Last week, police announced that they uncovered a massive Ecstasy drug ring operating within State College.

Even worse, this operation allegedly involved a number of Penn State students and graduates, some of whom were members of local fraternities.

This is serious stuff. Ecstasy kills people, as evidenced by the death of a 23-year-old Penn State alumna last semester, which was attributed to an overdose of this drug.

On Wednesday, one Penn State graduate was charged and 11 warrants were outstanding for the arrest of others for allegedly trafficking $1.96 million worth of Ecstasy in State College during the past few years.

Police estimate that 98,000 pills of Ecstasy and 56 ounces of cocaine were brought into the area between August 1998 to May 1999. The local operation was part of a larger ring functioning out of Pittsburgh, which generated an estimated amount of $3 million over a period of three years.

Of those pinpointed as accomplices in the drug ring, seven were members of six local fraternities.

This latest development has ricocheted Penn State into the news yet again and, yet again, the news is not very flattering. In the aftermath of three riots and racial death threats, this revelation adds to the list of "act(s) of ours" that are "bring(ing) shame.", to quote Penn State's Alma Mater.

Ecstasy is a dangerous substance and allegedly linking a drug ring of this magnitude to our sleepy college town casts a terrible shadow on Penn State's reputation.

Fraternities' reputations might be hurt the worst, however. While a small percentage of fraternities were allegedly involved in the Ecstasy ring, an even smaller amount of fraternity members are at fault. Despite the fact that the majority of fraternity members had nothing to do with this drug trafficking, their names will be tainted along with those who were involved. Just as a small number of Penn State students actually participated in the recent riots, a fraction of the Penn State community sold Ecstasy. Sadly, in both instances, all Penn Staters must suffer the consequences.