This morning, Joe Paterno was pronounced dead at the age of 85 after losing his battle with lung cancer. He was in the hospital since January 13th, and reports yesterday were swirling that he was in serious condition. CBS falsely reported last night that he had died, but Paterno’s sons took to Twitter to deny the reports. Today, the Twittersphere is mourning the loss of not only a coach, but a legend.

His family released this statement: ”He died as he lived. He fought hard until the end, stayed positive, thought only of others and constantly reminded everyone of how blessed his life had been. His ambitions were far reaching, but he never believed he had to leave this Happy Valley to achieve them. He was a man devoted to his family, his university, his players and his community.”

Joe Paterno had been the head coach at Penn State since 1966, and his legacy as the winningest coach in football history with 409 victories lives on despite the past few months. The Penn State family has been through a lot regarding the Jerry Sandusky scandal and continue to face it everyday. Paterno said in an interview with The Washington Post that ”I didn’t know exactly how to handle it and I was afraid to do something that might jeopardize what the university procedure was. So I backed away and turned it over to some other people, people I thought would have a little more expertise than I did. It didn’t work out that way.” It’s truly devastating what happened, and there are many unanswered questions regarding it. But take a moment to remember his legacy in football.

I remember two years ago when Penn State came to Bryant-Denny Stadium to play. There were no boos when that man stepped out on the field, but instead the entire stadium was chanting “JOE PA!” It was a pretty cool sight seeing that little old man walk across our field and shake Nick Saban’s hand. That’s what I’m going to remember about him.

Caitlin is a senior at the University of Alabama who has an obsession with cupcakes, coffee, and Harry Potter. She always has random fun facts on reserve and aspires to be a professional blogger,social media bug, and/or James Franco’s assistant. Follow her fabulous life @caitlincorsetti. You’re welcome!

Image taken by Eric Weiss

Disgust.

I can not think of another word to describe the constant gut-wrenching feeling I have had in the pit of my stomach since Saturday morning when the alleged sexual assault case involving former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky became national news.

First, and foremost, I am disgusted that my university — a place that I spent the best four years of my life learning and growing and maturing into the person I am today — would let this one man ruin the reputation we have worked so hard to build. Members of our administration were informed of Sandusky’s actions that occurred NINE years years ago (and on OUR CAMPUS no less) and felt the proper course of action was to cover this up. And then when confronted, they continue to do something; to say nothing. Not even to apologize to the victims and their families that had the strength to come forward after all of these years of abuse and turmoil. Pure and utter disgust.

I have continued to be disgusted by the national media who has made this about Joe Paterno (a man has not even been formally charged with anything and followed protocol according to the Pennsylvania attorney general). Instead of asking for the resignations of our Athletic Director Tim Curley and Gary Schultz, the Senior Vice President of Finance and Business and the overseer of the University Police (who are both charged with perjury and failure to report), they went for the sensationalism. Go after the octogenarian who has spent the last 46 seasons building and rebuilding Penn State football, who has placed such an emphasis on academics in State College that the library is named after him, who has been a leader, a role model for athletes and students alike. Do I believe Joe could have done more? Yes, absolutely. The man has even admitted this himself. We all knew that even Paterno could not survive this scandal unscathed. But do I believe he earned a better ending to his career than being fired OVER THE PHONE by the Board of Trustees? You bet your ass I do. And that disgusts me.

I am even more disgusted with the hundreds of current Penn State students who used last night as a way to misrepresent the entire study body and alumni association. Instead of every present news outlet focusing on the respectful, somber demonstrations at the Paterno statue near Beaver Stadium or the football players gathering together at the Lasch building or the candelight vigils being held for the victims of Sandusky’s abuse, I was watching CNN broadcast students flipping over a local news van and tear down lamp posts on a street I was proud to call my home for two years. You continued to embarrass the Penn State name. May no act of ours bring shame? You brought not only shame; you brought me disgust.

