6 I WEDNESDAY, OCT. 13, 2010
THE Dtii
Collegian
Elizabeth Murphy
Editor in Chief
Kelsey Thompson
Business Manager
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Initiative shows PSU
After six gay students
from across the country
committed suicide in the
past month, Penn State
students, faculty and staff
admirably held a forum to
address the safety of the
university's LGBTQA
community.
Though the incidents
have not occurred at Penn
State, the university
showed concern and the
desire to seek out preven-
r
•
•
ii
el;
Fans need to give Lions a break
By Jessica Uzar
EING from Pittsburgh, I
have high expectations
for my two football
teams. T oug
the Steelers are
doing just fine
for now, Penn
State isn't hav
ing the best
season nor is
the play quality
amazing.
But I think
some Penn
MY OPINION
State football fans are also being
slightly ridiculous, quite selfish
and unreasonably demanding.
Come on, give the kids a
break. After all, that's what they
are at the end of the day —kids.
They are college students just
like us. Maybe they're a little
bigger and can run faster than
most of "us," but fans should not
expect perfection from any col
lege team, even the Nittany
Lions.
Being on the football team is
just like being in the classroom.
In class you have the opposing
team (the professor), the field
(classroom) and the fans (par
ents, friends, etc.). If you fail an
exam because of a tough oppos
ing team, or maybe because you
were injured with a headache or
hangover, the fans might get on
your case. But hopefully they
don't do it unfairly because after
all, you are just a student.
Fbr all those critics that are
so concerned with the skill level
on the field, I'd like to see them
tative measures
The forum shows the
university can respond
quickly and has its finger
on the pulse of national
issues.
While the university
itself seems to feature an
open community with a
vocal LGBTQA group, the
State College area may
not show as much toler
ance.
It is commendable that
~\\,
go out there and play. When I
was a freshman, I was nervous
enough attending a game in
Beaver Stadium. I can't imagine
being in Rob Bolden's shoes as
he takes the field in front of so
many blue-and-white faithful.
Oh, and not to mention going
up against the reigning No. 1
college football team on the
road. I bet those defensive line
men coming at him were huge.
The high price we pay for tick
ets does not entitle anyone to
claim that the game is not worth
going to just because we lost or
didn't play well. That's called
being a fair-weather fan.
The Penn State football sea
son has always been about so
much more than what happens
between the two end zones. It's
also the tailgating before and
after, Paternoville all week long
and being inside a stadium with
~1 10,000 other fans,
,And where is the idea that
tuition has anything to do with
sports coming from? Tuition is
used for academics, and the
football program runs itself
financially. You know, to heat the
buildings, pay professors'
salaries and build new science
buildings on campus. Complain
to UPUA or Graham Spanier
that you're paying too much in
tuition, not Joe and Jay.
If you don't like gambling your
hard earned money by purchas
ing season football tickets ; they
don't. Watch the game from your
couch; the No. 1 student section
doesn't need attitudes like that.
Every year can't be a fantastic
tolerance
this forum also acknowl
edged the need for more
support to LGBTQA stu
dents and more guidance
for students at State Col
lege High School and mid
dle schools.
In a community as
diverse as Penn State's,
tolerance must be visibly
practiced.
The university should be
applauded for supporting
that.
I THOO64T
lIS CPR
CoUP Pig
ll*Lf.
b :`. S4'l (-4 2 4 110n1PPAY mom
season. Even professional
teams, who don't have nearly
the turnaround rate as college
teams do with students graduat
ing after four or five years, go
through rough patches. The
Steelers are the best football
franchise in the country with six
Super Bowl rings but they still
went through a tough season
last year. I don't know enough
about the actual techniques of
football and play calls and such
to comment on the coaching.
However, I do think that coaches
shouldn't necessarily be pulled
apart because the average per
son, and particularly the aver
age student, doesn't know
enough about the game to know
why the coaches did what they
did. (An exception is the
Collegian's team of football writ
ers. Internal kudos to that crew.)
We have such a long tradition
and such a large following that
the team knows they will always
be supported. I have faith that,
knock on wood, if we had con
secutive losing seasons, fans
would still show up for games.
It's a rebuilding year and
we're a young team, but we'll
make it through the season.
We don't have to worship
them, but the team does need
our support, not unreasonable
expectations and unjust criti
cism.
Jessica Uzar is a junior majoring in
journalism and political science and is
The Daily Collegian's Wednesday
columnist. Her e-mail is
pul2s@psu.edu.
