Who will be America’s next top college president? - Page 7 An open letter to the BOV - Page 15 Volume 3 An independent The Virginia publication at the College Issue 6 of William and Mary. December 6, 2007 The common sense paper Established 2005 Informer of record on campus. www.VAInformer.com W&M’s top salaries go to admins Top five salaries File Photo University Relations File Photo University Relations University Relations President Law Dean Provost Business VP of Gene R. Taylor Geoff Dean Development Nichol Reveley Feiss Larry Pulley Sean Pieri $339,172 $319,000 $287,500 $272,075 $240,000 At the College, it pays to be a bureaucrat Steven Nelson College in co-operation with the Mr. Nichol, earns Stephen Salpukas, University Relations Assistant News Editor $288,000 annually. Mr. Feiis has nine associate and A final salute: The College’s Club Fencing Team pays its vice provosts, and a special assistant, who earn a last tribute to teammate and friend, Ben Gutenberg. The Virginia Informer has obtained copies of total of $1,218,900 per year. faculty, administration and other staff salaries According to Mr. Feiss, “President Nichol is less from the College via a Freedom of Information interested in direct engagement in routine day to Freshman Ben Act request. While salaries may not be common day operational matters, and has probably asked knowledge, they yield some interesting insight me to help him with more than his predecessor into where the College places its priorities. did.” Also, he said the duties of the provost Gutenberg passes Not surprisingly, William and Mary President include “conven[ing] the cabinet, including all Gene Nichol is the College’s highest paid vice presidents and senior level administrators, employee, earning nearly $340,000. Second to Mr. who meet every week and conduct all of the away from injures Nichol is Dean of the Marshall-Wythe School of operational functions on a day to day basis.” Law and John S. Bryan Professor W.T. Revelry, suffered in crash who earns around $320,000 a year. COLLEGE SALARIES Provost P. Geoffrey Feiss, who operates the continued on page nine Car accident had also claimed life of coach Not always “Clean Gene” Steven Nelson Assistant News Editor Nichol implicated in campaign finances controversy in ‘96 Freshman Ben Gutenberg died Tuesday, November Matthew Sutton One incident soon tarnished his Mr. Nichol and Ms. Albino had 27, succumbing to injuries suffered in a car accident on Managing Editor reputation as “Clean Gene.” Judith had a troubled relationship, dating November 10. The accident also claimed the life of Albino, the former president of the back to a decision to select Ms. fencing coach Pete Conomikes, who had been on the President Gene Nichol is currently University of Colorado at Boulder, Albino over Mr. Nichol for the job of College’s fencing staff since 1972. facing scrutiny for his knowledge accused Mr. Nichol of “blackmail.” UC-Boulder’s president. Mr. Nichol Mr. Gutenberg’s outlook was originally optimistic, of revoked $12 million donation She had taped a phone call in which later played a leading role in the so- but during a period of over two weeks spent at Virginia from alumnus James McGlothlin, Mr. Nichol asked her to donate to called “deans revolt,” an orchestrated Commonwealth University’s Richmond Medical Center, an incident that evokes an earlier her campaign and illegally backdate campaign against Ms. Albino, which the prognosis worsened as he did not recover from a episode in Mr. Nichol’s past. When the check, in an effort to circumvent ultimately led to her resignation in coma. he was running for a Senate seat in federal elections campaign laws. Ms. 1995. He had called Ms. Albino College President Gene Nichol sent a message to Colorado, he became embroiled in Albino released the tape of their because his campaign had discovered students on the afternoon of November 27, entitled a scandal that involved taped phone conversation and wrote a letter to Mr. Strickland was planning to run “Heartbreaking News,” through which the College calls, letters to federal regulators and the Federal Election Commission an attack ad citing Mr. Nichol’s role community was made aware of the death. political attack ads. in July of 1996. This scandal quickly in the “deans revolt.” “As our fencers have taught in recent days, the College, at In 1996, Mr. Nichol, who had been became an issue in the primary The Federal Elections Commission its core, embodies a defining commitment to one another. serving as the dean of the law school campaign. Mr. Nichol acknowledged ultimately found no criminal actions We’ll call on that powerfully in the days and weeks ahead,” at the University of Colorado, was that he asked her to backdate her had occurred as a result of the said Mr. Nichol. running in the Colorado Democratic contribution but claimed that he incident, but only because