Casey Petty
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Am I missing something here?
Since when has an institution’s worth been based entirely on a football team? So what? Yes, we lost a once well-respected coach; yes, we did lose a hundred or so games and a few years of bowl eligibility; and yes, we did lose a few players and recruits. But, to determine the success of an entire university based solely on the wins and losses of a football team, that is plain ignorant.
What a blatant slap to the face. And not just any face either, this is the face of a university that houses more than 90,000 students and 160 different majors, the face of a university that has raised more than $8 million for children with cancer through the largest student-run philanthropy in the world – THON, the face of a university who devotes $700 million in research annually, and the face of a university that has more than 500,000 living alumni today.
No, Penn State is not just a football school. We are so much more than that. We are a close-knit community of dedicated individuals, who all strive for the same thing – that insatiable pride that comes from holding a degree awarded by The Pennsylvania State University.
None of us will ever forget what happened to Penn State. Our hearts go out to those who were abused by a selfish, sick man and the inaction of others who should have listened and took action.
But in the end, I’m a firm believer there is a silver-lining in any situation, even here after the wake of the Penn State scandal. People arise from adversity – George Washington during the Revolutionary War, Martin Luther King, Jr. during the Civil Rights Movement, and now, students of Penn State during the aftermath of the Penn State Scandal.
Just as steel is forged through fire, we too will be made stronger for our experiences now. We can’t let our past dictate our future. No matter what happens — We are Penn State, and we are still Penn State proud.