But then there’s nothing quite as awkward as realizing that the very same people who guide you, serve you, and translate your way through that country for you might, just might, harbor some resentments. As I’ve come to realize throughout my travels, tourism itself is an awkward business. I would never in a million years take back the various trips I’ve taken, nor the opportunities to learn and explore. But what I would take back are some of the actions of my predecessors and fellow tourists, because boy, can some people make you feel ashamed.

Tourism is a two sided industry if ever there was one, exploitative at worst, and life-changing at best. It provides local populations with money for food and infrastructure and tourists with a brand new perspective on the world. However, the uglier side is one of oppression for locals in systems established long ago, with the ignorant, and sadly barbaric, masses of the world traipsing around from one place to the other. The tourist is a curious breed of creature, ranging anywhere from the garish fanny-packed family brandishing socks-n’-sandals, to the experienced traveler boasting all REI light weight wick wear outfits and tents.

So provided below are a list of things that, if ever I were in a position to create an official looking pamphlet on travel, this is what I’d fill it with:

1) There are some situations where you try speaking another language, and some where you don’t. The heavy American accent while you’re attempting a romance or Asiatic language? Doesn’t sound too good. But the attempted effort can go a long way for people who don’t know a lot of English, and even for those who do.

2) There are some situations where you follow local custom, and some where you don’t. Adaptability in these circumstances is key to ensuring friendly interactions with locals. Catholic churches are a perfect example; while I myself find it frustrating, women must cover their shoulders and knees whilst inside. I fought it at first when I was younger, but as I grew older I came to realize that it wasn’t someone attempting to oppress me and make life difficult, it was a symbol of respect and a tradition that I should follow. Tourists are guests in another area, and therefore not entitled to act however they wish.

3) There are some places where you need hardcore camping and traveling gear, and some places where flip flops and short shorts are okay. The difference is very, very, very important. Flip flops climbing up Vesuvius are BAD. Head to toe wick wear around town is also, you guessed it, BAD. It sounds like a simple concept, but it’s mind boggling the amount of people who can’t tell the difference.

4) There are some places where you flaunt your money (no matter how long it took you to save up for any trip, the fact that you can go on one means that you have more money than many of the people you’ll encounter in the world) and there are some places where you absolutely don’t. A luxury spa in Hawaii is a perfect place to live the charmed life for a while, but a small South American country? Pulling out wads of cash isn’t just embarrassing for you, it’s dangerous. The number of people I’ve seen fumbling with packs of folded bills makes me cringe. I feel ashamed knowing that I’m spending more money than some people earn in a couple months on trinkets that I’ll forget about. I feel guilty that I have a nice car, a nice home, endless chances for education and occupations and vacations, while those serving me in tourist locations are hoping desperately for some of your tips. And I feel scared for the naive men and women who wander off, because desperate people will do desperate things to obtain what they need.

But I think it’s GOOD to feel a little guilty and ashamed while you travel, it keeps you humble and respectful. I suppose what I mean by all of this is: try to have some judgment when you travel, lest you fall into the much despised category of the obnoxious, ignorant tourist.

These people are not usually stellar examples of humanity (not that anyone really is), and were I to ever create the aforementioned guide book, I’d take care to include a section of your various breed of tourist. Listed below is a preview of the bad and the ugly, and mind you me, this is only what I’ve truly observed, not at all meant to be an insult.

-German tourist: March march march trample over something or other march march halt! The German tourist likes to travel in herds, with one general leader shouting out orders to the other. Shouting in German, unless you have the acquired taste, really isn’t all that pleasant a sound. Neither, necessarily, is English, but most agree that one doesn’t sound quite as pleasant as the other. The German herd is also often not that well prepared, sporting crocs and socks and loose unisex tank tops. The ambiguity and flimsiness of the outfits isn’t the problem though; it’s the attitude towards other countries.

-French Tourist: They’ll just look down their noses at you. And speak snooty French. And insult the local wine. End of story.

-Russian Tourist: Russian tourists are guilty of the contempt for other nations as well. The attitude seems to be that rules don’t apply, and that any restrictions are just plain silly. The outfitting is prepared in general, but the know how of moving around and local rules is a little…well…ya know. And they can be just as harsh to tour guides as Siberia was and is to nearly any living thing.

