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There are 6 comments on Revisiting John Silber, the Old Nemesis

  1. I’ve provided a helpful translation, from Silber’s bull, into something at least vaguely truthful. Using my example, you too can see through the lies of obnoxious “liberals” like Silber. Yes, he’s Ronald Reagan’s favorite democrat! Bahahaha.

    “students all over the country have lost their fantastical belief that by outrageous behavior they can take over the university by force. They have now become more responsible. When student newspapers no longer make the administration their primary target, they naturally do not attract the attention they did before.”

    =

    “Students all over the country are now more well groomed for their future life as conformists than before. American culture teaches them that antagonism is best overcome by shutting your eyes very tightly; They do not realize that by asserting their clear perception of the truth, they can influence the way in which the institutions they are a part of operate. In this sort of climate, of course us fatcats go unchallenged as no one notices. Besides, students these days probably can’t even READ newspapers! LOLLZERZ!!!”

  2. That cap and gown idea is really smart!

    It’s green too, less waste! I like how he actually thinks not buying a stupid ceremonial outfit is a bad idea. It shows how much of an aging fool he is. Oh you darn kids, your parents paid good money for this!

    I also like how he assumes that their parents paid, no poor people allowed at BU! Then he goes on to admit how utterly irrelevant and outdated the graduation ceremony is by mentioning “its origins in the Middle Ages”. Maybe Silber would have liked it more there, the lower classes and other assorted little people didn’t step out of line then! He sounds like a Dad talking to a child who decides he doesn’t want to be on a sports team anymore or something:

    “We paid the money for the glove, the baseballs, the special lessons, the pitching tee! YOU OWE IT TO US TO GET OUT THERE AND PLAY, SON!”

  3. As an alumnus, I clearly remember my introduction to John Silber, during my first semester at BU in Fall 1978: My western civilization teacher told us that Dr. Silber wanted to get rid of a Dean who opposed him, so he ordered his cohorts to do “what we do with a rattlesnake in Texas.” Everyone in the class sat spellbound, and finally someone said, “What do they do with a rattlesnake in Texas?” The teacher (a grad student, I believe), replied, “They kill it!” OMG!! The terrible John Silber wanted to execute someone.

    Such exaggerated stories seemed to fill the air back in the 1970s. But even before I graduated, I started to see that Dr. Silber’s management of the university was making a positive difference.

    Now, after this past year’s financial crisis, it’s clear to see the legacy that Dr. Silber left BU: While all the other area colleges are under financial distress (even Harvard and MIT have to cut budgets), BU is financially stable. We even have an increased budget from the previous academic year!

    BU has undergone an amazing transformation over the past thirty years. Yes, it was partly fueled by the stock market. But BU has also made many forward-looking decisions (of major importance is the global recruitment of students) that have set the University on a solid path for the future.

    No matter what you think of his personality style, I think we all should join in thanking Dr. Silber for what he accomplished and for the solid financial base on which we now stand.

  4. To the cap and gown critic–isn’t the $5 a RENTAL fee? Which is green. I was in school in the late 70’s and early 80’s in Massachusetts but not at BU and we RENTED the caps and gowns.

  5. To the people saying that Silber does not want the lower classes at BU, I would like to remind you that it was Silber who initiated the Boston High School Scholars Program, which had given out more then 126 million dollars to over 1700 Boston public high school graduates. This program has allowed students who otherwise would be unable to afford a Boston University education to attend BU for free. Next time you classify someone as classicist it might be helpful to do some research.

  6. In response to the comment “Maybe we should be thanking Silber” regarding the financial footing of Boston University and Dr. Silber’s forward-looking management of the University, I would change the comment from “Maybe we should be thanking Silber to: “Thank you, Dr. Silber!” A proverb rightly states: “Give credit where credit is due and honor where honor is due.”

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