In an age of apathetic student sections, Penn State has nothing to worry about. Seven times a year, more than 21,000 students cram together in the end zone to celebrate the game, the players and each other.
From the pregame tailgate rituals to the final verse of the alma mater, the atmosphere is magnetic. Beaver Stadium is hallowed ground; there are no other words for it. When you are within those walls, you have 107,000 best friends.
As soon as the first “We Are” chant echoes around the stands, it doesn’t matter where you come from or what your story is, when you stand in the student section at a Penn State game, you are a united student body. Ethan Knepp, a sophomore at Penn State Altoona, called the atmosphere “addicting.” He added, “It makes you want to come back for another game. That’s all there is to it.”
A sense of community builds in students from the moment they receive their letters of acceptance until it explodes at their first football game. The customs of the past meet with the potential of the future to create a beautiful experience for freshman and seniors alike. When you’re in Beaver Stadium, there is no “you or I,” there is only “we.”
Every school has pride, but pride in The Pennsylvania State University is on another level. Where a common spectator hears “We Are” and associates the phrase with Penn State, a student knows that 155 years of history led to that exact moment. Traditions are held in the highest esteem. Students do not sit down during the game (the only time you are allowed to bend your knees is at halftime when the Blue Band performs and impresses even the surliest of fans). Participation in chants and cheers is expected; one does not simply still sit at a Penn State football game. The air crackles with energy as the school comes together as one to bellow.
“You just feel excited and whole,” said sophomore Shane Brutosky with animation. “You cheer for your team and it shows your Penn State pride. That’s why we’re here.”
When Penn State students describe themselves as a family, they aren’t kidding around. As Madison Perkins, a Penn State senior, emotionally described it, “Penn State is home. No matter where you’re from, when you’re standing behind the goal post next to someone wearing blue and white you just have this instant connection based on love and pride in the school. Every time I wrap my arms around a complete stranger and sing the alma mater, I remember exactly why I love Penn State so much. Being a senior is bittersweet because I’ve gone through every possible emotion that comes with Penn State football for more than four years, and even though I’m looking forward to being an alumni ticket holder, I don’t want this feeling to end.”
Everyone talks about Penn State football and how wonderful it is, but it isn’t until you get in the student section and stand for three hours, scream until your voice is raw and watch 72 young men put on a simple uniform to do amazing things that you understand why Penn State has one of the greatest student sections of all time. While football is not Penn State’s sole source of pride, it certainly is one of the most unifying.
