Commissions, boards of inquiry, preparedness meetings, call them what you want, but when there is a tragedy, there is likely to be a commission to investigate why the tragedy happened and how another one can be avoided.

As the nation regroups after the pummeling of the Gulf Coast, Penn State has joined the choir but the refrains of its emergency readiness committee are muddled. The university proclaimed its readiness for disasters most likely to befall Penn State too hastily.

Officials have said that the primary threat for the area is that of a sustained snowstorm.

Snowstorms aren't a novelty for this area or the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation road crews, but it would take a devastating snowstorm to reach a the point of a critical disaster that couldn't be handled within a few days.

The time would have been better spent discussing disaster preparedness at Beaver Stadium, and perhaps releasing such information, instead.

With over 100,000 people crammed together, a fire inside the stadium would easily create a state of panic and could turn deadly.

The public must be aware of the plan; therefore, it is imperative that officials devise a specific disaster plan in preparation for a possible incident. Only after clarifying the plan and organizing the specifics can an emergency plan be truly effective.

In the confusion of an actual emergency, even the best of plans may go awry. It is incumbent upon the university to educate students about its emergency plans, including emergency exits and proper exit procedures, and these plans must be well publicized. Stadium personnel should also be trained how to react and respond in possible emergency situations.

While the main problem in the Gulf was the lack of preparedness for hurricanes, it is ridiculous to even compare the threat of a hurricane to a snowstorm. The threat of a completely debilitating snowstorm is minute, and the attention given to preparations for a hypothetical storm dumping five feet of snow on the area was a waste.

Cooperation must be fostered between the police and university staff so that a comprehensive plan can be established.

Kudos to the university for acknowledging the need for such plans, but there is more work to be done. To avoid as much confusion and panic as possible, the time and resources need to be put into devising these plans now before its too late.

While debilitating hurricanes are unlikely in central Pennsylvania, we could very well face a disaster just as devastating, and we wouldn't want to look back and say we should have or we could have.