-British Tourist: If you’ve ever heard someone with a British accent attempt to speak another language, then my goodness you’re smiling with me. If you’ve ever seen their approach to sunscreen, then you’re also smiling and then sort of cringing with me as well. It seems that the  consensus is to ignore the sunscreen entirely and bask in the sun, turn a shade pinker than a lobster, peel off an entire layer of skin, and go and repeat the process. Works, but ow! These tourists can be a lot like American tourists with general unknowingness of the rest of the world, but have a tad more in the way of knowledge than the good ol’ citizens of the U.S.A.

-Japanese Tourist: This is what I like to call the techie tourist. Whether you’re a Canon or a Nikon fan, both of them are probably owned by the Japanese family trekking around. Adorable floppy hats are also dispersed liberally, along with the high tech gear usually reserved for mountain expeditions.

-American Tourist: “There are other countries?” “Let’s see if they’ll sell us stuff!” American tourists drive me crazy because there seems to be this attitude of entitlement, that humility is a silly thing, and that it’s alright to perpetually whine about whatever conditions are presented. Come on people, get your stuff together, it’s not that hard to be a decent guest in someone else’s country. Plan a bit, be a little hushed.

-Spanish/Italian Tourist: Why don’t these two get equal amounts of type poking fun at them? Because what’s entertaining is the same for both: the beautifully speedy cadence of their speech. And the arguing. Oh goodness, the arguing. Hands everywhere, voices raised, even someone who’s fluent would have trouble keeping up with either of the two when they’re angry or excited. These are the people running around who you hate to listen to at constant high volume who you can’t hope to understand, you just have to hope they don’t start talking to you.

Theaters have now brought classics like The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast back into theaters with a little twist: 3D effects. That means whoever goes to see them spends approximately $13 to see a movie they already own, have already seen more than three times, or could easily borrow from any friend or neighbor living in a half-mile radius. The only difference is the added dimension.

I admit, I went to see The Lion King in 3D and the only 3D part about it was some 2D drawing sticking slightly further outward than another 2D drawing. When I left the theater, I questioned why I had paid to see this movie I think I own and could get close to the same effects at home as I experienced at the theater. I also would have paid less for the popcorn and candy I got at the snack stand.

If you are finished with all your homework and there is not one friend who wishes to be in your presence for an hour and a half and you have money to spare, this the perfect pastime for you. However, just in case you do have a life, I have provided a list of 13 more entertaining activities that cost less than $13:

1. Reading a Disney book for the same plot-line (just in case you missed out) : $9ish
2. Laser Quest in Mountain View: $9
3. A non-3D movie: $11
4. A burrito: $5-8ish
5. Bowling: $9
6. Netflix: $8/month
7. Ice skating at the Winter Lodge: $12
8. Going on a date: free (for the women)
9. Being active and going on a run/walk: free
10. Going to the beach: sometimes free. Gas money varies on location but you don’t have to be the driver.
11. Swimming/ Hot tub:  free (own it or have connections)
12. Dance party: free
13. Sitting around loving your life and philosophizing: priceless.

1. Go ice-skating with your friends! You should preferably go to places that produce artificial snow so you don’t entirely miss out on how much Tahoe has been failing this season.

2. Go to Union Square and take a picture in front of the big Christmas tree. Then post it on Facebook so it looks like you have a life!

3. Although you should have already completed this once the clock hit 12 on New Year Eve, you still have time to kiss someone before break ends!

4. Have a bonfire with your friends while roasting marshmallows and complaining about the stress of first semester.

5. Seniors: If you haven’t finished your college apps already, go write those essays!

6. Devote an entire day to watching TV, movies and eating popcorn. Don’t even change or shower when you wake up in the morning. P.S. You must watch Elf before you return to school.

7. Bake a bunch of Christmas cookies and eat them all. You’re supposed to gain weight during the holidays anyway.

8. Make some New Year’s resolutions and start doing them. If you don’t do them now, you’ll never do them.

9. Do some stargazing with your friends. I’ve already seen the Orion constellation twice!

10. Even though Mel’s Bowl is closed, Belmateo is still open! Go on a night where it’s disco and party it up with your friends.

11. Make some hot chocolate! But make it milk based, not water.

12. Unlike #7, exercise a little bit. It’s really not that cold outside.

13. Have a night full of board games with your friends. Why not?

14. Although Tahoe is struggling this year, get up there anyway. Some places are producing artificial snow.

15. Party! However you do it, it’s a must before you go to back to school.

If you haven’t done some on the list already, your break is failing. You guys still have time to turn it around though. Print this list and see how many you can cross off before break ends!

