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After Nassar, MSU Moving
Slowly Toward Change

CREDIT 2010 MSU STAFF PHOTO

I

have been routinely underfunded,
t is hard to be affiliated with the
unable to consistently meet high student
Michigan State University community
demand. Students often have to
and not be familiar with the
wait multiple weeks for intake
Larry Nassar scandal. Just one
appointments and then face a
Google search returns hundreds
shortage of therapists with over-
of articles from every major
booked schedules. Many are
publication in the country, all
referred to off-campus resources
detailing the horrific crimes of
altogether.
the former USA Gymnastics team
While the Nassar scandal hor-
doctor and MSU faculty member.
rified the community, it publicly
After accusations from 332
solidified the necessity for cam-
women and testimonies from
Marisa
pus
reform. Multiple MSU enti-
156, Nassar will first serve a
Meyerson
ties, including the varsity football
60-year sentence in federal prison
and basketball programs, have
for child pornography charges,
previously faced backlashes for
followed by concurrent sentences
mishandled sexual misconduct;
for sexual assault charges from
however, the Nassar case was the first to
Michigan’s Eaton and Ingham counties
garner prolonged national attention and a
of 40 to 125 years and 40 to 175 years in
critical evaluation of the university admin-
prison, respectively.
istration.
The Nassar case began publicly unfold-
It is disheartening to realize it took
ing as early as 2016 and, by January 2018,
something of this magnitude to begin
the university community’s response
processes for meaningful conversation
spanned shock and rage and everything
and, unfortunately, as has been illustrated
in between. Students,
in recent months, it does not necessarily
faculty and alumni
lead to immediate meaningful change.
were appalled at the
Several town halls, forums and open
lack of accountability
meetings have occurred, allowing thou-
and blatant disregard
sands of community members to express
the administration
their disappointment with the university
had expressed when
and board of trustees. At these venues,
presented with reports
students have shared their experiences
of Nassar’s behavior.
Dr. Larry Nassar
about campus sexual misconduct and the
Survivors had been
administration’s dismissive tendencies, as
reporting Nassar’s
well expressed their frustrations with the
crimes since 1997, some to coaches who
utterly non-transparent appointment of
provided referrals to his medical practice,
some to local police and some to the MSU Interim President Engler.
Among the demands for justice for the
Title IX Office, among other avenues.
Nassar survivors, students have passion-
Campus advocates had been calling for
ately advocated for funding reallocation,
more comprehensive services for assault
faculty inclusion in the administration’s
survivors for years, as MSU’s Counseling
initiatives, reinstatement and expansion
Center and the Sexual Assault Program

of campus services for women, and a
transparent presidential selection process.
Several undergraduates have also threat-
ened to transfer or look elsewhere for
graduate school.
As I was applying to a graduate pro-
gram at MSU myself, I was conflicted.
I questioned the potential hypocrisy of
studying therapy, gender and sexuality in
a place with a climate of victim-shaming
and lack of institutional accountability.
The fallout from MSU’s crumbling
reputation distracted from the efforts
of students and faculty engaged in the
important work of survivors’ healing and
justice, many still awaiting the recognition
they deserve. I ultimately decided to pur-
sue my master’s degree in clinical social
work at MSU, hoping to honor the bravery
of the survivors by my efforts to be a part
of the solution.

PUSHING FOR CHANGE

Engler’s administration is starting to take
the first steps toward change, but not
without a strong, consistent push from
the community.
MSU has some of the leading experts in
sexual assault and gender-based violence,
and these faculty and their associated
units are fighting for a place at the table
as the administration attempts to move
MSU into a new era.
The Center for Gender in Global
Context (GenCen), where I have interned
for three years, administers the Women’s
and Gender Studies program as well
as the LGBTQ and Sexuality Studies
program, and is working to expand the
curriculum to include an introductory
required course about “consent, healthy
sexual relationships, and issues related
to gender inequity and other forms of

