The following message was sent on Monday, Nov. 14, by Mark Sherburne, acting director of athletics, to members of Penn State's Varsity S Club. The club is made up of alumni who earned varsity letters for their participation in intercollegiate athletics while at Penn State.
Words cannot express the pain, sorrow and other emotions that have surfaced within the University community over the past week. But we must try to articulate these feelings for so many vital reasons.
First and foremost, we must because of the profoundly disturbing charges by the victims and their family members who now bear the scars. Penn Staters everywhere grieve and ache for them.
And we must because our theme of Success with Honor has been tarnished. We must never waver in our commitment to do the right thing. Why? Not because the words appear on a page, but because generations of alumni and fans demand it and deserve it; thousands of faculty and staff teach it and support it; and because all of the young women and men who wear a Penn State uniform work hard to build it. Success with Honor is not a slogan; it is a responsibility.
The past week's events tragically symbolize that a valued trust has been broken. Each of us feels that deeply. And that is exactly what can galvanize all of us – coaches, administrators, staff and student-athletes – to accept this as our challenge and move forward to build a better and more sound program.
Mark C. Sherburne
Acting Director of Athletics
Penn State University