Who's on first?

Spanier dropped the ball by not going to bat for students

Graham Spanier had been making a name for himself as the University president who puts students first.

First it was public relations actions, such as spending some time with freshmen in an East Halls dorm and serving food at a Finals Week study break.

And then it was the important steps, such as meeting with student leaders when the Undergraduate Student Government was in trouble two years ago or making more professors his No. 1 funding priority.

And then . . . well, then Spanier made a giant mistake. When asked to take a stand for students affected by current and proposed blatantly discriminatory State College Borough housing ordinances, Spanier said no.

Then candidates from seven of the nine tickets for USG president and vice president, along with other students, made a spontaneous visit to the Office of the President yesterday.

And Spanier still goofed, by blowing off those students' passionate request for their University president to defend them at the April 7 council meeting.

Spanier did acknowledge that the borough council's proposed ordinances are "discriminatory" and "have the flavor of singling out students." But the best Spanier could promise was that a high-level administrator, Vice President for Student Affairs William Asbury, would attend the council meeting, and that the council would know how Spanier feels. (Spanier says he cannot attend the borough council meeting because he is hosting a dinner at his home that evening with several major University donors.)

Asbury's presence is an encouraging step from Spanier. But it's clearly not enough. At the very least, Spanier could have promised to write a letter criticizing the council's discrimination, which could be read at the April 7 meeting. At the very most, he could reschedule his dinner with the major donors and stand alongside the students who need his help even more than the University needs donors. (Money can come from several sources; civil rights only come from one.)

What if the ordinance was discriminatory against minority students and had the flavor of singling out those minorities? What if the zoning proposals were tinged with a scent of homophobia or sexism? Would the University president still maintain such a flaccid stance on the issue?

It's unfathomable to think Spanier would still be absent if these types of discrimination were occurring. Why is it then, when the entire student body is the target of discrimination, there is not the same level of support from the president who puts students first?

Perhaps it's because there is a flaw in Spanier's logic. For example, while the actions Spanier has taken to combat alcohol abuse are impressive, the fact that he took it upon himself to write a letter to the owner of the Rathskeller, protesting the "case race" last weekend, is hypocritical. If it is, in Spanier's own words, not his place to tell the local government how to legislate, then how is it OK for him to instruct the proprietor of a private establishment what not to sell?

Spanier told students yesterday that he objected to a Centre Daily Times headline that read, "Spanier won't fight housing ordinances," and wished he could write the headlines himself.

What would Spanier's own headline say? If he were fair, it might read: "Spanier will fight housing ordinances -- tacitly."

The students for whom Spanier has accepted a responsibility to protect have bucked the apathy trend and asked for his support in a very sincere, passionate way. Spanier has the obligation to offer more than he has so far, and he has only 12 days to do so.

Please E-mail Spanier and let him know you want more University support for fair, nondiscriminatory housing regulations in the borough. Spanier's E-mail address is gspanier@psu.edu. Tell Spanier you'll be at the April 7 meeting and that you hope to see him there.