Hey, Graham Spanier, Tim Curley, Joe Paterno: How loud is your silence?

According to police, Penn State football player Anwar Phillips admits he had sex with a woman even though he knew she didn't want to. Judicial Affairs sentences him to a two-semester probation -- in December.

Yet in January, Phillips plays in the Capitol One Bowl. Now students and the media are asking questions: How is it that a student that admitted to and was sanctioned by the university for sexual assault was able to represent the Blue and White in Florida?

Responses on the topic have been less than forthcoming.

The day after the story broke, head football coach Joe Paterno held his annual spring press conference; the first question asked was about Phillips.

But all Paterno had to say was that he had no comment and that if the reporters continued asking questions on the issue, he would continue to "waste time" and answer, "No comment." Then he went into a long tirade about the high graduation rates on his team.

The same man who benches players for missing class is refusing to comment on why he allowed a player sanctioned for sexual assault to play in a bowl game.

The fact is, even if Paterno was not aware that Phillips had been sanctioned at the time of the bowl game, the athletic department was. Judicial Affairs is obligated to inform it of any athlete who is sanctioned.

So, while Athletic Director Tim Curley, grinning ear-to-ear, is standing next to the new basketball coach, an Associated Press reporter asked him what was going on with the Phillips case. The grin quickly faded, and again, instead of answering any questions, Curley promised reporters that a press release would be out that day. It didn't come that day; and when it showed up the next day, it said nothing of worth.

It said the athletic department didn't know of "the matter" until March 19. But, of course, it must have, because Judicial Affairs was required to inform the department back in December. And since when does the athletic department have to wait for charges to be filed in criminal court before it benches a player?

The press release also said the sanction Phillips received was the "standard," even though there is no standard officially recognized by Judicial Affairs, and Judicial Affairs says it judges everything on a case-by-case basis.

The press release also said Phillips' status on the team would not be determined until a final determination was made in the legal system, so it's possible that he could play again.

Questions also have been asked of Penn State President Graham Spanier, who said the university "handled it reasonably well, even though there may have been some miscommunication."

Apparently those communication problems haven't been fixed yet. And even Spanier alluded to the fact that something went awry in the athletic department with its handling of this case.

Those in the athletic department need to get their acts together and start talking, because this "matter" is still a question in the minds of students, and they deserve some real answers.