to the Penn State Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineering teams Goldberg machine prior to the 2012 Rube Goldberg competition held on Feb. 11 at Penn State's Nittany Lion Inn. Rybar and his team created a musically themed machine that needed to complete a simple task (inflate a balloon) in twenty or more elaborate steps. The annual competition is named for cartoonist Rube Goldberg who created famous artwork depicting overly complicated machines doing everyday tasks.

Rube Goldberg Competition: Feb. 11, 2012

Featured Video

We ... are Penn State (December 19, 2011)

We ... are Penn State (December 19, 2011)

Penn State's creamery, from the cow to the cone

Penn State's creamery, from the cow to the cone

Researchers use balloons to unlock mysteries posed by dying stars

Researchers use balloons to unlock mysteries posed by dying stars

Everyday virus proves potent against cancer cells.

Everyday virus proves potent against cancer cells.

Updates:
Penn State Promise

Task force continues initiatives to help abused and neglected children

Moody's removes Penn State from 'watchlist' and confirms Aa1 rating

Penn State defends rights and files suit against insurer

Penn State strengthens academic programs related to child sexual abuse

Penn State launches new website for information

Clocks return to Old Main bell tower

Friday, January 27, 2012
Jeff Lockard of of New Vibrations Audio and Video successfully captures the first clock face by the east side of the Old Main bell tower. The clocks, originally a gift of the class of 1904, are being installed after having been removed in July for restoration work.
Credit: Annemarie Mountz Jeff Lockard of of New Vibrations Audio and Video successfully captures the first clock face by the east side of the Old Main bell tower. For more photos, click on the image above.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- After six months, the painted plywood disks atop the Old Main bell tower on Penn State's University Park campus are no more. The disks served their purpose -- sealing the holes left when the tower's clock faces were removed for renovation last July. The project originally was projected to be completed in October, but difficulty in securing the glass for the faces delayed the completion until now.

The renovation project also includes a new bell-ringing carillon system, which was installed and began operating Friday afternoon, Jan. 27. The new system is a digital recording of the original Old Main Bell that now sits on display adjacent to Old Main, combined with other bells of comparable sizes to get a full tonal range. The new system has been set up to play a wide range of sounds, from the roar of the Nittany Lion, to Penn State's Alma Mater, "Fight on State" and "Hail to the Lion," in addition to the familiar Westminster Quarter chimes.

Over the weekend, workers from New Vibrations Audio and Video removed the plywood and re-installed the renovated faces, originally a gift of the class of 1904.

The renovation project replaced the broken glass and hands, and reuseed the original cast iron frames with its Roman numerals. The restored faces are custom-laminated glass. The original clock mechanism has been replaced with a new automated system controlled remotely by the Office of Physical Plant to ensure all four faces display the correct time.

For photos of work on the carillon system, visit http://live.psu.edu/flickrset/72157629059235345 and for photos of the clock face installation, visit http://live.psu.edu/flickrset/72157629072850645 online.

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