Joe Paterno passed away on January 22, 2012. Next Tuesday marks the one-year anniversary since that day, and to commemorate the iconic coach, a tribute organization, Inspiration Way, will hold a candlelight vigil in Paterno’s honor.

The vigil is set to take place on Tuesday, January 22, at 7 p.m., in front of the mural on Heister Street, where 409 candles will be lit to signify the record number of wins Paterno earned before 111 of them were vacated by the NCAA in July. Inspiration Way has asked on its Facebook event page for people to leave memories of how Paterno affected their lives, or other stories, thoughts, and considerations to be mentioned when each candle is lit.

Inspiration Way describes itself as a “tribute group” that is in the process of fundraising for a new sidewalk complete with personalized engraved bricks, which will be called Inspiration Way beside the Inspiration Mural on Heister Street, which was painted by Michael Pilato.

January 22, both next week and for years to come, is sure to be a day of torrential emotions, reflection, and perhaps questioning, as Penn State continues to move on in an era without Joe Paterno’s omnipresence.

About the Author

Dan McCool

Dan is a senior and has been writing for Onward State since January 2010. Did you miss him? Nah, neither did we. He's returning after a semester abroad in England and will be serving as Arts Editor. Favorite things in life include references to The Big Lebowski.

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