The President's new shoes

Published on 02/18/2002 Daily Egyptian (SIUC)

I'm taking a photojournalism class, and it's turning out to be an expensive proposition. I've bought an expensive but used camera, two brand new lenses and maybe 30 rolls of film. It's an investment of several hundred dollars. The family never blinked through this little spending spree - until this week.

I bought a new pair of shoes. I had gone to the Rec Center to shoot a boxing class, and showed up in my venerable Navy flight deck boots. They're comfortable, durable and somewhat stylish in a weird sort of way. But they are not welcome at the gym. I needed the photos for class, so I ran to K-Mart and bought the cheapest pair of sneakers I could find. I went back, got the photos, and I think I turned in some good images. I felt pretty good, until I got home. "You bought SHOES?" This from my 17-year-old niece. She was absolutely incredulous. "You NEVER buy shoes!"

For a few minutes I felt like my feet were on display, some sort of natural curiosity. It's not like I never buy shoes - I just expect then to last forever when I do. They never do (except my Navy boots) and I put off the new purchase as long as possible. I explained to the curious crowd staring reverently at my feet that I needed the shoes for class, and I would have lost the chance to complete my homework without them. They remained unmoved. They couldn't get past the idea that I had actually gone out and bought shoes. I now know how SIU President James Walker feels.

Walker decided to give pay raises to nine employees in his office. The decision wasn't made in a vacuum; it was based on a study done by a consulting firm on behalf of the University. So begins the howling, wailing and gnashing of teeth. It's no secret the University is in a budget crunch as a result of declining enrollment and a state budget that is running red. The Chancellor has said layoffs are probable, while intersession classes are disappearing, and academic units are finding their budgets cut. It's a bad time to give pay raises to a handful of people. Never mind that the pay raises will actually save the University money, as the nine will take on the additional duties of four retirees, along with their own duties.

The money saved from not hiring replacements for the retiring employees will not only cover the increases, but also put a little money back into the pot. In the four years I've been at SIUC, I've heard a lot of complaints about how far we lag behind peer institutions in pay. This pay raise will help close that gap. The complainants remain unmoved. So, I guess you can't win Mr. Walker. I'm satisfied with the decision you made; it seems logical, and actually fiscally responsible in these lean economic times. I guess I'm in the minority, too. Everyone else is too busy staring at your feet, sir.