Christopher Atamian

Writer, director, producer, and translator

The recent decision by the Boy Scouts to reaffirm their ban on gay scouts and scoutmasters from participating in any part of their organization was disheartening; the NCAA's tough stance on Penn State's football program was more welcome.

Natalie Thomas

Writer, Editor, Producer

Writing in the digital age is an interesting concept. While you receive immediate gratification, you also allow instantaneous feedback. On one hand, there's the ability to communicate more readily with your followers; on the other are the haters.

Michael Piraino

CEO, National CASA Association

Child sexual abuse is often undisclosed by the child and unreported by adults when they do become aware of it. Why is this? There are a number of reasons.

Pablo Eisenberg

Senior Fellow, Georgetown Public Policy Institute

The boards at Penn State and the University of Virginia are the most recent prominent examples demonstrating why we can't trust boards. But plenty of other institutions have proved time and again that they can't hold their institution's finances or programs accountable.

Amy Sepinwall and Scott Rosner

Assistant professor at Wharton, University of Pennsylvania

The NCAA's decision to forbid the school to play post-season games for the next four years is a move in the right direction. Better still would be to deny the team television coverage for a season or more.

Mark Axelrod

Professor of Comparative Literature, Chapman University

Penn State may regain its national prominence and establish itself as the football power it once was and regain the integrity that everyone thought it had in the first place. In the meantime, let's give a little love to Kevin Wilson and the Hoosiers.

Natalie Thomas

Writer, Editor, Producer

I feel for those who have given their lives to making the university a great place only to have the name tarnished in this way and it sucks for the current students and athletes, but what was the alternative?

Remy M. Maisel

Undergraduate at Pennsylvania State University

I have an opinion, as a student at Penn State, that has gone unrepresented in the media coverage of students' reactions to the sanctions.

Marcus Bright

Executive Director, Education for a Better America/Adjunct Professor of Public Administration at Florida International University and Florida Atlantic University

In the current system, college coaches and athletic departments are almighty while the players are often treated as cogs in a massive money making machine.

Jim Wallis

Christian leader for social change; Author, 'On God’s Side: What Religion Forgets and Politics Hasn’t Learned About Serving the Common Good'

I agree with the NCAA's disciplinary decisions and would have supported even harsher penalties against Penn State. The NCAA's actions against Penn State send a clear signal and an important one.

Rick Mann, Ph.D.

President of Crown College

For those who lead, teach, and work at colleges and universities, there are some lessons that we can learn from this difficult chapter in American higher education.

Tik Root

Freelance Journalist, Yemen

If lasting reform is to be implemented, Penn State will have to reign in the football culture itself. A daunting challenge, no doubt, but there are ways to do it.

Neil McCarthy

Political activist and New York attorney

The two tragedies seemed completely disconnected. Different crimes. Different places. Different victims. But they actually have one thing in common. Denial. By us.

Paul Gunther

President, The Institute of Classical Architecture & Art

The demolition of Joe Paterno's premature bronze tableau sadly exemplifies the peril of a certain kind of hubris.

Matt Jordan

Associate Professor of Media Studies, Penn State University

As the public support for university education in America dwindled over the last 30 years, the power and influence of big money sports over all aspects of university life grew wildly out of control.

Len Berman

Emmy Award winning sportscaster and New York Times Bestselling Author

Cole Hamels of the Phillies gets a six-year deal worth about $140 million making him the second highest paid pitcher behind the Yankees CC Sabathia.