Upcoming August GSAS dates; Thoughts on Penn State punishment

Hello Readers!
Welcome to August! We are in the home stretch of the "summer" -- Fall classes begin in less than a month! I hope everyone had a good summer session, whether teaching or taking a course. A couple of tidbits for you to chew on this week:

• Something for incoming students to keep on your radar: New Student Orientation is coming up on August 20 and 21st. Click here for the official schedule and information!

• For all students in the GSAS, incoming and returning, the annual Welcome Back Rooftop Social will be held on August 28th. Click here for the Facebook Event invitation, and click "Join"! I have always enjoyed the Welcome Back Social -- a time to reconnect with everyone and gear up for another tough semester. It's nice to be in the library with other people instead of buried at a solitary desk under a pile of books amongst the stacks. Come one, come all! Put these events on your calendar -- this summer is going fast, and these dates will be here before you know it.

• In university news around the nation, a big story that hit the airwaves several weeks ago was the Penn State punishment for its role in concealing the sex crimes committed by former coach Sandusky. (Check out The New York Times report on the story here.) Since then, there has been plenty of opinions and discussion about the severity of the punishment -- some editorials have come out saying the punishment is too lenient; others point out that the punihsment does nothing to put right the wrongs against the victims. Two days ago, President Obama spoke out on the subject in a radio interview in Ohio, asserting that the punishment fit the crime appropriately. Personally, I agree that the punishment should be harsh for the institution as whole -- this kind of thing must NEVER happen again -- but many Penn State graduates/ alumni fiercely oppose the punishment, outraged that the penalties hurt too many of the current and future students. As I read the coverage about the reactions from alumni and current students, I tried to put myself in their places -- if an institution with which I was or had been affiliated had committed such crimes of concealment, how would I feel? How would that change my own view of my held or pending degree, and how would it change the view of my degree by prospective employers or publishers? What do you think about the punishment? Leave your comments below.

Thanks for checking in! Until next time, Liza Z.