I'd like to share a letter from EMU Student President Greg Jones
Statement from EMU student government
Today marks an important day for the future of Eastern Michigan University. The EMU community is now at a crossroads. We have the option of continuing upon the path that we have followed in recent history, or we can choose to embark upon a new path that will lead us in a different direction. Today, we must choose a new direction.
Eastern Michigan now has the opportunity to move forward. No longer must we be the target of criticism. Now, we have the opportunity for our advancements to be praised. The benefit of the recent national exposition of EMU's shortcomings is that we can no longer hide from the issues that prevent us from excelling to our full potential. We, as a community, must now work diligently toward recognizing and resolving those issues.
No longer must we fail to communicate. Defective communication has been a plague on Eastern Michigan University for far too long. Now we have the opportunity to reexamine and rehabilitate this process. Effective communication between the faculty, administration, and student body must now begin to take place. We must actively pursue this goal, in the spirit of progress. To begin, there has been a deficiency of student representation at the University level that has interfered with effective communication. It is necessary to ensure that a student representative is designated for the University Budget Committee and the Strategic Operations Council. These groups make important decisions that affect the student body, and in the future the student voice must be incorporated into their decision making process. Furthermore, the EMU administration must make a concerted effort to communicate with students through a strong presence on campus. This can be achieved through town hall meetings and open forums, individual interaction, and simply attending events hosted by student organizations. I am optimistic that all members of the EMU community will work together to solve the problems surrounding communication at Eastern Michigan University.
In addition, no longer must the safety of our campus community be called into question. The Department of Education's report about Eastern Michigan University's failure to adhere to the Clery Act has highlighted several deficiencies within our Department of Public Safety and its relationship with the University. We now have the opportunity to repair those deficiencies and strengthen the university police force. We should not attempt to bury the past from ourselves or the outside community. We must learn from our mistakes, solve our problems, and highlight our progress publicly. We now have the opportunity to become one of the safest universities in the nation, and we must pursue that goal with passion and optimism. Though our leadership is changing, we must agree as a campus community to adhere to a plan to revise the safety of Eastern's campus. I have full confidence that Provost Loppnow will continue to pursue the sixteen safety revisions outlined by Dr. Fallon until an interim president is appointed. Furthermore, I encourage that he and other campus leadership look beyond that outline and pursue further safety enhancement measures. A stronger security presence, better lighting, and enhanced emergency action and communication plans will help make EMU the safest it has ever been.
Finally, no longer must we be divided into factions. Today, we have the opportunity to stop resenting the faults of the past, and begin looking toward a positive future together. We must bridge the gaps that have formed between the faculty, administration, and student body. For too long, EMU has been divided. Now we must all work together for the education, safety, and well-being of the student body of Eastern Michigan University. I look forward to the progress that must be made to restore our reputation with optimism. Let today set us upon a new path that will lead EMU in a positive direction.
Sincerely,
Greg Jones
Student Body President
EMU Student Government
I'm with ya Greg, especially on the faults of the past, I mean other than the mascot change n stuff ;)
Today marks an important day for the future of Eastern Michigan University. The EMU community is now at a crossroads. We have the option of continuing upon the path that we have followed in recent history, or we can choose to embark upon a new path that will lead us in a different direction. Today, we must choose a new direction.
Eastern Michigan now has the opportunity to move forward. No longer must we be the target of criticism. Now, we have the opportunity for our advancements to be praised. The benefit of the recent national exposition of EMU's shortcomings is that we can no longer hide from the issues that prevent us from excelling to our full potential. We, as a community, must now work diligently toward recognizing and resolving those issues.
No longer must we fail to communicate. Defective communication has been a plague on Eastern Michigan University for far too long. Now we have the opportunity to reexamine and rehabilitate this process. Effective communication between the faculty, administration, and student body must now begin to take place. We must actively pursue this goal, in the spirit of progress. To begin, there has been a deficiency of student representation at the University level that has interfered with effective communication. It is necessary to ensure that a student representative is designated for the University Budget Committee and the Strategic Operations Council. These groups make important decisions that affect the student body, and in the future the student voice must be incorporated into their decision making process. Furthermore, the EMU administration must make a concerted effort to communicate with students through a strong presence on campus. This can be achieved through town hall meetings and open forums, individual interaction, and simply attending events hosted by student organizations. I am optimistic that all members of the EMU community will work together to solve the problems surrounding communication at Eastern Michigan University.
In addition, no longer must the safety of our campus community be called into question. The Department of Education's report about Eastern Michigan University's failure to adhere to the Clery Act has highlighted several deficiencies within our Department of Public Safety and its relationship with the University. We now have the opportunity to repair those deficiencies and strengthen the university police force. We should not attempt to bury the past from ourselves or the outside community. We must learn from our mistakes, solve our problems, and highlight our progress publicly. We now have the opportunity to become one of the safest universities in the nation, and we must pursue that goal with passion and optimism. Though our leadership is changing, we must agree as a campus community to adhere to a plan to revise the safety of Eastern's campus. I have full confidence that Provost Loppnow will continue to pursue the sixteen safety revisions outlined by Dr. Fallon until an interim president is appointed. Furthermore, I encourage that he and other campus leadership look beyond that outline and pursue further safety enhancement measures. A stronger security presence, better lighting, and enhanced emergency action and communication plans will help make EMU the safest it has ever been.
Finally, no longer must we be divided into factions. Today, we have the opportunity to stop resenting the faults of the past, and begin looking toward a positive future together. We must bridge the gaps that have formed between the faculty, administration, and student body. For too long, EMU has been divided. Now we must all work together for the education, safety, and well-being of the student body of Eastern Michigan University. I look forward to the progress that must be made to restore our reputation with optimism. Let today set us upon a new path that will lead EMU in a positive direction.
