#184 Musings Beyond the Bunker (Monday November 1)
Good morning!
Another “Monday melange” of musings…
USC—THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING
“Any publicity is good publicity” is an adage drawn from P.T. Barnum’s original coinage, when he noted that there is “no bad publicity.”
Well, I think the circus that is my alma mater has proven that wrong. It has had endless bad publicity, much of which could have been managed with effective leadership by its administration and appropriate oversight by its board of trustees, both of which have been lacking for many years. USC’s history is one of a growing toxic culture that chases money at all cost of morality, social standards and accountability. The number of “unforced errors” continues to build. Only a week ago, we only were dealing with the bone-headed sale of its name to a casino that preys on the greedy and the ignorant. Now, it is back in the mire with immorality and criminality.
Just a few weeks ago, we were reading of a bribing scandal involving Mark Ridley Thomas, who apparently funneled money and contracts USC’s way. But all of this pales by comparison to recent revelations regarding claims of serial drug-enhanced rape in a poisonous Greek culture that has been accommodated for its “boys will be boys” behaviors for far too long.
Here’s The Los Angeles Times article summarizing this latest travesty: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-10-21/usc-suspends-sigma-nu-fraternity-chapter-alleged-drugging-sexual-assault
To add greater moral failing is that the institution has proven—yet again—more concerned with its “spin” than the safety of its students. For over a month, it failed to disclose the existence of this alleged rape factory. Presumably during all this time the university was working its spin, at the sacrifice of young women who continued to be led up those fraternity stairs to sexual attack. The university is culpable for aiding and abetting, all while lawyers twiddled their thumbs and PR consultants tried to figure out the messaging that would least harm the university. The university since has tried to explain away this latest moral lapse but the damage is done. As a professor at the university was said, “I can’t stop thinking about if even one girl was raped during this period.”
A university filled with lawyers—inside and out—but with little regard for the law and setting primacy of its concerns not in the students it stewards but in the institution itself.
Sometimes it pays to see just how bad things are when viewed in a single place. The university has lots of headlines but the latest continues this sordid tale. Here’s a brief list of its most recent faux-pas (not ranked by moral gravity):
· Ignored the sexual exploits and medical malpractice of a member of one of the physicians in its health center, damaging countless young women and costing the university in excess of $1.2B in settlements. And it’s not over. We still don’t know the extent of the problem: https://www.latimes.com/california/0000017c-a94e-dea7-a97e-ed5e5a530000-123
· Condoned the drug-enhanced partying of a medical school dean in local hotels, extending his contract in light of these revelations (notwithstanding the Provost’s recommendation that he not be extended)
· Hired a new medical school dean who had known sexual predation claims (in his personnel files—at USC!)
· Thumbed its nose at the NCAA, bringing one of the most significant sanctions ever meted out by that organization for one of its least-offensive violations
· Repeatedly hired “loyal Trojans” with no experience for the Athletic Director position (other than quick moves on the football field)—Mike Garrett, Pat Haden, Lynn Swann. The first, a great guy, was ill-fitted to the political, PR, and legal ins and outs of the job. The second was serving on several alumni boards with questionable practices, including nepotism and conflicts of interest. The third, a nice man, had no clue, and signed an unproven football coach to a lucrative five-year deal.
· Decided to enter the “one and done” race for basketball players with the disastrous drafting of O.J. Mayo in the 90s, bringing the resulting special gifts of such an action
· Was the most active participant in the “pay to play” Varsity Blues sales of spots at the university. Some 50% of all the reported behaviors centered on USC.
· Has a laughable governance process, with little in the way of Trustee responsibility, education, accountability, term limits, or standards of performance or attendance.
· A president who, under fire, extended the contracts of several of his trusted acolytes in anticipation of their termination—in order to provide them a landing strip of cash after mismanagement.
· A sports program that admitted students on athletic scholarships with no connection to the sports for which they allegedly were recruited
· A Greek system gone wild and sexual predation seemingly rampant.
· And just to show this plague of bad decisions isn’t a new thing, the University once proposed hosting an ROTC program for the Shah of Iran in the 1970s
· There’s so much more, but there’s a start.
“OLDIES”
The other day I was flipping the channels on Sirius. I was listening to the 2000s channel. Then I went back to the 70s channel and listened to a little ELO. I stayed there for a while and decided to settle in for some of the “newer” music from the 90s. But here’s the thing…the “newer” music wasn’t that new. Indeed, a tune from the 90s, when our kids were toddlers, seemingly “only yesterday,” was in fact as far removed from today as the early 50s music was when I was in college. Before the Beatles, before Elvis!
As for the 70s music that is so familiar and that remains so vibrant and “current” in the present is as far removed from today as Ragtime from the late-20s was from when I was in high school. That’s pretty staggering. Time marches on.
Have a good day,
Glenn
From the archives: