Former Penn State Coach Arrested

[agzg]

Originally Posted by KSig RC

Whistleblower laws?

That's what I was thinking - I mean... even if they do discipline him in some way, it will be kept as quiet as possible.

[KSig RC]

Originally Posted by agzg

That's what I was thinking - I mean... even if they do discipline him in some way, it will be kept as quiet as possible.

Likely the new coaching regime will just clean house 100% (which is standard, even though here it's 100% necessary anyway), so riding it out until the end of the contract year/end of season would make it moot.

They REALLY should consider "paid admin leave" or something though.

[SOM]

Interesting look at the riots at Penn State:
Why Penn State Students Rioted--They Deify Joe Paterno

The psychology of group membership helps explain why Penn State students cant stop loving a man who ignored a child molestation scandal
http://www.scientificamerican.com/ar...id=SA_facebook

[SWTXBelle]

I have sympathy for those associated at Penn State who had nothing to do with the crimes for the same reason I have sympathy for the chapter members of a chapter which loses its charter because of the actions of a few - for the family of violent criminals who had no idea what their family member was doing - for anyone who discovers that someone whom they loved did something unthinkable. The shock, disappointment and sorrow can't help but elicit my empathy for their pain.

[als463]

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

I have sympathy for those associated at Penn State who had nothing to do with the crimes for the same reason I have sympathy for the chapter members of a chapter which loses its charter because of the actions of a few - for the family of violent criminals who had no idea what their family member was doing - for anyone who discovers that someone whom they loved did something unthinkable. The shock, disappointment and sorrow can't help but elicit my empathy for their pain.

Thank you for that, SWTXBelle.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

I have sympathy for those associated at Penn State who had nothing to do with the crimes for the same reason I have sympathy for the chapter members of a chapter which loses its charter because of the actions of a few - for the family of violent criminals who had no idea what their family member was doing - for anyone who discovers that someone whom they loved did something unthinkable. The shock, disappointment and sorrow can't help but elicit my empathy for their pain.

I agree.

[groovypq]

Someone awhile back speculated about how this could go much deeper i.e. some sort of pedophilia ring. Interestingly enough, a friend of mine is a retired state trooper. He was part of the investigation when Gricar disappeared in Lewisburg in 2005. He brings up the interesting side note that around that same time, a professor at Bucknell was arrested for child molestation. My friend said this prof had been suspected of it for a long time but they hadn't been able to make anything stick. Maybe a tenuous line to draw, but he does find the timing on that and Gricar's disappearance rather interesting....

[als463]

Originally Posted by groovypq

Someone awhile back speculated about how this could go much deeper i.e. some sort of pedophilia ring. Interestingly enough, a friend of mine is a retired state trooper. He was part of the investigation when Gricar disappeared in Lewisburg in 2005. He brings up the interesting side note that around that same time, a professor at Bucknell was arrested for child molestation. My friend said this prof had been suspected of it for a long time but they hadn't been able to make anything stick. Maybe a tenuous line to draw, but he does find the timing on that and Gricar's disappearance rather interesting....

You know, that wouldn't shock me. A few years back, I think (maybe around 2005), I'm pretty sure there was a Penn State Professor who was charged with child molestation and he had child porn on his laptop or whatever. I know there was a professor from Seton Hall involved with that. I will try to find the articles. This could go much deeper. They could have been people who were donating to Sandusky if he was in fact pimping the young boys out. I pray to God that this really was not happening.

[preciousjeni]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

I can't help but be slightly amused by people feeling sorry for Penn State students and alum. They should not be demonized (why would they be?) but feeling sorry for them is the other extreme. I feel apathetic towards them...and slight amusement when I read people expressing sympathy towards them.

I'm having trouble understanding why Penn State students and alumni are personalizing this situation. They're not at fault. I can understand being disgusted at what happened, but to feel personally connected to the case is difficult for me to grasp.

It's nice to feel a connection to one's alma mater...I know I do...but to be as affected as the people whose posts are showing up in my FB news feed is taking things to an extreme.

