By: Breanna Jacobs
Thousands of Penn State students and alumni crowded the Old Main lawn last night to celebrate the life of former head football coach, Joe Paterno.
As the bell in the Old Main clock tower struck 8 p.m., the crowd joined in lighting candles in remembrance of Paterno, who passed away Sunday morning at the age of 85.
Present and former football players spoke, recounting the many memories that they shared with Coach Paterno. Speakers included cornerback Mike Wallace, quarterbacks Matt McGloin and Shane McGregor, and current Oakland Raiders guard Stefen Wisniewski.With emotion in their voices, they commemorated the life of the coach that transformed them from boys into men, the man that made their dream of playing football come true and a man that was a mentor to them in so many ways.
It was an emotional scene as the Blue Band played “Amazing Grace” and the a cappella group, Shades of Blue, led the crowd in the Penn State Alma Mater. Per tradition, everyone put their arms around their fellow Penn Staters and swayed in unison as they sang.
As the vigil came to a close, candles were raised in the air and silence settled over the crowd.
When the candles were blown out, thousands walked together to gather around the Joe Paterno statue outside of Beaver Stadium.
Throughout the day, flowers, candles, letters and other memorabilia were placed at the feet of the bronze Paterno.
The big screen in Beaver Stadium showed a picture of Paterno all day, and ran silent videos of Paterno’s accomplishments every few hours.
And, as darkness continued to envelop the Penn State campus, the sky around the stadium remained lit in a white haze, which will fondly be remembered as Paterno’s final, and most beautiful, white out.
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