It was one of those moments where no one really knew how to react.

It was Saturday at Beaver Stadium and everyone was preparing to watch another mundane Blue-White game.

Then a group of students charged the field as the national anthem concluded. At first, the crowd was confused.

Was it a practical joke? Was it part of the game?

But it became quickly apparent that this was a serious matter.

Two hours and 26 arrests later, some sense had been made of the situation: The students were protesting Penn State's response to the death threats that have been sent to black student leaders and athletes.

However, no amount of time will ever give me the explanation for the ignorance that fueled both the death threats and the reactions in the stadium to the protest.

Of course, the death threats are a terrible occurrence and the work of people who are uneducated, unenlightened and uncivilized.

But when an entire crowd boos the people protesting this grave matter, cheer when they are dragged off the field, and a few people in the press box mutter rude comments, I couldn't help but think that this group is, at the very least, uninformed.

Granted, most people probably had no idea what was going on. After all they were there just to tailgate and watch mindless entertainment, not actually think about serious university issues.

The comments in the stadium press box, however, were unnecessary and disheartening.

"Get out the billy clubs!" (Great, just what the university needs. More violence and the chance to incite yet another riot.)

"This never happened back in the old days!" (That's because back in the "old days," black people had even fewer opportunities for higher education than they do now.)

To clarify the situation, this was spoken by a group of alumni, not members of the working press. Nonetheless, it was one of those moments when you can see why this country is a long way from peaceful race relations.

Who would have thought a sporting event would be the forum for an important social event? Well at a school that lives, breathes and depends upon football, it makes perfect sense.

The climate at the stadium was indicative of the overall climate at the university. A small group of people cares about something important and the rest just want to go about their business, oblivious to everything else.

So it wasn't your typical Blue-White game.

So the intra-squad scrimmage was delayed.

So people felt a bit uncomfortable when they saw a group of students take a stand.

So what?

Maybe it's time that the Penn State community had its attention diverted from sports and drinking and refocused on something much more important.