<p>This is from the article linked above, and it encapsulates the whole situation as well as anything I’ve seen:</p>
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<p>Re mini’s discussion of Williams: He isn’t nuts.</p>
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<p>That’s from the President’s letter to the Williams community. Here’s a link to the whole thing: [On</a> Sexual Assault at Williams | Office of the President](<a href=“http://president.williams.edu/letters-from-the-president/on-sexual-assault-at-williams/]On”>http://president.williams.edu/letters-from-the-president/on-sexual-assault-at-williams/)</p>
<p>The only thing mini may have gotten wrong was understating the number. 43 is 2.15% of 2,000, which would be the right number if women were 50% of Williams students, and if there were 2,000 students at Williams. However, Williams has closer to 2,100 students, and women constitute a slight majority. Thus, the figures cited by Falk may translate into as many as 50 self-reported rapes in a 12-month period. (0.3% of men can probably only mean 3 men, but 4% of women could reasonably mean anywhere from 38 to 48 women.)</p>
<p>What this points up is the gap between what people feel has happened to them and what they report to the police. I guess it doesn’t surprise me at all that 2% of the students at a college might feel they had had sex to which they didn’t fully consent at some point in the past year, but only a handful of them complained about it to officialdom.</p>
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<p>Not surprising. McCombie, along with Anthony Lubrano, got recently elected to the board by campaigning against the firing of Paterno. Those two will defend the memory of St. Joseph to the bitter end.</p>
<p>JHS- What is the general feeling in Philadelphia? My family members there claim everyone is sick of the whole thing and not really discussing it.</p>
<p>Who knows what the “general feeling in Philadelphia” is? In my corner of the world, there is little love lost for Penn State or Joe Paterno, so mainly every once in a while people cluck about how awful, etc., and they should demolish the statue AND the stadium, but not with any real passion. The same people rolled their eyes at things like painting a halo on the mural; they regard the Paternal cult the way anthropologists might view veneration of the Virgin of Guadalupe or something. It is relevant, too, that we had two priests on trial for months, with the jury finally coming back right be for the Sandusky jury did, and there’s still fallout from that case happening, so there isn’t a day without some grisly child sexual abuse in the paper.</p>
<p>I think among insider types there is interest in how this plays for Governor Corbett. There is much discussion that maybe he sat on the investigation while he was AG but running for governor, but as governor he has been aggressive about going after Penn State, its board, its administrators, etc. He has probably gotten as much good PR from this case as from anything else he has done so far as governor, but there is widespread hope/fear that it will wind up blowing up in his face.</p>
<p>Thanks. That makes sense. It will be interesting to follow the political fallout.</p>
<p>I live in the suburbs of Philadelphia and it seems that the only people defending Joe are the Penn State alumni and students. I have seen countless facebook entries from PSU alumni stating that people are disregarding “all the good” Paterno did because of one mistake. (Covering up for a child rapist is one hell of a mistake, people!) </p>
<p>I don’t think there is anything that could be revealed about Paterno that would make these people change their minds. It is truly pathetic and demonstrates just how this tragedy was able to occur. Blind hero worship is thriving here in PSU country.</p>
<p>I have to say one more time the basic truths here.</p>
<p>Paterno knew, at the very least in 2001, that Sandusky was a child molester, who brought boys to PSU showers.</p>
<p>Paterno knew Sandusky was continuing to bring young boys to Bowl games.</p>
<p>Paterno looked the other way.</p>
<p>What is Penn State waiting for to take down that statue? Maybe they’re praying a more heinous act takes place soon and gets them out of people’s minds.</p>
<p>I don’t know a ANYBODY at this point defending any of the administration, Paterno or the board of trustees and I’m just outside of phila knowing many PSU people. </p>
<p>People are still divided on the football program in general and whether they should play.</p>
<p>I don’t see how they can possibly play football.</p>
<p>Someone will eventually expose Corbitt.</p>
<p>Goingmyway : seriously you are going to say that ? Today? Seriously?</p>
<p>Goingmyway: Incredibly sad.</p>
<p>Are you talking about the Colorado movie killing? I wasn’t thinking of that, sorry.</p>
<p>^^ sometimes things can translate wrong on the internets…I would have thought you meant something directly at PSU , not what happened in Co</p>
<p>^^^ Agreed. I doubt that sax was suggesting the Colorado event, that would be a really strange leap. Not sure what he actually intended - it was probably garbled in his edit.</p>
<p>But having said that, what are you talking about, goingmyway? That’s a pretty bizarre suggestion.</p>
<p>In light of today’s tragedy in Colorado, the insensitivity of stating that Penn State may be praying for a more heinous act (to) takes place soon and (to) gets them out of people’s minds further illustrates just how rash peoples’ comments have been and how this thread has degenerated.</p>
<p>It is absolutely what I was pointing to, Goingmyway. Glad that you apologized.</p>
<p>Talk about wishing you could take something back! I guess it just came to mind how the celebrities always jokingly thank another for getting them out of the news. It was a bad leap, and I’m sorry I posted it.</p>
<p>"More information, please. Did 43 rapes actually occurr before the President decided to take action or were initial actions ineffective? Were fraternities/sororities suspended? Were social events banned? Were incoming Freshman advised of the unsafe campus environment? "</p>
<p>The letter sent to all students from President Falk reporting that a campus survey found that 43 rapes occurred (and also reported by President Falk as being significantly higher than other campuses) was sent to all students and all faculty members. </p>
<p>Many if not most of them apparently had gone unreported, but apparently the President felt secure enough in the information that he was willing to share it publicly, and to call for community-wide action to deal with it. It was reported heavily in the campus newspaper The Williams Record, available to all students, their parents, and entering students (whether they were specifically informed, I doubt very much). There are no fraternities or sororities. There was talk on campus about to what degree these were tied to athletics, but no specific data was offered. Williams has a very high rate of campus binge and heavy drinking (not as high as Penn State but higher than its peers), and this has been the subject of involvement of the new President (the old didn’t seem to do much, and went on to Northwestern.) Since the Pres. has only been there a year, he couldn’t have taken action on prior activity that he wouldn’t have known about.</p>
<p>If you want, I can try to retrieve the letter (or look it up online in the Williams Record).</p>
<p>PSU and the statue decision … [Joe</a> Paterno statue call to be made by Penn State Nittany Lions president - ESPN](<a href=“http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/8184260/joe-paterno-statue-call-made-penn-state-nittany-lions-president]Joe”>Joe Paterno statue call to be made by Penn State Nittany Lions president - ESPN)</p>
<p>Grcxx3</p>
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<p>is your kid marching DCI???</p>
<p>I am an 07 ageout (also marched 06) =D</p>
<p>remember in this discussion that Boise State got hit with “lack of institutional control” and they lost scholarships for multiple years for letting prospective student athletes sleep on current players’ couches.</p>
<p>how does letting a prospective student sleep on a couch compare to the situation at PSU?</p>
<p>soccerguy - yup. Who did you march with and what did you play?</p>