In wake of scandal, students lead Penn State evolution

• The changes at Penn State are tangible and visible, not just philosophical or emotional
• Joe Paterno's name, once ubiquitous on campus, is rarely seen
• Students have taken lead roles in the change, while not wavering in their support of the school

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Before the start of every Penn State football game, students wrap their arms around the people next to them as they sing the Penn State Alma Mater in unison.

But after the events of the past year, students have made a slight modification to the 100-year-old song. When the song reaches its 13th line, thousands of students turn their melody into a shout: "May no act of ours bring shame!"

The line, once sung like any other, acts as a constant reminder of the Jerry Sandusky child sexual abuse scandal that has rocked Penn State to its core since November 2011.

"When we do that, we do it because we feel that the actions were committed by a person who doesn't embody Penn State," Darian Somers, a freshman communications major from Altoona, Pa., said last week. "We, as a student body, had absolutely nothing to do with it and are being wrongfully punished by the court of public opinion outside of [Penn State] and the NCAA."

One of the most highly publicized changes on campus was the removal of the 900-pound bronze statue of Joe Paterno's likeness outside of Beaver Stadium this July, previously a popular spot for students and alumni to take photos.The scandal has left its mark on Penn State in a number of other ways over the past year -- both emotionally and physically. Between the crippling NCAA sanctions on the athletic department, a report that alleged top school administrators covered up sexual abuse, and the termination and eventual passing of iconic coach Joe Paterno, Penn State has seen many changes. And around the campus and town, there are many tangible reminders of the impact of the Sandusky scandal.

Penn State president Rodney Erickson has not revealed where the statue is being stored and has not said if it would be placed in a public place for viewing or left in storage. University spokesman David La Torre told USA TODAY Sports this week he could not comment on the status of the statue.

But the change that garners the most attention and controversy at Penn State is the near universal whitewashing of Paterno's name from areas of student life. From the sub shop in the student union building once known as "Joegies" to "Paternoville", the name of the registered student group that camps outside Beaver Stadium, the once revered Paterno name is disappearing.

Aside from a few downtown shops that still have Paterno tributes posted in windows and an ice cream flavor at the Creamery on campus, the only trace of the once ubiquitous Paterno name is on the school library that he and his wife Sue helped raise $14 million to construct. Joegies is now HUB subs. Paternoville is now Nittanyville.

Student leaders with Paternoville, whose members camp out in tents before each home game, decided to rename the organization Nittanyville shortly after the release of the Freeh Report.

Allen Sheffield, who holds a leadership position in Nittanyville, said the name change was for the purpose of refocusing the attention on the football players who take the field every Saturday.

Sheffield, a junior from Pittsburgh majoring in public relations, said many people involved in Paternoville were angry about the name change, but others understood the officers' reasoning. "My personal opinion of Coach Paterno differs from how he was portrayed during the past year, but I also felt that it was in the best interest of the organization to change the name," Sheffield said.

Lisa Powers, director of the university's Department of Public Information, said the decision to rename Joegies to HUB Subs was made in July, although she noted that the university's Food Services already had been considering a name change because Paterno was no longer coach.

Powers said the Berkey Creamery, located on campus, decided it would be appropriate to keep the Peachy Paterno ice cream flavor on its menu, because it was dedicated during a student competition to honor Paterno's academic contributions and does not have any connection to the football program. She also noted that proceeds from sales of the ice cream flavor are going to a cause that supports victims of child abuse.

Paterno isn't the only former university official whose name has been removed from school facilities. In September, the Penn State Board of Trustees tabled a motion to change the name of the Gary Schultz Child Care Center and will make a decision after the former senior vice president and treasurer's trial.

The request for the name change came from an employee of the child care center who heard safety concerns from parents after the center's sign was vandalized in November, said Thomas Poole, vice president for administration, during the September meeting. The employee of the center also expressed concerns about recruitment if Schultz's name remains attached, Poole said. The staff has begun calling the center the Child Care Center at Hort Woods, which is what supporters have proposed as the new name, Poole said.

Powers also said the university has enacted a number of policies within the last few months to add to the safety and security of the campus, including limiting minors' access to Penn State facilities and limiting use of athletic facilities to student athletes and personnel within the Athletic Department.

In downtown State College, the community continues to support the university. Nearly every storefront window on College Avenue displays signs that read "Proud to support Penn State football" and "Proud to support Penn State academics." The signs, created this year and downloadable from the Hotel State College's Web site, are part of a movement of support for the football program during the first year since 1966 without Paterno at the helm.

More than 10 years ago, State College artist Michael Pilato, 43, created a mural downtown, called "Inspiration," which he updates annually by adding people who personally inspire him. He originally added Sandusky for his work with The Second Mile charity and his impact on Penn State football. He removed the depiction of Sandusky in November after receiving an email from the alleged mother of one of boys Sandusky sexually abused. Pilato said he has never taken a person off of the mural, which is always growing and includes hundreds of people.

In June, Pilato painted sexual abuse activist Dora McQuaid, a Penn State graduate, in the chair that Sandusky previously occupied. He plans to add an employee from the Centre County Women's Resource Center, as well as someone who works for the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape.

Pilato has recently made a controversial change on the depiction of Paterno on the mural. He added a "409" marker on the back of Paterno's chair, signifying his 409 wins as head coach. In July, the NCAA vacated all 111 of Paterno's wins from 1998 to 2011 as part of its sanctions against the football team, making his official record stand at 298 wins.

Pilato's painting will continue to evolve, just like the place where his mural is displayed, a place radically changed from a year ago.

"The atmosphere on campus is definitely different since last November," Pilato said. I just really admire the student body's ability to come together though all of this."

Somers said, "We stick together. We are going to get through all of this because we love Penn State, but we also love each other."