It will be a long time before Penn State recovers from this scandal. There will be even more firing and resigning as new facts continue to unfold and further action is taken to ensure everyone involved in this scandal is removed from our University. This is not an easy path and these are some of our darkest hours. But I know my university and I know we will not let the actions of a few men define the phrase “We Are… Penn State.” This feeling of disgust will pass. We will continue to remind the world that we are bigger than this. We will continue to remind people to focus on the victims and we will never let something of this nature happen on our campus ever again. We will continue to bleed blue and white.

Fight On, State.

Ariel Abramowitz is a recent graduate of the Penn State College of Communications, as well as a former writer for OnwardState.com. She has some very strong opinions but they are all her own. Feel free to let her know what you think by commenting or tweeting her @arielsam924.

When news that former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky was a serial child molester and rapist broke, I was utterly disgusted. The fact that several children had been mercilessly violated by an authority figure in their lives is truly heartbreaking.

But that’s not what the media circus has been highlighting because these instances of pedophilia have an additional element of horror. Several people were aware that Sandusky had inappropriate and criminal relationships with children. The most notable of those aware was head football coach Joe Paterno.

I don’t know anything about college football. I had heard the name Paterno before, but it wasn’t until this week that I learned of the legacy that he built. How his presence is firmly enmeshed in the institution of Penn State. How he has spent the last 46 years cultivating an excellent football program, how he was an exceptional  leader, a virtuous man full of integrity and morality. The kind of man you trust.

But this purportedly great man failed. He failed when he made the decision to not report his knowledge of Jerry Sandusky’s behavior to the proper authorities. Each moment that he carried the cognition of Sandusky’s crimes silently showed a deficit of all the values he publicly stood for.

No one knows why he didn’t report to the authorities .The idea that he was more interested in protecting the reputation of his program instead of standing up for victims of sexual violence is absolutely sickening. And yet, why is it that not only him, but a graduate student, several Penn State administrators, and members of the maintenance staff witnessed or knew of Sandusky’s conduct and didn’t report him. Is it because they believed so deeply in the power of their institution that they were in a state of denial? Or did so many people really value Paterno and football over human lives?

Naturally, there have been people who are asking why the responsibility fell to Paterno and other PSU higher-ups. Why didn’t the children say anything? It’s not Paterno’s fault. He shouldn’t be punished. Here’s the deal –  these children were in a position of subordination. Sandusky was an authority figure. Not only are children not conditioned to question authority, but our society is often guilty of victim-blaming as soon as  sexual violence comes into play. Paterno is complicit in Sandusky’s crimes the same way you would be complicit you would be if you walked in on your roommate’s boyfriend raping her and failed to take action. When people are powerless to defend themselves, it is the responsibility of those who have power to us it accordingly. And Paterno didn’t.

Joe Paterno has been fired, as have other members of Penn State’s administration.  They have been punished for not holding Sandusky accountable for his actions, and I believe that is fair.  Many people are far from pleased. Some of Paterno’s supporters rioted last night. He is not the victim here. The children who were molested under his watch are. And I firmly believe that enabling a child molester overshadows his legacy of being a football coach.

Molestation is always more important than football. Always.

As a Nittany Lion (and 2009/2010 #1 party school attendee) , I honestly couldn’t be happier. Penn State spent all of last year under strict scrutiny because of our Number 1 party school status. I’m sure there are plenty of PSU students talking about how as the new #3 school, we have “work to do,” but maybe they should remember the tragic incident that kicked off the 2009-2010 school year. The “pressure to live up” to these rankings caused one student his life. Sure, every freshman has those nights where they get a little too drunk, and as college students, we idealize these hysterical stories that we tell over Sunday brunch in the dining commons. But these rankings take those crazy nights to a whole new level and don’t only affect a person’s time spent in school, but much, much more.

When I chose to attend Penn State, I made the decision based on our incredible alumni association and the overall environment of Happy Valley. I wanted to be able to walk into a job interview and be proud. Penn State proud. I didn’t want the person sitting on the other side of the desk question whether or not I was capable of handling responsibilities because I went to a school known for beer bongs and keg stands. The authenticity of my GPA shouldn’t be under dispute. I worked my behind off during the week and I enjoy myself on weekends, like any other college student.

