Joseph Vincent Paterno. The last week at Penn State has been spent showing our support to him, and his family. From the scare of thinking he had already passed last Saturday night, to his actual death announced Sunday morning. All of this was followed by an extremely moving candlelight vigil in front of Old Main, a viewing that thousands upon thousands of people attended, a campus lined with students and alumni waiting to "guide Joe home", and then one of the most touching memorials I have ever been blessed to be a part of.
However, some people do not think that any of these things were appropriate. Many people in fact view Joe Paterno one of the villians in the scandal that has been overtaking our school for the past 3 months now. Many critics voiced their opinions saying that we are taking everything too far, and that we are forgetting what crime he has committed. They say that his legacy was tarnished forever.
I completely disagree.
Maybe it is just because I am a Penn State student, or because I live by the rule that you should look past people's mistakes and see who they truly are and what they have done. Today, I attended the memorial for Joe Paterno and all I could think while I was there was that I wish every single one of those critics could hear what everyone had to say, and how everyone came together. I am not saying Joe didn't make a mistake, but to say his "legacy is tarnished" is going too far. 62 years dedicated to this university, 409 wins, over 4 million dollars donated to Penn State... that is only some of the contributions he made in his life. Along with influencing individual lives I believe one of his greatest achievements that makes it impossible to say his legacy is tarnished is that he helped to make a body of students a family. This week at Penn State has been proof that Joe's legacy indeed lives on. Thousands of students coming together, along with families and alumni, to show their support for Joe and his family was beyond touching. He made us all a family, a family that lives on and has had and will continue to have amazing experiences because of him. This last picture is probably one of the most impacting things he could have done for me. Today, at the end of the memorial, everyone in the entire Bryce Jordan Center, friends and strangers alike, held hands to pray the Our Father, just like Joe does after football games with his team. For me to see thousands of strangers do that together, to celebrate the life of one single man, moved me. It made me see how no matter what outsiders say about Joe, or about how we talk about him, or treated his memory the last week, that he was an incredible man that touched the lives of so many people and created a family. And although he is gone, this family will stay strong because of his legacy.
We are because he was.
Joe Paterno made an amazing impact on Penn State and he will be greatly missed by many. His mistake in the past could never tarnish his legacy and all of the accomplishments he has made. The fact that thousands of people where there to support him is abosulutely amazing to me. He brought all of these people together and affected their lives in some small way. I have only been at Penn State for a year and I feel like I have already found a family and lifelong friends here and I really feel like if it wasnt for JoePa our school wouldnt be so united and have so much pride, and for that I thank him.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the legacy of Joe Paterno was not tarnished forever. Sure, he made a mistake, but it is not fair to overlook all of the good he did in his life, on and off the football field. This past week was a great example of how he has impacted this school. Thousands came together to honor the memory of a man who made Penn State what it is.
ReplyDeleteI believe the people looking in from the outside and passing judgment are all ill-informed. Partially because they are not Penn Staters and don't care to look at the good he has done for so many thousands, or millions, and partially because the media has painted him as a villain without once pointing out the good he has done. For that, I feel sorry for them. I feel sorry that they were never graced with the greatness, the wisdom, and the values that JoePa instilled on this campus. We are the lucky ones and our lives are forever bettered simply by having him in it.
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