Courtesy of Professor Jami AkeDear Reader: This article appears as part of Student Life’s annual April Fool’s issue. Please don’t think anything in it is true. It’s all made up.
In a rare moment of weakness, Vice Chancellor for Students Jim McLeod backed away from his usual politically correct dean-speak to express his actual opinion on something last Tuesday.
Speaking at a benefit luncheon for quintuple amputees, Vice Chancellor for Students and Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences Jim McLeod said, “I want to say that I and the University as a whole are very proud of the spirit of academic pursuit taking place today at this admirable occasion. We feel strongly that these people are doing a great service to the community, encourage them to keep up their good work and look forward to their continued success. I would also like to answer the question on many peoples’ minds and say simply: Boxers. I never have been and never will be a tighty-whitey man, although I have complete respect for those who disagree with me.”
Vice Chancellor for Students, Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences and Special Envoy to Iraq Jim McLeod went on to explain how he feels that the Washington University campus as a whole benefits from a diversity of underwear and that he does not want to make anyone feel unwelcome in his or her personal clothing choice.
But, he went on to emphasize, he has never been comfortable in either BVDs or boxer briefs because “they just don’t have enough room for my junk.”
Some of the students attending the luncheon were shocked that Vice Chancellor for Students, Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, Special Envoy to Iraq and Chairman of the Council on Race Relations Jim McLeod would be so bold and forceful in his speech.
“This is so out of character for him,” said sophomore Herman Rosengoldsteinbladt. “He’s usually the most boring and sterile sack of crap on campus.”
By Wednesday morning Brookings went into full damage control mode. Chancellor Wrighton, Dean Edward Macias, and Vice Chancellor Jill Carneghi each issued statements stressing the importance of tolerance of all points of view and attempted to distance themselves from the “divisive” Vice Chancellor of Students, Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, Special Envoy to Iraq, Chairman of the Council on Race Relations and Assistant Undersecretary to the Deputy Vice President of the Attorney General’s Special Committee on Adolescent Underage Missouri Terrorism Task Force Jim McLeod.
McLeod, sensing the backlash, dug in his heels and defended his statement, saying, “They’re just jealous.”