An irreplaceable treasure

Memorial Field has been the scene of wins, losses, triumphs, heartaches and unforgettable memories for generations of State
College Area School District students. State High football alum Jon Ganter ‘98 recalls, “As far back as I can remember,
it was a dream of mine to walk down the steps from West Nittany Ave with the State High band rocking on a Friday night and play under the lights with my friends.” Like Ganter, almost all State High alums have cherished memories of cheering at football games on cool autumn nights, competing in athletic events, gathering for graduation, performing with the marching band or enjoying community events, like Arts Festival, concerts and parades, on Memorial Field. In fact, it’s estimated that almost half of all State High students use or attend events at the facility, and a quarter of all students playing or performing on the field itself.

Memorial Field, which is currently home to State High’s football, soccer, field hockey and lacrosse teams, is a unique part of the district and the landscape of State College. Located in the heart of Downtown State College, the 4,000 seat venue was originally constructed during the Great Depression as a Works Progress Administration project. The field was dedicated to State High graduates who lost their lives during World Wars I and II and is now dedicated to the memories of all the graduates who have given their lives in wars since. It has undergone several renovations during its history, but it’s still a community gathering place where neighbors and friends come together to support the students of State College. Memorial Field has certainly served State High and the community well, but the historic venue is now in desperate need of updates that will allow it to continue to benefit future generations of students.

A Safe, Attractive, Enjoyable Venue

The venue no longer meets the needs of our growing school district adequately, and the field’s facilities are woefully outdated. The State College Area School District has outlined an exciting plan to improve and modernize the facility, and the renovations to Memorial Field will lay the foundation for a secure and sustainable future for State College athletics and contribute to the State College community as a whole. The district aims to create an indoor space for team meetings, improve safety and add four new locker room facilities, new restrooms and pedestrian plazas, as well as a concession stand, training room and press box.

The district’s goal is to offer the safest and best possible venue to athletes, coaches and fans alike. The athletes will notice improvements in training facilities both on and off the field, and coaches will appreciate a superior teaching atmosphere and experience safer team management. Fans will also enjoy a more comfortable viewing experience with updated seating, improved concessions and conveniently located bathrooms. “The Memorial Field project will positively impact so many of our students and student athletes, as well as our community,” says Chris Weakland, the district’s athletic director. “Not only does it provide the basic amenities for practice and game preparation for the variety of sports played there, but it also allows for a greater fan experience.”

Athletes are not the only students that will benefit substantially from the project. State High’s marching band is also eagerly awaiting the renovation. Paul Leskowicz, coordinator of music for SCASD, says, “From a marching band perspective, appropriate seating for the band has been a huge challenge over the past few years, since the sinkhole collapse about five years ago… Our present arrangement has the band [seating area] narrow and high, making it almost impossible for the students at the top to see the conductors as their music folio blocks their line of vision. We’re doing our best.” He adds that “the ramp is another concern. It is not an easy grade to march down and make a turn onto the field. It’s not very wide. The proposed plans has a longer and more gradual grade to the field level.”

Leskowicz also agrees that the renovations would benefit the fans. “Having a sound system in place for all spectators to hear the announcer would be a sure welcome,” he says. “The present speaker placement and limited number of speakers available make it difficult for the community members and guests to hear properly.”

Community Support for Memorial Field

The district needs your help to make this vision a reality. Through the State College Education Foundation, the district is seeking tax‑deductible commitments toward renovations at Memorial Field. You can become part of this historic effort and make an impact on generations of State College athletes, their fans and the community.

Ganter stresses the importance of help from within the community. “The current renovation and restoration project warrants the full-fledged support of State High alums and the State College community at large because it represents the nextmajor, and very necessary, step forward that will lay the foundation for historic Memorial Field to continue … in the heart of the State College community and the formative experiences of generations of Little Lions to come.”

Gifts are payable to the State College Area School District Education Foundation by check, stock transfer or money order. Donations can be made in memory of student‑athletes, coaches, teammates, friends or family members, and opportunities are available to name new aspects of the new facilities ifyou choose to make a gift of $100,000 or more. All gifts to the SCASD Education Foundation are tax‑deductible to the extent allowable by law.

With the help of donors and the community, Memorial Field will continue to be a part of the district’s proud legacy of providing learning experiences that will contribute to the personal, physical and psychological development of each individual student. Weakland is looking forward to what the renovated Memorial Field can bring to the community.

“We are so excited [to share the renovated field with] our athletes, student body, families and community members who come to historic Memorial Field for so many sporting and nonsporting events... We want Memorial Field to be a destination venue for more than just State College Athletics.”

Ganter’s fellow alumni certainly agree. “Memorial Field is an irreplaceable treasure of our shared history and experiences that is worth preserving,” Ganter says, adding, “The beauty of the stories and memories that my brothers and I have built at Memorial Field with our teammates, coaches and friends—not to mention the myriad of life lessons we learned through teamwork, competition and the joint pursuit of shared goals—is that there are generations upon generations of women and men from the State College area that have their own litany of cherished life experiences at Memorial Field.”