Penn State: Past, Present, and Future

I wrote what it was like to be from State College, that was before the Freeh Report surfaced, nothing has changed for me. I've lived in State College my entire life, I've been Penn State my entire life, and I've loved every minute of it. I'll admit coming to Penn State wasn't my first choice but when it came down to it I couldn't resist being apart of the Penn State family. Being apart of this family is not just going to football games and having a good time on weekends, but learning how to make an impact. If that sounds familiar, it's because when a young Joe Paterno told his dad he wanted to be a coach instead of a lawyer he was asked if he thought he could make an impact, myself and thousands of Penn Staters will tell you he did. I've heard the negativity about Paterno, I've heard it for quite some time. Could he have done more? Yes. Could Mike McQueary have done more? Yes. What about the others? I'm pretty sure they could have done more. People make mistakes every single day, but when you're Penn State and have the reputation of being "spotless", people will wait for the perfect time to tear you down. This is that time. People have been trying and trying to find the right time to find flaws in Joe Paterno. He was a human being like the rest of us, of course he had flaws. Those people have their moment and they aren't holding back. It's easy to kick someone when they're down though, just ask ESPN. I've stood behind Joe Paterno forever, and will always stand behind him. Am I worried what people think of that? No. Why? because I reflect on the fact that he is one of the most influential people in college sports, I reflect on all the good he did for Penn State, his players, and the community of State College. Most people have erased that from their memory but the fact is you can't erase it. The NCAA can hand out whatever, if any, penalties they want, but you cannot just remove Joe Paterno from existence. For me, his name will forever be associated with making sure his players graduated, making sure Penn State students have the best education (his name is on the library in case you didn't know), and making sure he made an impact. People can spin that last one however they want, but I'm referring to the fact that he wanted his players to leave better men and become great fathers and figures in the community. I'm referring to the fact that he made Penn State what it is today by focusing on the importance of graduating. You can hate Joe Paterno, Jerry Sandusky, and all those involved in this horrific and unthinkable situation, but don't hate Penn State. It's times like this where a school needs to show it's not what the media has portrayed it as. Penn State is not all those negative things you hear, and it's not a place where future students and their families should shy away from. It's a place where a 17-18 year-old can come and get a great education, an education that will lead them to success in the future, it's a place where 110,000 people dressed in blue and white can come together on a fall Saturday and say the one thing that every Penn Stater should hold close to their heart, "We Are, Penn State". The future is bright for Penn State, we're moving forward and not looking back. You can say anything you want and write whatever you want about Penn State now; but there is one thing you can write about for the future and that's WE ARE going to continue to be Penn State.

Penn State Football, Never Leaving

This isn't about the university, this isn't about Jerry Sandusky or Joe Paterno, this is about Penn State football. Moving forward is going to be hard yes, but its' going to happen. Penn State football will always be about plain uniforms, home-field advantage, and having the best fans in the nation. When you come to Beaver Stadium and you're about to enter the gate, think about why you're at Beaver Stadium; you came to this game to see Penn State football put on a show in front of 110,00 people screaming at the top of their lungs for the team they love. You didn't come to talk about Jerry Sandusky, you didn't come to talk about what happened when, you came to watch football. You came to see Silas Redd slash and dash into the endzone, you came to see Jordan Hill rip down the quaterback for a big hit. Coming to Beaver Stadium is about seeing those blue uniforms and plain white helmets, hearing four simple words echo throughout the 110,000 seat stadium, "We Are, Penn State", and when you attend a Penn State football game, you know what that means.
The road ahead for Penn State is a steep one, but none steeper than the one the football team faces. The questions are asked by the hundreds; how will they move on without Joe Paterno? what is the team going to look like? will the fans still come out? Jerry Sandusky this and that. Those questions will be answered starting Saturday September 1, when Ohio comes to Beaver Stadium. Success may or may not come right away, but I've said it before and I'll say it before because it is what I believe in and what I've grown accustom to, WE are Penn State. The football team is Penn State, the 45,000 plus student body is Penn State, the alumni are Penn State, and those who bleed blue and white are Penn State. We will come out every Saturday and show the team that WE still have their back. Every Saturday WE will show the nation, the media, and everyone who doubts us that we aren't down and that we will be back stronger than ever because we are one. It's going to be different, the mood might not be the same, but sometimes change can be a good thing. The old saying "don't judge a book by its cover" isn't more true than it is with Penn State. You don't know what we're about and you don't know who we are, but WE do. We know what Penn State is about, and it's not what you're hearing, and come September 1st we will prove to everyone that no matter what is said or written, we won't be knocked down and we will continue to be Penn State.