so on super bowl sunday chris’s mom, aunt, sister, cousin, and i were all talking about weddings and somehow got on the topic of what chris and i would want. we’ve talked about it quite a few times over the past three years but it’s always just been talk. to have his mother almost cry at the idea of having one of her children get married in her backyard was a moment i’ll never forget. we were joking about the kind of people that chris and i both know, who would show up, and just how insane it would be. we would have the musicians, photographers, party planners, cooks, and everything else booked just by asking our friends. i feel so grown up even thinking about this kind of stuff.
For my History of Punk Rock class, we were given an assignment to discuss one band and why or why not they embody punk ethos. After reading over some essays handed in by my classmates, I realized that many people consider Avril Lavigne, Good Charlotte, Sum 41, and Green Day to be the faces of punk music. There was one submission that focused on why The Wonder Years were a great punk band. However, it was terribly written and did little justice to what the band actually stands for. I decided to write about New Found Glory and their influence on the pop punk genre and lifestyle. It’s a short read so enjoy!
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itdoesntendhere:
“They ask me what I’d like written about me when I’m gone. I hope they write I made Penn State a better place, not just that I was a good football coach.”
I can honestly say that this man is the reason that I came to Penn State. I accepted my offer of admission to the University Park Campus on March 13, 2010 after a grueling internal debate about where the future would take me. Until that very date I was enrolled in the University of Stirling in Scotland where I planned to study abroad for four years. Coming from a small, private, all-girl, Catholic school I was sure that a large state university was not for me. I applied to Penn State simply as a back-up without giving it much of a chance. However, on March 12th I watched a fellow classmate open her decision letter from Penn State on the bus. I watched with little anticipation but my attention was grasped when I heard her sobbing which was, of course, an indicator of rejection. This single event led me to reevaluate my choice in school. If someone could be that upset over not being granted admittance to a university then it must at least be worth a shot, right?
All I had known about Penn State was Joe Paterno (and the infamous State Patty’s, of course). In the seventh grade I read “Something for Joey” and was introduced to the world of the Nittany Lion. It was a world that my preteen self could hardly imagine but I was hooked. As I grew up and went on to high school I began to doubt myself and my own capabilities. I faced my own demons for nearly three years but when I came out of the rut that I had placed myself in, I still lacked the confidence in myself to try new things. I went home on that Friday, did all the research I possibly could on Penn State, and sat down with my father for dinner to explain to him my change of heart. He supported my decision to pull out of Stirling and enroll in Penn State before even visiting the campus.
I woke up on Saturday morning and rushed to the computer where I committed to beginning my college career during the summer of 2010, a semester earlier than the majority of my peers. I had two weeks to enjoy my summer in Philadelphia before I shipped off to the Happiest Valley of them all. I had no idea what to expect. I had only visited the campus once before and was intimidated beyond belief.
In that first weekend of my college career I was fortunate enough to cross paths with the one and only Joseph Vincent Paterno. I was walking across campus with a map in my hand in an attempt to find different buildings and familiarize myself with my new home. Campus is a ghost town during the summer so I didn’t run into too many people early in the morning. But one person did stand out. He was short, very tan, wore sunglasses, and carried a briefcase. What gave it away was the blue and white striped tie that was just barely visible under his blue Penn State windbreaker. I almost walked right by him without even realizing it was actually him. Just as we passed each other I yelled out -probably too loudly, I’m sure he knew I was a freshman- “Good Morning, Coach!” without thinking about it. He turned his head to me and gave me the most genuine smile I’ve ever seen and said, “You too!”
Though this meeting was brief, it meant the world to me. Any doubts that I had had about my decision to attend Penn State went right out the window and I finished my day with the biggest grin on my face. Since his passing, many people have been reminiscing about their favorite Joe moments but, as I have found, not many have had encounters with him like I had. After that Sunday morning encounter, I found that Joe Paterno often took walks around campus and even walked to work. There’s something about knowing that your hero opens the same doors or drinks from the same water fountains as you that really invokes faith in yourself.
I know I made the right decision and I know I belong at Penn State. Heroes get remembered but legends never die. And JoePa is certainly a legend. What I have found about Penn State that is so damn unique is that we are all given a chance to be legendary. The world is in the palm of our hands - and I’m not just talking about the small world of State College that is all we know for four years. We are given the chance to go out into the world and apply the lessons we learn at home to life on a larger spectrum. Joe Paterno has been the face of Penn State’s football program for decades but he has done much more than lead a nationally acclaimed sports team. He shaped our university into what is today, graduated more student athletes than any other sports program in the country, and gave us, the students, the tools to create our legends.
Anyone can be a hero if the opportunity arises. Penn State takes the finest students and shapes them into well-rounded people with the skills necessary to make themselves great. I’m here for a reason and it’s because not only do I believe in myself, but he believed in me, just as he does in every other Nittany Lion. It’s rare that one man can define an entire group of people but Joe does it well. We are caring, hardworking, and determined. We are…Penn State forever.
