MSU Red Cedar Message Board

MSU has always been a special place. It is an inclusive institution where their is a place for everyone to receive a quality education. It has always been a place of equal opportunity where so many veterans were welcomed to school after WWII. It is a place where minority athletes came and excelled long before integrated education became the norm at many public schools. . . the names Johnny Green and Don Coleman were worshipped at State before Earvin was born. It is a place where athletics have been good, bad, and wonderful, but it is a place where we struggle to try to get things morally right. Jud took a beating once in a while on the basketball court, but he wouldn't cheat to get Webber. . . We've struggled with NCAA probation, steroids, and attempting to be civil with an arrogant fellow state institution, but real Spartans struggle to do it the right way.

If the PSU situation occurred at State, I would first advocate that we do everything possible to make our victims whole. I would ask that we immediately make free counseling available for the victims. . . We should explore MSU scholarships to the victims in the fields of their choice. . . I would attempt to use all of those wonderful MSU resources of facilities and more importantly people to help rectify the wrongs which occurred at State. We show the victims and the world who the real Spartans are.

Insofar as athletics is concerned, I think it would important to self impose the death penalty for football. Let the outside world know what MSU has always stood for. . . equal opportunity and quality education for all in a safe environment. We prioritize the victims by our actions, and make one of our worst hours. . . one of our finest hours.

When football comes back and we start losing to Indiana a couple years in a row. . . I will be cheering loud and long because I know what State's priorities are. They are the same as mine.

I would still care for the school and institution. I went to MSU, my dad went there, my uncle went there, my grandma went there, my wife's mother went there... MSU will always mean something to me no matter what. However, there's no doubt I would lose some of the passion. If the scandel was in the football program and administration (like PSU) while I probably would still watch I don't think I'd watch as loyally and I'd definitely be embarassed and angry at my school. Bottom line: some of the passion for the alma mater and its sports teams would be taken away but I don't think it would ever completely die.

On a related note, I think it is a little to easy to judge the PSU fanbase. Don't get me wrong, there are many on their message board and a few who have appeared on TV and written letters defending Joe Pa and the school to the bitter end and said some silly things. IMO though, to some degree that's to be expected unfortunately. People always let their loyality blind them to the truth. It doesn't it make it right but it helps explain some of it. Yet, just like MSU and the RCMB, I don't think you can completely judge a fanbase, alumni, and school based on the complaints of some. PSU has hundreds of thousands of alumni and tens of thousands of students and only a portion have ranted publically. I bet there are many more than any of us realize who are embarassed, ashamed and angry at what their administrators and football program did to their favorite institution and more importantly what they did to the victims. Neither the victims nor the institution's reputation will probably ever completely recover from this.

So because MAYBE a few thousand if that complain about a logo change out of hundreds of thousands students and alumni and that means there would be mass protests? I highly doubt it. It is easy to say that and you would hope it but students are very apathetic. There is little to no political protests that get much attention currently on campus other than small gathering every once and awhile. Many students are too busy with their own lives to show up on football Saturdays and most of the students are texting during basketball games but they will be so outraged and upset we will see billboards and massive protests? I would hope so... but I highly doubt it.

Lastly, your last point is not completely correct. People do protests in all kinds of ways including donating to causes. I encourage you to look at the two links below. One is a site set up by PSU alumni to support victims of child abuse and another is an interview with the now school president talking about the support from students.
http://rainn.org/ProudPSUforRAINN
http://www.statecollege.com/news/local-news/oneonone-with-rodney-erickson-struggle-ahead-but-when-it-comes-to-students-im-very-proud-of-them-1093230/

Yes, I agree more vocal protests would have been good and should have been done, but to act PSU students didn't protest or do actions in their own way is not correct IMO. I think it is way too easy to say well we would do this, but we don't know that.

I attended MSU for two years (graduated from Arizona State) but if I were a MSU grad, it would definintely effect me. Something like this is just awful and I can't imagine what Penn State fans/grads are thinking.