Almost everyone at the University knows this is John T. Casteen III's last year as president. What some might not know is that he plans on joining the Board of Directors of Altria as its 10th member. Altria Group, Inc. owns tobacco and wine companies, most notably Phillip Morris, the maker of Marlboro and Virginia Slims, among other tobacco products. The acceptance of his new job is either an incredibly moronic decision or an equally selfish one; since I do not question President Casteen's intelligence, I would have to assume that it is the latter.
Besides the health risks involved with smoking and the unethical targeting of underage children, Casteen's decision to join Altria is ill-advised because it is also deleterious to Virginia's history, particularly that of the University and the Charlottesville-Albemarle community.
Virginia has been progressive in the past few years to a point where we have almost shattered the "southern" stereotype. Before McDonnell, we had elected back-to-back Democratic governors and had two Democratic senators when the state went to President Barack Obama in 2008, something not expected from a typical southern state. Just as we were escaping this stigma, Casteen manages to pull us back down by effectively proving the stereotypes true.
Virginia has had a history of exploiting groups of people for personal gain, whether it was the Powhatan for their gold or African slaves for their labor. Casteen carries on the tradition by raising millions for a company at the expense of consumers' well-being. It was the Indian land and slave labor that made tobacco companies and their descendants rich, but it is people like Casteen who will profit from this ongoing injustice.
Someone of Casteen's stature must have known about these criticisms beforehand, so why would he still accept the position?
Could he be in financial trouble? A quick examination of Casteen's resume would rule this possibility out. He has worked for some of the biggest companies in the nation, namely Wachovia and Blue Cross/Blue Shield, and has been a university president for 25 years - five at the University of Connecticut and 20 at the University as one of the highest paid presidents at a public institution. Casteen is easily a multi-millionaire and unless he was one of Bernie Madoff's Ponzi scheme victims, he probably does not need the money.\nCould he be suffering from Brett Favre syndrome? Casteen is not even officially retired yet, so it is unlikely that he is bored and simply needs a job to get back into the game. Besides, a company as powerful as Altria would have too much pride to play the role of Brad Childress by courting Casteen.
Perhaps Casteen joining Altria was a result of a build-up of Jeffersonian ideals. By this I do not mean honor, integrity, etc., but something else entirely. Jefferson had a habit of saying one thing and doing the opposite. For instance, Jefferson was an opponent of slavery while still having an affair with his slave, Sally Hemings.
Since Casteen spent his time as an undergraduate and graduate here, followed by a stint as an English professor and then as Dean of Admissions before ultimately becoming president, he undoubtedly has been immersed in everything Jefferson related. Maybe Casteen felt like he needed to behave more like Mr. Jefferson. Minority, particularly African-American, admissions have increased during his tenure here and recently it was announced that the medical center was now a Clean Air Zone. Following Jefferson's example by joining Altria, Casteen managed to not only contradict the good that was done but also debase it.
When I took social psychology last semester, one of the key points we learned about was the fundamental attribution error. People make this error when they assume that the actions of a person are a result of that person's character rather than the circumstances of the situation. The fundamental attribution error applies in many cases. On the other hand, if every action was a result of the circumstance, then there would be no need for personality psychology.
Casteen has no situational excuse for the position he put himself into by joining Altria. He is fully aware of the public perception, did not need the money and could not possibly already be bored of the retired life since he is still employed. Maybe the decision was just Casteen being Casteen.
Hung Vu's columns appear on Tuesdays. He can be reached at h.vu@cavalierdaily.com.
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