ITCOOLD
Mt- IT
=Tel)
IWTINQ.
THE DAILY COLLEGIAN
JoePa has lost his 'swagger'
Since no one seems to have'the courage
to say it, I will. Thanks for the memories,
Joe, but like everything else, all good things
must come to an end.
As Collegian football editor Nate Mink
said in his column Monday, "Swagger and
83 years old don't go well together." The
team has become an extension of you
conservative, predictable and much too
willing to settle. It needs new blood. In
order to give us a chance to recruit for the
next four years, please show some pride
and go gracefully.
Harmless to set Bolden free
Unleash Bolden. Let him make some
decisions on the field. Yes, yes he is a fresh
man, but he is not a novice at playing foot
ball. Put in some spread plays and let him
make calls. What could be the harm look
at the win/loss record so far.
Newsome could help season
I believe that Robert Bolden should have
been selected starter. But from day one I
always believed that Kevin Newsome
should have been part of the solution for
success for three very important reasons:
1. That would take some of the pressure
off the true freshman as they could share
the responsibilities of QB. 2. This would
force defenses to prepare for a two headed
monster, one that can throw precision pass
es and has a very strong arm, the other a
triple option threat. Though Newsome may
not have as strong of an arm as Bolden it
can be effective. 3. I believe that both
Newsome and Bolden would help sharpen
each other. I believe as Paterno recruits
that they are team players, and as such
would help each other improve. I do not
believe in putting Newsome in on certain
downs, it would be a "tell" for the defense.
If one gets hot, go with the hotter hand.
I plead with the Penn State coaches to
give this a shot. Urban Meyer won a
National Championship with Tim Tebow
backing up Chris Leek Back in the "Dark
Ages" (2000-2005), Coach Paterno sent
some of his coaches to Texas University to
learn how to use the talents of a QB like
Michael Robinson, and that turned around
the program. Coach Paterno learned from
others then, I hope he learns from others
now, there is no time to lose.
Stadium sale could fill seats
I'm not one of those old alumni who
thinks it's a disgrace that the student sec
tion was still half empty by the end of the
first quarter in the game against Illinois. I
just thought it was unfortunate that there
were hundreds, maybe thousands of empty
seats before halftime in the game against
Illinois.
They could have gone to students who
wanted to attend the game but could not
because they didn't have tickets. Those that
did have tickets didn't want to attend or
could not sell them because of the way
reselling tickets is handled now. Here's one
way to fill up those empty seats once the
game begins. Why not open the empty stu
dent section seats to any student who
wants them on a first-come, first-serve
basis? That way any student who wants to
go to the game gets to go. Charge the stu
dents using their Lion Cash or meal points
by swiping their ID cards to verify they are
students and so the university still receives
payment for the seat. In fact, why not do
that for all seats throughout the stadium.
Greg Halpin
Class of 1992
SNAP, CRACKLE, POP
Songs to soothe the soul
I've had a busy few weeks and I've
hardly had time to catch my breath.
Now all I want to do this weekend is
slow down and relax. Sadly I won't be
able to do this because of all the school
work I've neglected this week, but at
least I've compiled a playlist for myself
of soothing songs:
1. "Vienna" by Billy Joel: The song
that inspired this playlist came on my
iPod the other day. It was exactly what I
needed to hear. "Slow down you crazy
child, take the phone off the hook and
disappear for a while," Billy told me.
Message received.
2. "Penny's Song" from "Dr.
Horrible's Sing-Along Blog": I've been
covering No Refund Theater's perform
ance of the show, so the songs have
been stuck in my head all week This
one fits in the category of soothing so I
had to include it on this playlist.
3. "She's From Boston" by Kenny
Chesney: My love of the Red Sox and
the four years I lived in Massachusetts
probably influenced my affinity for this
song. Also, like all of Kenny's songs, it
reminds me of summer.
4. "Capri" by Colbie Caillat: Pretty
much all of Colbie's music is relaxing,
but this lullaby she wrote for her aunt's
unborn baby is probably the epitome of
that.
5. "One Love" by Bob Marley: I
couldn't possibly make a mellow mix
without a little Marley on it...
Read more of The Daily Collegian's blogs at
psucolleglan.com/blogs.
Shelly Paul
Brooklyn, NY
Liz Petting!!
Graduate class of 1976
John Bloom
Class of 1985
Hannah Rishel
Performing arts reporter