COLUMN: The Media Darling

From Gabriele Marcotti's "Land of the Stoopid," Fall '94 Some, like Bill Clinton, get much shorter honeymoons than others, but just about everyone is afforded lavish praise and promises of a shiny future. Judith Rodin has basked in that treatment ever since rumors of her nomination to the University's presidency became reality last December. Consider the following random quotes from admiring students, faculty members and administrators: "She's always been excellent at everything she ever did!" "She's an inspiration to everyone who ever dreamed of accomplishing anything!" "She's a great woman and a great mother!" (the latter quote originating from a mid-level administrator who presumably has lived with Rodin since the birth of little Alex and has experienced her wonderful mothering instincts). Everyone waxing orgasmic over our new President (even City Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell -- hardly a fan of the University -- gushed about what an honor it was "to have such a great administrator in our midst") inevitably begs the question of whether she is being set up for a really big fall. "Build 'em up and knock 'em down" has been standard journalistic practice for dealing with public figures since the beginning of time, but never has it seemed more appropriate than with Rodin. It seems the sycophantic media that has surrounded her will turn less understanding the minute she has to make a tough choice that will not please "all the people all the time." Unless, of course, she decides to take the Sheldon Hackney approach – i.e. say one thing to one group of people, another thing to another group of people, and cross her fingers hoping the two will never meet and compare notes. But every indication is that Rodin is not that kind of administrator. Most people who know her say she is sincere and firm in her beliefs -- she will not back down if she believes she's in the right. Just ask the Yale graduate students who went on strike in late 1991, complaining of low wages and long hours. Mighty Judith ignored their attempts to unionize and refused to budge. "She's dealing with the graduate student community in a high-handed manner," complained Gordon Lafer, the Yale grad student who led the opposition against Rodin. High-handed or not, Rodin crushed Yale's own December revolt and Lafer was never heard of again. Rodin has also made it clear she considers undergraduate education a priority. This is a welcome sign at a time when tuition costs are spiraling and many universities view their undergraduate divisions merely as funding sources for expensive graduate and research departments. "We're in the business of education," she confidently told a cheering crowd at the Trustees' Council of Penn Women's 6th Annual Career Dinner last October. "[If we have to choose] between cutting a business office or cutting a department, we should always cut the business office." Great sound bite, but what happens when you face a cash crunch and your very own blue ribbon committee recommends the cutting of three departments, say, for example, Am Civ, Religious Studies and Regional Science? Does your commitment to the ideals of academia win over your responsibility to maintaining a balanced budget? Or do you try to save the school from an ocean of red ink by axing a field of study? These are just some of the tough choices Rodin will have to make -- decisions that could very well undermine her popularity. Whether she'll be able to act in the University's best interest – even if it means facing criticism from all sides – remains to be seen. For the most part, Rodin's track record is nearly as stellar as her Mary Lou Retton smile. Not only has she written about a dozen books and served on about a million committees, she pulverized the glass ceiling by becoming the first woman (a divorced one at that) to be named Provost of Yale, one of the last bastions of the old-boy network. When she was still Judy Seitz, Class of 1966, she left her mark on the University fighting to abolish curfews and to establish a campus-wide honor code. Years later, after dyeing her hair and becoming Judith Rodin, she has maintained the enthusiasm and work ethic which made her shine as an undergraduate. Her hard work was noticed when President Bill Clinton almost chose her to head the National Institute of Health. Like everyone, she has a few minor skeletons in her closet. The nature of her feud with the Yale graduate students was hardly an amicable affair. And it was under her tenure that Yale went through some tough times, to the point that GQ magazine described it as "falling apart." Not really what you'd expect from the person who's going to save the University. In addition, living on campus while Eisenlohr gets renovated would've been a nicer gesture than shacking up in some Center City luxury condo. After all, doesn't the University own the luxurious Penn Tower Hotel? And, for all his inconsistencies, Hackney seemed more accessible to the average student (not only was his home phone number listed in the white pages, he also bought a T-shirt protesting the University-wide keg ban in 1987). Having said that however, Rodin undoubtedly has the qualities to succeed, as long as she learns from the mistakes of the past. Now all she needs is some quiet from her fawning admirers so she can get to work and impress us. Gabriele Marcotti is a senior Communications and International Relations major from Milano, Italy, and Editorial Page Editor of The Daily Pennsylvanian. Land of the Stoopid will appear alternate Mondays.