Happy Valley: The Story Behind the Penn State Scandal
Take notes while watching the documentary Happy Valley: The Story behind the Penn State Scandal (2014). Then, compose answers to the questions below. Use Nixon’s (2014), Solomon's (2018) and Zang’s (2013) pieces in addition to the film in your answers. (You may also bring in other texts from class in addition to the readings related to Penn State specifically.) For opinion-based questions, you will not be graded on your view; you will be graded on the quality of your answer. Be sure to answer all questions asked, address all elements in the prompt, and articulate your view/argument fully. Write in complete sentences.
The filmmaker poses multiple “sides” to the various arguments presented in the film, but ultimately he is highly critical of the overall culture present at Penn State and State College. How does he make that critique? When preparing your responses, be sure to analyze how the events are represented in the film in addition to the events themselves. How well you analyze the content and explain and support your claims with specific examples will be a prime component of your grade.
Answer each question individually; think of your response to each question as its own essay. Write in complete sentences.
You will receive a grade on the hard-copy paper that you turn in.
The assignment you submit here will go through Turnitin!
1.What do football and Joe Paterno mean to Penn State? to State College?
2.Nixon (2014) identifies the Sandusky/Penn State Case as “exceptional deviance.” Explain his usage of the term and evaluate the appropriateness of this description.
3.Solomon (2018) argues that "[o]ver and over, these scandals [PSU, Baylor, MSU] have proven that coaches (and athletic department personnel) are prone to protecting the school's or team's 'brand' and giving the benefit of the doubt to those involved with building that brand" (p. 430). Using insights from Solomon's article, the film and the timeline presented in class (Thursday, November 16), how did the idea of "protecting the brand" operate at Penn State?
4.A central debate in Happy Valley is whether Sandusky’s crimes are those of an individual or acts enabled by a big-time sport structure. Explain the debate. Consider specific examples that demonstrate the points of disjuncture as well as the accompanying emotions. Then, explain your views on responsibility in this specific case.
5.What role should the NCAA have played in the Penn State case? Explain. What, if any, changes should be made at the NCAA to try and prevent future wide-scale abuses from taking place? Consider the current context. If you feel the NCAA is not or is no longer the appropriate body, what would be and why?
Happy Valley Discussion Questions
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Happy Valley Discussion Questions
Question 1
Penn State and State College love football and Joe Paterno. Penn State football, notably under Joe Paterno, symbolized pride, tradition, and community identity. Success in football elevated the university and bonded State College's residents, graduates, and students. Happy Valley inhabitants fostered deep relationships through football games and neighborhood gatherings. Joe Paterno embodied Penn State's values as head coach. His drive for brilliance increased the university's standing on and off the field. In addition to his coaching career, Paterno was a notable donor and champion of academic endeavors. Many considered him a figure of honesty, self-control, and volunteerism. Under Paterno, the football team became crucial to Penn State's and State College's identities.
Question 2
Nixon (2014) calls the Sandusky/Penn State Case "exceptional deviance" to distinguish it from other collegiate sports scandals. Rule-breaking, corruption, and scandals in college sports are