A Presidential Classroom

Gene Nichol’s leadership has taught us many lessons. Let’s review some of the things we’ve learned. There will be a pop quiz at the end.

  1. When signing his letters, Nichol’s tag line is “Go Tribe, Hark Upon the Gale”. At UNC, he signed letters with “Go Heels, Hark Upon the Sound”. Lesson learned: Original writing is hard to come by.
  2. In September, Nichol wrote a fluff piece that was reprinted in the Gazette as an essay on Cool Things at William and Mary (Sept. 30, 2006). After extolling the virtues of Mexican food, the scintillating fall weather and the joys of football, Nichol jarringly inserted a concern over the Yule Log ceremony: “…this being a public university, I’m still anxious about the link to religion.” Lesson learned: Push your agenda whenever you can, regardless of context.
  3. In October, Nichol removed a 70-year-old cross from a 275-year-old Christian chapel as a response to one documented complaint of “discomfort” at the sight. Lesson learned: Feelings of the moment by a very few trump history and tradition revered by thousands.
  4. When queried on the reasons for the cross removal beyond “discomfort”, Nichol pulled out ACLU verbiage about insiders and outsiders, and about being welcoming to all. Lesson learned: Original thinking is hard to come by.
  5. When the hue and cry from alumni managed to gain his attention, he issued an edict that he termed a compromise to restore the cross for Sundays only, presumably accepting that the cross and chapel will now be unwelcoming one day a week. Lesson learned: Compromises don’t have to involve multiple parties; you can make a compromise with yourself. And you don’t have to make sense in your decisions.
  6. In addition to the edict, Nichol created a committee comprised mostly of people who work for him or who are on record as supporting him to review the cross situation. The BOV approved both Nichol and his committee in a lengthy statement issued within minutes of the Board’s closed-door session after the special invitation-only listening meeting on the topic. The cross, which should be in good faith returned to the altar while the discussion about what to do with it looms, is still in the closet. Lesson learned: It’s good to be King, er, I mean President.
  7. When offered a chance to defend his position at a debate initiated by students, Nichol dodged the question just long enough to be supplanted by David Holmes. Lesson learned: Hiding under one’s desk is useful for more than earthquake or terrorism drills.
  8. In February, the Flat Hat ran an editorial cartoon in which Nichol is Jesus carrying the cross and wearing a crown of thorns, the students are his loving apostles, and the alumni are the Roman soldiers administering a flogging with a spiked weapon. Lesson learned: You can offend multiple people at one time (as long as they are Christians).
  9. Also in February, a “Whores and How to Use Them Show” was offered at the University Center. When asked how he could allow such a thing, Nichol pointed out that, “It is not the province of universities to censor or cancel performances because they are controversial”. Lesson learned: Controversy, not leadership, decency, or academic rigor, is the linchpin of university life these days, “art” is whatever you want it to be, and boundaries are for the unenlightened.
  10. Finally, an obscene photograph appeared on page four of the Feb 16, 2007 Flat Hat, a picture of a woman doing things that can’t described in a family publication. The woman performed this “art” at the Sex Show, to the tune of Ave Maria. We know Nichol defended the show, but he hasn’t commented at all on the obscene photograph in a paper funded by the College and parents of students. Lesson learned: Sex shows as art with sacred music defiled and pornographic photos in a student newspaper are good; the cross is bad.

 

No pop quiz. I just said that to get your attention. I hope you take to heart the lessons Gene Nichol provides. His leadership is such a gift. I can hardly wait to see what I’ll learn next.

The Virginia Gazette Feb. 24, 2007