Staff Ed: Michigan State University gymnastics sex abuse should encourage UMW students and staff to engage in discussion

By THE BLUE & GRAY PRESS EDITORIAL BOARD

Michigan State University has been a fixture in the news over the past few months; first, because Larry Nassar, a former MSU employee, was sentenced to 40 to 175 years for sexual abuse affecting many athletes at the school; and second, because the university is now reeling in the aftermath of the tragedy.

The president of MSU, Lou Anna K. Simon, resigned from her position in January after feeling pressured to do so. In the wake of Simon’s resignation, the university’s board of trustees voted to bring John Engler, Michigan’s governor, on board as interim president of the university. The decision was met with anger from the community who felt as though they had no say in the matter and are worried about Engler’s upsetting history of dealing with cases of sexual abuse.

The night after this decision was made, MSU held a town hall meeting during which members of the student body and community told their stories and aired their grievances. This town hall meeting was not unlike gatherings and open forums held at UMW to discuss matters affecting students, faculty members and members of the community.

We at the Blue & Gray Press value our university administration’s transparency in dealing with sensitive issues and are thankful that open dialogue and conversation are a part of our university experience. It is through discussion, sharing and connecting with one another that we can work together to combat issues on campus.

The events that have taken place at MSU over the past few months have shown that when faced with such as issue, it is important for a campus community (including the campus administration) to work together in order to successfully move forward.