WE ARE...because YOU WERE

After watching the memorial service held in the Bryce Jordan Center commemorating Joe Paterno’s death, I am overcome with immense feelings of pride toward my university. The speeches were incredibly powerful and moving, to say the least. The rhetoric used by the speakers was so respectful and impressive that I was left speechless after every single delivery. The words of the CEO of the Nike Corporation, Phil Knight, particularly grabbed my attention. His delivery made it seem as if I could listen to him for hours; he was so steady and collected, it just exuded respect for the entire service. While also honoring and commemorating the life of a great man, Knight bravely addressed the situation no one else dared to speak of: the scandal. During his speech, Knight stated, “If there is a villain in this tragedy, it lies in that investigation, not in Joe Paterno’s response…Joe is my hero for twelve of the last twelve years…begs the question, who is the real trustee at Penn State University?” Knight received a standing ovation for these words shortly after. I think these words were so well received because he touched on a subject so taboo at the time that its delivery was almost appreciated by Knight’s audience.

I believe Knight’s words demand a reaction from Penn State’s administration because of the way they were so directly stated. The beauty of this rhetoric is that is has made us as a university think about our actions and how we have handled the whole situation in the past ten weeks. His expression of disappointment in Penn State almost jumped out at the audience during his speech and was felt with so many different emotions. I think the power of his rhetoric gave him the ability to connect with thousands of people over such a sad service. Knight was incredibly well spoken and clearly put a lot of thought into the structure and diction of his speech. It was admirable to see such educated and well-spoken people such as Knight be able to celebrate Joe Paterno’s life and comment on the impact he has had on them.

Analyzing the Rhetoric of "a Football Team with a Good University"

As I strolled downtown Wednesday afternoon, I noticed a rather "prideful" Joe Paterno shirt in a storefront window. This particular shirt I showed a picture of Beaver Stadium. Underneath the stadium read the phrase "Beaver Stadium- the House that JoePa built." In light of the chaos regarding the Sandusky scandal in the past few months, it is a blessing to see such pride and unity radiating throughout the student body; however, I'm afraid some things are being taken too far. It is clear that our University wants to move forward from this disaster, but the rhetoric used when describing the new era of Penn State Football in particular sends off a surprisingly negative vibe. Producing products such as the shirt I glanced over downtown discourage the public from accepting change. In such an attempt to remain positive about Bill O’Brien’s new reign, I feel as though our University is almost in a “cult-like” obsession with Joe Paterno’s previous years. The rhetoric used in the post-Paterno products suggests an unwelcoming feeling toward the upcoming Bill O’Brien years.

NY Daily News

         In the midst of the outrage over the scandal, t-shirts emerged which promoted Joe Paterno as a god-like figure. I understand the need for pride at such a dark hour, but the rhetoric of these shirts made moving forward almost impossible because our student body was fixated on saving Joe. The amount of pathos exuded from these products inhibits the logos of the people. The rhetoric of the post-Paterno products is sending the wrong message. Instead of obnoxiously worshipping Paterno, we should acknowledge his accomplishments and give O’Brien a warm welcome. WE ARE…supposed to be moving forward, not stuck in the past.