Although this year's White House shirt designs were most likely meant to be innocuous, their design has stirred controversy among some Penn State alumni and student organizations.
To many eyes, the perpendicular intersecting lines that meet above center look like a Christian cross -- something that some say should have been recognized and considered earlier.
When seen from afar, the intricacies of the design -- a vertical line (the stripe of the Penn State football helmet) and the intersecting words "Penn State White Out" -- are not immediately discernible. This intersection includes an image that only those familiar with to the helmet design will immediately recognize. To others from outside the Penn State community, it is argued, the design just looks like a cross.
The Daily Collegian powers the T-shirt voting contest for the university's athletic department. Students vote on the Collegian's Web site. The winning design won with 2,019 votes, nearly 400 more than its closest competitor.
The university chose not to interfere in the sale of the shirts, according to Penn State President Graham Spanier.
Students did vote for this particular design, so in the future, those who recognize and are offended by the design should voice their concerns right away.
It's imperative to hear everyone's opinions before the situation gets out of hand to lessen and prevent misunderstandings and conflicts.
For now it appears that what's done is done; the shirts have been sold and the official White Out is over.
However, changes can be made for the future so T-shirt designs avoid potential miscommunications or implications, intent or coincidence notwithstanding.
In this instance, a simple tip-off from someone about the shirt's possible connotations may have allowed this T-shirt entry to be taken out of the running or reconsidered.
And, in the future, everyone involved along the way should be more vigilant about statements that could reasonably be inferred from the shirts' design -- especially in a secular institution like Penn State.