Had Floriani taken a peek outside her socioeconomic bubble and ventured east of Middlefield Road, she would have paid witness to the ravages of poverty in much of East Palo Alto and Richmond, as well as in parts of Redwood City, East Menlo Park, Oakland, and the San Francisco projects – all nearby communities where widespread need triggers patterns of violent crime.

She would have observed that there are low-income families in the Bay Area after all, families on whom the Great Recession took its toll. She would have seen how, according to the United Way of the Bay Area, an 18% rise in cost of basic needs over the past three years has outstripped an only 2% rise in wages; and how a simultaneous 72% increase in regional unemployment has taken jobs from the people who need them most.

And she would have found that one in five Bay Area residents live below the poverty line and are too preoccupied with the day-to-day challenge of feeding themselves and their children to plan their globe-trotting excursion to French Polynesia.

Geared toward those with a fondness for all things wealthy, the Peninsula edition of Gentry stocks the shelves of Draeger’s Market and celebrates the lifestyles of the super rich with pages of plastic surgery advertisements and photographs of high-society functions. Yet no magazine, not even one with such an affluent-minded readership, can claim any integrity while ignoring the reality at our doorstep: the ugly truth that the Bay Area is home to both the prosperous, and the penniless.

It is a painfully stark contrast, plain to any Silicon-Valley resident who bothers to cross the town border from Atherton into Redwood City – when the vine-covered fences and guarded mansions give way to underfunded schools and dilapidated liquor stores.

As co-founder and executive editor of Gentry, Floriani sets a lamentable reporting example for her staff when she indulges in this kind of narrow-minded worldview. But her statement was more than a journalistic offense, and it was more than an ill-advised breach of political-correctness. It reveals a profound misconception of the area we live in, turning a blind eye to a conspicuous problem that demands local attention. While Gentry cultivates an illusion of a picture-perfect Bay Area unmarred by hardship, poverty continues to affect families outside the inner city, outside Appalachia – indeed in our own backyard.

But what separates the wonderful from the okay, and the mediocre from the awful?

Knowledge is certainly a big part of it. It’s easier to trust a knowledgeable instructor. The student can be more confident that they are learning something worthwhile and valid. One of the most common disparaging comments students make about a teacher is, “They don’t know what they’re talking about.”

But knowledge is not the sole redeeming trait of a teacher. Even the most highly trained, most prestigiously credentialed professor can be loathed by his students.

That’s because the primary indicator of a teacher’s merit is how they treat their students.

The entire point of being a teacher is providing the up and coming generation with the skills they need to survive in the real world. True, maybe you don’t need to know advanced calculus to survive the 2012 apocalypse, but the confidence instilled in you by an inspiring calculus teacher can be indispensible in later life.

The best teachers are those who actively want, and make it clear that they want their students to succeed and learn as much as they possibly can. These are the teachers that don’t so much care how their students learn just as long as they are learning.

One honorable teacher, who will not be named here for the sake of modesty and ambiguity, thanks his students for asking questions during lectures. With every “Thank you” comes the sentiment that says, “I’m happy that you, the student, are taking such an active role in your studies. I now know that what I am doing is effective, which only motivates me to do even better.”

I understand that I represent a minority in high school. Learning is one of my favorite hobbies and I actually enjoy coming to school. I see school not as a chore but as an opportunity. My mentality is mostly due to the fact that I have been lucky enough to have several truly stellar teachers since elementary school. In enjoying school so much, I also take it extremely seriously. In a way I’ve been spoiled by being granted teachers who make the effort and take the time to let me know that they want me to do well in their class and beyond.

Therefore, I am genuinely insulted when a teacher talks down to me or seems to believe that I’m not in their class to learn. When they write me off as another faceless, blindly vacant student with absolutely nothing worth paying attention to, I feel not only unfairly judged but also offended.

Teachers should not hold their students to pointlessly implemented standards and rigmarole such as note format, headings, and margin size. At that point, they hardly bother with the content a student comes up with but solely the method in which is presented. The student’s work, whether admirable or not, should be received and considered as a worthy effort and given the attention it deserves.

Teachers should not think that they can arbitrarily wield control over their classroom. When they have a set of groundless, unnecessary, yet still punishable rules, they cross the line separating academic authority from tyranny.

