It has been a while since I've posted, and the events of the past week absolutely warrant my getting back to it.
Everyone is entitled to their opinions, and most surrounding this scandal are pretty strong, mine included.
I would like to take a minute to address what I feel, as a Penn Stater, through thick and thin.
My beloved university should not be blamed overall as an institution, for the decisions made by a few select individuals, no matter how powerful those individuals.
I am not and will never be embarrassed to wear blue and white or call myself a Penn Stater. I am ashamed that my university is now and will forever be associated with such a scandal involving those in authority positions, however, I read it best today from Emily Grier, USA Today collegiate correspondent:
"It’s easy to stand by Penn State through winning touchdowns and championships, but this moment is a true test of what it means to bleed blue and white. It’s the difference between just mouthing the words to our Alma Mater at football games, and actually upholding these ideals in our everyday lives...
We are at a crossroads now in our time as students. We can lose faith in our beloved Penn State, succumb to a place of hatred over the action of a single individual. Or, we can choose to rise above it. We can show our true loyalty to our school. We can show what it really means when we say WE ARE…PENN STATE.
WE ARE…the home of the largest student-run philanthropy in the world. WE ARE…responsible for raising $78 million for the Four Diamonds Fund. WE ARE…the largest alumni base in the world. WE ARE… a top research institution. WE ARE…so much more than this."
We are a school that has always been proud of our football program, and I am still proud to be associated with those boys who dress in their blue and white uniforms on fall Saturdays, with no names on their backs, and run into Beaver Stadium with their heads held high.
I hope they are able to do so this Saturday, and I hope beyond hope, that this terrible scandal does not tarnish the reputation of all that we hold dear about our Penn State.
We are not just a football team. We are not just a town that exists because of the school. We are a town, that stands 110,000 strong on October Saturdays, gives hope to children and families facing difficult times along with financial aid during THON each year. We are the largest alumni base in existence. We have world-renowned research programs, talented professors, and a beautiful campus.
To those of you who wish to disassociate yourself with an entire university, because of a situation that involves a few select individuals, I ask.....did you ever truly bleed Blue and White?
