Something I haven’t gotten a chance to really dissect in writing is my slow and quiet, but growing, love for Penn State. When I first got here, I really, really did not want to be here. I would blame any minor inconvenience on the fact that I was at Penn State and not that, I don’t know, minor inconveniences will ALWAYS exist at any school and for any person and in any given situation but it’s truly the outlook that changes the experience. Little moments remind me of how lucky I am to go to this school and to have an amazing group of friends. The fact that I met people who I clicked with immediately and have been friends with since freshman year is enough to disprove the idea I used to have that I’d never be truly happy at such a large state school in the middle of Pennsylvania. Even during the football games, whose concept I still fail to understand (I have never and probably will never understand the rules of football), I am reminded of how special it is to be a part of one of the largest student sections in the world as a student–something I couldn’t have experienced had I gone to virtually any other school I was considering.

There’s a lot to be frustrated with in terms of specific mindsets at Penn State and a lack of diversity both in background, race, religion, and thought. The PLA does a great job of finding students who can challenge the ideas we have been conditioned to believe, but I think Penn State itself needs to follow suit. 2/3 (if not more) of this school is white, which is not surprising considering the school’s location but lack of representation probably plays a role as well. And while I don’t have the specific answers to any of the questions I consistently ask myself, I do appreciate the small efforts–the email President Barron sent out after Trump’s election, for example–that other schools might not make in order to create a welcoming environment.