What frustrates me the most about the whole party school ranking is that it overshadows the other amazing things Penn State students are doing with their free time. We have one of the most active Greek systems nationwide. We raised $7.8 million dollars last year in our annual 46-hour dance marathon, the largest student-run philanthropy in the WORLD. Where is all the press for that?

I’m not saying Penn State doesn’t deserve these rankings. After all, we make up our own freaking holidays. I am up and ready to tailgate on a fall Saturday at 10 AM, even if kick-off is past sundown. And I’ve never been one to turn down a theme party. But there is a serious underage binge drinking problem at our university that has cost Penn State and downtown State College not only hundreds of thousands of dollars, but student lives.

Rankings from Princeton Review, College Humor, and Playboy make these problems seem like jokes to brag about when they are anything but. Partying is a huge part of the college lifestyle but do we really need an award for it?

Penn State applicants do, that’s who.

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Sitting at our graduation, I remember thinking, ‘how is this end?’ It just doesn’t feel real. I’m still waiting to wake up in my old dorm room, 4 years ago.  I feel like I should still be attending classes, where I stopped going to learn the material, but more to hang out with the friends I’ve developed along the way.  I feel like I should still be partying it up with my crazy friends who have made this one of the best experiences ever. I will never forget all our numerous inside jokes, and to be honest, I am petrified of a life without them.  I know graduation changes friendships and it sucks.

College has been a great time and I’m by no means ready to say goodbye, or even see ya later.

I guess what I’m trying to get at is I’m not all that excited about having graduated. Yes, it’s exciting to have accomplished a major milestone, but it’s also a big life change that scares the living crap out of me.  And to be honest, graduating didn’t help me in my book of life.  Young freshman me thought by this time I would have such a clear understanding of “who I am.” And although it’s challenged me, at times I feel like I’ve only learned little tiny bits (like I actually do like wings, I’m a terrible beer drinker but awesome pong player…), if anything.

Perhaps it’s my jobless future, perhaps it’s that I’m saying goodbye to a second family, perhaps it’s because I’m saying goodbye to a school full of pride and traditions, but, well, I’m just not ready to say goodbye.

So freshmen, sophomores, juniors and next year’s seniors, I ask you (instead of lecturing you on life rules, that you won’t understand until you’re a graduate) to make the most of your college experience because IT WILL FLY BY, and it’s not fun saying goodbye.

And to my fellow Grads: Congrats, but I mean is anyone else just not all that excited about having graduated? Am I alone in this paralyzing fear? This gray, dreary place?

And to my liver: thanks for sticking with me for the past four years. Don’t worry – now that I’m staying with the parentals, you’ll get a much-needed vacay.

This week, the last bar in State College (that’s the town where the main campus of Penn State is – the name confused me for a while too) to hold out on the 21^st birthday tradition of doing way too many shots decided to amend it’s stance and stop serving shots to new 21 year-olds. All of the bars in State College now abide by this policy – you can still get beer or mixed drinks, just no shots – where 21^st-ers will have to wait an extra 36 hours after their birthday before they can purchase tiny little glasses of liquor. The question is, is this fair?

Ok, now the whole impetus behind the ban is that Penn State (known as the biggest party school in the country) has had some trouble with it’s students binge drinking, and since 21^st birthdays are usually a big drinking night (yeah, baby!) they hope that preventing these (supposedly) new drinkers from getting shots, they might cut down on some of the dangers of overdrinking on the big night.

Now, it’s hard for me to argue against that. I’m all for safety when drinking and for acting (at least kinda, sorta, vaguely) responsible with alcohol – plus, you’re birthday will totally be more fun if you can remember it, trust me! And the bars aren’t denying students the right to buy alcohol either, they’re just forcing them to get it in less concentrated doses, which I think is totally smart. It’s completely within the bars rights to serve or deny service to whomever they choose (as long as they’re legal, of course).

