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Lawn residents react to pavilion selection process

More than 30 Lawn residents put "For Sale" signs on their doors yesterday in response to the possibility that Bob Sweeney, senior vice president for development and public affairs, is being considered by the Board of Visitors for Lawn pavilion residency.

Lawn resident A-J Aronstein said the signs are the expression of many Lawn residents' concerns about both the pavilion selection process and Sweeney as a potential resident. Sweeney is a non-teaching member of the University community who currently oversees fundraising for the Capital Campaign.

"After we found out what was going on, we started circulating e-mails on the Lawn list," Aronstein said. "Somebody suggested signs, and it kind of went from there... residents printed them out and put them on their doors."

Other residents raised concerns about what they believe to be a lack of interaction with students on Sweeney's part and the possible influence of Sweeney's fundraising on the pavilion selection process.

Lawn resident Kristen Smith said she does not think Sweeney should be offered a pavilion residence because he cannot offer interaction with students as other pavilion residents do.

"What he does is only tangentially related to the students," Smith said. "Plus, he travels 75 percent of the time."

Smith said although Sweeney is a "very nice man," she believes he still should not be a future resident.

"This is not a question of character," Smith said. "The Lawn exemplifies what is central to the University -- education. It needs to be asked, then, when one hears that Sweeney is being considered for a pavilion, 'is fundraising central or is education central?'"

Smith said Sweeney and his fundraising is undoubtedly important for the University's growth and development, but should not be the central focus of the University.

Lawn resident Amber Zinni said the purpose of a pavilion resident is to enact change and spur dialogue among members of the University community -- and she does not see Sweeney as being an ideal resident.

"I don't think fundraising is a very academic discipline," Zinni said. "Somebody like that might not spur dialogue."

Not all Lawn residents see a problem with Sweeney's possible appointment. Lawn resident Andy Paradis did not put a "For Sale" sign on his door.

Paradis said his conception of a pavilion resident goes beyond someone who merely fosters the community, pointing out that the University would not be able to support the teaching faculty if not for the fundraising efforts headed by Sweeney.

Paradis also noted that the Lawn currently includes faculty members who do not teach, including Pat Lampkin, vice president of student affairs.

"People should not irrationally jump to conclusions," Paradis said. "Residents might network with people that Sweeney is bringing to the University -- and while this is not education in the purest sense, it is still affording people the possible opportunity to meet with people higher up in their fields of study."

Lawn resident Mostafa Abdelkarim said the number one thing to keep in mind is that the "For Sale" sign protest does not represent all Lawn residents' opinions on the pavilion selection issue.

"You need to take into consideration who this person is and what this person has done," Abdelkarim said. "I believe that these signs are a premature action, and that, in a way, Bob Sweeney is just an innocent bystander in the middle of several residents' larger concern about the selection process."

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