(via fuckyeahpennstate)
had the best new years eve imaginable. saw brand new at the house of blues for the sixth time this year (seventeenth time total) with some of my closest friends. i have never seen jesse lacey interact with his fans like he did last night. he was so happy, so nice to us. he gave my friend bill a “happy new year” hat (one of the ones they threw off stage at midnight) and showed us his box of empty champagne bottles. later on, we tried to talk vinnie into playing a game of go fish with a group of us waiting in line but he got ambushed by fans so made a quick exit back into the venue. he also told us to look forward to moshi moshi which obviously made my day. the show was beyond perfect. we didn’t make it to the center of the barricade like we usually do but were in front of vin the whole night. my arms are bruised from holding onto the rail for dear life but every time vinnie looked at me was totally worth it. after they played moshi moshi i yelled “thanks vin!” and he grinned at me and took a bow. it’s nice to know that the guys are starting to recognize our group after seeing us in the front row so many times. i really owe these guys my life. in my opinion, garrett stole the spotlight last night. at least until you wont know when jesse and brian starting wrecking everything…
thank you for everything, brand new! and happy new year!
with less than twenty-four hours until the final valencia show i’m starting to feel mixed emotions. i’m so excited for this but so depressed at the same time. i was trying to count how many valencia shows i have been to in the last six (almost seven) years and stopped after the 2009 tour with every ave. i’ll never forget having my first alcoholic beverage at a harmony grange show. or the amount of cherry bombs i drank a year later at the same venue. or how much max soria loved wendys chicken nuggets. or stopping at gas stations so jd could get protein bars. or shane spilling pizza grease on my brand new uggs at the factory. there’s no possible way to recall all the laughter, all the tears, all the memories this band has brought me over the years. i’ve met some of the best friends i’ve ever had through valencia and their music. i’ve traveled to countless cities in numerous states to hear that one song that related to my life at that point in time. i can’t say that i’ve met a better group of people than the valencia family and that’s enough for me.
i found it in my heart to believe
i’m not sure how i’m going to go about it but for starters brittany is booking a hotel room for the party after the show. wednesday shall be legendary. i’m going to vom from crying so hard. then when that’s done, i’m going to drink until i can’t walk straight. can’t wait to see everyone!
to sum up last night in five pictures
My younger brother almost lost his life when he was three years old. He had a Chiari Malformation, a structural defect in the cerebellum, which caused his brain to swell and resulted in numerous neurological problems. With his cerebellum pressing on his brainstem he could not yet speak or maintain balance on his feet. He underwent surgery during which two cervical vertebrae were removed (C1 and C2) in order to create room for his brain to continue developing. This was an extremely risky procedure. A six-inch incision was made at the back of his head to expose his skull and spine. The surgery went as well as expected but it was only the beginning of his journey towards recovery. Cory still has that scar on the back of his head and he shows everyone who is willing to give him a few minutes of their time. It’s a miracle that he recovered as well as he has. Although he’s missing two parts of his vertebrae, the kid’s got more spine than anyone I know. This tattoo is for him. It’s a sign of my adoration of his strength, courage, and positivity throughout his recovery. Furthermore, it’s a symbol of my infinite love for my little brother no matter how far apart we are or what obstacles are thrown our way. My brother, my best friend, has a strength that knows no bounds. Family is forever.
You can read an essay or listen to a podcast I did for WPSU about my brother’s situation here.
Done by Paul at Ink Inc. in State College, Pa
hello tumblr. this wonderful wednesday is what i like to call “final eve”. my comm final is tomorrow at noon and i have done nothing but procrastinate the reading of four chapters on telecommunications. i’ll be closing the sub shop tonight, too, which really makes me nervous. best case scenario: i pull a 100% out of my ass and get a B. worst case scenario: i fail the final and therefore fail the class. reality: i’ll get a 60-70% and end up with a C. womp.
so instead of studying sam and i are going through our old photobuckets. i found an old album of comments i had saved from bands and ~famous people. lol audrey kitching loved me
alyssa gatto has been there for me through the good and the bad, the laughter and the tears, the painfully drunk and the painfully sober. from roadtrips across the country to night snuggled up together, every single memory with this girl (at least the ones i remember) will forever be cherished. trashy&cheaper4lyfe.
1. i don’t find myself to be interesting in the least.
2. brian wilson (sf giants) is my dream man.
3. i have an irrational fear of deers. like the kind that cause accidents and chase you when you’re walking your dog.
4. i’m probably one of the clumsiest people you’ll ever meet.
5. my first kiss was a peck on the cheek to a boy named aaron in kindergarten. our teacher called our parents and gave us detention.
6. i rarely wear pants. if you decide to pop by my apartment for a surprise visit you’ll probably catch me in a moment of vulnerability.
7. after undergrad i plan on going to graduate school in dc.
8. music has been my best friend for twenty years. more specifically brand new has been there for me since i discovered them in 2004.
9. i’ve made a lot of mistakes and dumb decisions but i don’t have a single regret in my life.
10. i want a puppy in the worst way even though i have three dogs already.
11. i don’t believe in love. at least not the kind of love that exists in media nowadays.
12. i’m not a great singer, dancer, or actor but i would give anything to be on glee simply because i want to be a role model for people of all ages.
13. if i were a television character i would be rajesh koothrappali from the big bang theory.
14. i really fucking love superheros. i want to be one.
15. i’ve lost a lot of people in my lifetime to illness, crime, accidents…but not a day goes by that i don’t think of the people who’ve gone too soon. they’re my angels. <3