And yet, there’s still something about this that sticks in my craw (you like that sweet, old-school phrasing, don’t you? Yeah, you do). Once you’re legal, shouldn’t you have the right to by the alcoholic beverage of your choice? As long as you can pay for it, should they be allowed to deny you whatever kind of 21^st birthday you want to have? You’ve worked 21 years to get there, and if you want to do shots until you’re making out with the floorboards that’s legally your right. And what if an older friend bought the shots? Does your whole group have to be shotless because you’re newly legal? What if you bought the bottle?

There’s also that whole 36-hour thing which just seems silly to me; for one thing, if your b-day is in the middle of the week, you might wait until Friday night to go party anyway and then, apparently, you can do as many shots as you want. WTF? Not to mention that little fact that there are probably some Penn State students (or students visiting a pal for their b-day) who could manage to do one or two shots without being completely overcome by the urge to suck down a whole bottle of tequila – but you can’t have one shot, even if that’s all you want… at least not until the day after tomorrow.

So, am I getting too up in arms about all of this? Is it really that big of a deal to give up one kind of alcohol on your 21^st? Is this a good way of protecting people from themselves? Or is this just a way for the bars to avoid a little liability and flack from the school? Duke. It. Out.

Right now you’re probably lying on your couch, munching on some Lucky Charms, catching up on old episodes of True Life. You’re probably tired and hungover. You probably went out last night and danced to a little LMFAO – purse in one hand, vodka soda in the other. You probably came home late and scarfed down some pizza before passing out in your bed, totally exhausted.

And while you lasted six hours (tops), there are over 1,000 Penn State Students who have been gettin’ their groove on since yesterday afternoon. And they’re still going.

Yesterday marked the beginning of the 48-hour Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon, more commonly known as THON.  Impressively, THON is the largest student-run philanthropy in the world.  It’s a fundraiser whose fight is solely to conquer pediatric cancer.  There are several events, including a 5k run, that take place all year, leading up to a full weekend of a no sitting, no sleeping dance marathon.

For 48 straight hours!

THON was started in 1973, and raised $2,000.  Since then, it has raised over $61 million for The Four Diamonds Fund.  Because of THON, The Four Diamonds Fund is able to help families pay for treatments that insurance will not.  It provides families with money to pay for other expenses that will help the child’s overall well-being, to the medical teams who treat the children and to pediatric cancer research.

Penn State students gather in the campus stadium and stand for an entire weekend of dancing, singing, game playing, etc. to give back to the children who need it most.

Last year, Penn State raised a total of $7,490,133.87 For the kids! This year, with over 300 captains, 700 dancers, 3,300 committee members, and 15,000 student volunteers, THON is expecting their numbers to be HUGE!

Way to go, Penn State! We at CollegeCandy tip our proverbial hats to you. (We’d tip the real thing but hats just don’t look good on us…) Way to show the world what college students (and some awesome dance moves) can do.

[Does your school do something awesome? Want to share it with the world and give your peeps the recognition they deserve? Let us know and we'll feature you right here on CollegeCandy.com]

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Thanks to a new company called Masik Collegiate Fragrances, you can now purchase the scent of your school in perfume form. If scent is the sense most closely tied to memory, the kind folks at Masik have now made it possible to capture the memories of the best years of your life with just a whiff of their product. Want to show off your school pride in a stylish, subtle way? Buy a bottle of your school’s perfume!

I know what you’re thinking: how did they capture the distinctive smell of public-bathroom-disinfectant and Natty Light with just a pinch of mildew? And who on earth would ever wear that? But their methods are much more creative than that. Masik creates specific fragrances based on a variety of factors, such as school colors, traditions, and flowers found on campus. The goal is not to recreate a scent with which students are already familiar (i.e. spilled laundry detergent and leftover pizza), but a new scent that students can adopt and wear and begin to associate with their college memories. Not a bad idea.

Currently, they have developed fragrances for UNC-Chapel Hill and Penn State, with Auburn, UF, Tennessee, and others on the way. (Note to Masik: anytime you want to get started on Fordham’s, be my guest.) So if you’ve got any Tar Heels or Nittany Lions fans on your holiday gift list this year, $60.00 will get you a bottle of their school perfume/cologne. And be on the lookout in case your school is next; perhaps you, too could be spritzing a bottle of Eau du Alma Mater in the near future!