On a spectacularly beautiful fall afternoon, the Penn State football team played a brilliant game and provided the best football season in Happy Valley in a decade. This day and throughout the season, the fans have loudly voiced their support, thanks to the leadership of the student section. Unfortunately, the Penn State administration has failed to demonstrate the same leadership.

The specific incident is the use of mounted riot police in Beaver Stadium at the conclusion of Saturday's game. While I acknowledge the probable need of the foot-based riot police to ensure everyone's safety, the addition of the horse-mounted units was excessive. In law enforcement, there are successive levels of force, but from my seat I saw absolutely no fans challenging the riot police on foot. Therefore, the addition of the equestrian units promenading and across the field is not only an unnecessary elevation of force, but also an abuse of power. University President Graham Spanier needs to apologize. The turf of Beaver Stadium is a place where icons coach and heroes compete. The presence of riot police on horses is nothing short of a sacrilege.