When Sue Carter leaves her post this summer, there's a decent chance students won't take much notice.
After all, Carter, currently the secretary of the MSU Board of Trustees and executive assistant to the MSU president, is not the most prominent figure and might not come to most students' minds when they think of the university's power players. Instead, students probably think of MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon or the Board of Trustees that seem to vote on so many crucial issues.
In reality, though, Carter has a great deal of sway at MSU. She drafted the policies that drastically diminished tailgating on campus, and she had much to do with the open-alcohol ban many students bemoan.
And now, she's leaving - possibly to pursue a calling in the Episcopalian church. Although this road seems like a fairly abrupt turnaround for Carter, who has only served in her current positions at MSU for a little more than three years, it is not all that surprising. Carter has previously served as a journalist, as well as a journalism instructor. She is a horse aficionado who has skied to the North Pole.
With this extensive and varied résumé, it isn't too shocking that she's chosen to depart. Carter is either the undergraduate who perpetually can't decide on a major or a Maya Angelou type who simply wants to get as much different activity in as possible during her lifetime. And although Carter insists that her decision was personal and not professional, its proximity to the beginning of Simon's tenure can't be denied.
With her departure imminent - she plans to step down on July 1 - we can't help but hope that the person tapped to fill Carter's powerful position has a little more tact when it comes to establishing a productive relationship between the student body and university administration. The tailgate restrictions and subsequent alcohol ban ignited flames of indignation that will have to be quelled, as some students felt they were left without a voice in the process that passed those measures.
When you hold one of the university's most influential positions, it's important to hear all sides of any case.
