Resize 
Editor's note: Two Penn State University students dressed up as April 16 shooting victims for Halloween, and since then have received a tremendous amount of backlash. Below is a letter to the editor from the Penn State student association.
Dear Students of Virginia Tech,
On behalf of the student body of Penn State, we extend our continued support of Virginia Tech and the Blacksburg community.
Please do not allow the actions of two individuals to overshadow the outpouring of compassion that has come from Penn Staters over the last several months. These individuals do not represent the Nittany Lion nation and we fully condemn their actions, which in no way reflect the unwavering support from our student body for the victims, families and friends at Virginia Tech.
Our sincerest sympathies are with all Hokies and as president of the Penn State undergraduate student body, please accept my most sincere apologies and please know that Penn State still holds the utmost respect for those connected to Virginia Tech.
Hillary Lewis, President of the University Park Undergraduate Association
Leave a comment 68 Comments Write a letter to the editor
All letters to the editor must include a name, e-mail, daytime phone number and affiliation to Virginia Tech. Affiliation includes: year and major for students; position and department for faculty and staff; current city for alumni and parents.
By submitting your comment, you agree that it will not:
Comments that violate these guidelines will be moderated by the public editor and will then be buried in the comments section.
For some reason, I never used to like Penn State. They've become my favorite school outside of Blacksburg.
Reply to this Top
I'm sorry but by letting them continue with recourse is not supporting us. I used to believe it, but any action is stronger than a letter.
Reply to this Top
As a Penn State alumni I echo these sentiments, and I am truly embarrassed by the actions of these 2 students. I'm sure that, especially after the events of last April, the VT community understands that the actions of 1 or 2 deranged individuals does not represent the student body as a whole. I'M sorry if you feel the apology was not enough - the letter was written by a PSU student, not the administration. With all due respect, there's not anything she personally can do to sanction these students. I agree the University needs to do something, because such actions are despicable and unacceptable.
Reply to this Top
To those who have replied looking for justice, what recourse do you propose? What law or policy was broken? Are we to begin regulating against poor tact? To make matters worse, the costumed students received death threats. What sort of message does that send? To those at PSU, please rest assured that none but the most narrowminded would hold a grudge against the entire Penn State community for the actions of a few students. To do so would be as ridiculous as portraying all VT students as mass murderers.
Reply to this Top
Though I appreciate the sentiment, this letter is stating the obvious. I would give every PSU student the benefit of the doubt that they didn't condone this activity, unless they actually stated otherwise. Although I know we often view our schoolmates as a sort of an extended family, there is no presupposition that we are like-minded. There's not a need to publicly decry every absurd action someone makes just because they attend the same school, though from a PR standpoint, I can understand why statements were issued. Student bodies as a whole get reputations based on common threads, but until hundreds or thousands of PSU students start behaving in this way, this is an anomaly and nothing more. It's the same reason that I contend we shouldn't take to basing judgments of other schools' fanbases on one bad experience at one football game, for example.
Reply to this Top
Well put, Jason T. On both posts.
Reply to this Top
I totally agree with Jason T!
Reply to this Top
Agreed. These people do not represent Penn State as a whole. This girl went out of her way to apologize for two losers who she can't even control. Only thing I am wondering about is that everyone keeps saying these 2 people, but I've seen 3 people in the related pictures. As in 3 different people. Not like it makes much of a difference, but just wondering. And trying to get revenge will do nothing. Who cares, these idiots will face karma in the future. I mean, think about when they're applying for jobs and graduate school??
Reply to this Top
T, I've seen four people pictured. From what I understand, two are Penn State students, one is a bartender from Ohio State, and the third is from somewhere in California. Sorry I don't know specifics.
Reply to this Top
I think they discovered that the 3rd picture (the long-ways shot of the guy) was not at Penn State.
Reply to this Top
An apology is not the issue, here. What's alarming is the 'numbness' that so many youths of college and pre-college age seem to have regarding violence and gun violence in particular. One has no choice but to be increasingly alarmed and quite frankly frightened by the direction many seem to be headed, particularly in light of the April 16 shoothings. In the past two weeks ALONE we've had shootings at the Omaha Nebraska Mall, 2 Churches in Colorado, several 'Tech Style' plots foiled at public schools in New York State, New Jersey and Pennsylvania; not to mention the multiple booze-gun related incidents in downtown Blacksburg. Regardless of what the aggressive, all-powerful, big money gun lobby would have you believe, Americans do NOT have a god given right to bear arms and until people step up and get 'life or death serious' about access to guns in the country it is only going to get worse. And worse. The priorities of what our society 'values' are so skewed in the wrong direction - our preciouse guns - that unless people take to the streets and DEMAND change we will be attending the funerals of our loved ones on a daily basis.
