What does State Paddy’s Day have to do with the Jerry Sandusky case? Our schools image has been undoubtedly tarnished. What I cannot understand is how a student run holiday in February can have any effect on that. Yes, State Paddy’s Day is no something the sheds us in the greatest light. People do not realized the trouble normally comes from our idiot friends who came in from other schools for the weekend. Nor should any of that matter because it takes place on our campus and does not make us as a student body look good nor does it represent who we really are. But would it really be that be if we continued on with our tradition at the end of February? I understand the shame the university and the students have gone through but cannot understand what canceling State Paddy’s day would do? I feel as though that it would be sacrificing for the sake of sacrificing. What would we being giving up and for what reason? It was eye opening to see the passion Sam spoke of this to us. He truly meant what he was saying and really believes that this holiday could really be damaging for us as students. Students and various groups will try and boycott it. But this “holiday” has grown to the point where people have come to expect it and it has gotten so big there is little chance in stopping it.
I was shocked when Sam urged us to give up State Paddy’s Day in sacrifice for what goes on. Most importantly, I was surprised by the ramifications he insisted would ensue if the “holiday” happened. He seemed almost certain that it would totally ruin us as a school and student body. I was very confused by this? I would assume we are not the only school that has some sort of campus wide, daylong celebration of something. We get state media coverage of this every year. It is what it is. It comes and it goes. honestly cannot see a potential employer looking down on someone from Penn State because they heard about State Paddy’s Day. I just cannot see that happening. But Sam does have a valid point. We look at things here from an insider’s perspective. We know all the good that goes on here. Outsiders don’t see THON and all the other good we do as students. Yes, we do stupid things but we do a lot of good and there is a lot we are proud of. However, in today’s media world people do not see the good. They only see us rioting and binge drinking. But I am still confused as to what boycotting State Paddy’s Day would do.
Many of us get upset when national media admits this but they are on the outside looking in. They do not live in the Joe Paterno shell where he can do no wrong and they admit he made a major mistake. Joe has done great for this university. We should all be thankful and like he said we should continue to pray for the victims. In the end, Penn State will withstand this and we will be back. WE ARE
Even with such a large student body we have all come together. We have defended our school against the national media and the misleading information that has been placed out there. We have shown the riots were a minority and not a majority. We have shown we do feel for the victims and want to see justice brought upon those responsible. We have been the butt of many jokes and it has been hard to see the school we adore in this light. But we have also learned something else. College football, no matter who or where, is a dirty game. It’s a multi-million dollar business. There is lying, cheating and other dirty tricks. Unfortunately, we fell into this and so did our beloved Joe Paterno. Has hard as it is to say, Coach Paterno messed up. He “legally” did the right thing but that is not what Joe Paterno is about. His entire career he preached doing more than was required and going the extra mile. Joe messed up.
We have learned lessons on multi different levels the past few weeks. We have learned things about total strangers, our university, an iconic football coach and made us even think about ourselves as Penn State students. First off, we are all hurt, devastated, disgusted and saddened about the horrific acts that went on at our beloved campus and our hearts go out to the victim. Their innocence was taken from them in a horrifically disgusting way. I think most importantly we learned that sexual abuse is real and does go on. And it takes a lot of strength and courage to come forward. So many people are sexually abused and there are more than we will ever know. Another thing I learned was just the type of campus family we have in State College. It has been and will be for a while an us vs. the world mentality. We have truly come together as Penn Staters and it was never more evident than at the candlelight vigil and football game. We are a student body that truly loves are school and will come together and make sure we preserver.
But at 10V pm on Wednesday evening the unthinkable happened. JOE PATERNO WAS FIRED VIA A TELEPHONE CALL. In the hour leading up to the announcement, word began to spread through twitter that Paterno would be “relived of his duties.” The campus knew before the announcement and bedlam did ensue. This week has shown the effects of social media. Even leading up to the game tomorrow there has been much set forth on social media. Social media affects the way we act and what we do. Without twitter we would all be in the dark Without Facebook the gathering may not of been as numerous or attracted so many people.
Even with all the rumors that have spread through social media, it has affected, good and bad, the way we have reacted.
Information was coming out by the hour and students were glued to their twitter feeds all day. Twitter was our main news source. Students began creating Facebook groups to organize gathering, protests, vigils and even riots. Social media allowed students to come together and organize what you wanted to do. All day Tuesday, event invitations flooded my Facebook. “Gather at Old Main.” “Gather at Paternos home.” “Riot in Beaver Canyon” “Wear blue to the game Saturday” They continued to come. And as the day went on there was a definite feeling of what was going to happen that night. This can partly be attribute to organization through social media.
Students knew to go to Joe Paternos house, then move to Old Main, then to the Paterno statue and the night would be capped off with a “riot” in Beaver Canyon. All these things happened and to prove it people were tweeting out what exactly was going on. Even if you didn’t know the person you knew where everyone was congregating. It was known that if Paterno was fired bedlam would assume social media or not. Throughout the day Wednesday it came out that Paterno would retire at seasons end.
Outrage. Passion. Confusion .Disgust. These are some of the things we have been feeling this week. It started last Friday when Jerry Sandusky was indicted. Most students did not think much of this. Then as we all rolled out of bed Saturday morning our lives, particularly our collegiate lives, changed forever. A missive cover up by the administration was discovered. Quickly Penn State was popping up all over social media. Students took to Facebook to post statuses about it. Penn State began “trending” on twitter worldwide. And so it began. By Sunday night we realized what a major story it would be. By Monday the entire national media invaded our small college town.
I have no problem with undocumented workers taking these jobs. It has been shown that Americans cannot and will not do these jobs. So, they are not taking jobs away from American citizens. These jobs need to get down in order for us to get our farm products. What I do have a problem with is the way they are compensated. For the type of work they do, they should be paid a more fair price than what they are. I understand they are here illegally but in reality who are they really hurting? If nothing else, they are helping our country, paying taxes, and receiving no benefits from the government. The way we treat these people is embarrassing to our country because if we think back the majority of our parents came to this country looking for work. So why is this any different?
Although it is a stereotype, many times the people that do these physical labor jobs are Mexican immigrants. They are the ones you see pictures of working out in the fields picking crops. Why do they do this? They do it because they need to in order to support their families. They have no negotiating leverage in regards to what they are paid because they are undocumented workers. Therefore they are taken total advantage of when it comes to what they are paid compared to the work they do. They go to work and many times whatever small sum of money they do earn is wired home to their families. So, they are literally making NO money and many times are left to sleep on the street waiting for the sun to come up. People say undocumented workers are taking American’s jobs. Are they? Would Americans being working 12 hour days in the fields for wage you could not even attempt to live off of?
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Contraption