Though many of the children whom Jerry Sandusky abused over a 15 year period are receiving at least some of the vindication they deserve thanks to the recent decisions in the infamous case, recovery and healing may not be in store for Penn State’s once-proud athletic department. As a result of Sandusky’s actions, the college has suffered a knockdown blow that many believe it may never recover from. This isn’t stopping Penn State, however, from taking a step in the right direction and trying its best to rebuild all that has been lost.
The college’s alumni recently elected three new members to the University’s Board of Trustees. These include Adam Taliaferro, Anthony Lubrano, and Ryan McCombie. Taliaferro played for the recently deceased Coach Jo Paterno, and he, along with the other new members, are all known for having expressed criticism of the board and its actions. Lubrano, in particular, was very outspoken, crying out against the outing and eventual firing of Coach Paterno. He did not agree with the manner in which this was handled, but is looking forward to a brighter future, according to his own statements. The board’s chairwoman, Karen Peetz, does not feel that any problems will arise as a result of the new trustees. All seem to want to put the past behind them, despite their strong feelings.
Taliaferro took the most votes in the election. The attorney from Cherry Hill, New Jersey had an impressive 15,629 votes, but was followed closely by Lubrano. Lubrano is a financial services professional who hails from Exton and took in a nice 10,096 votes. At the tail end comes McCombie, who graduated from Penn State in 1970, and who had 4,806 votes.
As mentioned earlier, Taliaferro’s ties run deep, which is perhaps the reason for his landslide election. He graduated from Penn State in 2005 and was a defensive back under Paterno. He, however, suffered an unfortunate spinal cord injury in a game against Ohio State and was forced to leave the game. Now, after an amazing recovery, he has a new life and is excited to be involved in the sporting world again, though not as a player this time. Each of these new members is remarkable in his own way, and it is the hopes of Penn State that these three new and impressive people will help to heal the athletic department’s reputation.
