By Rachel Lutz, Features Editor
Penn State’s Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon, affectionately known as “THON,” is widely considered the largest student-run philanthropic organization in the world. Since 1977, the event has raised over $78 million under the slogan “for the kids.” I personal went to THON and experienced this deeply emotional event.
It does not make sense to me why those at Penn State recently forgot their powerful “for the kids” slogan when news broke out about the dismissal of their beloved head football coach, Joe Paterno. Maybe this isn’t a fair comparison: raising money for children with cancer versus news about children sexually abused by a member of the coaching staff. But both come down to the same premise. It was done “for the kids.”
Joe Paterno, who coached the team both as a head and assistant coach for the past 61 years, had become a grandfather figure for the school. There’s a library named after him, and his legacy of the education-first policy has reformed tons of other schools’ programs.
The night Joe Paterno was fired by the Penn State University Board of Trustees marked 100 days until THON 2012. Since then, the media continues to report about rioters tipping over a news van, and on students and alumni seen hugging the iconic statue of Joe Pa on the main campus of the university. Still though, it seems the media and the students missed the point of why it happened: children were hurt.
Other news includes that Joe Paterno has been in talks with a defense lawyer, though many argue that he did nothing legally wrong, only morally. Rumors had swirled that the newly-inducted-to-the-Big-Ten Nebraska University versus Penn State home game won’t see Assistant Coach Mike McQueary because he’s been getting death threats. Some speculated that the game won’t happen at all, even though it did.
Since it was the Nittany Lions last home game, which is traditionally viewed as Senior Day for the players and their families. I say, it’s good they played the game, especially “for the kids.”
