The dumpster fire that is the world is never far from my mind these days (though, admittedly, this can probably be said for all of us). One can only have so much anger at a time to dole out in a given day, but that doesn’t stop me from being constantly apoplectic about the state of things at MSU. I’ve written about this before (see here), but I’m always discovering new depths of terribleness at an institution that just can’t stop fucking up.
I’ve spent more time on Twitter these past couple weeks than I did months previously. Don’t get me wrong—Twitter is still a sinking ship and the rats are still fleeing en masse—but there are still plenty of random men trying to downplay sexual misconduct and suddenly becoming experts in obscure niches of knowledge.
The Board of Trustees continues to deny justice to Nassar victims, inventing new reasons every time to deflect responsibility. This isn’t old news; we’re used to this particular picket line of the administration by now. But for the skeleton of MSU’s esteemed head football coach to escape the green cupboard within twenty-four hours? You always think they can’t sink any lower, but you’re always surprised. The indifference of cynicism just grows larger.
One remember’s listening to Johnny Cash growing up, especially the part about “What’s done in the dark will be brought to the light … sooner or later, God’ll cut you down.” The only difference between the ignorance of and the rage at the university administration has been whether there’s exposure. Men on Twitter like to argue differently, but the administration is never innocent, and even if allegedly no-one knew about Tracy’s report in December 2022, someone sure as hell knew when a third party investigation concluded in July of this year. Yet, here we are, shocked Pikachu face and all.
The road to MSU not being terrible is a long one, especially when the administration seems convinced to keep digging themselves into the hole they’ve made. And, honestly, there isn’t all that much we can do about it as the little people. The only power the students/faculty/staff can exercise is to try to vote out as much of the Board of Trustees as possible. Unanimous no-confidence votes and dissent have done nothing over the years to make the administration change. Even the presidential search—after the Board ousted President Stanley—is behind closed doors and no amount of raging against the bureaucratic, vaguely academic machine has made any kind of lasting change to date.
The world is sometimes a garbage heap that’s been doused in petrol and peppered with proverbial Molotov cocktails. Is life really meant to feel so ragged? Twitter doom-scrolling because academia is crumbling thanks to inept leadership and I want to punch every single fucking university “trustee” in their smiling faces for actually being despicable. Too-fragile and tenuous friendships with the people of your time and place, making you feel so alone. Impossible optimisation courses and unending group projects with the existential angst of what’s next? The list goes on and on.
And yet… one atom of justice, one molecule of mercy is somehow supposed to sustain us through the fumes. I have always believed this—I think we all do—but living with it in your white-knuckled grasp is such an entirely different matter.
