An open letter to Former Vice President Dan Quayle:

Dear Dan,

Since you are probably still feeling a little down about the election, you should do yourself a favor and pay Happy Valley a visit, because we have just the thing to cheer you up. Penn State has three, living, breathing, honest-to-goodness examples of "family values." They are members of the women's gymnastics team and their names are Karen Cimochowski, Tracy Kerner and Kerry Slattery. And Dan, you'd love them. They say things like "My family means everything to me," and "one of the first things I want to do when I graduate is spend time with my family." Why Dan, an hour with these three and Murphy Brown might even come around. So do yourself a favor, Dan, pay Penn State a visit. If you need a place to stay, call the Paternos. I'm sure your old boss still has the number.

Cimochowski, Kerner and Slattery are key members of the Lady Lion gymnastics team -- Slattery the all-arounder, Kerner a three-event star, and Cimochowski a vault and bars specialist -- but their relationship runs much deeper than that of just teammates. They are soulmates, roommates and self-described "best friends." And although gymnastics is important to them, it is not the key to their friendship. A shared set of values and goals are.

Specifically, the values of loyalty ("We are like sisters," Kerner said) and devotion to family ("My family means everything to me," Cimochowski said), and a goal of being the best in whatever they do ("We are all perfectionists," Cimochowski said). Qualities they share -- they explain -- because they were all raised in similar backgrounds.

"We all come from big families, really, really close knit families," Kerner said. "We all have the same values, that's why we identify so well with each other."

This identification began almost by accident when they were wide-eyed freshmen thrown together in Thompson Hall.

"A lot of the upperclassmen had boyfriends so we started going out together," Cimochowski explained.

From those humble beginnings, an unbreakable bond formed. A bond "The Three Amigos" have relied on to get through the sometimes troubled waters of college athletics.

"The way we've dealt with things (since we became friends) is through each other," Mendham, N.J., resident Slattery said. "We understand and help each other more than anyone else."

And in their short college careers, they have had many chances to put that spirit of help and understanding to the test. First, it was the abrupt departure of former Lady Lions gymnastics coach Judi Avener, who left after the trio's freshman year. More recently, it was Kerner's serious knee injury, which caused her to miss the entire 1993 season. Interestingly, Kerner said, the injury showed her the true nature of her roommates.

"I was on crutches for two, three months, and they would always wait for me in the freezing cold weather." Kerner said, "They were really supportive.

"The whole year was probably the hardest thing I've ever been through. I don't think I would've gotten through it without Karen and Kerry, who were behind me all the way," she said.

The strong bond forged by those incidents has not gone unnoticed by their teammates. Freshman Leigh Cappello said she and her classmates envy the trio's friendship and value them as role models. Senior co-captain April Polito is also impressed with the threesome, expressing confidence that the team's leadership mantle will be in good hands next year.

As far as what post-graduation life holds for the three, they agreed that although it will be difficult leaving a sport to which they have devoted over half a lifetime, they plan to use their Penn State education helping people.

Slattery and Kerner, nutrition majors both, said they want to help educate people about the benefits of a healthy life, while Cimochowski, a biology major, plans on enrolling in medical school. As far as long term plans, each of them said a huge priority is to someday have a family -- or as Slattery put it "I want to have lots of kids (when I'm married). I don't even care about (having a lot of money)."

Hmmm . . . Quayle/Slattery '96? Take your phone of the hook Kerry.