Trustees Begin to Defect?

From a posting by John Dodds on the Marquette Hoops board at scout.com:

I heard Belling today . . . John Stollenwerk sent him an email . . . saying that he never voted for “Gold” and he wants the issue reconsidered. Thank you. One of the great marketing geniuses in US over the past 25 yrs . . . sees that there is a problem...and understands that there is a problem . . . let us rethink this . . . and do it before graduation in 10 days . . . .

The e-mail was sent by Stollenwerk to a friend, who then leaked it to Belling. In fact, Stollenwerk did not say that he never voted for “Gold” but he did say he wanted the decision rescinded.

The Marquette Warrior Blog just talked to Jen Piggins, Director of Public Relations, Allen-Edmonds Shoe Corporation, and she confirmed the authenticity of the e-mail that Belling read over the air. She insists that the content was “misconstrued.”

She has sent a response to Mark Belling and to Julie Tolan (of University Advancement at Marquette). Piggins declined to share the response with us, saying there was a need to “coordinate” the University’s response.

What there is to “coordinate” is an interesting question. What “coordination” is necessary when one is simply telling the truth, rather than spinning an issue?

Tolan has yet to return our voice mail.

Piggins insists that Stollenwerk is in fact 100% behind Marquette and the “Gold” decision.

The Administration has a lot of explaining to do, since they claimed the vote was unanimous. If it was, it was a coerced “let’s all be team players” unanimous.

And, as things like this leak, any lack of complete candor will simply make the situation worse, as the University twists in the wind.

But complete candor doesn’t come naturally to people in the Marquette administration.