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KRTI
DECEMBER 5. 2018
Elon remembers President George H.W. Bush
University archivist and
President Emeritus Lambert
reflect on Bush’s visit
Selina Guevara
Elon News Network | @selinaguevara
A war hero, a congressman,
the director of the CIA and vice
president for eight years. After
the passing of former Presi
dent George H.W. Bush, the
American people and the Elon
University community are re
membering him not only for
his credentials but also for his
character.
Bush visited Burlington in
1992 during his re-election
campaign before coming to
Elons campus in 2001 to give
a convocation address. During
the latter visit, he stayed in
Maynard House with the Lam
bert family.
“I don’t think he was one
of those people that had a pri
vate persona that was different
than his public persona. He
was a genuinely good guy, and
I think that was civil and caring
and considerate of others,” said
President Emeritus Leo Lam
bert.
Presidential
houseguest
a
Lambert’s
family enjoyed
quality time
with the 41st
US. president
at the expense
of reorganiz
ing their sleep
ing quarters.
During Bush’s
stay, Lambert
and his wife
Laurie moved
all of their be
longings out of
the master bed
room because
Secret Service deemed the usu
al guest suite not secure enough
and wanted Bush to stay on the
second floor.
The 41st U.S. President even
gave a tribute to the disruption
at the beginning of his convoca
tion speech in April 2001.
“They swept in to the beau
tiful Maynard House right over
there, swept right out of his
bedroom, bathroom, closet,
and we’re enjoying it. Thank
you sir, we might not leave,”
Bush joked.
“We were honored to have
Bush sleep in our bed,” Lambert
said, laughing.
Bush’s entourage of Secret
Service security also caused
quite an obstacle course for
Lambert’s daughter Callie, who
was just learning to drive at
the time. Lambert recalled he
would drive with her to school
in the morning.
“The whole street and the
driveway is lined with Secret
Service vehicles and police
vehicles. And she’s trying to
weave my old Volvo between all
these vehicles,” Lambert said.
“And I said, ‘Callie, if you can
maneuver this, your driver’s
exam is going to seem really
easy.’”
Bush visits campus
Lambert wasn’t the only one
that got a personal interaction
with the president. When he
was on campus, Bush had an
open Q&A with the students
HE WAS A GENUINELY
GOOD GUY, AND I
THINK WAS CIVIL
AND CARING AND
CONSIDERATE OF
OTHERS.
LEO LAMBERT
PRESIDENT EMERITUS
and even worked out at the uni
versity gym.
“A student came up to us
afterwards and said he was on
his cell phone calling his mom,
saying, ‘You’ll never guess who’s
on the treadmill next to me,”’
Lambert recalled.
But Lam
bert says the
highlight of his
visit was when
one Elon stu
dent asked why
Bush lost the re-
election.
“It wasn’t a
disrespectful
question, but it
was pretty di
rect,” Lambert
said. “I just re
member the
sheer honesty of
Bush’s answer,
and he didn’t try
to pin the blame
on anybody else.
He took responsibility.”
At the Republican National
Convention in 1988, Bush ut
tered one of his most famous
quotes: “Read my lips, no
new taxes.” During his term,
the president did indeed end
up implementing new tax
es, which was used against
him during his re-election
campaign.
“There was a big economic
boom later on in the 90s, and
[Bush] said, ‘But I just couldn’t
communicate that to the public,
and so I lost my job,”’ Lambert
said. “It was such a disarming
ly honest, sincere, forthright
answer. I was just stunned, or
struck by it. I’ll never forget it
in my whole life.”
Lambert also said he highly
respected Bush’s decision to go
back on his promise because
raising taxes was what Lambert
said the country needed at the
time.
“When you place your polit
ical interests secondary to the
interests of the country, I think
that’s one of the highlights of
his presidency,” Lambert said.
“And I’m not sure you see such
courageous acts of leadership
so much anymore.”
Lambert wants current pol
PHOTO COURTESY OF UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
While signing autographs, President George H.W. Bush interacts with Elon students during his only visit to campus in 2001.
PHOTO COURTESY OF UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS
President George H.W. Bush responds during a Q&A session held in Whitley Auditorium
during his visit to campus in 2001.
iticians to take a lesson from
their past president.
“I think the vitriol that we
see in politics today is really
harmful to our nation,” Lam
bert said, adding that he was
disappointed in how polarized
the current political climate is.
“[Bush] became great friends
with President Clinton, the
man who beat him. And that’s a
model for us.”
