The Penn State Nittany Lion. A symbol that evokes pride and spirit. Can you hear the chanting of the fans? See the blue and white speckled stadium pulsing with the beat of the players as they race across the field? Or maybe instead you see a rainbow colored dance marathon, thousands upon thousands volunteering for the single cause of concurring childhood cancer. These images, along with many others, combine as one to become the meaning behind the Nittany Lion.

Yet in the recent months this symbol has changed, evolving as a wave of scandals enveloped what it represented, and pushed it into a new frame of mind. Although it previously might have evoked feelings of hatred in the form of athletic rivalry, never before has it carried the deep set revulsion that is viewed toward child molesting, that is, until now. How can a symbol change so fast? One week full of prestige and honor, the next crumbling under the weight of lies and sin, falling faster than the culprits of the crimes themselves. The power resides in a symbols connection to the human psyche. The symbols, such as the Nittany lion, that bring forth the strongest emotions are those that are tied to a significant part of a person’s life. Education is linked in the modern world to success. Pride in one’s education, or the institution from which it was obtained, is a natural means of promoting ones accomplishments.  In this manner the sadness or anger that fills many upon looking at the Nittany lion in the past months is fueled by a feeling that personal attacks are being made toward the individuals who built their livelihoods off what they learned at Penn State.

Although the Nittany Lion may simply be the mascot of Penn State University, the meaning it represents encompasses every headline, accomplishment, sports record, and scandal. It is made up of and changes with the tide of student life, and can be marred by anything with a connection to its name. So although, yes, at the moment all too many look unfavorably upon the Nittany Lion, its meaning is never ceasing to evolve, and with the efforts of those connected to it, can once again rise to its former glory.