Trust is a key component in a functioning society. It's the glue that holds a civilization together. It's the hope all people inherently have in each other's character.
So when that trust is broken, it harms everyone. It breaks down the complex web of relationships in a society. It makes people fearful, doubtful and cynical.
It really hurts.
On Friday, a former administrative assistant in the MSU School of Journalism will have a preliminary hearing on charges that she embezzled from the school and the Michigan Interscholastic Press Association, or MIPA, a program for middle and high school students interested in journalism.
According to the county prosecutor, Raye Grill is accused of taking more than $20,000 from MIPA and between $1,000 and $20,000 from the school of journalism.
Grill has not been convicted of any crime and all people are entitled to a fair trial before being branded a felon, but this incident highlights flaws in a person's character and in an organization's structure.
MIPA president Brian Wilson said more than $50,000 was taken from the organization going back seven years. This is a non-profit organization that offers journalism camps for secondary school students. The money could have been used for scholarships, supplies, trips, conferences, etc. Instead, it was allegedly embezzled by someone who had earned a healthy amount of trust - enough trust to go unquestioned about something as important as book keeping. It's too early to tell if how the theft will hurt MIPA.
As Wilson said, "People are really disappointed and disgusted that something like this could happen." They should be. It's clear the trust has been shattered. New measures will have to be taken to protect its assets in the future, and the organization will have to rebuild a system of trust.
In the School of Journalism, an internal audit was done after director Jane Briggs-Bunting noticed discrepancies in MIPA funding. It revealed that money from the School of Journalism was also missing, although officials won't comment on how much was taken and over what time period.
This proves that the system by which the school controls its money should be reviewed. Budget concerns have already placed the school in a vice. In the future, the school should invest a little extra time and money in a better-supervised system with regular internal audits. It's an unfortunate reality, but the breach of trust makes it mandatory. At least then, the chance of this happening again would be reduced.
Unfortunately, this isn't the only case of embezzlement the university has experienced this year.
In August, former Residence Halls Association member Gary A. Shivers was sentenced to 10 days in jail, 25 days of community service and a $7,075 fine after he was convicted of embezzling $4,500 in RHA funds. No one saw it coming.
RHA spokesman and communication senior Geoff Schwartz said in August that the crime boggled his mind.
"We are an organization really dedicated to honest people," he said.
To steal is universally abhorrent, but to steal from educational organizations, to steal from friends and colleagues, is a disgusting betrayal. But even in the uncertainty that surrounds this incident, there is still an element of trust - a trust that the person who committed this crime should be sent to jail for a long time.
