Roy Exum
You may remember one gruesome day back in November when 30 players on the University of Missouri football team blackmailed the university, announcing to the nation they would neither practice nor play until Timothy Wolfe, the president of the University of Missouri system, had resigned. The shocking boycott of the football team reverberated on college campuses all across the United States.
The players’ demands, made on Nov. 8, were applauded by Head Coach Gary Pinknel and, believe it or not, even the President of the United States. The athletic department issued a statement that also supported the demonstration. The next day Wolfe did indeed resign, as did Chancellor Bruce Loftin just hours later. The day before the next game, a 20-16 win over Brigham Young, Pinknel resigned as well, citing his diagnosis earlier in the year of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
In today’s life lesson, we will look at two major universities, Missouri and Ohio State. We will look at Missouri’s bitter backlash, and the Buckeyes’ lack of it. Yesterday two news sites, The National Review and the one named Heat Street, revealed they had obtained 7,400 pages of emails that were sent to MU after the black players’ boycott.
The overwhelming majority were not nice, not at all. One long-timer Tiger backer wrote “to finalize my 40 year history with the Athletic Department. For the last 10 years I have attended between 60-85 athletic events per year … always bought a ticket, two hot dogs and a Coke. Now I have a hole in my heart that you could drive a truck through.
“I pledge from this day forward NOT to contribute to the Tiger Scholarship Fund,” he continued, “(not) buy any tickets, (not) attend an athletic event (even if free.) I will give away all my MU clothes (nearly my entire wardrobe) after I remove any logos associated with the University of Missouri, and any cards, helmets, ice buckets, and flags with the University of Missouri logo on it.”
Of course, the university could have shredded the batch of emails but what can’t be undone is the fact freshmen enrollment at the University of Missouri – right now -- is down 25 percent, forcing four dormitories to be closed. There is a $32 million funding gap, donations to the athletic department plunged 72 percent, and overall donations to the university have also plummeted.
As one grandmother fumed, “I will pull every dime out of my granddaughter’s tuition trust before I allow her to set foot on your campus. What is occurring there is a national and academic disgrace and embarrassing. Absolutely disgusting.”
Another snarled: “They yell white privilege! Let me explain that as simply as I can. That is when I sit in the donor section. That is when I park in a donor space. That is when I give to the whole university, not based on color or creed. That is my white privilege.”
Melissa Clink, a journalism professor who tried to incite a fight and was seen on the networks hurling profanity at the police, was fired by the university this February but her name will be long remembered in Columbia. “You have allowed Ms. Click and 200 misinformed students with passion to undo 20 years of progress at MU … my wife and I have agreed that MU is not a school we would ever consider for our children … since when do football players choose the leadership at MU and blackmail a university? MU has developed into the Berkley of the Midwest.”
Can you imagine this? 7,400 pages of vicious emails, and Missouri hasn’t even gotten to the transsexual bathroom issue yet.
So that brings us to about two weeks ago at The Ohio State University when a sit-in and protest, suddenly and without warning, pounced on the “free space” outside of university President Michael V. Drake’s office. About 150, comprised of students, faculty and others, occupied the areas outside President Drake's second-floor office.
There were some real dillies represented. The Real Food group demanded 20 percent of cafeteria food come from non-profit sources. The Sweatshop Group was against OSU’s leasing the operations of its energy and utility systems, claiming it would cost employees their jobs.
The Committee for Justice in Palestine demanded the university sever ties with three companies it says are involved in mistreatment of Palestinians by Israel. And, to top it off, the Afrikan Black Coalition accused the university of "starving" protesters because they would not allow food inside the administration building. “We gotta’ eat!”
But the resolve was tight and the determined plan was to stay encamped until every demand on a long list was met.
Just as things were quietening down, John Kasey, the university’s Sr. Vice President for Administration and Planning, happened by. He was very calm yet well on point as he spoke to the group: "Dr. Drake will never receive a list of demands and he will not negotiate with you," he said before he made not a demand, but a promise. His message will go down as a classic.
* * *
“If you are students, and I think the vast majority of you are, I want you to understand that you are violating the student code of conduct. As dictated to me by (university president) Dr. Drake 15 minutes ago on the phone, we have chosen to try to work with you this evening because we respect you. This is your university.
“And we want to have dialogue. We want the dialogue to extend beyond tonight. But if you refuse to leave, then you will be charged with a student code-of-conduct violation. And I’m telling you this now because I want you to have good thought and careful consideration. If you’re here at 5 a.m. we will clear the building and you will be arrested.
“We will give you the opportunity to go to jail for your beliefs. Our police officers will physically pick you up, take you to a paddy-wagon, and take you to the jail.
“Our goal, because I want you to understand why we would do something like this -- I didn’t think we were going to -- but the consensus of university leaders is that the people who work in this building should be protected also.
“They come to work around 7 o’clock. Do you remember when you all made the rush down there and chanted to the folks outside the doors a minute ago? That scared people.”
* * *
The students were stunned. They said it was their right to protest “What about police with guns? We are doing this very peacefully,” but Kasey was hardly amused.
* * *
Kasey: “OK, we’ve told you, and all we can do is be honest with you. Now, if you’re here at five o’clock (AM), our current philosophy is we are going to take you out, and escort you out of the building, and arrest you. You will be discharged from school also. I’m fairly confident of that. I don’t want you to be surprised; I want you to make good decisions. You’re smart kids.”
Confused student: “Discharged as in?”
Kasey (without a smile): “Expelled.”
* * *
Forget the 5:00 a.m. deadline. Are you kidding me? Not daring to oversleep, every mother’s child was gone by midnight, fleeing tuck-tailed into the darkness.
THE MORAL OF THE STORY -- In Columbia, Mo., today, freshmen admissions are down 25 percent, four dormitories are closed, athletic funding is down 72 percent and there is a $32 million shortfall. However, in Columbus, Ohio, everybody is getting along just fine. Nobody has any problems. Yes sir. Thank you, ma’am. Please. Thank you again.
royexum@aol.com