If nothing else, believe the stomach blowing

As the Jerry Sandusky trial moves into closing arguments today, we've learned that a lot of the evidence is circumstantial. There is no known physical evidence of abuse, no photographs, no fingerprints that can conclusively point to Sandusky abusing these young men.

I have believed from the beginning of the trial that Sandusky is guilty. I don't personally know anyone who thinks he is innocent. But for anyone doubting whether the victms are telling the truth, there is one detail that stands out that should change their minds--the stomach blowing.

Several of the victims testified that early on in Sandusky's grooming process, he blew on their stomachs during rough housing. This is important testimony for three reasons:

1. It's bizarre. The defense has hinted throughout the trial that all of the allegations against Sandusky are fabricated. If that were true, most of the testimony would be stereotypical parroting of what we'd expect to hear from someone making up an abuse story. But the stomach blowing is so odd and consistent in several of the victim's accounts, it has to be true.

2. It's boundary testing. Like television teenage boys who, at least on television, pretend to stretch their arms so they can put one around their date, the stomach blowing is an attempt for Sandusky to see how far he can go. Once establishing that he can get away with blowing on a boy's stomach, he can try going lower the next time. It's part of a carefully planned method that is probably the result of year's of trial and error.

3. There's no reason for it. Aside from blowing on a baby's stomach to make them laugh, I've never known anyone to have a reason to blow on another person's stomach. What's the point in doing so within the context of a normal, playful adult-child relationship?

Aside from Sandusky's character witnesses, I don't know how anyone can believe that he is not guilty. But, if nothing else changes your mind, the stomach blowing is the one detail that speaks volumes about his actions.

No Act of Ours--a documentary about how Penn State students' reacted to tragedy

Penn State graduate and documentary filmmaker Kelly Dolak is on a mission. In the aftermath of the now-infamous Jerry Sandusky scandal that erupted in November, Dolak started making regular trips to the State College area. After the charges against Sandusky were announced and the Penn State Board of Trustees removed university president Graham Spanier and football coach Joe Paterno from their posts, some of the students rioted in the streets. Although this was not representative of the student body at large, images from the riot have been replayed and dissected. The student body then came together a few days later to rally in support of the victims of sexual abuse.

Like much of the media attention that focused on Penn State, Dolak filmed the events as they unfolded. But Dolak stuck around campus after the satellite trucks pulled out to talk with the students. She captured much of the fallout and emotions that surrounded the Penn State students during those weeks and is pouring it into the documentary No Act of Ours. Though self-funded up to this point, Dolak is using the crowd-funding website Kickstarter to secure additional backing for the film, which will help pay for final production costs, including a publicist, marketing, and licensing fees. The project has a fundraising goal of $28,000 by June 15.

I spoke with Dolak this week about the film and her hopes for it. Dolak's first feature, "Postcards from Tora Bora", premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. In 2011 she produced the documentary "Our Lips Are Sealed," which is currently in festivals.

Q: You were in New Jersey when the Sandusky case broke. How quickly did you decide that you wanted to film this?

Dolak: Immediately. About an hour after I found out about it, I wanted to be down there.

Q. There are many angles that this could be told from. What made you realize that you wanted to document the student’s point of view?

Dolak: The students are thinking about this situation complexly. They were angry and wanted to protect this central father figure of Joe Paterno. To them, it was like a family member being treated badly. I think if we just sit with that and think about ‘what would we do if a member of our family was treated badly?’ we might think differently about how they reacted.

I’ve talked with students who really believe that the University stands for these high standards and some of them are let down. There’s also anger from some people who feel like the University could have done more.

Q. Have you met with any resistance to the film?

Dolak: I have encountered resistance through postings on FaceBook. Most of the conversations have been really positive, but there is a consistent backlash from some alums who feel nervous about the project. They worry that it’s critical of Paterno or the University and it’s really not. Some people feel it’s time to move on and this film might not let us.

But there are students who have told me that the media destroyed the University in 72 hours. I think it’s important to explore those feelings and give voice to what the students have to say.

Q. How much of the documentary is finished?

Dolak: I’ve shot more than 70 hours so far in seven months and have about six months to go. I’ll be following a student’s perspective as the trial moves forward and his experience being there. I’m also including interviews with lawyers, child sexual abuse survivors, and some professors.

Q. Regarding Kickstarter, have you used crowd funding before?

Dolak: I have not, but I have friends who have done Kickstarter and there have been some great successes in the film industry. I’ve backed about half a dozen projects on Kickstarter myself and it’s made me feel really good when the films have been shown in festivals and find success. You get to follow that film though that whole process, which is very cool.

Backers of No Act of Ours fall into different pledge levels and can receive recognition, signed copies of the DVD when it’s released, and exclusive updates on the project. The generosity we've received so far is truly amazing.

