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about a year ago

A Memorial, TicketMaster, and the World Today

joepa vigil

Yesterday morning, thousands of us sat anxiously at our computers watching the seconds bleed away towards 10:00 a.m., when tickets would become available for perhaps the most significant event to occur on Penn State’s campus in the school’s 157-year history.

As I saw the tweets and Facebook statuses declaring success or disappointment about the results of the ticket rush, something just felt wrong to me. I felt uncomfortable seeing friends excited to have tickets right next to messages from others desperately trying to find an extra ticket for one final goodbye. Many have compared it to the same feelings brought on by the student season football ticket sale, and it disappoints me to have to agree.

Think about it. Has attending a funeral ever before contained both feelings of relief and good fortune? Have we reduced the ancient practice of commemorating a life of a human being to something as trivial as seeing who can click fastest? I realize that this method presents the most practical option, but it still doesn’t sit quite right with me.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that the thousands who will fill the BJC on Thursday do or don’t care about JoePa as much as those who will not. I also do not have a better solution to propose, which I realize makes this entire post sound whiny. However, what of the older generation of Penn State alumni and fans who saw Coach Paterno’s illustrious career and life in its entirety? The odds fell against them with the distribution occurring on TicketMaster, though some tickets were available via phone as well. Think about JoePa himself seated at a computer attempting to figure out the process of securing tickets on TicketMaster. It’s okay to laugh, I laughed while writing it.

Some have questioned the decision to hold the service in the Bryce Jordan Center instead of at Beaver Stadium, where ten times as many supporters could attend and where Coach Paterno spent many, many Saturdays giving us something to cheer about. While that proposition paints a romantic picture, it makes little sense, especially given this lovely late January weather. Plus, one has to assume that the Paterno family made the call to hold the service at the Jordan Center, and their wishes matter far more than anyone else’s.

I will attend tomorrow’s service to pay my respects to a man whose namesake I proudly represent as a Paternoville officer, a man whose generosity and compassionate gave, and will continue to give, us all inspiration, and a man who should be remembered for the thousands of lives he changed for the better. Still, I can’t help but feel slightly guilty knowing that I must present a ticket to do so, knowing that there are many others who could, and possibly should, have the same opportunity instead of me.

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  • Leslie

    If you feel that bad, give your ticket up to an older person then.

  • Jess

    Couldn’t the Blue/White game also be turned into some kind of memorial, once the stadium is no longer winterized, and many more people can attend? Not a full memorial, but something beforehand or at half time to honor a man in the place that he built?

  • Steve Silverman
  • Kelly

    Steve Silverman – Nobody in the PSU family wants to hear your uninformed media drivel right now. We know people have their misguided opinions of Joe based on a few months of media coverage that made him the center of  an investigation into another man’s crimes b/c it gets you and your media trolls ratings and clicks. There are so many facts that have not yet been made known it should be impossible for any thinking person to make a judgement but the media cares nothing about actual facts. I have lost all faith in any media outlet. Perhaps the media should look into it’s own “Moral obligations” before trampling on others lack of such obligations.
    Oh and you should either learn to spell or get a new copy editor, “Those that NEW about it covered it up.” is a child’s mistake and makes you look unprofessional. Just saying.

  • John Tecce

    Your brain appears to be made of clay.

  • Andy

    It would certainly be nice for everyone to have a chance to attend the service, but as someone who is not able to attend, I feel ok with it. Like many, though I never met Coach, he had a huge impact on my life. While I would like to be able to attend a service, I know that I can pay my respects in my own way, that Joe would understand (and probably chastise me for wanting to make the trip), and be comfortable visiting Joe when I can.

  • John Tecce

    Very sensible way to look at it, Thanks for commenting.