Seen on the way to Ithaca

[illusionofjoy]

Even if you've made a concentrated effort to remain ignorant about it, you've likely heard of the scandals facing Penn State. Furthermore, you are likely aware of the actions taken by a quite vocal minority of Penn's student body in response to the firing of coach Joe Paterno; actions which included rioting and death threats against Paterno's replacement. Obviously this is not the best of times for the university, but that a minority of the student body has taken it upon themselves to lose any semblance of moral focus merely serves to exacerbate an already volatile situation.

However, it seems that the game must go on and as I drove through Nittany Lion territory on my way towards New York, the traffic was a testament to the passion of football fans for the game. As my car approached State College, traffic was seemingly bumper to bumper until the exit leading to Beaver Stadium. Upon passing that exit, I pretty much had the road to myself.

Most of the vehicles in the pack headed to the game had some sort of Penn State flare upon them, be it a flag or two, perhaps a simple bumper sticker or a magnet. However, one car stood out from the crowd; on the back bumper the driver (presumably) had taped a home-made banner written out in black marker bearing the following three lines:

KIDS BEFORE FOOTBALL
HONOR THEM BY
CANCELLING THE SEASON

I admit, my first thought upon reading this was along the lines of, "I bet his tires get slashed when he gets back to campus...assuming he doesn't get run off the road first..." Still, I admire that this person is willing to stridently go against the crowd. For me it was a moment of zen within a sea of mindless conformity.