Q. How do you feel about everything that happened?

Dolak: I enjoyed my time at Penn State and I think it’s a great school, but I never thought that bad things couldn’t happen there. No town is immune from these things but it did surprise me. It makes me sad about how so many people’s lives have been affected.

Penn State Blue White Weekend 2012

Friday night: Blue White carnival and fireworks

Saturday afternoon: Joe Paterno statue and inside Beaver Stadium

(this guy looked just like a young Joe Paterno, even without the outfit)

Is Cabin in the Woods Over-hyped?

I do not typically like scary movies. I'm still haunted by Friday the 13th, which I saw on tape when I was about ten and VCRs were the new way to scare yourself senseless in the comfort of your own home. To this day, I can't look out a first floor window at night for fear that a crazed killer will jump up to scare me or, worse still, that he'll just be walking slowly through the yard, carrying an ax or some other instrument of death. This could be because I live in an old farmhouse in the middle of nowhere that would be a perfect setting for a horror movie. But we won't dwell on that right now or I will be up all night.

But the hype surrounding the Cabin in the Woods had me hooked. Typically, commercials for horror movies cause me to cover both my and my eight-year-old's eyes to make sure that none of the evil on the screen seeps in to our minds. But as I peeked out between my fingers at the preview for Cabin in the Woods, I caught a glimpse of Bradley Whitford. Smart, funny, former star of West Wing, Bradley Whitford. This must be a different type of horror movie, I thought. Bradley Whitford wouldn't just show up in some slasher film.

And then I kept hearing about the rave reviews--93 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, three stars from Ebert. Twitter was buzzing with the "unbelievable plot twists" and "so complex, much more than a horror flick." And, finally, "You think you know what's going on, but you're totally wrong." I am a sucker for twist endings. I am still hoping to one day watch the Empire Strikes Back with someone who doesn't know the truth about Luke Skywalker's lineage. This person will be difficult to find unless he drops down out of his own space ship or he is only two years old. I am currently grooming my 8-month-old for the position.

So my husband and I went on Saturday night. I was ready to be scared senseless. I wore an oversized hoodie so I could achieve my movie-going defensive position: hood up and forward, hands tucked into the sleeves, arms folded.

The theater was packed, mostly with college students and one random guy in front of us spoking a cigarette. Clearly, he thought he was cool. Who am I to disagree?

(No spoilers follow, but if you've seen the movie, you'll know what I'm talking about.)


So the movie...it was scary, but not that scary.

Since we were in on a plot twist from the beginning, the killing seemed somewhat remote compared to other horror movies. It was certainly smarter and funnier than any other slasher films, laugh out loud funny even. But seeing some of the action unfold on a screen that Bradley Whitford was watching made it seem more like a secret military operation than a bunch of crazed lunatics.

Because of the hype surrounding the plot twists and turns, I tried to stay one-step ahead. In the beginning of the movie, I made some assumptions about what was really going on. But believing these to be too obvious, I went one, sometimes, two steps farther trying to figure out what was going on. Then it ended where I thought it would, but I had some great ideas of where they could have taken it. Contact me for Cabin in the Woods 2, okay Joss and Drew? (I know what you might be thinking if you've seen the movie, but there is always a plan for a sequel.)

Another kill-joy moment came due to my husband. This guy can pick out any celebrity voice in about five words. When the voice of the director is first heard, he leaned over and said "That's yadda yadda." He, of course, told me the real name. And it was a great name. Although it didn't provide too much of a plot twist, it was like a nice little gift to movie goers.

Several minutes later, the person behind the voice was revealed in person. Half of the audience was
audibly shocked. The other half, those under 30, had no idea who she was. I'm sure they all googled her once they left the theater.

So it was good, but I still think it was overhyped.

State Pattys Day--keep the name change the meaning

My latest column, State Patty's Day--keep the name, change the meaning, is at StateCollege.com. Here's a preview.

State Patty's Day began innocently enough as a small group of friends celebrating St. Patrick's Day together before leaving town on spring break. They never planned, nor could they have imagined, that it would become the drinking festival that it is today.

Last year alone, the now infamous weekend was the scene of 234 arrests and 14 DUIs, according to data released by police. Just more than 100 partygoers who couldn’t hold their liquor ended up at Mount Nittany Medical Center. There was property damage, public urination and assaults. Though the majority of those arrested were from other universities, the negative publicity still fell on the Penn State community.

But this year is different. This has been a year like none other in Penn State's history. A small group of students and residents have already generated a decade’s worth of negative publicity.

Last weekend at THON, the Penn State community came a long way in restoring the pride and tradition of its name. The students were able to raise more than $10 million for the Four Diamonds Fund to help in the fight against pediatric cancer. The dancers and other participants were selfless, noble, and, well, amazing.

