It was a scene not to be forgotten anytime soon: In the birthplace of the White Out and the White House, about 800 students formed a large "VT" logo, and more students in maroon-and-orange T-shirts filled the stands.

The Blue-White game of 2007 was, as it is every year, a chance for Nittany Lions fans to see what the football team is really made of and what its members are capable of.

But this year was different. It was a chance for the whole student body to be seen and discovered. And the world saw what the Nittany Nation is capable of.

After the Virginia Tech shooting last spring, students and State College mobilized. The Family Clothesline downtown began selling maroon and orange shirts while several students drew up the plan for the Virginia Tech logo.

The demand for the shirts was unbelievable; the line left the store and trailed down the block. Then, thousands of students joined online groups in support of Virginia Tech.

It wasn't much, really. Penn State students love T-shirts and making Facebook groups. But it had a lasting impact that did not go unnoticed.

The money raised totaled more than $100,000. Half went to the Jeremy Herbstritt Memorial Fund and half went to the Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund.

Maybe, it was because Blacksburg is only a few hundred miles away. Maybe, it was because we're both large, land-grant, sports-heavy universities. Or maybe Penn State students just cared that much.

Whatever the reason, on that day, Virginia Tech knew in April that it had 40,000 friends in Central Pennsylvania.

When the Virginia Tech basketball team entered the Bryce Jordan Center, it brought a letter to the Penn State student body from its athletic department.

Calling the VT logo "an incredible display of compassion and sympathy," the statement addressed to the Pennsylvania State University Family said "no group showed more support for Virginia Tech students than the student body of Penn State."

It's reassuring to know that in a world obsessed with St. Patrick's Day, football and Arts Fest, Penn State students are being recognized for being good, moral people.

We are . . . so proud.