Students on the Penn State University Wilkes-Barre campus in Lehman Township are mourning the loss of “one of their own” after the recent passing of longtime football coach Joe Paterno.

Jackie Warnick-Piatt, director of student activities, and members of the student government association jumped into action once they heard the news that Paterno had passed away due to complications from lung cancer treatments on Jan. 22.

“Within a half hour, we must have contacted about 500 people,” she said. “It’s amazing what you can do with technology.”

Warnick-Piatt contacted students, faculty, staff members and alumni to wage a final “white out” on campus, asking supporters to wear white in honor of Paterno.

She also made buttons with Paterno’s likeness on them to hand out in exchange for donations to the Special Olympics of Pennsylvania and Penn State THON programs, as per a request from the Paterno family.

“These were his charities,” said Warnick-Piatt.

Mourners also were given the opportunity to sign sympathy cards, which will be sent to the Paterno family.

Sarah Konopki, of Dallas, signed several sympathy cards in honor of the late coach on Monday, Jan. 23.

“When I heard, I was really upset,” she said. “I almost didn’t believe it…I think it hits just as hard here as it does University Park.”

Many students wore white on Jan. 23 after a moment of silence was held for the late coach near the Nittany Lion statue on campus.

“I feel in lieu of everything that’s happened in the last two months, students needed a way to grieve healthily,” said Kate Lewis, student government association vice president.

In November, news broke of child sex abuse charges filed against former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky. Paterno was abruptly fired by the board of trustees soon after the scandal surfaced for not reporting the abuse to police, though he was not charged with any crimes.

Lewis, of the Poconos, said the Wilkes-Barre campus had special open forums for students during the outbreak of the scandal to help students deal with the information and the dismissal of the coach.

“When the news hit, it was almost like finding out Santa Claus isn’t real all of a sudden,” she said.

Lewis is a longtime Penn State football fan, and she’s glad she got to see her favorite coach in the flesh before he died.

“I went to my first Penn State football game at Beaver Stadium this fall before the scandal broke,” she said. “I got to see him on the field, and it was almost magical. I have some of the grass from the field saved. It’s probably my most memorable moment as a Penn State student.”

Warnick-Piatt said Paterno’s passing is difficult to handle personally. Her late husband, Jeffrey Piatt, was a Penn State student studying sports journalism in the early 1980s, and a photo of Piatt and Paterno on the field together, taken after an exclusive interview, is a prized possession.

“(Paterno) will always be a part of Penn State,” said Warnick-Piatt. “I like to think he’s not suffering now. We all say he died of a broken heart.”

Kyle McKeown, of Kingston, said his family has held season tickets at Beaver Stadium for the last 40 years.

He said the late coach’s passing will lead to some trying times for Penn State, but he hopes the university can move on.

“I’m sad, and I’m worried about next season,” he said. “I’m worried people aren’t going to go to the games anymore.”

Student Raymond DeArmitt, of Harding, said though the child sex abuse scandal may have changed how others view Penn State, he feels the university will remain a beacon of strength in the future.

“We will always be Penn State,” he said. “I went to my first game when I was little and just fell in love with the school. That’s why I went here … because of the strong school spirit.”