oppression broadly,” per Stephanie Nawyn,
GenCen co-director, and MSU Trustee
Brian Mosallam, as reflected in his recent-
ly released Proposal for Drastic Voluntary
Remediation.
Engler’s newest group of advisers draws
from some of the university’s strongest
faculty. The Relationship Violence and
Sexual Misconduct Expert Advisory
Workgroup is chaired by Dr. Rebecca
Campbell (Psychology), in collaboration
with Dr. Carrie Moylan (Social Work) and
Dr. Cris Sullivan (Psychology).
The university also solicited applica-
tions for a Women’s Student Services
coordinator this month, an important
step for re-establishing discontinued ser-
vices for women and forwarding campus
culture transformation.
While progress is being made on cam-
pus, the survivors’ legal fight has rounded
a corner. On May 16, MSU announced a
principle agreement for a $500 million
settlement, ending the litigation phase
for 332 survivors and counting. $425 mil-
lion will be paid out, with $75 million in
reserve for others who may come forward.
While the settlement seems to be a vic-
tory, money cannot repair the damage
that has been done to hundreds of women
and the surrounding campus community.
Many survivors have commented that a
real victory would be an honest and com-
plete apology from the university, and the
necessary reforms that must follow.
There is no minimizing the amount of
work left to be done at MSU, in both the
administrative and cultural arenas, but
through solidarity and persistence, MSU
will see a new day. •

Marisa Meyerson of Farmington Hills is a graduate of
Michigan State University and will begin work on her
master’s degree in the fall.

essay

Dad Of Last Grad

T

is the season to buy cards for grads
and dads. These both hit me this
year. While I’m perennially a dad,
this year I’m (also) a dad of a high
school grad. No biggie, except
that it is a BIGGIE because this
is the last of three high school
graduates. In other words, my
nest will be emptying soon.
Fathering is the largest part of
my identity. While I’ve only been
doing it for a mere 24/55 of my
Perry
life, it still takes the prize. And it’s
Ohren
been quite a prize. And it’s not
like it’s stopping. And it’s not like
my nest hasn’t been half-empty for the
last six years, post-divorce. And it’s not
like my kids are home much in the sum-

8

June 14 • 2018

jn

mer for the last very many years because
of camps and travel and the like. But this
is different. My children will all not be liv-
ing with me as of this fall. I will
be an Empty Nester.
I should be happy. Lots of peo-
ple celebrate. Time for self. Time
with my partner. Staying late at
work. No more headaches from
the teenagers. Yuk!
I just “liked” a friend’s
Facebook post — “Our final
Shalom Party at Temple
Emanuel. End of an era …” So
that was me 13 years ago. But
now my kids aren’t off to the elementary
school down the street. They’re off to
their lives. In different states. College and

graduate school. There’s so much to be
thankful for. My kids can fly. It’s time for
them to leave the nest and make their
own. Talk about pride!
I am a proud father and I celebrate who
my kids are, what they’ve done and look
forward to what’s next for each of them.
They are solid citizens and to think that
I have had a part in that is awesome. But
I’m going to miss them being under my
roof. Seeing them before I go to sleep.
Eating meals with them. Packing lunches
(I know that most high school seniors
pack their own lunch, but I loved packing
Rebecca’s lunches until the bitter end).
This is huge. I’m even going to have to
stop buying produce at Costco.
So, I also run this place in the Jewish

community and two chiefs are leaving
the nest after making incredible contri-
butions, to go on with their own lives.
While it’s really, really hard to imagine
Jewish Family Service without Debra and
Shaindle raising boatloads of money and
making everything more efficient, the
reality at work is I’m “replacing” them. At
home, not so much! I’m not looking for
new children to call my own.
This is the way life is supposed to be.
It’s just a little sad right now. Being a dad
and having the last one to be the grad.
Not sure if there’s a card for that? •

Perry Ohren is the so-called father figure of Charlie,
Caleb and Rebecca Driker-Ohren and has been the
CEO of Jewish Family Service for 7/55 of his life.

