Success with honor. To some, these are but the hollow words of a catchy slogan, no different than McDonald’s “I’m Lovin It” or Allstate’s “You’re in Good Hands.” For most of us who attend Penn State, however, these words mean more.
For years this school was guided by the principles of success with honor, and with these in mind our prominence grew to incredible heights. Across the globe our reputation spread, attracting students from countries near and far. I have personally befriended people from places as distant as Columbia and China, and they tell me Penn State is even more prodigious abroad than it is in the United States. With such a strong reputation and history of excellence, it is easy to see why Penn State is the choice for thousands of young people every year.
Unfortunately, the university has been stained by crime and foolishness. By now anyone reading this should be aware of the Sandusky scandal and its hideous details. What this man has done is despicable, and he deserves punishment. All of us at Penn State have the utmost sympathies for the innocent children who were preyed upon by this monstrous man, and we will do our best to extend help and understanding to them and their families. But a less understood trouble is the way this has altered the university.
As the university administration floundered in the wake of relentless media attacks, several of the decisions they made were grievous errors. Did some members of the university staff fail in their duties? Yes. It is now quite obvious that Penn State Athletic Director Tim Curley and Senior Vice President for Finance and Business Gary Schultz not only acted incompetently but stunningly irresponsibly. In addition, former President Graham Spanier’s ill-advised statements were incredibly obtuse, and most students I spoke with are glad to see the man gone. These people acted poorly and deserve castigation, of this there can be no doubt. But the university has made some very unwise decisions, and now due to a chain of foreseeable and preventable events, we all suffer.
The catalyst for these unfortunate events was the hyper sensational media. While the actual crimes are not directly related to the university as a whole, Penn State Pedophilia Scandal Cover-up sounds much more salacious than Penn State Coach Indicted. While I agree that some members of the university administration did act poorly, some of the spin I have heard the news put on the story gives the impression that the school is a corrupt den of malefactors and criminals. This simply is not true. Penn State is still the same school it always was, and it is unfair to question our academic reputation based off of the idiocy of a few administrators.
Another unwise strike against our reputation was the firing of Joe Paterno. As I read into the story, it seems to me that Joe Paterno was the only one who did what he was supposed to do. When notified of misconduct, Joe went to his superiors as was ethically correct. Could he have done more? The argument can certainly be made, but it is always easy to see the faults of a decision years after it was made. Who knows what the climate was like when Joe Paterno informed Curley? Let us not forget that Joe is an old, busy man and Sandusky was a longtime colleague who was not even employed by the university at the time. Would you immediately call the police on an old acquaintance when you yourself were unsure of what was actually going on? I would like to think of myself as a man of morals and justice, but I cannot honestly say I would have someone arrested solely off of what my friends tell me. And I believe, despite what they say, many others would also wait to get a clearer picture of things before taking far-reaching actions.
Joe Paterno exemplified Penn State’s creed of success with honor. In all his years of coaching, Joe has never been found guilty of any malicious activity. His loyalty to the school is without question, and the student’s loyalty to him is without equal. When we saw Joe cast aside as he was, we felt betrayed. Joe Paterno is not only a legend, but almost a father figure to everyone in this school. He was the rock of this university, a man of character, principle and loyalty that we all admired. As we watched his honor challenged and dignity stripped from him, many students felt confused and angry. Unfortunately, these powerful emotions have done more harm than good.
When the story of Sandusky’s crimes came about, the school was seen as a scandalous coven, when Joe was fired, the students felt betrayed. Our reputation was in dire peril, and firing Joe brought about possibly the worst event that could happen now: Riots. As I lie awake last night, mind struggling to digest the gravity of what was happening, I could hear screams in the night. “We love you Joe!” yelled one, “Joe-Pa! Joe-Pa! Joe-Pa!” chanted another. The streets were flooded with emotional students, angered by the administrations decisions and frustrated by the situation in general. Unfortunately, livid, emotional people in large groups rarely lead to good outcomes, and the scene soon degenerated. While I did not partake in the activities, when I awoke this morning my phone was inundated with messages from friends and family. The first one I opened was from my brother, also a student at Penn State, saying “It’s good you stayed home, they are using tear gas and there are fires downtown.” These irresponsible acts have not only endangered people, but sunk our reputation even further. We must remember that not everyone knows what we know here, and to many all they heard was that Joe Paterno was fired because of a pedophilia scandal. What will people in distant places think when they hear of us rioting because the school fired a coach that, according to some news casters, deserved to be fired? Would you want your child attending that school? While we students here may feel Joe is being unjustly vilified, we must remember to act with dignity, lest we betray the very principles which endeared so many of us to the man.
Success with honor. I believe this statement still defines our school. However, with scandal and riots it will not be long before Penn State’s once prestigious reputation is reduced to “That was the place with the pedophiles, right?” I, for one, will do my best to see our reputation restored. It may not be easy, and it may take more time than we would like, but if we fall now we may never recover. It is our responsibility as students to show how great Penn State is, and we must do so now more than ever. Instead of riots, let us have peaceful protests. Instead of anger and destruction, let us use our emotional energies to help the victims of Sandusky. And instead of flipping news vans, let us show Joe Paterno that we do still love him by honoring his legacy. Penn State will never be the same, but it does not have to fade into mediocrity.