Author: Michael Darling
The recent letter writing campaign, sponsored by the ASOC Senate, in which students wrote letters to President Obama asking him to visit the campus, is distasteful. While I am a supporter of the President, voted for him last year and would definitely be excited to have him speak at my graduation, I think this letter writing campaign – which is essentially begging Obama to come to Oxy – reeks of desperation.
The description in the Oxy Digest for the event literally asked students to “take a few minutes to compose a short letter to Obama encouraging him to come to Occidental and speak!!” This is the latest example of Occidental’s obsession with Obama and the time has come for us to let him be.
Ever since the election, Occidental has treated Obama like the school’s favorite son. Yes, he did go here – for two years. With the way Oxy promotes the Obama connection, it would seem as if he graduated, regularly visits and often speaks of his time here. I find it disingenuous to say he was part of the class of 1983, and thus imply that he graduated from the school. It is especially odd when you consider that the Web site of Columbia University, Obama’s true Alma Mater, only had a small news item about his election. The letter writing campaign is yet another example of Oxy’s desperate attempts to inflate the Obama connection.
Interestingly, this campaign is not an entirely student-organized event. Although it was set up by the ASOC Senate, the main drive behind the campaign was Oxy’s administration. According to ASOC Senate member Andres Quispe-Hansen (junior), the original idea behind the campaign was intended to consist of a few letters from Senators. However, the administration and Director of Communications Jim Tranquada heard about this and asked that the drive be expanded to the entire student body. While it would be acceptable for the Board of Trustees or President Veitch to write a letter on behalf of the student body, something about having the students themselves write to him just seems tacky.
This whole thing reeks of what is called “astroturfing,” the typically political technique by which organizations create psuedo-grass roots movements. I’m certain that the students who wrote letters were sincere, but the administration handled this poorly. Up until I learned from the Senators that the administration was behind the creation of this public drive, I thought this was an entirely student-run drive. Instead it is the administration, not the students, begging for Obama to come. Has our school gotten so desperate that the administration must stoop this low for a potential visit from Obama?
I think it’s time we take the hint and end Oxy’s obsession with its favorite lost son. He’s just not that into us. In fact, a New York Times piece (which is quoted on Oxy’s own Web site) says he felt alienated at Occidental.
The school has trumpeted Obama as a distinguished alumnus of the college even though he never graduated. According to the Occidental College Alumni Association bylaws, “anyone who completes at least eight courses of undergraduate work (or a year of graduate studies) is eligible for alumni status when their class graduates.” I’m happy knowing Obama went here, but we should stop exploiting his connection to the school. Between selling stupid t-shirts and starting astroturf letter writing campaigns asking him to visit, Oxy’s obsession with Obama has become an embarrassment.
Michael Darling is a senior History major. He can be reached at mdarling@oxy.edu.
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