Why Are We to Blame?

From November of last year to present day, Penn State has been repeatedly rocked by a constant stream of reports and findings following the upsetting and shocking news that a formerly respected man associated with our football team was committing unspeakable acts.

What began as a unveiling of seriously overlooked incidents on Penn State’s faculty’s part, turned into a witch hunt to place blame on who deserved it. Even though, the incidents were revealed some time ago, Penn State is still feeling the repercussions associated with the actions of a few.

More recently, the former director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation has released his findings when information was truly delved into. This spark of information has ignited a series of respect-diminishing sanctions against the university as a whole.

Following the NCAA sanctions against our university, which including a ban on post season games for the next four years, more than $60 million dollars in fines and the cancelation of more than 100 wins towards the legacy of Penn State, the school was lost in mixed emotions and more importantly lost in hope. A few names have been released of recruits backing out of contracts and some current players who have decided to transfer.

The question is not whether we know the facts or not due to everything being offically revealed, but to question who these unprecedented crippling sanctions are truly aimed towards.
Fines imposed on the school will be reliant on students tuition. All post-season games have been banned which will prevent our Penn State football team members to lose credibility. Finally over 100 games have been voided from our schools history which has tarnished Penn State’s legacy as well as Joe Paterno’s.

Then the question remains: who is to blame here? Should we actually punish those who were not involved in the actions at all, including the students and football team? As a student here, I can personally feel the judgment of the nation upon my shoulders; I can feel the burden of the football team; I can feel the obstacles that are still yet to come. However, it is through these hard times that leaders are born.

With no precedent for their actions we were made out to be the “example” that other schools should learn from. We are viewed as a school devoid of morals. It is up to us as students to show the world that we are still upon a pedestal of integrity and responsibility; that we still stand under a banner of respect and confidence that reads, “WE ARE…”.

I am a Penn Stater and no matter what the NCAA, Big Ten and media bring towards me, it is met with truth that they cannot conquer. Come September 1st, the nation will look once more towards our school to see how diminished they have made us out to be. What they don’t know is that we stand strong, we stand with pride, and through all obstacles we stand together.