Christopher Otero

Associate Professor of English

Spoken on 24 March 2008 and directed to the MCC Board of Trustees

Thank you everyone for your continued hard work.

I am 39. I have been at MCC for 20 years.

I stand today to express my deep concern over the reported incidents during the February [4th,
2008] Board of Trustees meeting.

Alone, Doctor Alice Holloway Young’s crying would have raised an eyebrow.

Alone, that Student Trustee David Ladwig was unable to comment on his vote of abstention
would have raised an eyebrow.

Alone that then Chairwoman Lori Van Dusen resigned from her post would have raised two
eyebrows.

But that all three occurred during one, very brief afternoon raises calls to action.

I assure you that if these events would have occurred in one of our classrooms, tenure and
promotion would be at stake—and absolutely, I assure you, that a permanent letter would be
placed into our personnel folder.

What you expect from us—to uphold integrity of an inclusive environment—is far from what
some of you are expecting of yourselves.

This integrity is equidistant.

Today, we are not here to obstruct, but rather to construct.

None of us here wants to burn down the house.

We want to ensure that it doesn’t crumble in the presence of political contusion.

And should it come to pass that a collective letter be written by our beautiful college to be placed
into your files, the moment the ink on it has dried, on it will my name be signed.