Like a Pro: Priorities and Contradictions at UNH

Note: This was written Sunday, before more information had been released on the Dining/Energy drink fiasco. At last word, President Huddleston has delayed the ban over the outcry of the student body. At least one administrator has common sense because either way we can get our drinks cheaper (although less convenient) downtown at the DUMP or Store 24 (even though it's not Store 24 anymore, that's all I'll ever call it.)

During my four years at UNH, I have noticed that many people on this campus, including faculty, the administration and the general employees do not always have their priorities quite right and they often contradict themselves and one another. I believe that it has become apparent that there is not enough communication between the different levels of school employees. Often times decisions are made without asking the students opinion, or more problematic, too small of a survey sample.

The priorities and contradictions that surround people at this school are often quite mind-boggling. We have a few current examples that prove my very point. Take UNH Dining for example. I know I pick on them a lot, but some of it is deserved. Ever since I've been here they have tried to promote healthy eating. They even went so far as to remove all the salt shakers from the tables at the dining halls and replacing them with expensive salt and pepper mills. Yet, this semester we returned to campus only to see that possibly the healthiest food source on campus, Panache, had been replaced with a Dunkin' Donuts. Personally, I don't mind this, I love their iced coffee, but it seems like a bit of a contradiction. No salt for you! But have all the Boston Creams you want. Then more news came out that effective in January all UNH Dining services will no longer serve energy drinks. Thankfully, President Mark Huddleston intervened and put the rule on hold.

I have two predictions if the rule is put into effect: It will cause the entire university's GPA to drop a full point and the number of students falling asleep in class will skyrocket. Dining, let me get this straight, salt and energy drinks are bad for us, but it is okay to put a Dunkin' Donuts in the middle of our student center located in the heart of campus? Stick to your guns about healthy eating, sustainability and local support or don't bother. Seriously, UNH dining flip-flops more than Mitt Romney.

Here is another example that deals with the faculty and administration. By now we all know about the Professor Larkin situation. He exposed himself to a teenage girl and her mother in a Market Basket parking lot and was given a three year probationary period where he won't be able to teach and only do research. I wonder if a male student were to be caught doing the same thing what the outcome would be? Probation? Expulsion? Would faculty members support a male student who pulled something like this, or would it be different? We have many student organizations and student support groups on this campus that completely focus on eliminating problems like this, but many of our professors portray Larkin as the victim.

UNH Housing doesn't stray from the pack either. For the first two years of my college career I lived in the regular dorms. I was a proud resident of Williamson Hall as a freshman and as a sophomore I was in Devine Hall. Last year and this year I have been lucky to live in the Gables. When I made the transition housing said that living in the Gables you have more freedom, more privacy and personal responsibility. Then what do they do? Move quiet hours up to be the same as the dorms. This does a few things. Here is my hypothetical prediction. This will drive more of the "party" students off campus.

Personally, if I knew about the change ahead of time, I would have avoided Gables and got an apartment this year. That extra hour makes a huge difference on the weekends. I also believe more students could potentially lose housing do to quiet hour violations that lead to alcohol and other more serious violations. It's the student's own fault, but midnight comes fast on a Friday night. Again this could lead to more students moving off campus and into Durham and the surrounding towns who already despise students living in residential neighborhoods. Durham and UNH relations are already tense and they have been for years and this could potentially add fuel to the fire.

UNH has so many different departments and levels of authority that it would be nearly impossible for them to not contradict themselves or one another. I believe there is going to be a greater need of cooperation and communication especially when the budget cuts begin having an even greater impact.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

What's German for Pervert?

So we have all heard the story by now of Edward Larkin, a UNH German Professor, who was able to keep his job after a two year suspension for exposing his genitals to a 17 year old girl and her mother in a Market Basket parking lot off campus. I've been meaning to write on this since it first happened, but I didn't have a chance. The whole reason he can keep his job is because the teacher's union argued that he didn't do enough to break his contract and be fired. Personally, I think whipping your junk out in public (to a 17 year old or anyone) is a perfectly sound reason to be fired from any job. Especially when you're around 18-22 year olds all day. What girl (or anyone for that matter) would want to take a class with this guy? UNH acknowledged that issue and it seems as though he won't be teaching in classrooms, but what type of research do language professors do anyways?

 It's not like he got caught taking a leak in the woods behind the MUB or something, he thought to himself "I have a good idea, I'm gonna whip my genitals out. This definitely won't backfire."And the sad thing is, is that it didn't backfire. The guy got a vacation suspension, during which he was paid his full salary of $88,000 and now he's returning to campus. I'm not going to make this a political issue over unions like commenters on the Union Leader  because A) Unions have done great things for this country (you know like better working conditions, 8 hour work day, child labor laws, racial and gender issues) and B) because arguing about unions and liberals verses conservatives takes away from the what this guy actually did. Sure, if there wasn't a strong union he would be fired, but that's the way things work sometimes. Nothing is ever perfect.

UNH tried to fire him, but they couldn't so I think it's safe to say that they won't give him a new contract when his current one expires. Also, it might be a good idea to insert clauses into the new contracts that allow them to be broken over issues such as these. One of the main points of a union is protecting its members from unjust firings and technically Larkin didn't break his contract. Technicalities can be a real bitch and that's why contracts need to be very specific. The union was simply doing its job and on paper they did, but it's too bad it turned out this way. Personally, I think the arbitrator, not the union is the one to blame. The arbitrator is the one who made the decision that Larkin's crime was not “moral delinquency of a grave order." In court cases everyone has the right to an attorney, even when criminals commit crimes they get representation. The lawyer doesn't get blamed when a bad guy gets away with a crime, the jury does. The lawyer, while probably is a scumbag, was just doing his job. That is similar to this situation, the union had to fight for it's member. The arbitrator is the one who made the decision.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

Update, July 6th:

The following passage is from the Union Leader:

Last week, numerous politicians, including Gov. John Lynch, blasted the arbitrator who ruled that Larkin should be suspended without pay for a semester, then allowed to return to campus.

“The governor believes the arbitrator's decision was wrong and that this professor does not belong in a classroom,” said Pamela Walsh, the governor's deputy chief of staff.

House Speaker William O'Brien said he was “profoundly disappointed with the result of this case.”

“How contemptuous of the students that an arbitrator would ever consider putting this man in front of them as a teacher and, therefore, a role model,” he said.

Larkin did not return calls for comment and it's unclear whether he will pursue a buyout.

The article says that Larkin is eligible for a $75,000 contract buyout since he is over 59 1/2 and has been at UNH for over 10 years, but it's not known if he'll pursue it or if UNH could accept it since they can only accept so many per term and they must take the most eligible who apply (the oldest and longest tenured).