Maybe we don't write very well (some of you have probably been saying that since day one). But it seems that our last post was a little misconstrued, or maybe as we said -  poorly written. So let's try to clarify.

This story has exploded since it broke Thursday night. A Google news search of "Penn State" finds "Penn State Officials 'Appalled' With Halloween Photos" as the second article, with 120 related articles to that link. But, as we pointed out Friday, at least two of the photos shown of the "victims" are not Penn State students.

There are three pictures which are being widely circulated as being attached to the Penn State situation. The girl shown by herself in what The Collegian called a "jauntily" pose, is a Penn State student. Perhaps making the situation that much worse, this female student is actually from Virginia.

The other two pictures are not of Penn State students. The photo of the student dressed in a Virginia Tech hoodie appears to have been taken in San Francisco at the Exotic Erotic Ball - he does not appear to be a Penn State student. The picture of the guy standing next to the girl dressed as a "devil" is not a Penn State student either. His name is Jeff Tetreault, and when we spoke with him through Facebook Friday, he stated "I have no links to Penn State at all. I'm just a random guy who's getting death threats." At this point, Jeff has been named in at least one article that we can find.

So, who is the person in the interview that was done by WSLS? Well we have gathered this much so far: he is friends with the girl shown in the photo, and it appears he was actually in that photo with her but was then cropped out (all of that is talked about in the interview).

It also appears that the female student had a meeting with Judicial Affairs on Thursday but as Lisa Powers, a spokesperson for Penn State, has stated, neither of the students will be punished. According to Powers, punishment would violate the student's free-speech rights.

Penn State has issued a statement which, in part, reads - "We're appalled that these individuals would display this level of insensitivity and lack of common decency by dressing up in this manner." In addition, many people who have e-mailed Penn State president Graham Spanier are receiving this e-mail response from Tom Poole:

As Associate to the President for Administration, I help Dr. Spanier
respond to emails and important issues brought to his attention,
especially when he is out of the office for an extended period of time.
I understand the reaction that these senseless pictures have aroused. I
too am disappointed and appalled. These photos have absolutely nothing
to do with Penn State. How anyone could think that this is appropriate
behavior is beyond me, especially since at least one of these
individuals is from Virginia.

We hope and expect that Penn State students will show not only better
judgment, but more empathy for the suffering and pain that the Virginia
Tech community has experienced. These individuals do not express the
true feelings of our student body nor the Penn State community at large.

Please know that these pictures stand in sharp contrast to the comfort
and healing that all Penn Staters wish for the Virginia Tech community.

Sincerely,
Tom Poole

Thomas G. Poole, Ph.d.
Associate to the President for Administration