By Audrey Snyder
Pittsburgh Tribune Review
STATE COLLEGE, Penn. — Police in riot gear descended upon downtown State College late Tuesday as thousands of Penn State students gathered along Beaver Avenue and on such campus locations as Old Main, the main administrative building.
Crowds began gathering outside Old Main on the University Park campus when word spread that the university`s Board of Trustees was conducting a conference call, presumably to discuss the future of the football program.
Earlier, hundreds of students converged at coach Joe Paterno’s house in a raucous show of support. He appeared briefly, along with some family members, and thanked the crowd for coming.
“It’s hard for me to say how much this means,” the 84-year-old coach said. “I’ve lived for this place. I’ve lived for people like you guys and girls.”
As he returned to his house, Paterno stopped and pumped his fists above his head, yelling, “We are!”
“Penn State!” the crowd replied.
The trustees agreed to appoint a committee to investigate the circumstances that led to child sexual assault charges against former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky. The committee is expected to be named late this week.
Paterno and university President Graham Spanier have come under fire for their handling of the case.
Two of Spanier’s top lieutenants, athletic director Tim Curley and senior vice president Gary Schultz, were charged with perjury and not properly reporting the suspected abuse to state and local authorities. Curley is on administrative leave, and Schultz retired.
Copyright 2011 Tribune Review Publishing Company