THON photos--Saturday afternoon

A Wookie from the 501st meets a fan.

Still going strong around 1:00pm.

A THON display in the concourse.

Obi Wan and Darth Vader stand united against pediatric cancer.

Some of the activity tables down on the floor.

THON photos--Friday night

This is THON weekend in State College, the largest student-run philanthropy in the world, that culminates it's year-long fundraising efforts with a 46-hour no sitting, no sleeping dance marathon.

All money raised though THON, more than $78 million, goes to support The Four Diamonds Fund at Penn State Hershey Children's Hospital. The Four Diamonds Fund provides assistance to families of children with cancer and funds research to find a cure.

Don't know what THON is? Check out this page.

The 2012 THON logo high above the Bryce Jordan Center.

The men's basketball team and coach Pat Chambers lead a "We are..."

One of the first line dances of the weekend, around 7:00pm.

Check back tomorrow...better and more photos coming soon.

A fair trial with Centre County jurors? Of course

The Attorney General's office seems to have a misguided and incorrect understanding of the residents of Centre County. In the motion requesting that an out-of-county jury be brought in for the Sandusky trial, the AG states:

"The citizens of Centre County feel a laudable and proper sense of ownership of, and participation in, the fortunes of Penn State. To ask members of that community to breakdown that alloy and insulate themselves from the institution which informs so many aspects of their lives is asking too much. It is unfair and impracticable."

I'm not sure how the AG came to this idea, but the implication is that since this is Penn State-related, a Centre County jury would find it difficult to keep their Penn State loyalties separate from their feelings towards Sandusky. I guess this could go either way--a jury might be prejudiced toward a guilty plea because of what this has already done to the University or they might feel loyalty toward Sandusky because of his football years.

I think either of these scenarios is unlikely. There is very little, if any, positive feelings toward Sandusky around town. Most people I talk to believe that he is guilty on at least some of the charges and blame him for the negative media attention to our town and for the firing of Joe Paterno.

On the other hand, I think residents of Centre County would like Jerry Sandusky to be innocent. Not just found "not guilty" but to actually be innocent. There has been so much negative publicity devoted to painting the community as a football-obsessed group of child abuse-enablers, we'd like nothing more than to find out it was all fabricated, much like the Duke lacrosse scandal.

Sadly, though, I don't expect that to be the case.

The judge's ruling on whether or not to grant the change of venire should be coming in the next few days, if not hours. I hope the judge decides to have a local jury...the alleged crimes were committed here, it's only fair that a local jury should hear the case.

Paterno Statue January 31, part 1

I stopped by the Paterno statue yesterday afternoon and was surprised to see how much it had grown. The amount of foot traffic is impressive, I probably saw about forty people come and go during the twenty minutes that I was there.

Many of the items being placed at the statue are wrapped in plastic now to protect against rain and snow. Some of the original items from last week are hard to read, but there are plenty of new ones to take their place. Many of these items are carefully constructed collages, autographed hats, and framed posters that have obviously been cherished for years. It speaks volumes about how loved Paterno is that fans are willing to part with these items.

Paterno funeral procession

Taken around 2:30 when the sun was still shining.

Crowd gets much thicker at 3:00.

Joe's hearse passed the stadium around 4:25.

Joe's family rode across campus in a football bus.

The JoePa statue after the funeral profession.

Media gathering again

News van and satellite trucks are setting up camp outside Beaver Stadium. It's like they are expecting an announcement or something.

Post-scandal photo tour of State College

One of at least a dozen blue ribbons that line Toftrees.

Key Church on North Atherton

Window of the now-closed Terminal Cafe, next to Rainbow Music and the antique store on Atherton.

Pi Kappa Alpha house on Prospect Ave.

Apartment building on Allen St., just above Cozy Thai restaurant. The windows say "Thank You Joe."

Why Bloomberg’s Paterno article is pointless and baseless

How Paterno Put His Penn State Money Above Full Disclosure of Child Abuse

That's the title of the article that Bloomberg published on Tuesday. Think, for a moment, about what information one would expect to find in that article.

There have been plenty of articles written about Paterno and Penn State in the past few weeks that serve no purpose other than to jump on the band-wagon of JoePa haters. Many of these publications, like the Sports Illustrated special edition, don't produce new facts, they just rehash what we already know while waxing poetic about Paterno's legacy. Usually, these are fluff pieces or blog posts written by a bitter CBS Chicago anchor who is just trying to get attention for himself.

But the Bloomberg article wins the award for Ridiculous Paterno Article of the week. Apparently feeling the need to be somehow relevant in the whole Penn State media circus, Bloomberg published "How Paterno Put His Penn State Money Above Full Disclosure of Child Abuse.” One might expect an article with that title to provide eyewitness accounts or a papertrail showing that Paterno purposely covered up the Sandusky sex abuse allegations for monetary reasons.