Reply to this Top
After April 16, the nation was so impressed by the dignity and class of the students at Tech. Don't let the actions of these ignorant people undo any of that. Everyone knows the actions of these students was horrific, there is no need to point that out. Rise above it all and continue to show the nation your Hokie Spirit.
Reply to this Top
T Allen, I agree with your main point that there is a general apathy toward violent crime in our society. However, to use that as a springboard toward anti-gun rhetoric is a bit much. Americans don't have a GOD-given right to own guns, they have a CONSTITUTIONALLY-given right. The problem is not with law-abiding citizens arming themselves for defensive and recreational purposes; it is with those who use guns to commit violent acts. Many crimes are committed with illegally obtained weapons. Legislation doesn't apply to those who don't follow it until they get caught. Those who choose to legally obtain weapons are also choosing to take responsibility for their actions with these weapons. Personally, I choose to exercise my right to carry a weapon because I know that there are violent people that I may (however unlikely) encounter in life. I will never use my gun as an aggressor, nor will 99% of other legal gun owners. Until we can rid our society of malicious intent, getting rid of guns will accomplish nothing. So let's focus on how to extract the malice rather than the guns.
Reply to this Top
What more than an apology can we ask for? The actions of these two individuals are not the responsibility of the entire PSU student body. As you all know, neither the law nor PSU can punish them. There's nothing more to be done on this front. As for our societal ills, that's another story...
Reply to this Top
Actually, Jason T.....The "problem", as you put it, i actually not with law-abiding citizens arming themselves for defensive and recreactional purposes! you are correct, congratulations. The "PROBLEM" is with "citizens that are law-abiding that are permitted to obtain legally purchased firearms and them attack the masses". What you fail to point out is that your defense and recreation also allows a good number of citizen (who didn't commit crimes to that point) the opportunity to attack maim and kill other law abiding citizens that don't think you have a right to own a gun. Read the 2nd ammendment...militias have a right not individuals. Gotta start somewhere.
Reply to this Top
Well there goes my idea to go as a Branch Davidian next Halloween.
Reply to this Top
To logical thinker: Thank you for the sarcasm and condescendance. I have read the 2nd amendment, and there is a case to be made for both your interpretation and mine, as the numerous conflicting court decisions have shown over the years. Also, I didn't fail to address your other point; I mentioned that many crimes are likely committed with illegally obtained weapons. More to the point, it would be logical to ask whether the benefits (in terms of saved lives, averted crimes, etc.) of people legally owning weapons for self-defense outweighs the cost of people getting a gun legally then going nutso. I tend to think that the former happens substantially more often than the latter, but I don't have the data to back it up. In any case, that's the sort of analysis I'd like to see from a logical thinker.
Reply to this Top
One more thought: A law is only as good as (1) its enforcement, and (2) the will of the people to obey it. These two items are frequently intertwined. When enforcement is minimal, the will often becomes weaker. Speed limits are an example of minimal enforcement, prohibition of minimal will. I hear a lot of chatter about the need to LEGISLATE against gun ownership, but I have yet to hear how anti-gun folks plan to ENFORCE the eradication of guns, including illegally owned ones. The reason guns are owned illegally in the first place is because we can't even enforce the laws we currently have. How, then, are we to expect successful enforcement of a complete ban on guns? If you legislate without enforcement, only those who's will to own a gun is outweighed by their law-abidingness will be deterred. These are the so-called "good guys" - those who are the least likely to use a gun violently because of the very respect for the law that would render them unarmed.
Reply to this Top
Some of the same arguments were no doubt used to justify Prohibition too. If you want to see people (especially students) wake up and pay attention, try proposing a ban on alcohol. Is the recreation of a "few" really worth all the lives lost to drunk driving and alcohol poisoning?? What about all those under 21 people who still manage to find a way to obtain alcohol? Take a ride on the BT any Friday night, and you'll be reminded how effective THAT law is. Jason T makes a good argument using the speed limit example, but the alcohol example might hit even closer to home. Stop worrying about those 2? PSU students. They've "made their bed", and just about everyone can see how inane their actions were. They did it for "shock value" (so they said), and our outrage only prolongs the attention they were seeking in the first place.
Reply to this Top
I am not here to argue first or second amendment rights; I'd just like to extend a personal apology. I'm a 2007 Penn State grad, and I wish this had never happened. I would write a letter, but the UPUA president has done that, so to anyone reading this, I am sincerely sorry, and I know I'm not alone. Please know that the majority of Penn State students and alumni don't find this amusing in any way. I wish you nothing but peace, and I give you my respect and sympathy.
Reply to this Top