Penn State Football is on the upswing. After this week’s striking victory against Purdue, Coach James Franklin called on fans to create another White Out in Beaver Stadium for the Iowa game this weekend.

And who can blame him? In the first White Out of this season, the Nittany Lions defeated then-No. 2 Ohio State and became ranked for the first time since the Paterno era. Many fans contribute the success of the game to the White Out, night-game atmosphere, so it makes sense Franklin just wants a little of that for Iowa. But should we really have another White Out this weekend? Three of our staffers weigh in on the best way to proceed.

Allison Wulfhorst – Not Another White Out

The White Out; a special time during the Penn State football season when everyone wears white to support the Nittany Lions in whomever they are facing. After its effectiveness against Ohio State, Coach Franklin is in high hopes to have another one for the Iowa game this Saturday night. However, being as the White Out is such a unique attribute to PSU, it’s not a good idea to do it twice in one season.

Utilizing the White Out, a Beaver Stadium exclusive, only once every season is what makes it so special. There is something so powerful about the whole crowd wearing the same color; it symbolizes unity and the immense support that we have for our team. Doing it again would only take away from that. It wouldn’t be something we would continue to cherish or appreciate. It would turn into a ‘tactic’ of some sort to winning football games. Many people, myself included, believe our atmosphere was a part of the victory against Ohio State. We can’t just use a White Out for that reason though. It’s much more than that, and it needs to stay as special as we regard it.

Not only should we not do it twice in one season, but the home game immediately after the White Out of this year? If we’re to do it again this season —  and that’s one big ‘if’ — then why would we do it again so soon? If something were to take away from the White Out experience, it would be that. It seems as if we would be trying to recreate what happened with Ohio State. That’s in the past and let’s appreciate what it is now: history. That game and atmosphere will be a part of Penn State history, and a part that we will never forget. We shouldn’t take away from that by introducing a second White Out trying to recreate the first.

Please don’t do another White Out game for Iowa and take away that feeling we get when we spend all our money on white merchandise, load up in multiple layers of white clothing and pick up those white shakers to cheer on the team we love. That’s an experience that’s only special if you experience it once a season. Don’t try and change that.

Joe Pickard – White Out, But Student Section Only

There is no denying there is certain buzz around campus this week. Penn State Football is back. This season especially, the White Out game holds a magic of sorts, but we need to keep it that way. I don’t agree with James Franklin’s call for a second White Out this week vs. Iowa. We need to keep the full stadium White Out to a once-a-year deal in order to keep it special. Think about it, if you have the same food every day you are going to get tired of it. I’m afraid that will happen to the White Out. While I agree this is a great time for the program and we want to keep the momentum rolling, I believe we should have a student section only White Out.

A student section White Out will motivate students to come to the game this week and get loud, and will help get Iowa out of its element. A student section White Out will accomplish what we need. Penn State is a 6-2 team and favored to win, it’s time for James Franklin and Co. to show we can beat anyone, anywhere, no matter the environment. When we head to Indiana there isn’t going to be a White Out or home field advantage to help us. The buzz about the program right now is enough to bring the energy to Beaver Stadium this Saturday night, but since we are ranked for the first time season since 2011, let’s get the student section in White and going crazy.

So let’s call for Nittany Nation to show up 107k strong and bring the noise like we always do. There is no need to call for a full stadium White Out again this season. Let’s keep the full stadium White Out to one game a year, but students can still show why we are the best student section in the nation this.

Elissa Hill – White Out All Or White Out None

Unlike Allison, I’m neither fully pro or against another White Out in Beaver Stadium this season. But if we do have a White Out this weekend for the Iowa game, I think it’s a “go big or go home” scenario. What’s the point in having just a student section White Out?

The goal of the White Out is to create an atmosphere in Beaver Stadium that is #PSUnrivaled. You saw it at the Ohio State game. There’s a chance we might not have upset No. 2 Ohio State without the White Out atmosphere, because the whole stadium was involved. In my experience, the student section already carries a more spirited atmosphere than the rest of the stadium, so a White Out restricted to the student section simply isn’t necessary.

If we want to turn up the volume, everyone has to be involved. Sure, for those of you who were around, the White Out began strictly as a student section movement. But there’s no denying it became exponentially stronger when the whole stadium got involved. I don’t have a dog in the fight of whether to have a second White Out, but if the Nittany Lions fan base decides to go white this weekend, we need everyone on board.