Right on Cue: SMU President Speaks
January 18th, 2007 at 1:47 pm
Last night SMU President Gerald Turner addressed the faculty’s concerns about the George W. Bush library coming to campus for the first time . The Dallas Morning-News has the full round-up, but the short version is: Bush Institute to operate independently of SMU; academic freedom to continue on campus.
But things do seem to be getting a little bit testy in the higher ranks, with concerns that losing the library at this late stage would do more to harm the school’s reputation than just being associated with a partisan think tank.
The evidence? With Turner’s promises of continued academic freedom as a backdrop, there’s this exchange, as chonicled by the DMN:
The meeting also included some sharp words from Rhonda Blair, president of the faculty senate. Some professors have said they wanted more debate on the library, but Dr. Blair said faculty have had the past six years to voice concerns, because SMU has pursued the library that long.
Dr. Blair said she questions the timing of recent concerns raised by faculty, “and what seems to be playing to the press at the 11th hour. … There was no reason to wait this late to consider these matters more fully as a faculty, particularly if there were ethical concerns.”
Interim Provost Tom Tunks said that as SMU’s chief academic officer, he wanted to go on record that he strongly supports the university’s bid to host the library. “In my view, the academic benefits would be immeasurable, and for us to lose this opportunity would be tragic. Furthermore, for us to allow that to happen or, worse, to cause that to happen, would be foolish.”
Some professors at the meeting said they took offense at remarks by both.
History professor Alexis McCrossen said, “I’m appalled at [Dr. Blair] chastising us. … She tried to make it sound as though this is all partisan, and the fact of the matter is it’s not.”
Another history professor, Ben Johnson, said he found some of Dr. Blair’s and Dr. Tunks’ remarks “to be incredibly intimidating.”
Referring to Dr. Tunks’ comments, Dr. McCrossen said, “I took that as a direct threat, like there will be repercussions if the faculty express dissent such that we lose that deal.”
The next meeting is scheduled for Jan. 24 and will be a discussion between faculty members and the president. It’s hard to believe that the two parties won’t find a way to work this out, but with controversy already surrounding the land for the library, it seems that nothing involving the president quite works out as planned.
January 19th, 2007 at 2:30 pm
Cow Chips in W’s Punch Bowl
They’re cows chips in W’s punch bowl!
They float and roll!
Thin and thick -
Some the size of a brick!
Some crunchy - some chewy!
Some just gooey!
Big and small -
And, that’s not all!
Many don’t mesh,
Because they are really fresh!
Forget the smell!
Just don’t W tell!
W’s thinks it has a lovely bouquet?
So he says day after day!
The White House doesn’t seem to chatty,
As their bowl runneth over with cow patty!
W’s staff is so loyal!
To the ‘One’ who thinks he’s royal!
Is this why W wears cowboy boots,
Busy steppin’ in figurative bovine ‘fruits’?
W thinks everything’s great
With his sinking ship of state!
W doesn’t know fantasy from fact -
His head with this punch is fully packed!
W pretends ‘it don’t stink’,
But would you take a drink?
Partially based on a much more colorful old Southern expression that even the ‘elite’ at SMU can understand.
Hubert Wilson
January 19th, 2007 at 8:43 pm
Looks like Mr. Wilson is giving ol’ Calvin Trillin a run for his money.
January 20th, 2007 at 8:46 pm
Regardless of political views, a presidential library is a valuable research tool to any institution. I didn’t see UT turning up their liberal noses at LBJ’s library. And UT was the site of some very candid attacks on LBJ and the Vietnam War. Like it or not, there aren’t that many presidential libraries and the grants and research attached to them. I count maybe 43 in the last 200 some odd years. It’s also interesting to note that only one Dallas minister signed the petition. Most of the signatures are from people not associated in any way with SMU. I guess if they don’t want divergent views, then maybe the title of “university” should be removed. There’s nothing universal in namecalling rather than solid research. And we haven’t seen the likes of this since the Preists of Amon removed Akhenaton’s cartouches from El Amarna.
June 3rd, 2007 at 4:35 pm
Mr. Hubert Wilson’s poem is of the same nature as all his others — a childish response from a knee-jerk Bush-hater rather than an honest appraisal of what might be good for the people of the State of Texas and the students and faculty at SMU.
FYI, Mr. Wilson, if you read this. I served with Sgt. Doug Arcano (every day of my life I wear an MIA bracelet with his name and 06-05-1969 on it) and A1C Paul Anthony. You have dedicated poems elsewhere to each of them that they would repudiate if they were alive and free to do so. Please have some respect for their sacrifice for their country even if you do not share the patriotic sentiment. They are not tools for you to use for your political agendas.