No Matter Where You Are, Penn State is There

Anytime I can get a chance to join thousands of Penn Staters, I will gladly take that opportunity.  In November, our beloved Lions played in Minneapolis at TCF Bank Stadium against the Minnesota University Golden Gophers.  My wife and I were able to secure tickets, and we were well on our way to Minneapolis.

Our first stop was at the Mall of America, where we ran into a group of young Penn Staters who were on their way to the stadium with us. We rode the train together, and shared many stories of Penn State, and talked about the game. Granted, I was a little nervous about this game because Minnesota has a good team, and our Lions have been up and down this year.

Let me back up a little bit.  The night before, my wife got a Facebook message from Brian Binkley, who told her about a pep rally the Minnesota chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association was hosting before the game. They were also hosting a tailgate before the game, which we planned to attend. I thought to myself, “That would be a cool blog, a video with another alumni.”

Turns out that Brian is the President of the Minnesota Penn State Alumni Association, and he shared some great thoughts for all World Campus students about the Alumni Association.


We were unable to make to the Pep Rally in time, but as we were walking across the Minnesota campus, it was evident that Penn State pride was in full effect. At almost every turn, someone wearing our Blue and White was yelling to me “We Are…” to which I responded “Penn State.”

As we arrived at the tent, the pep rally was over, but the enthusiasm among the fans was exciting me.  I took a walk through the tent, and saw so many young kids taking their pictures with the Lion mascot, and almost everyone shook my hand.  Not only is Penn State proud of their university, they are proud of each other for being part of the greatest Alumni Association out there.

We lost the game, but that doesn’t deter my Penn State pride.  I noticed one thing throughout the whole day.  Penn Staters are everywhere, and the pride is more evident than I have ever seen it before.  Stand by our University, and don’t be afraid to say “We Are…”   You’ll never know who will respond with “Penn State.”