Oxy’s New President is Takin’ Care of Business

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Author: Yennaedo Balloo

More than a year ago, The Weekly ran a features piece on the selection of Susan Prager as Occidental’s new president. The cover’s headline proudly proclaimed her as the first female president and the tone of the article seemed largely to focus on her achievement of being selected. However, the profile did not look much past Prager’s visage as the new president who was the first woman to hold the position in our college’s history.

Gender politics aside, The Weekly ran its introduction of President Skotheim last week. The Interim-President posed prominently before Rangeview Hall on the cover. Unlike Prager’s shoulder-up cropping last year. Skotheim stands tall with his hands tucked into his pockets, very unlike Prager’s image in just about every way. Prager’s expression in the old issue (the March 6, 2006) suggests a bright eyed and enthusiastic woman ready to speak energetically on whatever there was. Skotheim wears a grimace that is, presumably, because the sun is in his eyes and seems more eager to get back to his office than to pose for any more photos.As is only human, people have jibed at this photo, making comments that President Skotheim looks intimidating and serious (I euphemize a bit, but still). But get this: maybe that’s a good thing.

I’m not trying to condemn Prager, but there was obviously something up with her and it was wrong for her to resign the way she did. So let’s be real. As much fun as a Smiley McSmiler of a president would be, think about how often we see the president anyway. Maybe at certain functions, and once in a rare while you might cross his path in the Quad while he makes his way to or from Coons. Why would he need, necessarily, not to look “grumpy?”

Heck, assuming appearances aren’t completely deceiving, the whole persona I get from our new president is that this is a guy who not only doesn’t mind work, but is in his element with it. I honestly think you won’t see the guy on that cover any more at home than in front of a pile of big presidential decisions up in his office in Coons.

Frankly, if we’ve been so worried about the state of our school, getting a guy who’s willing to do work is just what we should be glad to have gotten, even if he has a certain disposition that does not translate to smiling for newspaper photos.

The real question that matters is not if the president do the work? It is a question of making progress in the way that work is done? Fundraising generally happens no matter what any president does (as long as he isn’t a psycho). I won’t bemoan any president for shortcomings in the returns column as we slip into a recession. These things happen. What we want isn’t for the work to get done, we have faith it will; what we want is for it to get done more efficiently and more cooperatively.

If our school is an organism, I wouldn’t go as far as saying that we have cancer. We’re in fine health, however, we could handle a bit more exercise so we could function in better harmony. What am I trying to hint at? The same things everyone wants of an administration.

The first would be transparency. We all feel, fairly constantly, that things are being hidden from us, and that there are decisions made without notifying the student body, without any explanation to the student body, and without considering any input or presenting any deep justification to the student body. Why we’re denied this right as adults is beyond me. I’m not saying a town crier is necessary, but making the information accessible without us asking for it, and instead of receiving the same practiced responses over and over, would be nice.

The next topic is one I’ve already touched on: unity and cohesiveness. Yes, it’s foolishly idyllic to think we can all work together perfectly, but as professionals and people who supposedly care, we should still be trying-impossible or not. We all care about the school, and there’s no reason why-with transparency in effect-faculty, students, president and board alike can’t move toward the common goal of making this school the best institution of higher learning it can possibly be.

The new president has been given a great post with lots of opportunity. Likewise, we all, every day since matriculation, have a great opportunity before us. It’s up to us what we make of it. I’m hoping for the best. Catch a fire people.

Yennaedo Balloo is a junior ECLS major. He can be reached at yballoo@oxy.edu.

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