[ASTalumna06]

Originally Posted by preciousjeni

I'm having trouble understanding why Penn State students and alumni are personalizing this situation. They're not at fault. I can understand being disgusted at what happened, but to feel personally connected to the case is difficult for me to grasp.

It's nice to feel a connection to one's alma mater...I know I do...but to be as affected as the people whose posts are showing up in my FB news feed is taking things to an extreme.

I can only speak for myself, but the reason we're personalizing it is because other people (non-Penn Staters) are making it personal. I looked at one of my sorority sister's Facebook walls yesterday, and one of her "friends" posted, "If you're an old woman who's attracted to little boys, you're a cougar. If you're an old man who's attracted to little boys, you're a Nittany Lion."

People are ignorant. And that ignorance is offensive, and it's insulting something that we love so dearly. Today, my heart breaks.. And not for Paterno, and not for Spanier, but for the students and alumni who have to deal with the fact that their alma mater will forever be looked at as "the school where that coach raped young boys.". People are already referring to the school as Pedophile State University. It hurts. Plain and simple.

I think SWTXBelle summed it up best. I want to believe that these things couldn't happen; not neccesarily to a person I adore, but at a place I love.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by SOM

Interesting look at the riots at Penn State:
Why Penn State Students Rioted--They Deify Joe Paterno

The psychology of group membership helps explain why Penn State students cant stop loving a man who ignored a child molestation scandal
http://www.scientificamerican.com/ar...id=SA_facebook

This is a little ridiculously pat. And for the record...it's spelled JoePa. His first name isn't Josephine.

As ASTalumna06 said...some people are being REALLY ignorant. It's like they're almost happy this happened so they have a valid reason to rag on Penn State. Yes it is an almost overwhelming presence in PA sometimes, but holy shit, get over it and deal. I don't know how anyone who has a friend or family member who went to Penn State - which in PA, is EVERYONE - can find it the least bit acceptable to make jokes about it.

[*winter*]

Originally Posted by ASTalumna06

I can only speak for myself, but the reason we're personalizing it is because other people (non-Penn Staters) are making it personal. I looked at one of my sorority sister's Facebook walls yesterday, and one of her "friends" posted, "If you're an old woman who's attracted to little boys, you're a cougar. If you're an old man who's attracted to little boys, you're a Nittany Lion."

People are ignorant. And that ignorance is offensive, and it's insulting something that we love so dearly. Today, my heart breaks.. And not for Paterno, and not for Spanier, but for the students and alumni who have to deal with the fact that their alma mater will forever be looked at as "the school where that coach raped young boys.". People are already referring to the school as Pedophile State University. It hurts. Plain and simple.

I think SWTXBelle summed it up best. I want to believe that these things couldn't happen; not neccesarily to a person I adore, but at a place I love.

I work with like 50% PSU grads so of course it was allllllll anyone could talk about at work today. I can understand feeling affected by it. Something they cared about, believed in, thought was such a positive place is now...tainted. Really harmful things happened at a place they love and have a strong alliance to...it's conflicting. It's just a process of absorbing that THIS happened at a place that you are associated with, a place filled with positive memories and experiences. It is going to take a while to digest it all and process it, for those connected to Penn State.

Penn State is such an institution. It's SO big here. It's seen as this mighty place where everything is so perfect and pristine, it's just unbelievable that something like this could have happened there (or, hell, anywhere, considering some of the atrocities in the indictment!) I guess it comes back to the old tenant, "you always think it will happen to someone else." Only in this case, "you always think it will happen somewhere else."

I guess I could compare it to being a Catholic and then discovering that horrible things were happening to kids in Catholic facilities by Catholic priests. It's confusing, because here's this hugely influential, positive thing in your life, but at the same time, it's a vehicle for abuses that can only be described as torturous. It formed so many of my beliefs and created a sense of pride as a part of my identity...but people who are nothing short of evil have been affiliated with it, even using its rites and facilities for unspeakable acts. It's astounding.