But that's not what this article is about at all.

The title isn't just misleading, it's factually wrong based on the rest of the article. The only thing the article proves is that there is a lot of money involved in college football. Bloomberg offers no facts to back up their initial claim, instead choosing to pair a traffic-generating headline with a fluff-piece of writing that spends too much time commenting on which sources didn't return their emails. The article is nothing more than a series of dollar signs about football revenue and quotes from people who have nothing to do with Penn State athletics or Joe Paterno.

The only purpose of the article? To drive up traffic on the Bloomberg website and add to the media dog-pile on Joe Paterno.

Penn State BOT needs a lesson in basic parenting

Most of the time, parents are just making stuff up as we go along, but there is one hard and fast rule we all try to follow--prevent tantrums and meltdowns before they occur. If a child needs a nap at 2:00pm, but you know that you’ll be stuck at Wegmans right around then, bring along a favorite book or a cookie to keep them quiet and happy and shop as fast as you can. The same with meals. If you are at a notoriously slow restaurant and your child missed his mid-afternoon snack, it’s time to pull some Goldfish or gummy worms from the emergency stash in your bag. Most importantly, a parent has to be prepared to anticipate the tantrum in advance and be ready to head it off.

And then we have the Penn State Board of Trustees. I wouldn’t normally use the phrase "like a deer in headlights" to describe a group of highly educated, well established leaders for one of the largest universities in the country, but they were.

Everyone knew back in the spring that a grand jury investigation was taking place thanks to Sara Ganim’s article Jerry Sandusky, former Penn State football staffer, subject of Grand Jury Investigation. That article ran on March 31. The BOT knew then that something, potentially very bad, was coming to Penn State.

Instead, they waited, hoping, maybe, that it would just all go away.
Of course, it didn’t. Instead, the media descended and the BOT and the administration just stood there with their hands in the pockets.

The news about the indictments came out late Friday/Saturday morning. The Board of Trustees didn’t spring into action until Wednesday. WEDNESDAY! The students, by now, had been protesting and chanting for at least two days as rumors started swirling that Joe Paterno might be fired. He announced in the morning that he would retire after the season, which shocked and upset thousands of students.

But word began circulating that the Board was having an emergency meeting that night. By now, the students were charged up. They’d been chanting and peacefully, though noisily, gathering in larger groups as the day went on and classes let out. After hearing conflicting reports all day, everyone learned that the Board would be making an announcement at 10:00pm.

Right here. This is where a lesson in good parenting could’ve made all the difference. The Board knew that the students were anxious and angry, upset about Paterno, and were already roaming in large groups across campus and downtown. By this time, many of them had been drinking. A lot. And these students have demonstrated a proclivity to violence in the past--this is the same population who rioted, for no apparent reason, during Arts Fest several years ago.

Knowing all this, the Board chose to make their announcement, the biggest announcement, perhaps, in the history of Penn State. What they should have done was release a blanket statement saying “The past few days have been difficult on all Penn Staters, but there is work to be done. We will hold a meeting tomorrow morning to announce, in detail, our decisions.” That’s it. How hard would that have been? The next morning, half of the students would have been tucked away in class and not roaming the dimly lit streets of downtown. People don’t riot much in the daytime and, even if they had, the police force would have had more time to prepare.

The students are ultimately to blame for their actions. I hope many of them are identified and prosecuted. The Board, however, needs to realize that their leadership and choices were irresponsible.

What the Board did was the equivalent of a parent letting their child miss a snack and skip their nap and then telling the child, in the midst of a meltdown, that “By the way, your fish died” or “Christmas is cancelled this year.”

An effective parent diffuses the situation before delivering bad news. It gives everyone a chance to regroup and pull themselves together before the proverbial other shoe drops.

If the Board messes up an announcement like that so badly, what else are they screwing up?

I admit, this is a lousy picture. But it was taken around 5:00. Imagine how spirited everyone was by 10:00.

Update--Alums raise more than $502k for victims

Update--congrats to everyone involved in the #ProudPSUforRAINN...The original goal of $500k has been surpassed and we're closing in on $503k!

I’m in awe of Jerry and Jaime Needel, Bob Troia and Larena Lettow (PSU '98). While most of us in the Penn State family were wringing our hands and constantly hitting refresh on our IPads, these alums organized a fundraiser to benefit the victims of sexual violence and to restore some pride to Penn State.

These Penn Staters organized grassroots, online fundraising, to benefit #RAINN, the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network.
The. alumni organizers gathered up the Penn State family and has so far raised $481,182 from more than 11,000 donors.

If you would like to make a gift, please use the link on the upper right side.

Penn State

I am a mom, a writer, and a State College resident. And I'm pretty pissed off about this whole Sandusky mess, aka "The Penn State Scandal" and I have some things to talk about.