It’s been a while since I considered my views on the Sandusky scandal. I vividly remember when I found out about the allegations against Jerry Sandusky. With the release of the Freeh Report, the indictment of Curley and Shultz, and the firing of Joe Paterno, Penn State University spiraled into chaos. As a freshman I was very intimidated, and concerned with what was happening. My beloved Penn State was suddenly in the spotlight, not only for the horrible crimes committed by former employee Jerry Sandusky but also for the response of the University and for the response of the students. Riots started seemingly in outrage over the firing of Joe Paterno instead of over the suffering of child sexual abuse victims. I remember going out to observe the riots, and was caught on camera. I was on ESPN. That was probably one of the most insane things that happened to me. Nonetheless, the confusion, anger, and heartbreak that were felt by my fellow students and me as we watched our university’s reputation tumble are hard to forget. A memory that will remain powerful though, was the candlelight vigil for the victims of abuse. Seeing the mass of students outside together, hearing the stories from those who were victims of childhood abuse, standing together in silence, in reflectance, we all felt the weight of the crimes. We knew we would carry the burden of these atrocities with us even as we didn’t yet know the long-term affects the Penn State community would feel from the lack of action taken by our leaders to protect children. Even though I witnessed remarkable leadership from Penn States students, the media instead focused on the rioting. It felt like the whole world believed it; we cared more about football and reputation than about protecting children from abuse.
As time as passed and as more information has been revealed, I still don’t quite know what to think. What I believe is that Joe Paterno and Graham Spanier are good people, but that they could have done more. I’m thankful we had the chance tonight in PLA class to revisit the scandal. Listening to all of my classmates give their accounts of the week the news broke was eye-opening. This news affected everyone at Penn State, and the way the media portrayed the students was hurtful for the entire community. It was also interesting to hear from Dean Brady and Melissa about the sequence of events, the reason certain decisions were made at certain times by the board and by our former president, and different interpretations the public drew from each. What I learned from this situation is that it is important to keep leadership roles separate from relationships. It’s important also to create an open culture where even in times of crises, opinions and criticisms are welcome.
As leaders we must be intentional about the culture we create. We don’t want to micromanage but we also don’t want to remove ourselves too much, because we always have to be held accountable. It’s important to bring in external eyes, to examine the culture of the institution or business we are a part of. Trust the people we work with, but also verify when issues come up. While there will always be certain social pressures that may encourage us to turn a blind eye to injustice, creating a culture where it is encouraged to report issues can make a difference. While experiencing the affects of the ‘Penn State Scandal’ first hand was quite unpleasant, I believe it revealed to us, as naive freshman, the larger issues present in society. It forced us, as students, to think critically about the culture and environment at our university and in our world in general. Dean Brady said it best, “College is but a microcosm of the world.” These issues, as ugly as they are, exist within our world, tearing apart society from within. The sooner we are exposed to them, the sooner we learn how to start fixing them.
Follow Us!