– especially for those of you who will soon be leaving….
Thank You – For demonstrating how your lack of understanding of human nature and underestimation of alumni loyalty led to the organization of alumni groups willing to challenge you and unlike all of you, willing to fight for the reputation of this university.
Thank You – For your complete lack of regard/lack of protection for the young athletes at Penn State. By signing/agreeing to a ludicrous NCAA consent decree, you allowed the football team to be punished for whatever mistakes were made by adults. You allowed coaches from other universities to come to our campus and with promises of “being able to go to a bowl game” lured or attempted to lure athletes to universities with weak or weaker academic records.
Thank You – For showing the world that deceit, obfuscation and slight of hand will not work. By stating that if sanctions were not accepted, the result would be the “death penalty.” You believed that you had a rationale to force alumni to swallow a bitter pill. Instead you found out that Penn State alumni and their friends, well almost anyone outside the BOT, were not willing to accept your convoluted rationale.
Thank You – For demonstrating the true meaning of the word “cowardice.” Although there are numerous examples, one will make the point. One anonymous bully with an airplane either forced you or gave you an excuse to take down the statue of the man who contributed so much to this university.
Thank You- For pulling together the Nittany Nation.
Thank You- For allowing us the opportunity to right these wrongs.
Thank You- You won’t lead on the Clemente Report but we will.
And we, the Alumni, along with the students, parents and friends of this university, will once again show the world, the meaning of the phrase WE ARE PENN STATE.
And by the way – we are voting in record numbers.
-by Deborah Beidel
Reflections 