Well, it was video.
But in reality, wtf is there to experience? Is it going to change anything about their course structure? No. I'm so sick of hearing about life lessons and other bull-shit people talk about with Paterno or the football team or whatever.
For the last 15 years, we've learned, hey come play for us if you're a criminal. And hey, we'll cover-up your crimes too.
It effects maybe 90 kids who play for the team, who can leave for free, and were likely only there to really play football. |
It's hard for me to say, since I graduated in May of 2011 and I've only gone back twice since then, but one of those times was the Nebraska weekend last year. Aka, first game after the scandal, first game of the "post-Paterno" era, first game after we first learned of the horrors that occured. So, I'll put it in that context, and hopefully articulate it well enough.
I suppose it's important to note I am not a lifetime Penn State fan, I didn't really start following them 2005, despite living in PA since 96, and didn't really become a fan until I decided to go to school there. I say this because it's important to note because even for those who didn't come in because it was "Penn State" and it was "Joe Paterno" it very quickly and very fully attaches itself to the lifeblood of your student experience.
There is a whole lot to experience though. Football is a huge part of Penn State's visible profile, a huge part of student life, and a great unifier for Alumni across the country. For many kids a main factor going into choosing to go to a school like Penn State, rather than, say Pitt or Temple, largely because of the existence of big time college program bringing a party a short walk from their dorms. Every Saturday across the country draw large crowds at bars bringing together a community to watch football. You talk with your friends and you identify your years, your experiences at the school in the fall by the game which most recently took place and whether it was a win or loss.
Quick sidenote: nothing said after this is meant to purport the idea Penn Staters are 'victimized.' They aren't. An illusion they did nothing to earn or contribute to was broken, and they are processing it. But to call anything they have gone through as a 'struggle' or 'suffering' is an insult anyone who actually has, especially those who have due to the negligence of the previous Penn State administration who the community not only allowed to stay in power, nearly unilaterally and consistently compelled it to stay in power up until last November. I hope that is clear.
With all that said, the saga has called all the effects football brings to daily living at State College into question. It had a community asking how this could happen. Why this could happen. It had us questioning why we as penn staters had trusted them, and why the administrators themselves had not trusted us to be able to handle the atrociaties they had learned ten years prior. It had us asking what we could do it fix it. It had a community selfishly asking why you are blaming "Penn State" rather than then men involved. Why was Penn States name dragged in the mud, and as association, why was my name dragged in the mud. Why did we care about football. Did it have meaning. Did it have purpose. How could Joe Paterno have failed was a large question to. The experience is one of a community who felt their identity lost, misplaced in the wrong place; and a larger question of how they could still function as one unified community.
Hopefully that makes sense, atleast to an extent.
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