TUESDAY, the Managing Board of The Cavalier Daily managed to cross the line between aggressive journalism and outright disrespect. I was deeply disturbed by the opinion expressed in their April 16 lead editorial, "Harmon's misplaced priorities," regarding the recent professional decisions of William W. Harmon, vice president for student affairs. While the Board is entitled to its opinion, so am I.
While currently in the law school, I graduated from the University in 1997 after having served both as vice president and president of Student Council. Over the past seven years, I have come to know both Mr. and Mrs. Harmon as extremely honest and dedicated individuals. Contrary to what most would believe, I also have benefited from a fairly good experience with the student press at the University in my capacity as an executive officer for Council.
Usually, past Board members and staff reporters have proven to be respectful and forthcoming. However, the opinion expressed by this Board was a thoughtless and misdirected bashing. I can only hope that the Board regrets its decision to print the opinion given enough time to think about the obvious reasons behind Mr. Harmon's recent choices. It hasn't been unprecedented for a Board to print an apology, and I would call upon this Board to do so at the appropriate time.
The Board's opinion boils down to this: The Cavalier Daily is upset with Harmon for not announcing his decision to seek opportunities at other universities. They believe he neglected his duties as vice president because our students depend on him personally for support of certain projects.
Let's be real. Students do in fact depend on Harmon for projects, funding, direction and advice. They seek and find support from Harmon for projects that other administrators cannot (or will not) undertake. However, Harmon's status as a contracted employee with the University was never secretive. The two-year limit on his contract was public information. Common sense should tell any rationally thinking person that when a contract comes toward its termination, and renewal has not been determined, the employee needs to start looking. Is The Cavalier Daily trying to argue that students haven't already figured this out? Did Harmon really need to hold press conferences regarding his future employment opportunities? I think we're all a little smarter than that.
As far as the students are concerned, we should all have been on alert for quite some time about the possibility of Harmon not returning in his current role. That's what happens when a contract ends and renewal has not yet been determined. Beyond that, the particulars of his decisions are none of our business - I know that's hard to swallow for journalists (and lawyers) - but it's the truth.
Sure Harmon has been a strong student advocate upon whom students have depended while establishing new programs. Nevertheless, speaking as a person who depended upon Harmon's support quite often, students are misguided if they believe that projects could ever be grounded with a foundation of only one man. There is no doubt that the loss of Harmon would be devastating for the voice of students at this University. However, projects that are going to stand the test of time must go beyond Harmon anyway to become institutionalized.
Moreover, anyone with enough common sense can understand that Harmon is on unsure ground. The decision to renew is not his own to make. He understandably needs to seek other opportunities to cover himself, but to announce all of these decisions would make it seem as if he intends and wants to leave. Don't you think he wants to send the opposite message to President John T. Casteen III?
If you want to point fingers for creating this odd situation, point in the direction of Madison Hall and the Rotunda. Casteen and the Board of Visitors made the original decision to limit the contract to only two years. Moreover, they could have avoided this dilemma by deciding one way or the other - to renew the contract or not. How can The Cavalier Daily hold Harmon responsible for quietly covering himself by seeking other opportunities during a very awkward situation? The decision to renew is in the hands of others.
You see, the real concern of The Cavalier Daily is not the refusal of Harmon to disclose that information. The real concern is that other students (particularly those at Ohio State University) were notified about the opportunity before they were. How egotistical, self-serving and unfair can the Board be in one opinion?
Has the Board really thought through that criticism? During an administrative search, students are asked to sit on the search committees in order to solicit student opinion about the candidates. That's why Harmon has spoken in public to students in Ohio - not because he has some vendetta against The Cavalier Daily, and not because he has their interest at heart more so than ours. It's likely that Harmon doesn't even want to leave, due to the respect he's gained from students over the years. It wouldn't make sense for him to start favoring student opinion at another school as the Managing Board has categorized it.
The Board says, "It's evident that he's not devoted to serving the student interests here." It seems like the egos have gotten a little out of control down in the basement of Newcomb Hall. Arguably, there hasn't been an administrator who has come to the back of the students more often and consistently than Harmon. Harmon has put himself on the line for us time and time again. Before making such an overreaching comment, the Board should have become more familiar with Harmon's record of service to our community.
I can only hope that Harmon understands that the majority of students - past and present - have nothing but respect and admiration for his and Mrs. Harmon's dedication. We want him to stay. If it doesn't hurt too much, I hope he takes the knife out of his back where The Cavalier Daily has so delicately thrust it.
(Scot Fishman is a first year law student.)
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