Exploring The Soul Of Syracuse University

Jon Alverez
03/07/2003

Since arriving at Syracuse University last year, Dr. Nancy Cantor, the newly anointed chancellor, has made some pretty bold plans that have absolutely nothing to do with education. As part of the “year long celebration” of her inauguration at the helm of this prestigious and wealthy private university, she has launched a campaign to “Explore The Soul Of Syracuse”. (By the way, the definition of pompous is “having or exhibiting self-importance”). Part of this lofty endeavor involves defining the role of local universities in working for the betterment of our society. Whatever happened to teaching and preparing students for a successful career? The centerpiece of Dr. Cantor’s journey to discover the soul of our community is her flawed premise that we continue to live in a racist society and that racist attitudes are somehow to blame for the ills of urban society. Forget about personal responsibility, individual choices, and the failure of our school systems. It would appear that the only thing Dr. Cantor truly intends to seek is validation for her liberal views of the world. 



For an intellectual and social elitist new to the area, particularly one who happens to be white, privileged, and raking in over $400k per year plus some serious perks (somewhat reminiscent of the days of Enron!), I find it to be both laughable and indicative of the liberal mindset that Dr. Nancy Cantor thinks she can somehow relate to the average citizen of Syracuse. For one thing, she’s proven to be so in tune with the general public that she chose to hold her grand coronation at a time when most people are at work. While the public was invited to a free lunch, there weren’t many takers from within the community. Obviously, most either didn’t care what Dr. Nancy Cantor had to say or were not willing to sacrifice precious vacation time to attend such a bloviated and self-serving event. 



The tone of the “Reign of Cantor” was set that very weekend as a symposium on racism was held to coincide with the grand coronation. Now, rather than invite representatives of the community to participate in the panel discussion, the panel was comprised of the finest thinkers from universities across the nation. It should also be noted that almost all of these wise men and women make their living by studying and promoting the topic of racism in our society. Can we say conflict of interest, anyone? Like Jesse Jackson, these people would be out of a job if the cult of victimhood perpetuated by these race baiters were to suddenly disappear. Does it not make more sense, if one were to truly explore the heart and soul of a community, to involve people living within that community? Stanley Dean, President of the CNY Black Republicans was not invited to even attend, let alone sit on a panel discussion involving racism in today’s society! Ordinary working folks who could provide valuable input were excluded from participating and their input has not been sought. Wouldn’t it be more prudent to first determine whether or not there is even any validity to Dr. Cantor’s presupposition that ours is a racist society before making that assumption?



Besides, racism is so yesterday. Simply put, our society has moved forward while the intellectual elites and race baiters among them prefer to mire themselves in the past. The average person no longer judges a person by the color of their skin, but rather, by their behavior, character, attitudes, and beliefs. In other words, a person today is judged more so on how they conduct themselves and with whom they associate than on the color of their skin. Of course, if liberals on college campuses would actually leave their ivory towers and circulate amongst the populace, they might even discover this on their own. I wonder what the ethnic and economic makeup of those who frequent the home of Dr. Nancy Cantor for dinner parties is? For whatever the reason, liberal educators appear unwilling or unable to entertain the notion that: 1. The Civil Rights Movement succeeded in its goal of leveling the playing field for all on the basis of race and 2. Self-determination, not government programs, handouts, or quotas, is the best cure for poverty. 



Furthermore, as long as these meetings and symposiums remain insulated from the public due to self-segregation, they will continue to fail to get a fair representation of what the community is really all about. The college campus, while a wonderful place to visit, is not easily accessible to most of the public nor is it representative of where we live. I’ve yet to see a meeting held within any of the outlying areas surrounding the university. Such meetings off campus would provide valuable input, as it would allow for greater community participation within their own environment. Perhaps you should get out more, Dr. Cantor. 



