As a proud and active alumnus of Penn State University, it's always disappointing to hear about poor decisions made by my fellow Penn Staters. As a college student, you face the opportunity to make poor decisions on a daily basis, from getting behind the wheel after a few drinks to wearing appalling and deplorable costumes. It's not surprising that people make these decisions (especially in college), but it is disappointing that people in our Penn State community don't consider the effects. From putting a thriving college student into rehabilitation for life to the most recent photos stirring up images of an unthinkable event, it's important to think about the outcome of your decisions.

I won't harp on how these poor decisions will affect things like your career (because it will) or how it infuriates those that came before you (because it does), but I do ask that you would work to make decisions more befitting of what it is to be a Penn Stater.

Jim Herman

Class of 2004