I’m sick and tired of every single person who bashes and criticizes B. Joseph White and Richard Herman. They are certainly easy targets, and they did do something wrong. But they did what they did for the sake of Illinois. Yes, they admitted students who may not have been as academically prosperous as most of us here, but they did it because they knew who were requesting the students’ admittance. It was the members of the Illinois Legislature and other powerful figures.

We all know that 93 percent of our promised budget from the state has been withheld so far.

Maybe our leaders should do more to appease those in Springfield. Oh, wait, Joe White and Richard Herman already tried that by allowing the I-list, but we booted them for being so gutless as to not take a stand against these influential men. How cowardly is it to risk your job and your reputation by admitting these students so that funding can come from these powerful figures to the school, to support the resources we all take advantage of on campus. Those two sure have a lot to learn about ethics.

Joe White and Richard Herman knew that the Illinois name had to become more prestigious and more of a household name before we could become a great school with great resources. They also knew that they had to risk their integrity to make those who control our money-flow happy.

Shame on them, for being so elitist and cowardly. Maybe next time we’ll get an administration that understands ethics and does what’s best for themselves and stops worrying so much about the students.

Brian Rosten,

junior in LAS