Correct me if I'm wrong, PSU grads, but this is the impression I've gotten to those I've spoken to...

[als463]

Originally Posted by ASTalumna06

I can only speak for myself, but the reason we're personalizing it is because other people (non-Penn Staters) are making it personal. I looked at one of my sorority sister's Facebook walls yesterday, and one of her "friends" posted, "If you're an old woman who's attracted to little boys, you're a cougar. If you're an old man who's attracted to little boys, you're a Nittany Lion."

People are ignorant. And that ignorance is offensive, and it's insulting something that we love so dearly. Today, my heart breaks.. And not for Paterno, and not for Spanier, but for the students and alumni who have to deal with the fact that their alma mater will forever be looked at as "the school where that coach raped young boys.". People are already referring to the school as Pedophile State University. It hurts. Plain and simple.

I think SWTXBelle summed it up best. I want to believe that these things couldn't happen; not neccesarily to a person I adore, but at a place I love.

Unfortunately, someone sent me that text the other night too. I deleted it and deleted the friend. It's not funny for Penn State and it ESPECIALLY isn't funny to make jokes about child abuse! I de-friended and blocked a cousin and told him to never talk to me after he felt the need to post a picture on my wall making fun of the events at PSU. You are right! People are making it personal. Some of my sisters have been accosted on the street, some have been given dirty looks to, some have had inappropriate things said to them by strangers in the store, others have had to endure being ridiculed at work--people are really taking this to a whole new level. It's really disheartening!

Not sure if you heard this yet but, apparently some of our big donors are looking at no longer donating to THON. Yep, people are even pulling donations that 100% of the proceeds go to children with Cancer at Hershey Medical Center. I've even heard about people losing their internships over this. Really? This is getting ridiculous so, I want you (and all the other Penn Staters) to know that I stand with you. Don't let the poor decisions of a few individuals tarnish your belief in your alma mater. The Penn State I know helped shape me into the woman I am today.

[preciousjeni]

Originally Posted by ASTalumna06

I can only speak for myself, but the reason we're personalizing it is because other people (non-Penn Staters) are making it personal. I looked at one of my sorority sister's Facebook walls yesterday, and one of her "friends" posted, "If you're an old woman who's attracted to little boys, you're a cougar. If you're an old man who's attracted to little boys, you're a Nittany Lion."

People are ignorant. And that ignorance is offensive, and it's insulting something that we love so dearly. Today, my heart breaks.. And not for Paterno, and not for Spanier, but for the students and alumni who have to deal with the fact that their alma mater will forever be looked at as "the school where that coach raped young boys.". People are already referring to the school as Pedophile State University. It hurts. Plain and simple.

I think SWTXBelle summed it up best. I want to believe that these things couldn't happen; not neccesarily to a person I adore, but at a place I love.

When I was a teenager, one of my former teachers was convicted for having a sexual relationship with a fourteen year old student. This woman was a Bible teacher at a Christian school and she had won awards for her teaching successes.

The students LOVED her and she was well respected, so we were particularly devastated when the news came out. Looking back, this incident shattered the sense of trust and community on the campus and it was embarrassing for all of us.

On the other hand, coming through this experience changed me forever...for the better in my opinion. Since then, I have stopped idolizing people and I now maintain a level of skepticism in my interactions with people.

If that's the result of this incident for the Penn State community, it will mean that the next time something awful happens, people will be more willing to take action.

[DaffyKD]

PSU will come through this. I went to SDSU. The uproar regarding the drug ring run by several fraternities hurt our reputation, upset the alumni (both greeks and non-greeks), and was fodder for the internet for a few months. The wound is raw right now. As long as the media makes it the top news story, the wound keeps opening. There are questions, there will be questions, there are questions that will never be answered and questions that will be answered as time goes on. As soon as another story makes the headlines above the fold, the students, faculty and alumni at PSU will begin to heal.

DaffyKD