Mississippi State students will have an hour and a half to visit with the top candidate for MSU’s presidency. Sadly, all we have is speculation on who this candidate will be.
We encourage you to attend the reception for the candidate in the Hunter Henry Center from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Tuesday. Whether you like the candidate or not, the IHL Board will decide whether he/she will be the next MSU president at 5 p.m.
This brief visit for students and MSU employees is the board’s response to the criticism of the secretive presidential search. Supposedly, this will gives us a chance to decide if the candidate is right for the university.
Unfortunately, this attempt to alleviate criticism is a sham. We will have practically no chance to express our opinions on this candidate. Once the candidate is through with the visit, the board will vote. The board will have the final decision. Meanwhile, we’ll still be formulating our thoughts about the candidate.
The situation is like an arranged marriage. We don’t know who we’re marrying, and we won’t have time to know the person. If the board votes the candidate in, we’ll just be stuck together, forced to deal with negativity that may come.
Plus, the board’s secrecy on the matter will make it harder on the candidate. The candidate won’t see the Drill Field in the middle of a school day. The candidate won’t attend sports events to feel the Bulldog atmosphere. The candidate won’t get to know anyone.
Instead, the candidate will not only have the job of performing presidential duties if elected, but he/she must gain our trust. And our trust will be harder to gain because of the board’s secretive handling of the process.
The unfortunate reality for our new president is none of these possible hardships are his/her fault. Not knowing if you’re welcome in a new place is a stressful experience, but the candidate will have to face this on a campus of strangers.
The speculation on the top candidate has been floating in our heads; however, this process of trying to figure out our president is useless. The board could bring someone we didn’t even think of researching. Wasted research may harden our hearts even more.
The average MSU student doesn’t really know much about the current president, Charles Lee. This confidential search and abrupt decision-making will push the stigma further. What makes the IHL Board believe we’ll feel comfortable approaching a face most of us haven’t seen or known?
Basically, we’re forced to accept the judgment of the board. We don’t believe the board is comprised of bad people, yet we don’t think the average student is represented in this presidential search. Former SA President Jon David Cole is on the board, but because of his position and experience, he doesn’t the average student.
We have no choice but to go with what the board decides. Our new president will have many issues to tackle, and he will need our support to get through it all. Even if it goes against our initial feelings, we should try to make the best out of this awkward situation.
The Reflector editorial board is made up of opinion editor Jed Pressgrove, news editor Sara McAdory, assistant news editor Wade Patterson, sports editor Ross Dellenger, entertainment editor Tyler Stewart, managing editor Dustin Barnes and editor in chief Elizabeth Crisp.