You are not burdened

This piece this week is in reference to the column “Friday Observer,” and Eric Londres’ latest addition “The burden of the free.”

“Ignorance, allied with power, is the most ferocious enemy justice can have.” —James Baldwin (No Name in the Street)

When I addressed Julia Wierzbicki’s column last semester, I started out by saying it was not an attack, but merely a fire to educate the rest of campus. Trust and believe me that my motive here is to provide education, but I cannot say that this article will not be inflammatory.

Dear Eric Londres (and The Stute at large),

When will you admit your faults, and take responsibility for the harm you have caused to this campus?

On the night of February 14, The Stute, specifically Mark Krupinski, released an article about the late Aileen Quinn as part of their “Mental Health Issue.” Matthew Cunningham describes the Issue to its staff in an email on February 9, part of which included this:

“We hope, through this special edition, we can not only preserve current attitudes and beliefs about mental health, but also make meaningful change to make our school better.”

As I sit here and reflect on this statement about two weeks since the entire incident, I am wondering this: what meaningful change did The Stute hope to bring about by making our campus re-live the suicide of Aileen Quinn?

If you wished for meaningful change in how our community engages with media organizations on campus, then I can say your wish is granted.

For those who did not read it, I will spare you the details, of which none were spared by Krupinski:

Transcripts. Personal emails. A Lyft charge. The way by which she died. All in a gross, detached narrative of the leader Quinn was, and how much of an impact she had on this campus. AND a relaxed approach in removing the article online until around 12 p.m. the day of its release, a full 12 hours after outrage ensued on social media.

And if that wasn’t all bad enough, here I am. Writing a response to Eric Londres’ piece last week about his “obligation to speak truth to power.”

Well, I see no power here. I see weakness in not having the courage to hold yourself accountable for the harm you did. 

Also, as President of SITTV, I would like to ask you if the title of your last three video uploads on YouTube (“Fiasco,” “NOT CLICKBAIT!!!! I got beat up in a Denny’s parking lot!!!!! [CLICKBAIT],” and “How to get from Kidde 228 to the Television Studio | Stevens”) are an indication of truth to power — because it’s not clicking for me.

While there are many things I’d like to say, the bulk of my point comes from the title of your article and this quote:

“Sometimes being free means you have to accept the burden of saying things that make people uncomfortable.”

If there’s one thing I am certain of, it’s that having the freedom to speak up and not be prosecuted for it is not “freedom.” It is privilege. It is years upon years of the ways in which journalism has been used to pursue its own agenda and oppress those with no voice. There is no burden in being able to communicate on the two largest media platforms at Stevens without the fear of retribution. There is no freedom in using the media to trigger the Stevens campus for The Stute’s own agenda in effecting change. It is privilege. And one, I might add, that is being used irresponsibly.

So please, save your crocodile tears where real ones have been shed.

I hope that, above all, Aileen Quinn and her story find peace. At the time of me writing this article, I am unsure if an apology will be written by The Stute for their actions, but I sure hope I’ll log on at midnight tonight and see it front and center.

I hope that the Stevens media community understands the power that they hold on campus, and what true “change” they could create if they used their privilege tactfully.

I hope that whoever reading this understands that we are a community, and no singular person should hold themself at fault for what happened to Aileen. Could more have been done? Absolutely. But this only points to a system that is broken, and one that we must rebuild hand-in-hand. There is nothing wrong with pointing out the cogs in the machine, but there is something wrong with using one’s personal information and detailed death to achieve this purpose.

Aileen Quinn deserves to rest, and so do her loved ones, and so do you. Shall we all put our collective energy in seeking justice to seeking peace as well.

But before I close, “Wannabe”?

There is nothing “wannabe” about putting my college career on the line for student-centric rights.

There is something “wannabe” about seeking attention instead of apologizing for the emotional damage you inflicted.