When I started this piece, I had one main focus. But as the day carried on, this will now contain two parts.
I am a proud senior at Penn State University. Over the past couple of days I have watched the media and other onlookers spew their thoughts and opinions on the Penn State case involving Sandusky, Curley, and Shultz. I am sad that this has taken place at my campus and I am sorry for the victims and families. I am ashamed that the actions were taken to protect a man and sport rather than the children of The Second Mile program what were abused. What I am not ashamed of is my school as a whole nor Joe Paterno.
Throughout the day I have seen numerous students and alumni express their embarrassment of being a Penn Stater and how terrible of a man Joe Pa is. I am embarrassed that these people are going to let the sick acts of a man overpower the positive things this university has created. We are a school who has raised $78 million in a completely student run philanthropy to benefit children with cancer. We are a school with the success rate of 88% after graduation. We are a school of one. We have a dedicated football team and fans who work hard to keep Penn State pride. On campus a 75 year old alumni burned his degree and another alumni expressed his embarrassment by ripping off any PSU items on his vehicles. What point are you trying to make? Are you trying to give the media the satisfaction that we should be ashamed to be Penn Staters? We are better than that. To those who chose to act this way, I say fine. Do so. I personally don't want you representing my school if you are going to so quickly turn your back on the university as a whole rather than work together and help us overcome this situation.
This brings me to my second part. Tonight as my shift was ending at work I saw crowds of people walking downtown towards campus. I had heard rumors of possible gatherings on campus before I left and hoped that if students gathered as a whole, we would refrain from negative banter in the streets and protest or gather to gain at least the slightest bit of positive feedback. Of course I was mistaken. As I walked home I watched students being shoved away by angry cops and chants of "Hell No, We Won't Go!" were screamed from angry students. I was completely sickened when I heard the PSU songs turn to party anthems on the street. Why are we celebrating? In a time like this when we have been so overwhelmed by the negative media, we should go home and try to find a way to come together to show that we can overcome this.
We have the power to help turn this situation into a positive outcome. We can help the victims and their families by giving them the support they need. We can help to make others aware that this is a terrible crime that happens and how it can be stopped. We can to help to protect the children of the future.
This Saturday is our last home game against Nebraska and I urge all of Penn State to wear blue in support in awareness of children of abuse and to go out and cheer on our team. I also urge all of Penn State to remember who we are:
WE ARE grieving for the victims and their families.
WE ARE better than this.
WE ARE a school of one.
WE ARE FTK.
WE STILL ARE... PENN STATE.
