Schreyer Scholars celebrate end-of-semester Gong Days

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — As people walk past Atherton Hall in University Park toward the end of every semester, they might hear a unique sound — a gong ringing followed by clapping and cheers. This is because Schreyer Scholars are celebrating the completion of their theses at an event known as “Gong Days.” Each student gets the opportunity to ring a full-size gong and celebrate the culmination of months or years of work on their thesis.  

Many Scholars bring their friends, family, clubs or student organizations, professors and more to Gong Days. Scholars celebrate their next steps with people who supported them throughout their time in Schreyer. Atherton Hall buzzes with energy each time the gong rings.  

This tradition had a more humble beginning. In 1990 — when Schreyer Honors College was known as the University Scholars Program — students would ring a small brass bell when they handed in their completed thesis. In 2000, the bell was replaced with a small gong for Scholars to ring in celebration. 

In 2019, Timothy P. Brown, class of 1984, and Louise H. Brown made a generous gift of the full-size gong used today in Atherton Hall. Their gift recognized their son, Carson Brown, class of 2019, and all other graduating Scholars. Additionally, gongs were donated to the six Commonwealth Campuses where Schreyer Scholars can graduate with honors.  

“The honors thesis is an important part of a Scholar’s experience,” said Rich Stoller, interim dean of academic affairs at Schreyer Honors College. “Scholars take great pride in ringing the gong and celebrating the culmination of this academic endeavor.” 

The honors thesis is research or creative project that must be completed in order to graduate from Penn State as a Schreyer Scholar. Working under the supervision of a faculty mentor, every Schreyer Scholar explores a question of particular interest to them, over a period of a year or more, and the completed thesis is made available via the University Libraries’ online catalog.   

Next time you walk past Atherton Hall and hear a gong ringing, stop by to see hundreds of Scholars celebrating years of hard work and dedication to academic excellence at Penn State.