Ms. Albino Teammate Walter McClean (’09) said of the news, Senate primary against Tom never threatened her. never actually made the backdated “Ben’s passing was especially saddening after initial reports Strickland. Running an insurgent Ms. Albino told The Rocky contribution. If, in fact, she had that he would make a strong recovery….I will always campaign, Mr. Nichol portrayed his Mountain News: “Gene Nichol has made this contribution—and Mr. remember him as one of the hardest-working fencers and political goals as a reaction against shown me more than once that Nichol had subsequently reported his amazingly kind personality.” special interests groups and lobbyists he is capable of doing whatever the donation on his campaign A memorial service was held for Mr. Gutenberg on and a wish to return to the populist is necessary to promote Gene finance reports—he could have faced November 29 in the Wren Chapel. democracy of America’s past. Nichol.” criminal charges for his deception. CONTENTS Want to get every issue of The Informer in the mail? News................................ 2 Informer reporter joins E-mail [email protected] with your name and address, and we will send you an order form and your first Features............................ 7 White House press corps issue FREE! Arts & Entertainment...... 10 Opinion............................ 14 Page 8 Page 2 The Virginia December 6, 2007 News Informer Dr. Ali Ansari talks about realities of US and Iranian relations Alex Mayer Fielding questions from the Ansari explained that Iran’s policy on from oil revenues, Iranians are forced Opinion Editor audience, Mr. Ansari explained that it is Israel is influenced by anti-Semitism, to endure ever-worsening rationing of understandable that so many American but he asserted that these sentiments gasoline in their own country. This is r. Ali Ansari, professor observers find Mr. Ahmadinejad’s are not as widespread in Iran as some due to the fact that Mr. Ahmadinejad has of modern history and behavior confusing, since the Iranian people believe. With regard to Iraq, Mr. largely spent Iran’s oil profits on bribes Ddirector of the Institute for president has a habit of contradicting Ansari believes that Iran’s policy is to to buy domestic political support instead Iranian Studies at the University of St. himself regularly in his public statements. support a stable Shi’i government, but of investing it in growing the economy. Andrews, Scotland, was invited to give This apparent inconsistency, however, to prevent the global perception that If the situation does not improve, Mr. a lecture at William and Mary following does not bother Mr. Ahmadinejad, who the Americans have “succeeded” in any Ansari predicted that serious political his appearance at the World Forum on views himself as “possessing special way. According to Mr. Ansari, a debate is changes could be expected in Iran as a Democracy. charisma,” and therefore does not feel raging within the Iranian government as result. William and Mary students’ strong the need to explain himself to anyone. to whether they should let the US “fix” Moving forward, Mr. Ansari told his interest in Iranian affairs was clear Mr. Ansari outlined four ways in which Iraq and take the heat for its current audience that “although it’s not going from the attendance as Mr. Ansari Mr. Ahmadinejad maintains power, problems, or act decisively (through to be all tea and cupcakes,” the US can spoke in Washington 201 in front of a including maintaining a perception of an direct support for insurgents) to force engage Iran in the future, especially once packed crowd. Attendees included not international crisis and threat against the US troops to leave immediately. In the only students at the College but also a Iranian people, bribing the public with end, Mr. Ansari firmly told his audience considerable number of residents of the oil revenues, and basing his rule on a that one certainty is that Iran will never Williamsburg community. “higher power,” while playing to people’s allow another military threat to arise out Mr. Ansari was introduced as an emotions and faith rather than logic. of Iraq. expert on Iranian affairs and US- Explaining Mr. Ahmadinejad’s n the topic of Iran’s quest to Iranian relations as well as a scholar controversial statement about the obtain nuclear technology, who has done considerable research apparent absence of homosexuals in OMr. Ansari predicted that if into the personality of Iranian President Iran, Mr. Ansari told his audience that the Iran were to acquire nuclear weapons, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Mr. Ansari Iranian president’s response was actually they would be used to obtain “prestige gave a brief lecture summarizing the quite easily understood. According to Mr. and power,” and to allow Iran to pursue a history of the relationship between Iran Ansari, Mr.