A few weeks ago, I had the delightful experience of going to Pittsburgh to watch our beloved Nittany Lions show Akron Zips 2.0, aka the Pittsburgh Panthers, who really dominates the state. Although they may think there’s a rivalry (51-6 looks more like a bloodbath than a contentious game between rivals, but, I digress), we here at Penn State can’t deny that a nice weekend trip to our backyard always reminds us what we truly love about Penn State – and what we truly do appreciate about our fellow Pennsylvania university.
1. Pittsburgh helps us appreciate our spot in the heart of Pennsylvania.
A lot of people cite our location as a negative aspect of going to Penn State, but we actually view it as a pro. There’s lots to do in State College, whether it’s catching a show, visiting our on-campus art museum full of timeless pieces, or taking a stroll through the Arboretum on a lovely University Park day. Sure, there’s a lot of agricultural land outside of State College, but that’s what we’re known for; after all, we do have one of the best agricultural programs in the world. We also have the huge advantage of having so much wide-open space on campus, reminding us of some of the best things about going to Penn State: football and tailgates. Our sprawling, gorgeous campus allows us to tailgate all day before a home game, and even before we watch our team have a fun away game with Pat Narduzzi’s JV team – our favorite fellow feline-themed Pennsylvania football team!
2. The Cathedral of Learning is a beautiful building, much like our dear Old Main!
What’s that old saying? “It’s not the size of the building, but how you use it that counts?” Sure, Old Main isn’t as tall as Cathy, but Old Main has been a symbol of Penn State’s strength and history for over 150 years – bearing witness to the start of Penn State in the 1800s, to the growing university in the ’30s, to witnessing students protest for civil rights in the ’60s and ’70s, to today. However, we can absolutely see the beauty in the Cathedral of Learning. When I was coming home from the game, I stopped to appreciate her height, and I agree the inside of the building is a testament to Pennsylvania architecture – but what’s the point of her victory lights if they’re never in use? Don’t you have to win a game to turn them on? Just saying.
3. “Objectively better,” you say?
Actually, Penn State ranks #20 in the nation for Top Public Schools and #59 for National Universities, according to US News. Where’s Pitt, you ask? Sitting comfortably at #26 and #70, respectively. Now, we’re not denying that both our schools have great medical/nursing/pharmacy programs, internship opportunities, etcetera, etcetera – we’re just saying that we’re both great in our own ways. In addition, Penn State’s alumni network is quite literally unrivaled; we’re #1 for our alumni network, according to the Princeton Review – whereas Pitt doesn’t even make the list. Our library is also consistently rated one of the best among university libraries across the country. This isn’t supposed to be anti-Pitt, but there are statistics that back up that Penn State is, in the eyes of some, slightly “better” than Pitt.
4. Oh, we’re talkin’ teams?
First of all, our mascot was literally inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2017. He’s been doing flips and push-ups on the field and hyping up Penn State fans since 1904. Do you really want to talk about weird looking? What’s with the lime green eyes on Roc? If I saw that coming toward me on a dark night, I’d probably be terrified (if I would be able to stop laughing, that is.) Sorry, I’ll stick with our beloved, renowned, Hall-of-Famer mascot over a scary kitten-toothed rando.
5. Yeah, about defying expectations…
51-6. Enough said.
6. Actually strive to be better, Pitt fans.
When I visited Pittsburgh, I expected to hear some annoying jokes, some overdone material, a small fraction of actually funny jokes, and some general vulgarity from both sides. However, I have to rant, because this is something I think all my fellow students will agree with: I never stopped hearing “F*** Penn State” references aimed at our deceased former coach or crude, overdone, unoriginal and simply disgusting jokes about serious abuse.
PSA to all people: no matter where you go to school, and no matter what school you’re facing a certain week – especially now in the #MeToo era – jokes about abuse, assault and misconduct are never funny. You know what’s funny? Jokes that aren’t made at the expense of victims. Ribbing us on our tough opener against App State? You’ve got us there. Inserting the words “Penn State” into a quote from The Office? I literally always laugh. Joking about something truly abhorrent and truly sad just because you don’t like our school? I fail to see the humor.
You’re right, this series should be about being pro-Pitt or pro-PSU, not mudslinging and offensive rhetoric from either side. We say there’s no rivalry because, for us, these games aren’t our biggest event of the year like it is for you. That doesn’t mean we won’t get excited for the game and have some smack talk back and forth – but the difference is, once we win the game and go home, we stop talking about Pitt. When I visit friends at Pitt, I still hear Penn State-themed vulgarities, months later. Both sides can say some pretty nasty things, but if you’re actually striving to be better, review your comedic platform and stick to calling us iconic quotes a la Michael Scott to Dwight Schrute or talking about the 2016 game.
With one more year in our series with Pitt before it ends for the foreseeable future, I just have to admit I appreciate both our schools and am already looking forward to next year’s final showdown. Pitt has a beautiful campus, great academics, and the games give me a great excuse to go into the city and visit some friends. Penn State has a beautiful campus, great academics, and, as proven a few weeks ago, a better football program. To Pitt and all its Panthers, we love you. Just not as much as we love our Lions.