COLUMN: You May Say I'm a Dreamer?

From Dan Schorr's "Behind Enemy Lines," Fall '94 He had seemingly been killed -- yet there he was, alive and naked. Then, after months of exciting speculation, the writers' answer was a disappointing, simple cop-out: The last year had all been a dream. Bobby Ewing had never really died. So much had appeared to happen in the past season -- successes, failures, drama, intrigue -- yet none of it was real. Millions of viewers, resentful that they had been toyed with, never looked at the show the same way again. Lately, some have begun to feel that last year at the University might also have been a dream, despite what our Bursar bills may say. You may remember the commotion as major projects and policies were debated and worked on. Yet a search for substantive evidence fails to confirm that many supposedly important events actually occurred. Look at the Revlon Center -- or, rather, look for the Revlon Center. Many students may remember former Interim Provost Marvin Lazerson's bold initiative to finally complete the proposal for the much-needed campus center. What's stranger is that some students actually claim to have sat in meetings with the Interim Provost, as the final details of the plan were hammered out. Then, at last May's University Council meeting, Lazerson announced that the final plan would be submitted to the University Trustees for approval at their June meeting. After Lazerson assured the Council that no new Provost would want to go through another Revlon formulation plan, the Center seemed to be approaching reality. But just as shocking as Bobby coming out of the shower was the Revlon Center not coming out in front of the Trustees for approval. Now, Provost Chodorow plans to review the concept, from the details to the premise itself. The frustrating thing is that it had all seemed real. Another weird dream-like memory that some just can't seem to shake is of the Commission on Strengthening the Community. Whenever a problem seemed to arise, from DP insensitivity to Greek rush timing to peace in the Middle East, the Interim administration calmly deferred to the Commission. The Commission's meetings were often heated, its recommendations controversial. As the report approached its final version, lobbying efforts on the part of many groups increased so that their agendas would be represented. At least, that's the way many remember it. Yet months after the final report, many of the recommendations "to be acted upon immediately" -- including Class Boards funding and making information about student activities readily accessible -- have yet to be tackled. Even more far-reaching issues, such as housing policies and judicial system reform, seem to be in limbo. When the Commission was first formed, many thought it was created so that the Interim administration could send controversial issues to a committee in which they could be diffused and forgotten. But then the Commission's report proved substantive, and it promised to result in real change at the University. Now the memory of the Commission is beginning to fade. Did it really exist? Strong arguments can be made in defense of this year's administrators largely ignoring last year's accomplishments. A new administration needs to review major policy and capital proposals -- how can they possibly just accept what was endorsed and worked on before they came to power? With Dallas, it can be argued that ignoring a year's work is acceptable for the higher purpose of bringing the popular Bobby Ewing back to the show. But do President Rodin and Provost Chodorow have equally noble goals? Currently the proposed Revlon site, the parking lot on Walnut Street, remains a parking lot on Walnut Street, and the community awaits being strengthened. It appears that this time it is the University, especially the students, that have been toyed with. Rodin and Chodorow may be doing the right thing, but it sure would have been nice to know this turn of events throughout the previous faux year. Time and money could have been saved. Maybe they are taking the correct action, maybe they are not. Or possibly last year was all just a dream -- a vivid, seemingly promising, dream. That might help explain what Provost Chodorow is doing in my shower. Dan Schorr is a senior English major from Valley Stream, New York. Behind Enemy Lines appears alternate Fridays.