RCL 4-

Allie Mollo

14 September 2017

Course number

1. Intro
   1. Being from Long Island, Penn State didn’t find me, I found Penn State. Happy Valley was always a dream that always seemed unattainable. Here’s a short clip:
      1. Video of me getting into Schreyer
   2. I was attracted Schreyer and Penn State because of two words “WE ARE”. The simple phrase captures what it truly means to be a part of something greater than yourself. In a college, I was looking for a lifetime, not 4 years of studying. We are is not just a chant or a phrase you sign on your emails, it is a statement all students at this great university live by. WE ARE encompasses the idea that yes, we are all Penn State, no matter who we are or where we come from.
      1. Use intro to establish ethos and state that I will be examining WE ARE
2. History of WE ARE
   1. 1946 Penn State vs Miami, Penn State did not play because black players were not allowed to compete against southern teams under national collegiate rules
   2. Miami vs penn state game was later cancelled next year
   3. The following year, Penn State was invited to cotton bowl—no black players had ever played in the cotton bowl
   4. Entering the same situation involving no black players, Captain Steve Suhey stated his famous quote, “We are Penn State. There will be no meetings”.
      1. Content, Community. “The True Origin Of ’We Are Penn State’.” Onward State, 24 Sept. 2015, onwardstate.com/2015/09/25/the-true-origin-of-we-are-penn-state/. Accessed 17 Sept. 2017.
      2. This Phrase turned into cheer later in the 1970’s has been used ever since
   5. In 1976, the university’s cheerleading squad wanted to bring back something unique to Penn State after hearing Ohio State fans show school pride during football games.
   6. They first created a chant using Joe Paterno’s name, then the team’s colors.
   7. However, WE ARE resonated with the crowd.
   8. “All of a sudden when it finally caught on, it finally exploded,” George Dennis, former cheerleading captain of the number-one ranked cheerleading squad at the time said.
      1. Thomas, Aaron. “The story behind Penn State’s ‘We Are’ chant.” WEARECENTRALPA, WEARECENTRALPA, 7 Oct. 2016, www.wearecentralpa.com/news/the-story-behind-penn-states-we-are-chant/592566439. Accessed 17 Sept. 2017.
3. WE ARE can unite the community
   1. Following the Sandusky Scandal, the phrase WE ARE was repurposed
   2. The chant was used to bring Penn State back to its origin
      1. WE ARE sculpture challenge
         1. This catalyzed the resurrection of the PSU community behind the common goal
         2. The sculpture represents our communities pride engrained in steel
            1. Nothing, can break Penn State
            2. Also, the piece shows that WE ARE is something tangible piece of art— something that cannot be replicated or taken away
               1. “The Story Behind Penn State University’s “WE ARE” Sculpture.” YouTube, YouTube, 21 Oct. 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIBNyd2KjSk. Accessed 17 Sept. 2017.
4. Conclusion
   1. What does WE ARE mean to you all? I know for me, I wanted to be a part of something bigger than myself. At State College, I found a family with spirit and pride. We all share the common belief that WE ARE is in essence the only way to describe Penn State— we are calls upon our civic duty to be inclusive and prideful among all Penn Staters and non Penn Staters. It’s a community of loving people that just want to leave the world better than they found it. Everyone has their own unique Penn State story, but we are all Penn State.
      1. WE ARE!!!
         1. Penn State 🙂