• March 29, 2024

Penn State Students Angered By Sexual Abuse Scandal

“May no act of ours bring shame”. Those seven words are part of the Penn State Alma Mater, which has been sung by thousands of students each year in Beaver Stadium. This may not be the case this weekend when Penn State takes the field for their final home game of the season against Nebraska.

This past Saturday, former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky was charged with the sexual assault of eight young males. Tim Curley, Penn State’s current Athletic Director, and Gary Schultz, Senior Vice President for Finance and Business, who were also charged with perjury and failure to alert the police, have stepped down from their positions at the university.

The university has agreed to pay for the legal fees of Curley and Schultz. They have also banned Sandusky from campus.

Penn State students and alumni are letting their voices be heard both verbally and through social media. The majority of the individuals who have posted are angry and would like all those involved, including Joe Paterno and Graham Spanier, President of the university, fired.

I have even been invited to a Facebook event entitled “Sit in Silence during the Alma Mater,” though some students made it clear that they are protesting those in charge and not the team itself. Others…not so much.

On Twitter, recent alum Tammy Ross wrote, “The students need to make a stand and show that the administrators can’t expect us to live up to standards that they themselves don’t have.”

Seniors Dave Marselles, and Allison Williams gave me their thoughts on the situation. Williams said she was very surprised when news broke especially since one of our athletic mottos is “Success With Honor.” Marselles believes that this may change the views of parents who have children interested in the school. He also said, “The Ohio State scandal has nothing on this.”

As a senior, I will not be taking part in the protests at Saturday’s game. I understand why students want to protest in that fashion, but we can’t take it out on the current team and staff. If we protest, we should (peacefully) do it in places that are directly used by those we are angry with.

I am in NO way condoning the actions of some of the individuals involved in this scandal. Believe me, after reading the official D.A. report, I am beyond livid with the way things were handled. I am also not happy with the university agreeing to pay for some of the legal fees when our tuition is still on the rise…but that in itself is a different story.

But we need to remember that most of those involved are not, or are no longer directly associated with the football program. This Saturday, I will not act like this scandal does not exist. That would be ignorant. Instead, I will separate it from the football team itself. These men, some of which I personally know, had nothing to do with this. I will cheer them on as they continue to chase the Big Ten Championship. The team needs to focus on one thing this week. That thing is Nebraska.

My prayers and condolences are with the boys, some who are now my age and above, and their families as they go through this process and unfortunately recount what happened to them.

Delores McKay

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DCar
DCar
November 7, 2011 9:13 am

This whole thing is a cover-up at the least. The entire Athletics dept. needs to be cleaned out, & Paterno needs to be told to retire, or he gets canned, period end of story. He turned a blind eye, to this situation. How do you mistake horsing around, with a naked man sodomizing a naked 10 year old!? That disgusting, evil, predator, bastard, needs to be castrated, & locked away until he is raped to death! They are going to destroy him in prison, & he gets what he deserves! I hope he rots in hell! BTW, how did the guy that witnessed this, not stop Sandusky, & beat him half to death? Street justice, just saying!

haveacigar
haveacigar
November 7, 2011 12:53 pm

The usual thing to say is ‘The cover up is worse than the crime”…. in this case they are equally despicable.
I’m beginning to think there is not 1 good thing about big time college athletics. Anything that brings in so much revenue and the people at the top make exhorbanant salaries its in their benefit to cover up or cheat or lie– i think it should end… why should a college provide sports?

tonto5
tonto5
November 7, 2011 2:41 pm

Dick Cheney once said, worse thing about Watergate was not the crime or the cover up! it was that the president new about it and got in trouble….that’s how people in power think sometimes…they are just like criminals in what they do is no big deal…..trouble with this, Joe PA was told about it happening in his showers………

tonto5
tonto5
November 7, 2011 2:42 pm

i always wondered why Sandusky retired suddenly in his prime……JOE knew

paulman
paulman
November 7, 2011 3:10 pm

Who kbnew waht and when, and then what did anybody do about ..
They all had a hand in it and should all be replaced immediately..
How does along term asst Coach and one of Joe Pa’s closest friends coach for 30 years and then in 1999 in his mid-50’s all of a sudden retire.. They knew then and pushed him out with notifying anyone and even getting the man some help, Instead they let him use the facilities, speak and make public engagements for the School and the Football Program… This is the blindRepulsive , Inexcusable and should not be tolerated for 1 more day for the Students, the Educators and the Parents & the community at Large who spend big $$ to send their kids to such a fine institution.. It’s stained forever and needs to clean house immediately..

paulman
paulman
November 7, 2011 3:18 pm

By the way,
Wonder how the kids who were abused and their families feel about all this..
Who is going to bring their piece of mind back…

jakedog
jakedog
November 7, 2011 3:20 pm

excellent paulman, exactly, clean house, all who had a hand in this, gone, they have disgraced the university

bugsyhawk
bugsyhawk
November 7, 2011 3:26 pm

DCar that was my thought. If I saw that, I would tell some one to call the security/cops and then that guy and I would be fighting. I am not a big or tough guy, but I am sure that I could find some strength that day.

