There is a trial going on, and you have probably heard of it, which is against Dr. Larry Nassar for his sexually assaulting many girls through his position at MSU as well as with the U.S. Women’s Olympic Gymnastics Team. Today, Nassar was sentenced to prison for 175 years. What Nassar did has had a significant impact on the students of MSU, both directly and indirectly.
While I am not one of the girls who was assaulted by Nassar, it is scary to imagine that, as an athlete, these girls are just like me. Nassar is a disturbing human being, whose actions stole so much from so many people – things that people may never get back. These girls, with the strength to stand up and face Nassar to call him out for his actions, will forever be held in high esteem for their undeniable courage. I thank all of these girls for being willing to put themselves in an uncomfortable position in order to get Nassar the justice he deserves.
As a student at Michigan State University, I am especially upset by Nassar for the role he played on my campus. Like many of the victims who were students at MSU expressed, I too bleed green and white. I have a lot of pride in being a Spartan, so much so that I even became a tour guide in order to share my love of this campus with others. This school was never where I expected to end up, but I could not be more grateful for having found my home here. What Nassar has done goes beyond the people he attacked directly – he has attacked the entire MSU community. We are a school that believes in community and diversity and respect, and he has tarnished our reputation just through association.
I am sad to also mention that, although it was Nassar who assaulted these girls, he would not have been able to do it alone for this long. It amazes me that, despite all of the programs and policies MSU has in place, this was able to reach this point. Because of this, I can’t help but be convinced that there are many more people involved in this than just Nassar himself. I think that many MSU staff need to reevaluate how they handled the reports they received – because, by not doing what they were legally bound to do, they assisted in allowing Nassar to destroy the lives of so many people.
We need to hold everyone accountable for the things that they did and did not do. This is as much the fault of Nassar as it is the fault of everyone who the victims confided in who chose not to report the assaults. Sexual assault is not a joke, and we cannot allow it to continue this way. Girls should not have to fear walking alone at night or going to the doctor. We need to hold each other to a higher standard – to create a world where we don’t bury the truth, but rather do everything we can to expose those who are not behaving the way we expect them to.
MSU needs to change. The atmosphere needs to change so that something like this will never, ever, happen again. Whether this change requires a complete change in administration, or a change in policy, or both – it needs to happen.
The student body is taking steps toward this, which is why I am still proud to call myself a Spartan. The student body has refused to accept how this situation was and is being handled. The fact that, as a student community, we are standing up for what we believe and taking steps to make change is inspiring. We are not going to stand by and watch people like Larry Nassar be free to behave in this way, and we will do whatever it takes to make this campus a safer place for each and every member.
I am outraged by Nassar, and ashamed of how MSU handled the situation, but they do not define Michigan State University. I define what it means to be a Spartan. We, as a student body, define what it means to be a Spartan. And all those women who had the courage to stand up to Nassar – they embody everything that we value as Spartans. MSU is going to change, but it is going to change for the better – because a world where girls live in constant fear is not a world that we will allow to exist anymore. You can see that clearly on campus, as the student body bands together to make change.
I am a Spartan. I bleed green and white. And I stand with all the victims of Nassar, as they expose him for all of the horrible things he has done. I stand as a student of Michigan State University who is dedicated to changing this world for the better.
Spartans will… not be silenced. Spartans will… stand for what they believe in. Spartans will… overcome the odds and change the world.
