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With the exception of a handful of members, they are the same. You would think that an organization whose sole responsibility is oversight of top officials would resign in disgrace under these circumstances, but tragically that has not been the case.</p>
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So a tiny fraction of the “alumni and fans” mean that PSU is “like a cult”?</p>
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<p>Well, I hope for PSU’s sake you’re right, goingmyway. But here’s the thing: the just-released US News rankings are based on Spring, 2011 admissions data and other data that pre-date the major developments in the Sandusky case, such as JoePa’s firing (November 2011) and Sandusky’s trial (June 2012). So to conclude that PSU comes out of this unscathed is, at best, premature.</p>
<p>But I do sincerely wish you the best.</p>
<p>I think it’s Penn State’s athletic department that should suffer the consequences here, not Penn State as an academic institution.</p>
<p>While the objective basis of the rankings is from the Fall of 2011, the surveys that form the Peer Assessment are so loosely defined that the scandals could have been influenced. However, there is little reason to believe that the responders are really able to separate facts from fiction or stop answering whimsically according to their agenda and biases.</p>
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<p>I found it interesting that it appears that one component of methodology has changed (How U.S. News Calculates …):</p>
<p>“There was one small methodology change made for the U.S. News Best Colleges 2013 edition rankings. This year, for the first time, the most recent two years of survey results from spring 2011 and spring 2012 were averaged to compute the high school counselor reputation score. This was done to increase the number of ratings each college received from the high school counselors and to reduce the year-to-year volatility in the average counselor score.”</p>
<p>There’s an article at onwardstate called “rally for resignations”. Onward State is, as you can imagine, pretty pro-Penn State. But this article called it a “media stunt” and was not impressed. I’d cut and paste the last three paragraphs, but I’m on an ipad and haven’t figured out how to cut and paste on this thing.</p>
<p>There are over 500,000 alumni, and over 40,000 students at Univ Park, plus however many more thousands at the branch campuses. I’m sick of people taking the actions of a few and applying it to the many. There were between 350 and 1000 people at the rally. Penn State students and alum are not a monolithic group. You’re going to find all kind of opinions among them.</p>
<p>According to StateCollege.com there were “a few hundred” in attendance at the rally. Attendance at the games is typically over 100,000. Even among the fans who attended the game (and thousands more who just come to tailgate with family and friends) less than 1% cared enough about the rally to show up.</p>
<p>I think it would help if the majority became a vocal majority. They need to speak out in large, large numbers to counteract the perception that there is a cult-like support of Joe Pa and the others that were instrumental in these crimes.</p>
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<p>Absolutely spot-on. OTOH, I find no reason that next year’s rankings will be much different. PSU still offers an excellent education; just one with a badly weakened football team (but fortunately for them, in a weak conference). :D</p>
<p><<i think="" it="" would="" help="" if="" the="" majority="" became="" a="" vocal="" majority.="" they="" need="" to="" speak="" out="" in="" large,="" large="" numbers="" counteract="" perception="" that="" there="" is="" cult-like="" support="" of="" joe="" pa="" and="" others="" were="" instrumental="" these="" crimes.="">></i></p><i think="" it="" would="" help="" if="" the="" majority="" became="" a="" vocal="" majority.="" they="" need="" to="" speak="" out="" in="" large,="" large="" numbers="" counteract="" perception="" that="" there="" is="" cult-like="" support="" of="" joe="" pa="" and="" others="" were="" instrumental="" these="" crimes.="">
<p>Many are and will continue to speak out. Many, including the media, just choose not to listen - and instead focus on the few.</p>
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Including some of the posters on this forum. </p>
<p>Personally, I don’t think many will continue to speak out. It makes little difference; they are tired of it all and have reached a point where they don’t really care what others think. At least the others who continue to rant and rave about cults and kool-aid.</p>
<p>I’m not sure how the majority “speaks out” about it being time to stop speaking out, take the sanctions with humility, and move forward. (Apart from not showing up at a gratuitous, poorly organized and weakly attended “event” that was mostly railing against the BOT and only lasted about 30 minutes.) The BOT opened their meeting to public comment and only 7 people wanted to speak. As someone said, with so many grads there will always be differences and arguments. There’s lots going on. What you read in a paper may not be everything. (For example, hundreds of people also gave up their seats at the game so Navy families could have better ones. A PSU grad flew one of the F-18s, a student-athlete just back from active duty played in the game, a reservist carried in the flag, the midshipmen attending were besieged by well-wishers)</p>