I was fortunate enough to be able to attend a recent symposium that was held at night on the SU campus. The focus of the event was a panel discussion, involving five university administrators, on what role the college campus should play in community development. As I sat in the audience, comprised of a few students, but mainly professors and administrators with direct ties to these five executives, I quickly realized that I was probably the only layperson from the community. This was a dialogue about the community without input or representation from the community. In other words, it was nothing more than bloviated speech after bloviated speech, peppered with self-congratulatory applause. They even went to the trouble to present themselves with plaques! One would think the role of the college campus in community development would be pretty clear. The role of the college campus should be to educate the future leaders of tomorrow. Instead, we’re finding more and more colleges being run as a business, where the highest priority is given to the bottom line: profit. What many in America are realizing is that somehow, education in America has lost its way. 



Of course, we must keep in mind that college campuses have evolved from learning centers to profit centers (yet, as “non-profits”, they pay no taxes!). As George Will recently pointed out in a recent column, the Educational Complex, like the Military-Industrial Complex, is Big Business, largely subsidized by the taxpaying public. Research and fund-raising have taken precedence over true education and learning. One of the first things Dr. Cantor did upon her arrival was buy eleven depressed properties within the city of Syracuse. Championing liberal causes, under the guise of working for the betterment of our society, is the perfect smokescreen for the greed and appetite for riches so evidently displayed on college campuses today. If you doubt this, visit www.guidestar.org and search for a university near you. Pull up that institution’s IRS 990 Form and you’ll be able to see how much administrators “earn” along with how much of our tax dollars they are receiving in the form of government grants. The figures will blow you away, particularly when you take into account how much hard-working families and students have to pay in ever-rising tuition! As a taxpayer, I’ve contacted my representatives to complain about the egregious practices going on relative to this and I encourage you to do the same. Besides, why is a private and extremely wealthy university like SU, which charges students over $30,000 per year, receiving public monies that should instead go to public institutions? Perhaps the role of the college in community development should be to ensure that Johnny can read rather than how much money it can make off of him, his family, and the public. 



Now, getting back to Syracuse University and Dr. Nancy Cantor. What caught my attention to the goings-on at Syracuse University was the report that fakumentary director Michael Moore was coming to town in September to indoctrinate the students. (The self-proclaimed representative of the working poor was paid the princely fee of $40,000). Upon learning this, I contacted Dr. Cantor’s office to request she do the right thing and cancel the appearance. After all, we were in the midst of a war and this pre-election event was guaranteed to remain on the topic of humor in film. (Besides, what is so funny about portraying American soldiers as baby killers?) I had hoped Dr. Cantor would be a reasonable person especially if she was truly looking to find the “Soul of Syracuse”. With two military bases playing a significant role in the community, offending those sacrificing so much for our country was not the smartest way to introduce oneself. Providing a platform for the treachery of disgraced former-Marine Jimmy Massey and his anti-war defamation of the troops doesn’t help either, Dr. Cantor. Our brave troops expect to face enemy fire, they certainly don’t expect nor do they deserve to be stabbed in the back at home. Keep in mind; this is the same woman who was run out of town when she sought the removal of Chief Illiniwek, the school mascot at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. When the community rented billboards calling for her to leave town, that’s apparently a pretty good indicator of what kind of leader she is. It must be pure coincidence that Syracuse University opted for the gender neutral “Orange” from the traditional “Orangemen” just prior to the good doctor’s arrival. 



If Dr. Nancy Cantor truly wants to find the “Soul of Syracuse”, she’s going to have to involve all parties from all walks of life within the community. By limiting her exposure to other schools of thought, particularly those with a conservative bent, she is only setting herself up for failure if she seeks the true soul of the community. Syracuse is a great city with a diverse population and so much to offer all who come here to live. If Dr. Cantor expects to find out what this great city is all about, she may want to start by exploring the “Soul of Syracuse University” first. It’s ironic that while Dr. Cantor believes racism is to blame for much of the ills of our society, she appears unaware of her own bias and intolerance towards ideologies and mindsets that differ from her own. If Dr. Nancy Cantor expects to be taken seriously outside of her ivory tower, it might be prudent for her to first look inward. 

Jon Alvarez 
Syracuse, NY 
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