Beginning Friday morning, I read many comments and stories from Penn State fans saying that the day marked the beginning of the rest of their lives. While I have not yet generated my own phrase to describe a post-Joe Paterno world, I do believe this time can serve as a period of quietness after 83 days of chaos.
Joe Paterno’s son, Scott, has announced that the family will be selling DVD copies of the memorial service on a website that will be announced in the coming weeks.
It is sometimes difficult to remember the permanent stain that the media placed on Joe Paterno’s legacy. There aren’t many people who don’t know at least something about what happened at Penn State this past November. I’m sure I’m not the only one who has unfriended someone on Facebook because of a crude comment, or unfollowed someone on Twitter following an inappropriate joke. But social media can help bring us together just as easily as it creates divides amongst us.
A common theme across campus this week has been how the impact of one man can last far beyond his passing. This weekend at the Jon Quigley Memorial Water Polo Tournament, Penn State's men's and women's club water polo teams proudly celebrated the impact made by a friend and teammate.
Joe Paterno’s passing, and State College’s heartfelt response has come at an unfathomable time in my life. The first 20 years I have been alive were spent almost entirely at my parents' residence just around the corner from the Paterno home. As a lifetime resident and Paterno neighbor, I have admired the deceased coach for many years.
Thursday afternoon’s “A Memorial For Joe” brought a mourning Penn State community together to remember a man who has meant more to the university than anyone else in the past half-century. Students, current and former players, fellow coaches, and fans alike filled the Bryce Jordan Center to hear stories and to remember the life and legacy of Coach Joe Paterno.