Scandal at Penn State

Penn State trustees fired football coach Joe Paterno and university president Graham Spanier amid the growing furor over how the school handled sex abuse allegations against an assistant coach.

Quick. Don't think. Who is prime suspect number one in the scandal involving Penn State right now? Joe Paterno? NO.

THANK YOU, Huffington Post.

Doesn't even mean half as much after Joe's statement this morning.

Penn State University’s response to a scandal seems to be no response at all.

Note: I suck at writing. I'm feeling a lot of emotions right now. This might actually make no sense at all. But here goes.

I am and always will be Penn State. I could not be any prouder to be a student at this prestigious university, and would not want it any other way. The events of the last few days are absolutely horrific and disgraceful, and have literally changed the entire history of our school. Our story, our image, our legacy will never be the same. After spending countless hours reading every article, report, blog, and rumor that I could possibly find, I am completely lost. I don't know what to think. One minute I can be convinced of one thing, and the next minute I am thinking the exact opposite. All I do know for sure is that this is one of the most upsetting things I've experienced. A few extremely powerful men who are each individually admired by millions have turned out to actually be completely different people than we thought. Legends have turned into disgraces. Heroes, as saddening as it is for me to even think this, have tarnished themselves and their images for the rest of eternity.

Penn State is currently in a national spotlight unmatched by any athletic program in the history of athletics. After reading and listening to opinions of outsiders (those people who aren't actually in State College right now), I realized that everyone here at PSU has a completely tainted view of what is going on. We find it impossible to believe that something like this could actually happen in our fantasyland, and that the legends that we have come to know, love, and even idolize, might actually not be all we have built them up to me. I'm not saying that I have an opinion either way, beacuse I don't. I wish I did. But I don't. I don't know what to think. All I do know is that the rest of the nation is watching us and we will never be seen as the prestigious university that I mentioned before again.

As I write this, Penn State students are rushing downtown, to Old Main, and anywhere else they can think of screaming chants of "Fire Spanier" and "F Sandusky." This is the ABSOLUTE LAST thing that should be happening right now. From the start, all different students have reacted in all different ways. In my opinion (for whoever wants it), there is only one way that we should be acting in this situation; intelligently, maturely, and somberly. We are all adults, or we like to think that we are, and this is the perfect time to prove it. Starting "movements" via social media simply with the goal of getting reactions out of other people, and then personally attacking these people when they disagree with you is not the way to handle this situation. Gathering in front of Old Main screaming profanities at our administration is not the way to handle this situation. Running downtown fighting off mace-bearing police officers is not the way to handle this situation.

When this all started, Graham Spanier issued a statement that said that he "unconditionally" supported Curley and Schultz, and this outraged students. However, now they seem to be "unconditionally" supporting Joe Paterno. I know this is a bold thing for me to say, but frankly he did (or didn't do) the same thing as the other guys, but he is being supported in the most outrageous ways. It's time that the "adults" of Penn State stopped 'rioting' over everything, went home, and educated themselves on the situation at hand.

I am beyond embarrassed and ashamed by the aforementioned actions, because I know that the actions of some will be taken as the actions of all. Before, it was just a few administrators that were tarnishing our image, and we were ready to prove that they couldn't do that. Now, I don't even know where this will go, because so many others are joining in and making us look bad. To the students rioting out there: you are only further ruining the image of PSU. Most of you probably don't even know what you're even doing out there. Please. Just. Go. Home.

Joe Paterno preached and stood for integrity, family and principle. Now, it’s unclear how his accomplishments might be diminished.

Paterno, after going inside, later came to the window of his house and again thanked the students.

Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany on Wednesday issued a statement on the scandal that has embroiled Penn State and its athletic program.

Legendary football coach Joe Paterno and Penn State President Graham Spanier are the latest casualties of the sex abuse scandal that is rocking the university.

"My goals now are to keep my commitments to my players and staff and finish the season with dignity and determination. And then I will spend the rest of my life doing everything I can to help this university."

The former defensive coordinator for Penn State is accused of 40 counts of criminal sexual abuse with children over the course of 15 years. The fallout has rocked sleepy State College, Pa., implicating a number of high-level administrators within the university.

The district attorney who looked into the sex-abuse case against Jerry Sandusky in 1998 went missing in 2005 and has been declared dead.

"Recognize that only time can tell how he will be remembered. (For what it's worth, I hope beyond hope that the facts turn out favorably.) Say a prayer for the children, and on Saturday, put on your Silas Redd jersey, brave the cold, and cheer your ass off for your team."

David Baran, class of 1975, burned his diploma outside of Old Main. Absolutely inappropriate and upsettingly extreme.