Post by bepindi35 on Nov 16, 2011 20:27:34 GMT -5
The recent revelations that high level officials at Penn State may have ignored evidence that former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky sexually abused young boys in the University field house and the subsequent crises which rocked the campus demonstrate how ideology shifts are usually the result of a crisis and in turn result in a crisis.
For more than half a century the Nittany Tigers of Penn State have been a football powerhouse. The football program is central to campus life and no one was more closely associated with the program than Joe Paterno who coached the team for 46 seasons. Last week a grand jury issued a 40 count indictment against Mr. Sandusky and revealed testimony that suggested Paterno and others at the University were aware of inappropriate conduct by Sandusky back in 1998 but no one went to the law enforcement agencies for fear of ruining the reputation of Penn State and its football program which brings in $70 million a year in revenue. The ideology of the power and importance of Penn State football may have kept an alleged child molester from justice for more than a decade. If the allegations against Sandusky and others are true not only the athletic department, but the entire university, failed to fulfill its obligations to society’s most vulnerable citizens; children.
A particularly disturbing aspect of the crises was the reaction of the students of Penn State who rioted after the announcement that Paterno had been fired. Thousands of students, many resplendent in “We <3 JoePa” tee shirts, took the streets in the small town of State College throwing rocks and bottles and flipping over a television’s station’s satellite truck. The students displayed a tremendous lack of respect and consideration for the children and created the impression that the status of the football team was more important than the young victims. It appeared to many that the entire Penn State community had lost their moral compass.
It was not until two days after the scandal broke that there appeared to be an ideological shift from an inward focus on the scandal’s impact on the Penn State football program to a need for the university community to demonstrate to the world that it had not forgotten the children. A candlelight vigil was organized and thousands of students attended. At Saturday’s football game, which was the last home game of the season, 100,000 fans packed the stadium, many wearing blue, the color associated with stopping child abuse. The players and the fans observed a minute of silence for all of the victims and the University’s President gave a heartfelt apology.
While there may have been an ideological shift at Penn State the crises is not over. The University will continue to be subject to the media spotlight, the football program may fall apart and there will be lawsuits by the victims. Most importantly, there will be a great deal of soul searching hopefully not only in Happy Valley but throughout the United States. The crises at Penn State may be a long needed wakeup call that while sports has become one of our nation’s greatest passions it should never take priority over the safety of children.
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For more than half a century the Nittany Tigers of Penn State have been a football powerhouse. The football program is central to campus life and no one was more closely associated with the program than Joe Paterno who coached the team for 46 seasons. Last week a grand jury issued a 40 count indictment against Mr. Sandusky and revealed testimony that suggested Paterno and others at the University were aware of inappropriate conduct by Sandusky back in 1998 but no one went to the law enforcement agencies for fear of ruining the reputation of Penn State and its football program which brings in $70 million a year in revenue. The ideology of the power and importance of Penn State football may have kept an alleged child molester from justice for more than a decade. If the allegations against Sandusky and others are true not only the athletic department, but the entire university, failed to fulfill its obligations to society’s most vulnerable citizens; children.
A particularly disturbing aspect of the crises was the reaction of the students of Penn State who rioted after the announcement that Paterno had been fired. Thousands of students, many resplendent in “We <3 JoePa” tee shirts, took the streets in the small town of State College throwing rocks and bottles and flipping over a television’s station’s satellite truck. The students displayed a tremendous lack of respect and consideration for the children and created the impression that the status of the football team was more important than the young victims. It appeared to many that the entire Penn State community had lost their moral compass.
It was not until two days after the scandal broke that there appeared to be an ideological shift from an inward focus on the scandal’s impact on the Penn State football program to a need for the university community to demonstrate to the world that it had not forgotten the children. A candlelight vigil was organized and thousands of students attended. At Saturday’s football game, which was the last home game of the season, 100,000 fans packed the stadium, many wearing blue, the color associated with stopping child abuse. The players and the fans observed a minute of silence for all of the victims and the University’s President gave a heartfelt apology.
While there may have been an ideological shift at Penn State the crises is not over. The University will continue to be subject to the media spotlight, the football program may fall apart and there will be lawsuits by the victims. Most importantly, there will be a great deal of soul searching hopefully not only in Happy Valley but throughout the United States. The crises at Penn State may be a long needed wakeup call that while sports has become one of our nation’s greatest passions it should never take priority over the safety of children.
word count 537