As a very proud Penn Stater, tears came to my eyes when I heard about the disgraceful actions of 4,000 of my soon-to-be-fellow alumni this weekend. Why do some feel that it is acceptable to hurt or endanger people, to destroy property? When did you learn that was OK? You can spout that it is your Constitutional right and that everyone is free to assemble and speak their mind, but the First Amendment grants "the right of the people peaceably to assemble." This incident does not fit that standard. Legal permits are issued for large groups in public places, and if students were in fact planning to assemble after Friday night's game, they should have applied for a permit — at least it might have given the crowd some credibility.

I am humiliated when I face people who say to me, "Your school has all those riots." Don't you understand that when you gather together in the name of Penn State you should be presenting a positive picture? Penn Staters should not be shamed and ridiculed by the nation; we should be free to applaud our men's basketball team, which has admirably accomplished a feat unequaled in almost 50 years. How dare you selfishly steal the spotlight from those talented, hardworking young men and thrust it upon your reckless, thoughtless selves? I am all for school spirit and revelry, but when it degenerates into unruliness and thoughtlessness, it is no longer school spirit. It is lawless and tactless. Grow up and act like respectable Penn State students.