Penn State Struggles to Redefine Its Identity

The Takeaway

In their first game without longtime football coach Joe Paterno the Penn State Nittany Lions fell to Big Ten rivals the Nebraska Cornhuskers. But for the students, the solemn game was about much more than football. The Penn State community is still grappling with how to reshape the university’s identity in the wake of allegations that former football coach Jerry Sandusky sexually assaulted young boys. Dr. Laurie Mulvey, senior lecturer of sociology at Penn State, talks about what happens after the shock wears off.

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