Someone jokingly tweeted me yesterday that “It must feel awkward now to have a degree from Penn State.”
After I took a deep breath from this sucker-punch, it started to become apparent that one of the most surprising results of the Penn State Sandusky case is the hate that it has caused for a school that myself and so many others love.
Let me back up a bit. A few days ago I wrote an article, when the facts were still unclear, about my doubt, fear and concern over the Penn State administration’s involvement.
When coach Joe Paterno was fired for not doing more, although saddened, I understood the logic behind the decision; same with University president Graham Spanier.
As an alumni–yet mostly as a mother of three, including a boy around the age of the victims–I couldn’t help but shed tears while reading the Sandusky grand jury trial line by line. It conjured images in my mind that no one should ever have, and my thoughts quickly went from anger to those involved in the cover-up to the children who were at the hands of this goddamn monster, Sandusky.
The grand jury trial also brought to light the eye witnesses like Mike McQueary, and the janitor who saw Sandusky abusing a boy. Why, at this point, the police weren’t called immediately, we will never know. I wonder how they ever slept at night?
My big brother and I in Happy Valley, PSU vs. Ohio State, 2009
But back to my first point: we are all reeling from this week, believe me.
As a kid who dreamed of having a Penn State degree and having the privilege of living in State College four years (right next to the very sports complex where some of these crimes occurred), I think I can speak for many alumni who are crushed to see this played out and support the resulting firings.
Seeing comments like the following are the most painful:
-Penn State students who still support this institution should never have children
-Penn Staters are beer-soaked idiots who idolize a child rapist
-Penn State students rioting are representing the true intelligence of the student body
Sadly, I could elaborate with more jabs I’ve seen, but you get the point. Everyone is angry, and believe me, so are alumni and fans. I am spitting mad that no one stopped Sandusky in his tracks and that so many ommissions and errors were made by many.
But lumping in tens of thousands of alumni, fans, and students into one category as in statements above is defining one hundred and fifty-six years of research, education, spirit, excellence, philanthropy, and joy by this case. It’s saying we shouldn’t be proud of hard-earned degrees. It’s saying that the tens of thousands of alumni including doctors, researchers, and every-day moms like me aren’t worthwhile. It’s saying the amazing things Penn Staters have done like raising seventy-eight million dollars for pediatric cancer through Dance Marathon don’t matter. It’s saying that because of this horrible crime and the resulting cover-up, we shouldn’t be Penn State proud.
And regardless of what others have done to mar the integrity of our school, that’s something we just can’t help.
Editors note: I will be attending the Penn State-Nebraska game this weekend, and proudly wearing blue with thousands of others to support the blue ribbon child abuse campaign.
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