WILL KARR
Editor in Chief
In order to move forward, we must first look backwards. We can’t move into the future without going back to address and come to terms with our problematic pasts, histories and actions. Confronting our pasts can be difficult. Looking back can force us to start taking accountability for our own actions, which can have implications for our future.
It’s easier to close our eyes to the past and what nearsighted problems are right in front of us, choosing to instead look blindly towards the future. However, focusing solely on the future ultimately blinds our eyes from seeing what we need to realistically see in hindsight in order to truly and fully move forward.
So what should be the goal moving forward?
We need to start striving for double vision: finding a balance of looking backward and forward. The first step in exercising double vision should be looking backward: reflection — asking ourselves how we can learn from the past to ensure an informed and safer future.
“Part of the reason that I wanted to have this conversation is because we’d like to have people like you [students] at the table. But, we have to make sure it’s looking forward and not looking for blame and looking backwards,” Fisk said. “Let’s learn from this what we can, but let’s include you [students] and try to figure out what moves us forward.”
Part of the process of looking backwards is actively taking accountability. The Leader strongly believes that the Athletics Department has ultimately still failed to take any accountability for what happened on the night of Feb. 21. We believe asking for accountability is looking for closure, not blame. There is a fine line between desiring accountability and searching for blame. Through our coverage of this issue, we are hoping for accountability.
The Leader understands that taking accountability could come with possible repercussions for the Athletics Department, which has potential implications for the university as a whole. Therefore, we understand accountability may never be actively taken on the Athletic Departments own accord. But, without taking active accountability, we can’t positively and realistically move forward as individuals, as humankind or as an institution.
In a quote mentioned in a previous article, Fisk said, “I think our perspective is just that we were thankful that University Police came over and that the school gave medical treatment. Was it the trainer? It was not the trainer. Was it SUNY Fredonia as a whole? Yes it was.”
Since UPD properly responded to the incident in a timely manner, the Athletic Departments doesn’t seem to feel the need to acknowledge what they did by not responding or attempting to offer help through the means of a certified athletic trainer (CAT) because it ended up all being properly handled by another department of the university. Therefore, everything seemingly ended up being okay in their minds at the end of the day because someone responded.
“I think we’re skipping over the fact that UPD did arrive and was able to administer care,” Fisk said.
The Leader feels the Athletics Department is still skipping over who didn’t respond: the trainer. We are grateful that UPD responded, but believe the fact of who didn’t respond deserves equal attention.
Overall, we seem to have two different visions, focuses and realities. Yet here we are living in the same reality, staring and sitting across from each other on the edge of our seats in conference rooms in the pursuit of mutual understanding. Can two visions and realities exist simultaneously?
In a quote from Fisk mentioned in the previous article, Fisk is right that “SUNY Fredonia as a whole did not fail to treat the student.” However, we believe his Athletics Department that he serves as director of did in fact fail. We believe Winston’s club athlete status should have been considered irrelevant since it was a medical emergency. The university’s Athletic Department is an office and facet of the larger SUNY Fredonia.
At the end of the “University’s [official] statement,” the university says that “any claim that an injured student was denied medical care by SUNY Fredonia is completely inaccurate.”
To be clear, The Leader has not claimed that “an injured student was denied medical care by SUNY Fredonia” as a whole. The Leader has and will continue to stand by the fact that the injured student, Jason Winston, who possesses a club athlete status, was not provided medical treatment by the university’s Athletic Department on the evening of Feb 21, through the means of a certified athletic trainer. Fisk himself admits that “it was not the trainer” that “gave medical treatment.”
Once accountability is taken, we can all hopefully finally feel good about moving forward together. Right now, we are all trying to move forward without any closure: accountability.
We at The Leader are looking forward to seeing the Athletics Department and other offices on campus create a safer reality and environment for club athletes here in Fredonia. We would still like to see accountability taken by Athletics but regardless of that, we accept Fisk and the Athletic Department’s invitation to continue being vocal agents and catalysts for change through seeing with double vision.
Fisk said, “I think there are some things we need to address looking backwards. [But] there is a lot more to be addressed coming forward. I think that is where I want us to have continued interaction, especially at the club sport level to make sure we get to the solution. I don’t think this situation is a bright spot for anybody, even though they, UPD and Max [Hamilton], responded quickly. But I am glad there was a good outcome. I think it’s a learning opportunity for us all.”
The Leader would like to thank the Athletics Department and other members of the campus community for taking time to meet with representatives of The Leader. We hope to continue to have a seat at the table, helping to envision a safe future for all athletes through the use of double vision: looking backward and forwards. We will help by endeavoring to use our platform and reach to highlight plans and initiatives for club sports as they are being implemented and developed moving forward.