I think that you nailed it Pman. They knew and they dealt with it in their way which was to look the other way.

navyeaglefan
navyeaglefan
November 7, 2011 3:26 pm

Pman – I dont ever think the piece of mind – but I bet the fine state of PA is going to be paying one hell of a settlement – and the fact this stuff may have been known back in 98 (read the grand jury findings) and then happened again… we bust each others chops about crap like this on some of these postings – but this guy was a real live predator (if what they say is true)

jakedog
jakedog
November 7, 2011 4:12 pm

if you witnessed a 10 year old boy getting raped, would you need to call your dad to figure out what to do?, are you kidding me, that’s what this grad assistant did, why didnt he blister sandusky, call the police, and say come pick up the garbage left in the shower, then paterno wouldn’t have had to be the creep he is, if that were paterno’s grandson getting sodomized, do you think paterno would not have caled the police, FIRE JOE PATERNO NOW, this absolutely sickens me

JoePa89
JoePa89
November 7, 2011 6:03 pm

It wasn’t too long ago when Duke University’s Lacrosse coach was forced to resign and the entire season cancelled which turned out to be a classic case of “rush to accuse”. The indictment statement in that case was awfully persuasive.
Although at the end of due process I would recommend anyone who ever knew about children being molested and did not report it to the police to be prosecuted as accessories to the crimes.

jakedog
jakedog
November 7, 2011 6:41 pm

Well joe prosecute yourself

E-money
E-money
November 7, 2011 11:55 pm

Joe’s catholic, isn’t he? This is starting to smell like a classic Vatican style cover-up. I’m really unclear on how the Grand Jury finds Joe’s response of notifying the AD and NEVER FOLLOWING UP AGAIN normal behavior. You just heard that one of your closest confidants has been seen in the shower molesting a kid and the best you can do is alert the AD and never think about it again? Nonsense.

Joe knew. There was a reason Sandusky was told that he wouldn’t be the next head coach, and I don’t think it had to do with football.

DCar
DCar
November 8, 2011 1:21 am

Joe Pa should have retired or been let go 10-15 years ago. He is nothing more than a stubborn, selfish, arrogant, ignorant, grumpy, nasty, old decrepit bastard, that turned a blind eye toward this entire situation. He should be fired, & prosecuted with the lot of them. Period end of story. And if anyone has the balls to support, or make excuses for this old bastard, belongs in hell, with the rest of them. Don’t give me this innocent until proven guilty, Bull$#!t either. Anyone with half a brain can use common sense, with this case.

DCar
DCar
November 8, 2011 4:01 am

My thoughts, after re-watching the game (why, I don’t know).
1- Vick is inconsistent at best.
2- Andy Reid is still, a pig headed dope.
3- They still can not stop the run.
4- The secondary has to be the most wasted $$$ I’ve ever seen.
5- McCoy & Celek, are the only one’s to show up.
6- Play calling was horrid again.
7- How do you abandon the run, again, AGAIN!!!???
8- WTF happened to the pass rush, on such a horrid O-line.
9- WTF WAS REID THINKING WITH THAT SENSELESS, IDIOTIC FAKE PUNT.
8- They are not making the playoffs. DUH!
9- This entire staff needs to go. Period end of story.
10- Finally, start looking forward to next year.
Sorry guys, I can’t take it anymore.

DCar
DCar
November 8, 2011 4:03 am

Sorry about the bad numbering. 🙂

bsmvideos
November 8, 2011 7:33 am

Send Andy Reid to Happy Valley to be the head coach. Having to watch his undersized defense and his BYU offense for a few seasons, all of the athlectic department will kill themselves.

bsmvideos
November 8, 2011 7:38 am

I hold Sandusky and anyone who witnessed the events responsible.

How is it that the parents of these “victims” did not report it to the police???

If they did not do anything about it, then how can you expect Joe Paterno.

If one person touched my sons, I would not rest until he was dead. Period.

I would not give damn what they did to me after that.

runtheball09
runtheball09
November 8, 2011 9:07 am

This made the switch to Temple easy, dosvedanya penn state

FanSince1960
FanSince1960
November 8, 2011 9:34 am

1. E-Money, you are right on the money!: “I’m really unclear on how the Grand Jury finds Joe’s response of notifying the AD and NEVER FOLLOWING UP AGAIN normal behavior. You just heard that one of your closest confidants has been seen in the shower molesting a kid and the best you can do is alert the AD and never think about it again? Nonsense.”

2. DCar, I agree with all 12 of your 10 points! The Andy Reid story is as old as the Donovan McNabb story.

DCar
DCar
November 8, 2011 10:18 am

FAN, BWAHAHAHA!!! I didn’t change the numbers correctly, smart @$$! 12 of my 10 points. CLASSIC! LMFBO!