Sincerely,
Greg Jones
Student Body President
EMU Student Government
I'm with ya Greg, especially on the faults of the past, I mean other than the mascot change n stuff ;)
posted by Witch King of Angmar at 8:54 AM
2 Comments:
In all the coverage I’ve seen on TV, newspapers, radio (heard), blogs, YouTube, etc., one thing is missing - the answer to the question “Why?”. I don’t give a shit what subsection of what subparagraph of the Clery Act was violated. I don’t give a rat’s ass about what they did, when they did it and what possible effects their (in)actions may have had on the student body at large. These are all matters of historical fact which tell us NOTHING! What they did has no meaning beyond the justice they received for their acts. Ruined reputations and careers are apt punishment for the failures of the administrative functionaries. But what lessons for the rest of us? What meaning behind the history?
Why did Hall and Vick and Fallon choose not to face the reality in front of their eyes? A dead girl obviously raped and murdered and locked in her room from the outside. Did they think if they closed their eyes and wished real hard that the body would go away, the keys would turn up and all would be well once again at EMU? I don’t buy it and I don’t believe you do either. What could cause three intelligent, experienced administrators to turn away from the crime at their feet, announce to the world that nothing happened, then destroy and deny all evidence of reality as it inevitably arrived, piece by piece, day by day?
Don’t you see the problem here? This isn’t about the reputation of the school. The fact of the rape/murder could not be hidden once the criminal justice wheels started turning. “Murder will out” is as true now as when it was coined. The crime would have to be reported as required by Clery (read the report - all previous “violations” were technical not substantive). There’s something else going on here.
I suspect these people felt they had blood on their hands because they somehow enabled the killer when they knew they could have and should have had him removed from campus long before this episode. They felt deep anguish and guilt and had to get out of the spotlight so others would take center stage hiding their complicity in enabling the killer to be at EMU in the first place. I suspect Vick and Hall were neck-deep in previous Taylor problems and decided to keep Fallon in the dark about these past issues and their (non)responses to them. Furthermore, I suspect there were and are others in the administration that know a great deal about the school’s enabling of this killer. Specifically, I would look to Admissions, Diversity, Remedial Learning and Disciplinary functions to see what they know of Mr. Taylor, his actions over the years and the administration’s response to them.
I enjoy your blog and look forward to hearing from you.
williakz
williakz, Thank You for leaving a comment and a really intelligent one at that. Been getting a few of those recently, I guess the passion and disgust this case has brought has indeed brought out the more thoughtful side of people.
Here's what I THINK happened. When they found her, they went to the videotapes where they now had their suspect coming and going around the time Laura Dickinson was killed. One thing that hasn't been discussed is how they knew the man in the videotape entering and leaving Hill Hall was Orange Taylor III.
At this point, EMU police as well as the coroner (Who practically admitted she was murdered in his FIRST public statement. One later that day was a little more muddled) knew they had a murder on thier hands. I think RIGHT THERE, when SOMEBODY must have said something to SOMEBODY in the coroner's office from EMU's Administration about backtracking his comments the coverup began. Right from the get-go the EMU DPS wanted this as quiet as possible. They were willing to do ANYTHING to keep this hushed up. I have NO DOUBT That Jim Vick found out and was swayed by MAYBE Cindy Hall or someone telling him he needed to play ball with the law. They needed a news blackout on it to hunt for the suspect. I think that's why the coroner's second statement was they way it was and I think it's why Vick acted the way he did. The police said so and demanded silence on this until they could capture or identify (again this hasn't been cleared up exactly when name was put to face) the murderer.
So, instead of doing THEIR duties, Vick and Fallon simply capitulated and allowed DPS to run things their way. They wanted to be PALS with the EMU police. Once it became clear the coverup train had left the station, instead of coming clean, they only tried to add more layers of coverup on it. I mean that's utterly stupid knowing once they identified their suspect an arrest was GOING TO HAPPEN but it's the course they took.
I'll also add that where the thought process became irretrievably stupid was when they KNEW Taylor had stolen her keys and did NOTHING. All while covering up her murder they were also exposing the female studentds of Hill Hall to incredible risk. He HAD dorm keys. He didn't need to piggyback in with anyone else any more. Later EMU would say students were 100% safe during this time which on it's face it bullshit. Unless you have an ankle tether on him or a cop handcuffed to him, you're NOT protecting ANYTHING 100%. They didn't say anything about the keys. I mean while you're covering up a murder get two for one and do SOMETHING to the hall locks. Say a Physical Plant employee lost a set and for safety purposes you changed the locks. Say an RA got drunk and lost their keys but change the locks will ya? It's becoming apparent they also, disgracefully, chose cost of changing locks and cutting new keys for a residence hall over protecting students.
PROVE ME WRONG on this EMU, I BEG you. WHY weren't the locks changed?
As far as the admissions office and what they knew of him before and how bad a case he was and if he should have been gone as a student before all this happened, I think the bar was set awfully LOW for him to stay on as a student. I also think there is SOME truth to what you say about them realizing once they knew HE was their suspect thinking "Oh Shit, why was he even a student--keep the previous infractions quiet". I do.
I think the lessons are ones we hope we'll never ever have to implement because that would mean another murder at EMU. I hope they playbook on these matters in now set in stone and the consequences for failing to use they playbook are clear. I just hope the only playbooks in USE are over at Rynearson Stadium.
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