When looking at lessons for
current Elon students, he says
Bush teaches us something easy
and practical.
“One of the most powerful,
important acts that you can do
in your life on a regular basis is
to say thank you to people and
write notes to people. It takes a
few minutes, and it has an enor
mous impact on other people’s
lives. And he was a master at it,”
Lambert said.
Knowing his character
University archivist Linda
Lashendock worked as a CNN
White House producer during
Bush’s term. Reflecting on
her time covering the White
House, she says the dynamic
between politicians and press
has definitely changed.
“Oh my gosh, it was certain
ly not like today,” Lashendock
said. “[Bush] was very respect
ful of the press, and he knew
that they had a job to do. You
have a job to do. I have a job to
do. I might not always like you,
but I want to respect you.”
While covering Bush,
Lashendock went through a
difficult divorce. She remem
bers that during a particularly
rough patch. Bush went out of
his way to comfort her.
He said, ‘Linda, I’m wor
ried about you. You are going
to be OK. You’re smart, you’re
talented and you’re beautiful,”’
Lashendock said. “And he kept
tabs on me for the next prob
ably three years to make sure
that I was okay. That’s how
humble he was.”
Lashendock remembers
Bush would joke around with
the press during downtime. She
says what set him apart from
other presidents was that he
took the time to know every
one s name, down to his servers
in a D.C. restaurant.
He would always ask the
individuals for the first names,
and it was remarkable, and he
remembered that,” Lashendock
said.
SGA proposes
new budget
model
StuElent leaders reassess budget
allocation model after finding it
favors senior sfudenf elubs
Maggie Brown
Elon News Network 1 @[]iaggieabrown_
SGA is proposing to reform its allo
cation budget model for next year after
concluding that the previous model was
unsustainable. A proposal for the original
model to be replaced asks club members
to make individual proposals through the
year to SGA online at Phoenix Connect
for each expense.
After assessment, SGA Executive Trea
surer Max Pivonka said the organization
found problems in the old system.
The previous budget model asks for
club leaders to attend budget hearings
every year, where each club asks SGA for
a fixed budget. This model has been in
place since 1999, according to Pivonka. If
an organization misses its budget hearing,
it risks not receiving the proper funding.
Also, if an organization does not use its
entire budget, the budget could shrink for
the next year. Pivonka said he saw organi
zations toward the end of the budget year
spending its excess funds foolishly, not on
student life, in order to maintain the same
budget for the next year.
For the current 2018-2019 budget year,
SGA was granted about $770,000 to di
vide among the Student Union Board,
Liberal Arts Forum and around 140 clubs
and organizations.
Senators will vote on the new model
and proposed in legislation at SGAs busi
ness meeting on DecT'67Pivonl^ is pro
posing that organizations can apply for
up to $300 of funding. Then, clubs would
make individual funding requests online
which would be reviewed on a “case-by
case basis,” according to Pivonka.
With the new proposed system, SGA
allows for greek life to access its funds for
events that are open to the student body.
It also allows for smaller, newer organiza
tions to receive more funding than before,
At a Town Hall Meeting on Nov. 29, Pi
vonka proposed for the Finance Board to
review clubs’ funding requests on a week
ly basis. The Finance Board would act
independently of SGA, reviewing SGA’s
requests for funding.
Currently, the Finance Board consists
of six SGA members. Pivonka is hoping
to rework the board to have four elected
members who are not a part of SGA in or
der to eliminate any bias.
Pivonka said there was a precedent for
older organizations on campus to receive
more funding, even if it had low student
participation or activity. Funding for SGA
comes from 51 percent of the $272 yearly
student activity fee required by every stu
dent at Elon University. SGA argues it isn’t
fair for students to pay a fee to fund orga
nizations based on seniority.
“One of the main things that we think
is important that what you are putting into
these student activity fees could improve
your college experience,” Pivonka said.
Not all clubs feel as if they will benefit
from this new model. Bryanna Chazotte,
director of Safe Rides, said the fixed bud
get — the original budget model — was
the primary way her organization ran.
“A lot of our charges, a lot of our ex
penses are usually unexpected and are
usually great in value,” Chazotte said. “So
when I have a flat tire or when I have a ve
hicle’s battery die or when an entire vehi
cle needs work on its engine, those are all
costs that I can’t predict and they’re often
in excess of $300.”
more ONLINE
To read SGA budget coverage, visit
elonnewsnetwork.com