Spring Break
That's all, Mr. President?
DKS Editors
Issue date: 4/27/09 Section: Opinion
READ President Lester Lefton's statement about the College Fest events.
Dear President Lefton:
When one of our reporters called you at your home Saturday night, you didn't seem too happy. You asked our reporter whether we thought it was appropriate to make such a call and then said you had no comment.
Hundreds of protesters shouting. Fires burning near campus. Dozens and dozens of students arrested. Multiple departments dispatched to the scene.
This wasn't a small party gone awry - it was absolute chaos.
Apparently all of this wasn't worth a comment from the person we pay about $380,000 annually to lead this university.
We rarely call you at home and would only do so in the most extreme circumstances. Your twice-a-month meetings with our administration reporter usually suffice.
Nonetheless, maybe you should have chosen your words a little more wisely Saturday night. If you were unaware of the situation unfolding, maybe you should have refrained from insulting student media and said you wanted to look more into the situation.
Kent State and the City of Kent had an extremely embarrassing night. The actions of the students and police were both questionable. Your disregard for what was happening, however, only added to the embarrassment.
The university community deserves more from its leader. You had an opportunity to lead during this crisis, and you failed.
You expressed no concern for students who were being pelted by rubber bullets or thrown to the ground and handcuffed. You expressed no concern for the university, which sits a block away from where fires blazed. You only expressed concern for being bothered on a Saturday night.
As president of Kent State, you should pay extra attention to situations like these, considering what happened almost 40 years ago on this campus.
Luckily, the university issued a FlashLine message and FlashAlert (albeit a bit late), but a comment from you was still absent.
If you have something to say (and we hope you do), let us know. You're supposed to be the voice for the institution. You still have an opportunity to make a statement, although it might be a bit tainted by your initial inaction.
The university community is waiting to hear what you have to say.
The above editorial is the consensus opinion of the Daily Kent Stater editorial board.
Dear President Lefton:
When one of our reporters called you at your home Saturday night, you didn't seem too happy. You asked our reporter whether we thought it was appropriate to make such a call and then said you had no comment.
Hundreds of protesters shouting. Fires burning near campus. Dozens and dozens of students arrested. Multiple departments dispatched to the scene.
This wasn't a small party gone awry - it was absolute chaos.
Apparently all of this wasn't worth a comment from the person we pay about $380,000 annually to lead this university.
We rarely call you at home and would only do so in the most extreme circumstances. Your twice-a-month meetings with our administration reporter usually suffice.
Nonetheless, maybe you should have chosen your words a little more wisely Saturday night. If you were unaware of the situation unfolding, maybe you should have refrained from insulting student media and said you wanted to look more into the situation.
Kent State and the City of Kent had an extremely embarrassing night. The actions of the students and police were both questionable. Your disregard for what was happening, however, only added to the embarrassment.
The university community deserves more from its leader. You had an opportunity to lead during this crisis, and you failed.
You expressed no concern for students who were being pelted by rubber bullets or thrown to the ground and handcuffed. You expressed no concern for the university, which sits a block away from where fires blazed. You only expressed concern for being bothered on a Saturday night.
As president of Kent State, you should pay extra attention to situations like these, considering what happened almost 40 years ago on this campus.
Luckily, the university issued a FlashLine message and FlashAlert (albeit a bit late), but a comment from you was still absent.
If you have something to say (and we hope you do), let us know. You're supposed to be the voice for the institution. You still have an opportunity to make a statement, although it might be a bit tainted by your initial inaction.
The university community is waiting to hear what you have to say.
The above editorial is the consensus opinion of the Daily Kent Stater editorial board.
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 47
Mark
posted 4/27/09 @ 12:46 AM EST
I really want to get rid of this guy. Here is your statement Lester,
"We are deeply troubled at the incident that occurred on College Avenue this evening. (Continued…)
Karen
posted 4/27/09 @ 1:04 AM EST
Can we get Lester on the radio again so he can try to tell us how loved he is again after all of this?
Kate
posted 4/27/09 @ 2:14 AM EST
So glad you guys wrote this. College students have been known to set stuff on fire; that's embarrassing enough. But a president making a couple hundred thousand dollars a year can't be bothered to respond to an emergency on his own campus? Even more embarrassing. (Continued…)
Ryan
posted 4/27/09 @ 3:16 AM EST
What an insult it was to hear that the administration at KSU was "ashamed" of the actions of the students, when we were responding to the remarkable police brutality of 115 pound girl being thrown to the ground like a rag doll for an open container offense. (Continued…)
chris
posted 4/27/09 @ 5:28 AM EST
Well done Stater. Fortunately for Kent it was only a riot with a heavy handed police presence rather than a devastating hurricane (Katrina). In this case Lefton was annoyed at the inconvenience of a phone call, in the previous one he abandoned a devastated city. (Continued…)
Susan
posted 4/27/09 @ 7:03 AM EST
Does anyone else get the feeling that Dr. Lefton doesn't like his job or want to be at Kent State? If this is the case, maybe we should part ways so both can live up to their potential. (Continued…)
Brian Heath
posted 4/27/09 @ 7:06 AM EST
While I can understand Dr. Lefton declining comment, I too was more than a little outraged that he scolded the DKS reporter for contacting him on a Saturday night. (Continued…)
:)
posted 4/27/09 @ 8:40 AM EST
Even if this event occurred off campus, KSU Police (University funded?) and hundreds of KSU students were a part of it. That is enough for LL to be involved without question. (Continued…)
John McCain
posted 4/27/09 @ 9:09 AM EST
UNBELIEVEABLE...
Unsympathetic
posted 4/27/09 @ 9:31 AM EST
"Protestors?" What were these kids protesting? Their lack of beer options?
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