PSU Has Changed

Last Saturday, Zach and I had the opportunity to attend the PSU/Nebraska game in Happy Valley. The decision to attend this last home game of the season was made in advance of the recently released sex abuse scandal and the resultant firing of JoePa. I had mixed feelings of attending the game, knowing that it would be a different PSU experience. But we decided to go and in the end, we were happy that we did.

As I'm sure everyone knows, the game was special. The team and the fans handled themselves the best that they could, given the situation. And the news reporters got one thing right - in the end, we won't remember the score or who won. The game will be remembered because it was more than a game. The team spirit, the supportive fans (for both teams), the pre-game prayer, the tears, and the absence of JoePa.

In a somewhat melancholic mood, we walked through campus and Zach and I reminisced on our experiences at PSU. We had such a fun time while we were students, experiencing life without our parents, falling in love, figuring out what our future would bring. Nearly each building held particular memories for us - watching the twin towers fall on the HUB TV with hundreds of fellow students, walking across the lawn of Old Main late at night as Zach escorted me home, statistics in Thomas building, dungeon-like classrooms in Bouke, endless hours studying in Paterno library.

Yes, PSU is more than football, but the loss of JoePa was tragic. I am still PSU proud, but I am also sad.