Dear Editor,
Until a short time ago, it seemed most students at American believed an individual to be innocent until proven guilty. In recent weeks, it has become increasingly clear that nothing short of a witch-hunt is underway here. One need only read our President's interview with the Chronicle of Higher Education to see the plausibility behind Dr. Ladner's expenses and the duplicitousness of a minority group within the Trustees.
This scandal has wrought a more sinister tragedy than the reckless allegations of a campus mob: the systemic failure of student and faculty governance. The AU Student Government, Faculty Senate and College Councils have leapt over the bounds of reason and logic to catch their 15 minutes of fame.
In regards to the Student Government and the Student Senate, we students look to them to set an example. Demanding the resignation of a man who has done so much good for our school and committed no crime is abhorrent. By rushing to support what seemed to be the popular beliefs of the campus, they not only proved that they are quite the opposite of deliberative organizations, capable of independent thought, but merely submissive bodies that drift whichever way the wind blows.
In regards to the faculty, consider that professors are constantly telling us not to write papers the night before they are due. They tell us this with good reason, as it is not enough time to make credible arguments and support them with sound facts. By passing resolutions to remove Dr. Ladner without any attempt to learn more than what is handed to them by The Washington Post, they have betrayed their tradition as scholars. Where is the clamor for the facts we as students have come to expect?
In regards to those responsible for the rally on Sept. 28th, the students involved woefully declared how embarrassed and disheartened they have become over President Ladner's actions, searching for sympathy without fully knowing what those actions were. In the simplest terms, our President used money in a manner to increase the prestige and financial backing of our institution. Everything he did was in compliance with his full legal rights as our University's President and I for one applaud his actions.
In regards to what the money of students has gone toward, I'll tell you what it has gone toward. In fact, I'll show you. Take a walk across the street and look at the Cyrus and Myrtle Katzen Building. A beautiful center devoted to the performing arts that could not have been built without the leadership of Dr. Ladner and the kindness of the Katzen Family. His vision for this university is just now manifesting itself into other physical structures on campus. The Greenburg theatre, the new home for SOC and the new SIS building are the fruits of Dr. Ladner's labor. Surely a leader that is responsible for these and other improvements deserves at least the benefit of the doubt.
Those students guilty of condemning an innocent man continue to cry out to anyone who will listen how ashamed they are of our president. The shameful actions have quite clearly not come from our president though. The shameful actions have come from members of the mob and Student Government that protested our president, members of the faculty who so quickly jumped on the band wagon to remove him, and a tyrannical minority on the board of trustees, who not only have acted unfairly toward our president, but in their inability to act in a quick manner and resolve this issue have brought undue negative press to our school.
On a final note, for the past three years I have been proud to be a student at American University. Proud because of everything our institution has done and become and proud because of what this University has accomplished in such little time. I know and can quite firmly say, that pride which I have held so closely to my heart would today be baseless had President Benjamin Ladner not done everything in his power to make this, "a better AU.
Jordan T. Landry SPA, Class of 2006