Teachers have no reason to think that their class, and only their class, is the most important part of their students’ academic career and they should pay every ounce of attention they have to it. For example, a teacher should always tell his or her students exactly when a graded assignment is due, not leave it up to chance to “keep them on their toes.” Students have the right to prioritize their assignments. If they know when work is due, they can organize their work schedules accordingly. It is not fair to hold students responsible for adhering to a concept of, “Well, it might be due tomorrow, so I’ll just disregard all the other work I have to do.”

As a student, I feel that I am an entirely sentient being and that I am mature enough to have expectations for my education. While that kind of entitlement probably comes with being a senior (I totally know absolutely everything and then some), I still think that I have every right to be treated as an independent individual. The respect I give my teachers as my academic superiors should be returned in the form of respect for an avid student.

One teacher I have this year says that she accepts “greatness in every form.” This principle should be applied to all teachers in every field of study. It bestows the greatest amount of respect and freedom on the student. It also acknowledges that human, not just student behavior cannot be confined to an array of standards. Human interaction is not based on a district-distributed set of standards nor is a person’s worth measured by how well they adhere to arbitrarily established rules. And we must remember that a student is human. Cocky, arrogant, self-centered, and lazy, yes, but human.

When did the dentist become an object of so much pent-up dread and hatred? Probably when getting your teeth cleaned ceased meaning visiting that cheerful dentist who took one look at your cute little cavity-ridden baby teeth and sent you off with a new toothbrush and some (generally slimy) prize you could throw at the walls in your room until your mom secretly confiscated it. Oh, how longingly I remember the good old days as I endure a torturous half hour of an oral hygienist hacking at my bleeding gums while Scooby Doo plays ominously in the background.

And, of course, the impostors who brush once a month get primo prizes, while I—the dutiful flosser and three-times-a-day brusher—am limited to a prize box devoid of anything slimy.

The oral hygienist’s furious cleaning is nothing compared to the countless x-rays, which consist of one of the aforementioned angry hygienists brutally stuffing a piece of machinery halfway down your throat. Despite the great discomfort of being about to throw up from the smell of latex gloves and the aftertaste of the foamy stuff they brush your teeth with and the fact that a piece of machinery is triggering your gag reflex, the hygienist barks that you need to stop squirming.

And why do you put yourself through these minutes of radiation-emitting hell? For the moment of revelation when the dentist explains to your mother that it’s time to get those wisdom teeth out!

So next Thursday morning when you’re expected at the dentist, take a moment to think, what would you rather be doing?

Those Who Wear Helmets: ‘The Smart Ones’

These are the rational ones. They shun needless risks and accept the fact that no one looks good in a bicycle helmet, no matter how hard you try (notice they never print pictures in magazines. Yes, you do look that dorky, sorry). These people are also the more serious bikers. They know the consequences, they’ve been stained and bloody and found it wasn’t that fun, or they have an iota of common sense. They also do riskier things (or at least are entitled to). Problem is, that’s not really how the cookie ends up crumbling.

The (Helmetless) Rebels

People in this group are kidding themselves if they think they’ve never crashed before and that they never will. Enough with the self-denial! One problem with the road is that there are people on it considerably less careful than you. Maybe you won’t make a mistake, but the 18-wheeler behind you might and by the time they scrape you off the road and carry you to traffic court in a plastic bag it won’t really matter.

Paradoxically, these rebels are the people that flaunt laws the most. They bike up the wrong sides of busy roads, ride at night without lights, wear all black and regard traffic lights as suggestions rather than binding rules. Admit it: you know someone like this and it pisses the hell out of you how they always manage to get away with it. Trust me, their time will come. If you happen to do this on a motorcycle (‘donorcycle’) then multiply those insults by a factor of ten. If helmets are good enough for Charlie’s Angles, they’re good enough for you.

The Danglers: “God, give me strength…”

This is the pits. By leaving your helmet dangling serendipitously from your handlebars you declare to the world, “I own a helmet and probably have a fairly good idea that this is stupid, but can’t be bothered to lift this life-saving device the necessary two feet to attach it to my cranium and prevent my brains from ever being strewn along the tarmac like a dead squirrel corpse (the sad part is, no one will know the difference after the first week).”

It says, “My parents forced me to bring this helmet with me, but I’m too damn stubborn to listen despite the glaringly obvious fact that a) it’s the law and b) it can save my sorry ass.”

The worst part—they don’t even have the chutzpah to just leave the helmet at home. If you went to all the trouble of biking to school day in and day out it with it swinging from your handlebar and tangling your spokes, why not just lug it on your head? The Dangler’s motives are a complete mystery. Perhaps they actually believe having a helmet anywhere but your head has some remote effect on safety, or maybe it’s the opposite; they have to flaunt their cavalier nonchalance for all to see: “I need to constantly remind you that I’m a badass who doesn’t wear a helmet. Look! I’m making a conscious decision to screw myself over!”

