Lou Anna K. Simon has resigned from Michigan State University, but the Democrats on campus still aren't happy.
In the recent and devastating turn of events revolving around Larry Nassar and the sexual assault scandal circling MSU and the gymnastics world, our beloved college of green and white has been undergoing some change - big change. Last week, the education board at MSU named Republican John Engler the interim president of the college.
In true fashion, everyone panicked.
You can read about what happened here, but in short story format, the board met last Wednesday and students from the College Democrats of Michigan decided to join and protest. After the vote that named Engler president, an MSU senior quite literally jumped onto the giant board table, sat down on it, and complained about the decision. The other attending students refused to leave the boardroom, declaring a "sit-in" until the police forced them to leave.
I usually applaud people who stand up for what they believe. It's an American right.
But what I can never applaud is disrespect –– that is, jumping on a table and quite literally demanding that change occur, or else... wait, or else what? Are you going to drop out of school? Burn down the Beaumont Tower? Drive your moped on a sidewalk? Fire your professor?
You're not going to do anything other than continue to be angry and make demands.
We are students at this school, yes. We assume that because we pay thousands of dollars each year to be here, we should be in charge. But everyone knows this will never be the case. We are here for an education, not a political war. We are here to go to class, pursue a career, and then continue on with our lives. We need to stand up for what we believe, but we don't need to stand on a table to do it. As much as I love politics, I've never been a fan of politics within college. It only seems to cause division.
In case you were wondering, I was happy when Engler was chosen. I'm a Republican, so what more would you expect? However, I also know that no matter who was chosen, I would have survived. My class schedule wouldn't change. My friends wouldn't go away. The Rock wouldn't move. Parking would still suck and my Friday nights would still consist of Jagerbombs at Harpers.
What goes on behind the scenes at MSU is most definitely important, and it is sad that we were not made more aware of what happened with Nassar. The athletes personally abused by Nassar need time to heal, physically, mentally, and emotionally. Some may heal quickly, but others will be deeply affected for years or the rest of their lives. As for the students who were NOT abused by Nassar - you, me, and the majority of the 50,000 students at MSU - we need to step down from the table and stop attracting drama.
I say this because while this tragedy strikes close to home, it does not strike our home. It's not ruining our lives. One student at the board meeting protest said that he will forever carry a diploma from "Larry Nassar University." I would argue: what does Engler have to do with this and why are you letting Nassar win? Sure, the scandal is covering our school in a dirty haze, but our family, friends, and employers know who we are. We, the students, are not guilty. We have nothing to do with this, and while it should impact us to some degree, it's not going to ruin us.
This isn't Larry Nassar University.
This is OUR university.
I am graduating from Michigan State University this spring, and I'm so damn proud of it.
