To the Mavericks who have been shamed by the blotter,
Let me be clear, these actions do not define you. Your name in this paper will be irrelevant by January. You are amazing.
The Criterion has claimed that they are obligated to print your names simply because they are a newspaper. It would be public record irregardless and that is a consequence you must face. However, to claim that the context of a school newspaper is the same as other papers is naive. CMU is a tight knit community, even with the increase in size since I graduated nine years ago. It is dismissive to imply the blotter has not impacted your experience at CMU, although hopefully this part of that experience is short lived. The good of reporting MIPs does not outweigh the harm down forcing students to walk through a campus wondering if their peers and professors’ are whispering their names. The Criterion may apologize for any harm they may have caused whether it be from pride or obligation but they show no initiative to make any changes. I have no such obligations, so let me offer you some words in their place.
You matter and your contributions to CMU matter. The powers at be have decided that underage drinking and getting high need to be public knowledge for the well being of the community. I do not agree with that statement. I agree, laws and rules should be enforced, but I see no reason why these acts should be highlighted in a public forum other than shaming the perpetrators. I wonder, what has done greater harm here: underage drinking or the MIP announcement in the blotter? The powers at be have the capability and the intelligence to make that distinction.
Institutions like the Criterion, the CMU administration, the Federal Government, and you my fellow Mavericks are all accountable. It is our democratic duty to voice our concerns and to hold each other accountable to do better. We are not accountable for the choices made for us but we are accountable for how we respond to those choices. You can decide how to respond. You can choose to do nothing and the system repeats. Or, you can choose to do something, anything. Even if you fail you have the satisfaction of trying and, hopefully, the opportunity to try again.
When you remember the shame from this experience I also invite you to remember the power you have to effect change. I invite you to remember that progress is not always achieved by following the rules and I invite you to remember that the worst thing you can do is to do nothing.
That’s enough cliches for one letter but please know I meant every word.
Maverick, Former Opinion Columnist and Features Editor turned Preschool Teacher,
Greg Morgan