When asked, people will usually try and squeeze out a rather sheepish, “I forgot it was there” or “I like the feel of the wind through my hair” or “I’ll never crash, so what does it matter?” I’ve no doubt that every single biker you know has crashed, and will crash again in the future. Heck, Lance Armstrong crashes all the time and I’m fairly certain he’s spent more time on a bike than you have. So give us a break and put the darn helmet on. No, you won’t appear startlingly attractive to a member of the opposite gender, or feel the rush of the wind through your hair but you might, just might, live to see your next birthday. I think that’s enough, don’t you?

Halloween is the only time of the year where it is acceptable for kids to receive candy from strangers. It’s no wonder people enjoy it. Yet the day after Halloween, the only thing that is on everyone’s mind is Christmas.

I admit that Thanksgiving isn’t as exciting as Christmas; maybe it lacks the long break and the presents, but it should not be forgotten. Maybe Thanksgiving doesn’t have catchy songs for radios to play, but then it is the duty of the American people to come up with songs that will save Thanksgiving from being left out of the holiday spirit. It is also up to the radio stations to stop playing christmas songs right after Halloween. Please, I’m tired of hearing them. The day after Thanksgiving? Sure, play them to your heart’s content. That goes for you too, TV. No more commercial or TV specials for Christmas until AFTER Thanksgiving.

Another reason for the lack of popularity could be that Thanksgiving is only celebrated in the United States (well, and Canada, but what do they know). Christmas, in contrast, is an international holiday. But Thanksgiving should get more credit. It is a time to get together with family and give thanks for the important things that you have in your life. Christmas is more about greed than anything else. Thanksgiving is about quality time with the family. Not to mention the food is superb.

So remember people, it goes Halloween, Thanksgiving, THEN Christmas. There’s no void between jack-o-lanterns and decorative evergreens. Thanksgiving is a holiday, too.

And if you have any suggestions on how to make Thanksgiving a more memorable holiday, please leave them in the comments below, as well as any song possibilities.

ANTI BRO TANKS- Jenna Fox

Imagine your ideal man strolling through the halls of M-A. Jeans slightly sagged, and swagger intact, he runs his fingers through his beach blonde hair and throws you a wink. You start to swoon and your knees are about to buckle, until your eyes drift to his sleeveless arms. You then proceed to projectile vomit on his face.

According to Urban Dictionary, bro tanks are “a sleeveless patterned shirt worn by guys to showcase their muscles or their coolness. Contrary to popular belief, bro tanks do not enhance muscles or make you look tan.”

The general consensus of junior girls is that bro tanks are overrated, unappealing, and unflattering for a number of reasons.

1.They are tacky.

2.They are against school dress code.

3.If you aspire to be a “bro,” you need to get your priorities straight.

4.If you’re not at the beach, you shouldn’t be wearing one.

5.No matter what you think, you do not look cool.

6.Your muscles are only as big as they are, no shirt can enlarge them.

7.Limiting your vocabulary to a series of grunts and one-liners makes you seem unintelligent.

8.Your IQ decreases with each minute you are wearing a bro tank.

9.Girls do not find them attractive.

10.No one wants to see your armpit hair.

Junior Karly Newman would much rather see guys in “polo shirts and not tank tops.”

Another junior, Brittney Badduke thinks, “they are literally the grossest things that ever happened, ever. They make guys look like girls.”

All in all, who ever thought to instigate the bro tanks fad should be institutionalized.

PRO BRO TANKS – Kurt Songer

In the scorching heat of spring, summer and most of autumn, men around the world are faced with an enigma. With long-sleeve shirts out of the question, we are forced to resort to t-shirts. But even with shorter sleeves, the men are cursed with armpit stains and limited arm movement. Sadly, it is not acceptable for men to rip their shirts off in public due to the various safety concerns of attracting too many women. This curse has followed men throughout history. But finally, on one unforgettable day that would change the future of mankind forever, our prayers were answered by a new invention. Although its creator is not known to man, the “Bro Tank” is considered by some to be one of the most groundbreaking inventions of the twenty-first century.

