2008 Woodie Awards
Politicians over students
S.P. Sullivan
Issue date: 9/4/08 Section: Editorial / Opinion
People make mistakes.
Yes, yes, even large universities make mistakes. An oversight on your bursar bill, perhaps. A hold on your SPIRE account meant for someone with a similar-sounding last name. Before I arrived at this university freshman year, I got a letter assuring me, Mr. Sean P. Sullivan, that University Health Services' Mental Health Services office was ready and willing to accommodate my illness. I called them, politely, and explained that I - far as I knew - didn't have one.
And sometimes they give honorary degrees to people who ought not have them.
This past June, as reported in The Collegian Tuesday, Sept. 2, The University of Massachusetts Board of Trustees unanimously voted to rescind an honorary degree given to Robert Mugabe. Mugabe - the president of Zimbabwe - has fallen under criticism in recent years for his descent from a liberating force in African politics to one of the world's most malicious dictators.
He was, up until June, the world's worst dictator with an honorary law degree from UMass Amherst.
Awarded in 1986, the degree was seen as just rewards for an African politician who had given the former racist white regime the what-for. A year later, Mugabe - then prime minister of the former Rhodesia - was elected president and his executive powers expanded.
Shortly after his ascent to power, there arose claims - many substantiated - of gross abuses of executive power: political favoritism, engaging in the same sort of racism he'd rose to power condemning and committing mass murder and atrocity for political ends.
The University set a precedent this June, though, in revoking the degree. It was the first time the University had ever taken such action. It was the right decision for certain.
Except for that many UMass students, those floppy-haired liberals who are always whining about something, had been demanding the same things for well over a year.
The Collegian reported in 2007 that Mugabe, Honorary Doctorate of Law recipient, drew international ire for his human rights violations and mismanagement of Zimbabwe's economy. In April of that year, the UMass-Boston student senate passed a resolution calling on the Board of Trustees to revoke Mugabe's degree; they said they'd consider it.
Yes, yes, even large universities make mistakes. An oversight on your bursar bill, perhaps. A hold on your SPIRE account meant for someone with a similar-sounding last name. Before I arrived at this university freshman year, I got a letter assuring me, Mr. Sean P. Sullivan, that University Health Services' Mental Health Services office was ready and willing to accommodate my illness. I called them, politely, and explained that I - far as I knew - didn't have one.
And sometimes they give honorary degrees to people who ought not have them.
This past June, as reported in The Collegian Tuesday, Sept. 2, The University of Massachusetts Board of Trustees unanimously voted to rescind an honorary degree given to Robert Mugabe. Mugabe - the president of Zimbabwe - has fallen under criticism in recent years for his descent from a liberating force in African politics to one of the world's most malicious dictators.
He was, up until June, the world's worst dictator with an honorary law degree from UMass Amherst.
Awarded in 1986, the degree was seen as just rewards for an African politician who had given the former racist white regime the what-for. A year later, Mugabe - then prime minister of the former Rhodesia - was elected president and his executive powers expanded.
Shortly after his ascent to power, there arose claims - many substantiated - of gross abuses of executive power: political favoritism, engaging in the same sort of racism he'd rose to power condemning and committing mass murder and atrocity for political ends.
The University set a precedent this June, though, in revoking the degree. It was the first time the University had ever taken such action. It was the right decision for certain.
Except for that many UMass students, those floppy-haired liberals who are always whining about something, had been demanding the same things for well over a year.
The Collegian reported in 2007 that Mugabe, Honorary Doctorate of Law recipient, drew international ire for his human rights violations and mismanagement of Zimbabwe's economy. In April of that year, the UMass-Boston student senate passed a resolution calling on the Board of Trustees to revoke Mugabe's degree; they said they'd consider it.
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