Once every four years, each school in the University of Missouri System has the distinction of a non-voting student representative from its campus on the Board of Curators.
Last month, UM-Kansas City student Amy Johnson, a full-ride Trustee’s scholar, was appointed to this highly prestigious position by Gov. Jay Nixon.
Some, including the Associated Students of the University of Missouri, would like the student curator to receive full voting rights.
While some of Johnson’s accomplishments are very impressive, her Facebook comments attacking the campus she represents show poor taste and are at odds with the oath she took as student curator.
Her expectations, spelled out in an itemized list on the Board of Curators website, include (among others):
“Collaborative leadership”
“Willingness and availability for constructive engagement” by “making connections with the campus community without being intrusive” and “acting as ambassadors to the external community on behalf of the institution”
“Commitment to open-minded, nonpartisan thinking irrespective of their leanings in political or other matters”
A “record of integrity and civic virtue,” that reflects “a record of honesty, careful and fair judgment, and disassociation with scandal or wrongdoing.”
Along with a cell phone picture of a flyer advertising the UMKC Women’s Center’s participation in the global V-Day campaign against rape, violence and sexual assault against women and girls, Johnson posted, “Someone remind this student organization (sic) that (sic) V-Day stands for *Valentine’s* Day…”
The Women’s Center is not a student organization, but a well-respected department on our campus. Her comments belittling V-Day’s efforts to prevent violence through education and awareness breach the line of propriety and set an embarrassing precedent for the student curator position.
In addition, her Facebook posts attacked a student organization I represent, the University News, where Johnson was terminated as a copy editor in fall 2010 several issues after she was hired on.
Johnson’s posts are in extremely poor taste and demonstrate an absence of virtue, character, integrity and respect for the campus that has given her a full-ride scholarship and position of prestige.
After I wrote an opinion column in the University News calling Johnson out for her behavior, newspaper bins across campus were emptied and discarded in nearby trash and recycling bins. It is not yet known who is responsible for this, although a police report has been filed.
If her actions exemplify the traits of a model student leader of the UM System, we have set our standards for exemplary leadership far too low.
Nathan Zoschke (UMKC-Student)
University News, Production Manager
nkz8c4@mail.umkc.edu