Who are they?
In the next months we will learn more about the souls of Jerry Sandusky, Tim Curley, and Gary Schultz, especially Sandusky. The pre-trial and trial phases of an American criminal prosecution are pretty good at illuminating part of the souls of the accused. These trials will illuminate something, but less, of the soul of Penn State, for all three were Penn State people. They are only three and there are hundreds of thousands who "Are Penn State." The soul of Penn State is in them collectively.
The soul of Penn State is also in "Happy Valley," the place and the notion. Secluded, and made more so by Joe Paterno, Happy Valley the place was more guarded than the homes of many other universities. But this is America, not China; America, especially an American public institution, is so open, so transparent; Americans will see as much as they wish to see that is relevant to Penn State's soul.
Happy Valley the notion sounds Orwellian now. In hindsight maybe we think now it always sounded weird, like the stadium crowd call-and-response, "Thank you; You're Welcome," but there was truth in "Happy Valley," I believe that. I believe a name that sticks that long has to have a lot of truth in it. It is not the whole truth though; how much of "Happy Valley" is true, how much is "real," "authentic" is another way of asking what the soul of Penn State is.
More than anywhere else the soul of Penn State is in Joe Paterno. He was "JoePa," the father figure. There is no question that there was much truth in that nickname's benevolence, in the benevolence of the man. So, what is Joe Paterno's soul? Why did he tell Jerry Sandusky that he would not succeed him as head coach? Paterno sat Sandusky down in 1998 and flat told Sandusky that he would not be Paterno's successor. What were Paterno's reasons? Did Sandusky's "problem" play any role in Paterno's decision? Why in 1998? Why not in 1988 or 1978? Did Paterno suspect nothing of Sandusky's pedophilia before 2002? Others did. A barber--a barber--said the rumors about Sandusky and young boys had been going on for years. Psychologists say the sex drive is second only to hunger in its power in human beings. It is not reasonable to believe that Joe Paterno heard nothing and suspected nothing about Jerry Sandusky's sexual desires in 32 years of working together. Maybe we will learn the answers to some of these questions but these prosecutions will not reveal as much about the soul of the one man most important to seeking the soul of Penn State.
What is Penn State?
