In pressing situations, good men with good intentions sometimes make bad mistakes. These situations are what separate ‘good’ men from ‘great’ men.
Do they continue on and quietly right their wrongs or do they question that which they have willingly succumbed to?
If they do the latter, they are great. Otherwise they are a joke. Henry Lewis III is a joke.
The way students and alumni thought it was supposed to play out was that Frederick Humphries retires and Provost James Ammons becomes president.
So why did it not ring bells in peoples’ heads that Humphries did not announce his retirement until after Ammons left for North Carolina Central University, taking some of the university’s top staff with him?
Unfortunately, the goings-on of the presidential selection are ridiculous.
Over half of the original candidates weren’t black.
That made the board seem like they had no concern for the students at a historically black university.
Lewis knew the Board of Trustees would not hire him if he took the job as interim president. Yet he agreed to it.
Twice, he has changed his story. Once saying he wanted the job and, as of Friday, saying that he does not want the job.
If you don’t recall, a couple of weeks ago Lewis wasn’t sure he wanted the job at all. But, after a brief test-drive, he was convinced he could be president permanently.
After a press conference Friday, Lewis switched again and said, “…I am not a candidate, nor do I wish to be considered as a candidate for the permanent position.”
It seems, to me, he’s somewhat scatterbrained.
What happens if Lewis decides he wants to test-drive another offer?
One of the qualities a university president must possess is commitment.
This man cannot even commit to the people who put him in his current position, so how could we have expected him to commit fully to the university?
Everyone – except the students themselves – know that students have the true power in matters like this.
A lot of us don’t exercise that power, but it is there.
I say this because, FAMU students, it is possible that you’re being used.
We have not displayed the power we possess in this presidential process, from student government to the incoming freshmen.
We finally get our net checks on time and we are ready to dub Gentleman Lewis a saint.
Do not make that mistake. You do have your checks, but when you go to the Financial Aid office the same ignorant staff is there.
So what are you going to do when you need assistance?
This is a very sad situation. It appears that the board is nowhere close to choosing our next president and Lewis’s indecisiveness just adds to the turmoil.
The lynchpin is that all this could’ve been avoided. Everyone was watching Lewis and the way he handled his newfound responsibilities.
He received nothing but accolades and commendations.
Mr. Lewis, you have hurt yourself and this university. Lewis stated that he is not asking or petitioning the Board of Trustees to amend its position, yet once the petition begins circulating he renounces his desire to be president.
If that’s the case, why did you even open your mouth?
N. Anyjah Heatley III, 23, is a graduate Spanish major from Harlem, NY.