PSU: There’s More to Life than Sports
by Amanda Klein | St. Bonaventure University
Amanda Klein
I go to a small school in a small city in western New York. At St. Bonaventure University, we cling to our Division I basketball program. It’s one of the few things that might bring someone to the tiny city of Olean.
When a recruiting scandal in 2003 led to the basketball coach’s firing, and the resignation of the athletic director, assistant coach and the university president, it certainly shook campus.
It did not, however, lead to students rioting in the streets of campus, demanding the coach be reinstated. Students acted with dignity. They accepted the cleaning-house of administrators. They leaned on the friars and each other for support.
Our scandal could have been handled better, without a doubt. We approved the transfer of Jamil Terrell even though he only had a welding certificate from a community college, according to a 2003 New York Times article. This did not meet NCAA junior college academic requirements. Players boycotted the following two games. It wasn’t the best way to handle the scandal, but the university took full responsibility and cleaned out those who were involved.
We didn’t cover up sexual abuse for more than nine years to save face. We didn’t make sports our top priority over the welfare of innocent children.
We certainly didn’t stand on a news van we flipped over, yelling ‘We want Joe!’ because the coach of our beloved sports program got the boot.
Penn State rioters: Sandusky’s victims are now about your age. Joe Paterno knew about the abuse for nine years and only told his superiors, who then did nothing. He covered it up because he didn’t want to tarnish the Penn State brand. He knew what he was doing.
It’s about time Penn State learned that there’s more to life than football.
Amanda is a rising senior journalism and mass communication major at St. Bonaventure University. Follow her on Twitter here. (http://www.twitter.com/inKleined)
