My Letter to the Penn State Daily Collegian
Dear Editor:
Last month, I gave a donation to Penn State for the first time since graduating in 1999. I was proud of myself for finally digging into my wallet as a token of my appreciation for a college experience I counted as bar-none. It meant something for me to give beyond just my loan pay back. It felt like growing up.
Today, I am ashamed to be a Penn Stater. Ashamed of the way the the school gravely mishandled this disgusting situation for over a decade. Ashamed of the way they would hide and protect such a monster in their own closet. Ashamed of the short-sighted reaction some students gave to the news of an overly-mythical coach being deservedly fired in utter disgrace. Ashamed that anyone in Happy Valley would be coming to the defense of people who actively buried seriously heinous crimes against children. Ashamed that I was once proud of being a fan of the football squad. And I’m still ashamed and appalled of the priorities behind the 2001 $84 million dollar stadium expansion that bolstered an entertainment venue over academic facilities and tuition support.
These events have driven a stake into my heart for the school. I don’t believe it possible to clean house thoroughly enough. The stench of this crime, the deadly mold that has grown inside it’s puffed-up, egotistical head, has permanently scarred me and many other fellow alumni I’ve been talking to. It won’t be bleached away. Good riddance, all of them.
The only shred of good I feel now is checking back on the Daily Collegian and seeing what a great job the staff is doing covering this painful, personal story under a national spotlight. Having written for the independent paper myself (don’t underestimate how powerful that 125 years of independence is!) for several years during my college tenure, it feels great to know that they’re still my first source for news at PSU.
Penn State is not a religion, despite the way the faithful treat the blue and white brand. But if it were, consider me an atheist from here on out.
Sincerely,
Mark Schoneveld
History ‘99