This sleeveless sensation, this testosterone charged tank-top, provides the common man with comfort, an opportunity to flaunt his guns for his female peers, and a full range of arm motion for any activity he so chooses. As Menlo-Atherton sophomore Carson Kelley explains, “Sun’s out, guns out,” for sunny weather is recognized as the perfect time to throw on a Bro Tank. With these benefits in mind, it is hard to think of any possible downsides of the revolutionary Bro Tank.

Unfortunately, the Bro Tank sensation is not recognized as true genius by the majority of civilization. It is believed by some that Bro Tanks are womanly, and that they resemble their female cousin, the tank top. However, the Bro Tank, otherwise known as the “wife beater,” is as far from femininity as the perpetrators of domestic violence it was named after.

The misconceptions about  Bro Tanks make wearing them much more daunting for men in need of relaxation and comfort. The womanly connotation they carry deprives the man of the unique and beautiful experience that comes with donning Bro Tanks. By no means is the tank not a fashion statement that is acceptable for select men; it is a way of life that any man who wishes to pursue may do so without retribution or regrets. As explained by Sophomore Zack Heatley, “Bro Tanks are cool, and nice on a warm day. No matter who you are, if you want to wear a Bro Tank, then do it.”

]]> http://www.mabearnews.com/uncategorized/2011/11/22/bro-tanks/feed/ 2 http://www.mabearnews.com/opinion/2011/11/19/in-my-opinion-penn-state-scandal/ http://www.mabearnews.com/opinion/2011/11/19/in-my-opinion-penn-state-scandal/#comments Sun, 20 Nov 2011 01:15:22 +0000 bhume http://www.mabearnews.com/?p=14519 As media coverage bombards news sources of the recent Penn State scandal, majority of the reporting focuses on Joe Paterno for his failure to speak up about Jerry Sandusky’s sexual abuse of underage boys resulted in his dismissal as head coach. Even though the question of whether or not Paterno should be fired for this is fervently debated, it seems to be immaterial compared to the overall issue. I believe that the reports and public attention should be aimed towards the actions of Sandusky and the victims of his abuse, not towards the inaction of Paterno that got him fired.

After news broke out, many Penn State students rioted in response to Paterno’s termination. The rioters held up signs reading, “We love you, JoePa,” as he distinguished their reputation as a legendary football team. They claimed that possessing the most wins for a Division I football coach was reason alone for continuing on as head coach, as they angrily toppled over news vans.

However, there is always a time for the recognition of success. Right now is not one of them. In my opinion, there are some actions that no amount of success can absolve. Penn State should be the ones to convey this message above all else. As Penn State rioted for the wrong reasons, they seem to uphold the reputation of ignorance that “JoePa” exhibited.

The fact of the matter is that Paterno knew about the supposed abuse, and tolerated it. Although morality is subjective, evading a subject as controversial as this is seems to have the wrong intent behind it. Whether or not Paterno should be fired should take second place above all in this case, though.

And although I am in favor of his release, the pressing issue still stands. Jerry Sandusky used his own charity in order to manipulate pre-pubescent boys on school grounds. The amount of articles centered on Sandusky compared to those around Paterno seems utterly pathetic.

As most victims in this case were neglected entirely of their claims before this grabbed national attention recently, it seems that now is the time to focus attention towards them. However, the fact that they were once again overlooked on this serious issue only displays distaste and immorality on the side of the media and public.

In addition, it is widely known that most sexual abuse victims do not report their crime. Being blatantly ignored in the national spotlight only sends a message to other victims that speaking up carries no effects. It reinforces the reason behind remaining silent, something that our country should work towards unraveling.

I can only imagine how the hype surrounding “JoePa” furthered the victims’ pain resulting from this issue, after they were subjected to a life of suffering from Sandusky.

Even though Penn State wore blue, instead of their infamous white, to the Nebraska game last week to show their stance against the abuse of Sandusky, it seemed to be a bit delayed. Although students now paying attention to the real importance of this issue is better than their “JoePa” outrage before, the fact that they did it after rioting in “JoePa’s” favor and after the hype surrounding this case significantly declined seems almost as bad as their inaction before.

Consequently, their delay has brought a nation mostly uninformed of their stance against sexual abuse, thus given the wrong message for what is important here. Instead, they could have used their position in the national spotlight in order to set the stage against an issue with such importance.

Sexual abuse should never be tolerated. As Penn State football tried to bypass it for many years, the coaches deservingly gained a reputation for cowardice and cronyism. Although the way this scandal was dealt with outlined one of ignorance, I can only hope that it will influence a way to approach the next issue like this.