Here we are again, friends. That feeling of an unmistakable electricity during an Oregon winter has fallen upon us, but it’s more than that this year. You know it, and I know it.
Because when we return to classes on Jan. 9, Richard Lariviere will no longer hold the title of University president. And when we finish celebrating (or mourning) in Pasadena, Calif., our return will be to a school presided over by an interim president. Maybe it will be Robert Berdahl@@http://insideoregon.uoregon.edu/retired-aau-president-returns-to-uo/@@ or Lorraine Davis.@@http://directory.uoregon.edu/telecom/directory.jsp?p=findpeople%2Ffind_results&m=staff&d=person&b=name&s=Lorraine+Davis+@@ Or maybe Tim Gleason or Jim Bean or … you get the point.
(I feel I should, ironically, point out that professional English vernacular would term this a shortlist.)
Of all the issues that have driven this term, however — despite the much that is yet to be decided about the interim and long-term replacements — Lariviere’s is the one issue basically decided, meaning this has been one heck of a year to be a student journalist at the University.
For me, this has been a year where I have been compelled to completely re-examine my roles at this University. As a result of this, I wore a fedora along with my other Ducks attire to the Civil War. I know, there were plenty of others doing this and who continue to do this at sporting events since Lariviere’s Nov. 28 firing, and I know I wasn’t the only person giving Lariviere a standing ovation at Mac Court last Wednesday. But for me, I’ve some qualms about being involved in stories I’m writing about.
And for me, this affected me too much as a student to not ignore some of my qualms and participate in support for my president.
This term has been one in-my-face, 24/7, communication ethics lesson, and I have absolutely grown from it. In a way, this term has done this for all participating in campus politics.
Students in multicultural unions started a blog, challenged the administration on the conversion of the Office of Multicultural Academic Success and were met with frosty response.
Students in campus government were in the EMU Walnut Room until four in the morning collaborating on their demands of the administration in the EMU’s remodel. They reached an agreement, students voted last week, and now we get to move forward on this process with the students’ opinions — thanks to a joint effort of weary student senators and executive staffers.
To bring this full circle, I get to watch it all and analyze it all for you. At times, I feel like the luckiest person in the world in the position I’m in …
… And then the biggest campus story in at least a half-decade drops in our laps. It’s quite the unfortunate opportunity to be using to grow, but it is what it is, and we now are where we are.
Here’s my point from before, though: Policy aside, my job aside, the fact that we have to have an interim person as president in the middle of the year really sucks. It’s just … bad. And regardless of how you feel about Lariviere as president, I feel like you probably agree. The nontransparent and inconsiderate way this went down forced me to split my student self from my journalist self, giving me immense amounts of growth and experience in both areas.
And sometimes, I try to be pithy.
And sometimes, I try to be clever.
But always, I try to learn and grow, and this term just so happened to be a perfect time for that.