Git along little Pres.

The Lunatick's ravings

Ah yes President Kenny. By now everyone knows about her interviewing at Texas. Let's look at all the "Good" she did to this university. She gave us a beautiful new logo, got money for an Asian cultural center. Got rid of all the nice grass and trees, and benches, in favor of rocks and metal tables and a whole bunch of sculptures around campus that resemble modern mishmosh. I would say President Kenny is a pearl. You all know how pearls are created, through constant irritation!

That new logo, how much did it really cost the university? Lets think, all the vehicles that had the new logo printed on them. All the stationary that was thrown out with the old logo (there have to be hundreds of departments if not thousands all with their own stationary). Then the new stationary printed up. What do they think paper grows on trees (well technically it does but we don't need to go into it)? Then the wonderful signs that were placed at each entrance (welcome to McUniversity can I take your order?). The cost of producing the logo itself. Not to mention the cost of removing the old signs and logos. Probably by the time you ad all that up it hits the hundreds of thousands of dollars mark.

I may have hated the U Tree Son's 'a Bitches logo, but even I have to admit those redwood signs were distinctive and added class to this University. When you saw those signs, especially the main entrance, you knew you were entering a university. The new signs just say "Stony Brook" and which entrance you are at. Stony Brook what? Shopping mall?

So what about the Asian Cultural Center? So generously donated by Mr. Wang of Computer Associates. Hey isn't Kenny on the board with them? I seem to recall a petition about this regarding a conflict of interest. Something about having our grad students do some work for Computer Associates. Of course it would not be anything to do with software design. No of course not. Something like this would never happen. Kenny would never use this university to further her own pocketbook and interests. After all she is a mini celebrity. She was in the Newsday article about power women and how they dress. She would never do something sneaky and underhanded like that.

One of the things I loved about Stony Brook was how you could be in the middle of the academic mall and seem to be in the middle of the woods at the same time. There were trees and little clusters of woods everywhere. Now they are all cleaned out. The benches that once resided under the trees that provided a relaxing spot to eat, do homework or just hang out are gone. They have been replaced by those disgusting multicolored tables. The only benches left are the 3 by Humanities. To make amends for that took away all the bushes and "cleaned out" the area.

I remember when Kenny first came to the university. No one thought she would become president because this was a science university and she was not a science person. Nonetheless she became president. Then she did something unprecedented. She extended the add-drop period because so many people were having trouble with their classes. I was amazed, someone who actually cared about the students and wanted to help. I thought things were looking up for this university, that maybe things would get better. I found myself no longer disgusted by the fact that a non-science person became president. I saw a hope that the personal issues about this university might change. That you might actually be able to speak to a person in administration and resolve an issue. That we might finally be treated like first class citizens, instead of whiny brats, who have no idea what we are talking about. Was I naive or what?

Well Shirl ya let me down. That hope soon turned back to disgust. You impressed me with your big plans and the good you showed in your first semester. Now you are packing up your bags and leaving. Good riddance! You remind me of a poem I read in grammar school:

"…I hope the Romans had painful abdomens… I hope the Greek's sandals hurt their feet… Because they started the fuss" Now you are leaving it us.

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