<p>I’m also not sure that those not directly involved in Penn State – bystanders, as it were, for lack of a more precise term — I’m not sure bystanders enjoy an indefinite time period to demand particular behaviors. People directly involved have work to do implementing the sanction requirements and PR only gets the U so far. At some point, the changes will begin to speak for themselves, for those with ears to hear. There can’t be a press release to bystanders once a week to say “Look at us! We’re so sorry! See what we’re doing?” (There is, in fact, a practically weekly email from Dr. Erickson, detailing the latest steps. It’s become sort of a running joke, him and those plentiful emails)</p>
<p>Very proud to know my son is out there, playing for the crowd - </p>
<p><a href=“Redirecting...”>Redirecting...;
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<p>My thoughts exactly. We’ve been hearing since last November that the student disturbance when JoePa was fired, that the people setting up a makeshift JoePa statue, that the football-worship that’s so obvious to the rest of the world – all of this represents a small minority. And yet I’ve heard precious few voices from within the Penn State community wondering if, indeed, football is too important at Penn State. Where is this majority?</p>
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<p>That is very true, because Penn State has lost little. Some money, maybe. But not what truly matters: football.</p>
<p><<that the="" people="" setting="" up="" a="" makeshift="" joepa="" statue,="">></that></p>
<p>I don’t have any problem with the rest of your comment. But this just spreads the myth. It was one guy, (not “people”) with a cardboard JoePa cutout (hardly a “statue”) on one occasion immediately after the real statue’s removal. Security came and shooed him away, and no “makeshift JoePa statue” has replaced it. It’s just gives the impression of some guy with his machine shop creation bolting something to the sidewalk in the dead of night. </p>
<p>Again, if you can’t hear those voices, you are listening at the wrong keyhole. Not saying there aren’t nutjobs out there, just saying it’s not the only station on the radio. (I want a prize for most mixed-metaphors in a post!) PSU has lost a lot in the way of reputation and honor, and the football program will suffer mightily. I know your preference would have been no football, but I don’t think anyone here takes the former two lightly.</p>
<p><< But not what truly matters: football. >></p>
<p>What truly matters is that this never happens again. What truly matters is that people everywhere (not just at Penn St.) speak up if they have a concern about a child. What truly matters is that children are protected, listened to and supported. While I realize that you (and many others) are more interested in the punishment, that’s not what truly matters.</p>
<p>greenbutton, would you mind pointing me to a keyhole where Penn State students, parents, alumni, or boosters have advocated shutting down the program for a time as vociferously as others have defended it?</p>
<p>The continuing worship of Saint Joe is more than one guy in a machine shop. Here’s a story about a day-long pilgrimage to one of the shrines, and the thoughts of some of the pilgrims. This is more than a couple of nutcases. </p>
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<p>[Paterno’s</a> place outside Beaver Stadium marked by daylong tribute | PennLive.com](<a href=“http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2012/09/paternos_place_outside_beaver.html]Paterno’s”>Paterno's place outside Beaver Stadium marked by daylong tribute - pennlive.com)</p>
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<p>What truly matters is eradicating the culture that led to this. Yes, I believe that in this case, the only way to do that was for football to disappear from Penn State for a time. </p>
<p>I see no evidence whatsoever that football has been put in its proper place at Penn State.</p>
<p>Seems without threat of punishment organizations leadership often will not dp the right thing, in this case reporting a pedophile. </p>
<p>Saying, oh now it’s all about the kids is too little too late. Why have any rules at all then about reporting? Punishments are by definition for something one did. That’s what they are for. To have the mindset punishments are unnecessary seems to say hey doesn’t matter what we did then, it’s what we do now. Really?</p>
<p><<to have="" the="" mindset="" punishments="" are="" unnecessary="" seems="" to="" say="" hey="" doesn’t="" matter="" what="" we="" did="" then,="" it’s="" do="" now.="" really?="">></to></p>
<p>Did I say punishments aren’t necessary? I was just pointing out what “truly matters”. The bottom line is it’s not about the punishment - it’s about the results. </p>
<p><<what truly="" matters="" is="" eradicating="" the="" culture="" that="" led="" to="" this.="">></what></p>
<p>That football culture is all across America…you’ve got a lot of work to do! It’s not about eradicating football - it’s about protecting children.</p>