WE ARE
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WE ARE

My first blog for this week was written in my head. It wasn’t very nice. I didn’t put it on paper. You’re welcome. It was a rant about all of the complaining. Here’s the thing: no one wants to hear it. I’m pretty sure even the complainers don’t want to hear it. So let’s all zippity do dah zip it.

I took a break and watched Jay’s acceptance speech for Joe’s induction into the PA State Hall of Fame. The apple sure doesn’t fall far from the tree.

And the new blog is kind of a love letter...

To you, student athlete, team player, class pay attention-er: Thank you for showing up both in the classroom and on the field. We don’t often recognize how many responsibilities you must juggle, but you don’t complain. Practices, games, travel readings, class schedules, exams, social lives. As Jay said, you made the commitment to excel on the field, and more importantly, in the classroom and as people. I support you.

To you, Mr. Sorrell and all the other parents of Penn State students: Thank you for believing in our core values and entrusting your kids to this great university. I know I’m joined by many, many Penn Staters who promise to ensure that Success with Honor continues.

To you, supportive blog commenters: Thank you. Your words mean so much to me week after week. You let me know we’re part of this Penn State family together.

And to you, people who completely miss the point: Thank you for reading and turning your brains on. Thank you for your critical thinking, and for not succumbing to apathy.

To you, Paterno family: Thank you for your tireless pursuit of the truth. Thank you for holding this huge extended family together. Thank you for ceaselessly setting the example of class, loyalty, and strength.

It’s Jay Paterno’s eloquence and wisdom that I echo here. We tend to look at the end product-- the season records, the bowl games, the rankings-- and we forget that it begins with small steps. Some seasons are tougher than others. Some teams need more practice than others. We all persevere together and we realize that greatness is never easy. Ours is a house built on rock. It’s not swayed by the events of the last three years, nor by the complainers speaking up now.

We’re all just a bunch of apples, falling off the Penn State trees. Some of us kinda bitter. Most of us good. Together, we are family. We are Success with Honor. We are One Team. We are Unrivaled. We are Penn State.