President White swings and misses

By Paul Schmitt

“You can’t hit home runs off of softballs, Mike,” remarked the rookie governor, looking at his thoroughly disappointed aide, Michael Deaver. Deaver had spent days staging questions and planting friendly guests for the upcoming meet and greet that Gov. Ronald Wilson Reagan would attend. He had spared no expense, making sure that even the governor would now have a copy of the questions and that there would be no surprises from the crowd waiting to grill him.

With that, Deaver’s stack of notecards, smothered with questions, found its way into a wastebasket under Ronald Reagan’s desk. Through all his actions, the campus activist turned radio announcer turned actor turned governor turned president took the high road with class and dignity, but moreover, treated people like people. These thoughts ran through my mind as I stopped into the Illini Union’s Pine Lounge last week to listen to B. Joseph White, president of the University, answer questions from our very own student senators.

White gracefully sailed through the interview, as he always does, complimenting the crowd and fielding scathing questions such as, “How does it feel to be the president of such a prestigious university?” or “What was the most exciting moment of your presidency?’ or even “Our university is so great, why don’t people see it for it’s wonderful value?” The audacity. Then came the softball.

Daniel Nugent, a graduate senator in accountancy, raised his humble hand. Nugent, upon his existence being acknowledged by B. Joseph White, asked, “President White, with all due respect, Students for Chief Illiniwek has requested information from your administration under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) regarding the retirement decision of Chief Illiniwek, only to be turned away and have (its) request ignored largely due to minor technicalities and wording. The Public Affairs office has already conducted a preliminary search – why, if you have these documents, wouldn’t you just turn over this information to the students?”

It was then that cool Joe lost his cool. “There are some people in this community that just want to hold onto this issue forever and not let it go. The trustees made the decision. It’s over. It’s done. It’s time to get over it and move on!” President White, undoubtedly frustrated that people are still upset and in love with a tradition that he never understood, had just sternly lectured a student asking a fair and justified question.

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Dan Nugent wasn’t going to be intimidated, however. “With all due respect, President White,” Nugent said loudly, making sure he was heard over the university president who was trying to speak over him, “you just finished speaking on the importance of students as shareholders of this university, why can’t the owners of this institution expect transparency in the major decisions of this school?”

While White barely acknowledged Nugent’s follow-up question, granting him a brush-off, the damage had been done – and White knew it, later making a butchered apology for the tone of his words. The event, on the whole, was reflective of the general lip service that the students are granted at the University while the adults convene and decide where in the yard to put our sandbox. It would be too much to expect for University administrators to actually treat the nonacademic public, the students, and the press like people capable of comprehending complex issues.

Shareholders of major corporations are usually given a vote on major issues and company decisions. Because President White has made it vastly apparent that the shareholders of this university don’t even deserve square answers on Chief Illiniwek, Global Campus, Unofficial St. Patrick’s Day, drunken athletic escapades, and other matters, I won’t hold my breath. It would have been exciting to grill the only Illinois-born U.S. president with tough questions on Iran Contra, the Federal Deficit, the AIDS epidemic or even strategic defense initatives. Perhaps in this university administration’s case, we should stick to throwing softballs.

Editor’s note: Paul Schmitt is the interim president of Students for Chief Illiniwek.