By Roy York
Student and community protesters filled the 18th floor of the Patterson Office Tower to express scathing disapproval as the Board of Trustees approved a motion to include “coal†in the name of the new Wildcat Lodge on Tuesday. But the shouts fell on deaf ears.
In a quick vote, board members voted 16-3 to name the future Wildcat Lodge the “Wildcat Coal Lodge†at the request of Joseph W. Craft III, the president of Alliance Coal who donated $7 million to be given over a 10-year period for the construction of the new residence hall. The only three board members who dissented were faculty representative Ernie Yanarella, staff representative Robynn Pease and Student Government President Ryan Smith.
Smith said the new Wildcat Lodge will allow UK to house more students and has potential to be a model for clean coal technology on campus, but said he would oppose the motion “as a voice for the student body.†However, protesting students did not need Smith’s words to have their voices heard.
After the vote, students and community members jumped from their chairs and approached the ropes separating board members from the audience. Shouts of “We all live downstream,†“Move forward not backward†and “Remember Joe B.†stopped the meeting cold.
The board adjourned for a short recess and several members, including President Lee Todd, retired to a back room as students continued criticizing board members. UK Police eventually approached the protesters and the group left the meeting. No citations or arrests were made.
Students and other protesters were not allowed to speak formally during the meeting because they did not follow the formal process to be placed on the meeting agenda, Todd said.
Todd said the name was approved simply because the university accepted a proposal from a group of donors who wished to fund the new residence hall. They had an idea for the name of the building and the naming committee approved the suggestion, he said.
“We sign agreements with all donors and there are always stipulations,†Todd said.
Board members sparred over the issue as points were raised on both sides.
“This sets a precedent of identifying industry with university property,†Yanarella said. “Had Phillip Morris given $7 million, there would be similar objections.â€
The UK Athletic Association reported the $7 million gift was the largest it has ever received.
The majority of the board felt the naming proposal would not harm the university, and many said coal was a natural resource and a vital part of Kentucky’s economy.
“I consider coal to be a source of great pride,†Jo Curris, a finance committee member, said. “Coal can very well be that mechanism that is going to retrigger the economy for the Commonwealth.â€
Pro “Wildcat Coal Lodge†board member comments drew angry shouts from the crowd and protesters were eager to share their outrage.
“It appears Lee Todd wants to have his cake and eat it too,†said Nathan LeClaire, a philosophy junior and a member of UK Greenthumb. “He wants to appear green without walking the walk.â€
Danny Cotton, a senior English major and a member of Kentuckians for the Commonwealth, said UK has never named a building after a single industry or lobbying group, and he said the move makes Todd’s sustainability initiative harder to be taken seriously.
“We didn’t name the library the ‘Peanut Butter Library,’ we named it the William T. Young Library,†Cotton said.
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The mountains of Kentucky were created by God to provide us with natural resources to use and survive….When MountainTop Removal occurrs, then it is only right that the large cooporation(s) leave the Mountain Top that was Removed refurbished so that years down the road it will not become an eyesore. If Mountain Top Removal is stopped what will these people do for income that work in minning…how will they live…..Yeah, clean energy is wonderful and I am all for cleaner air, but is there a plan set in place to accomodate those individuals and families that would loose their ability to earn a decent living if Mountain Top Removal is prohibited? I don’t have all the answers but in Eastern Kentucky there honestly isn’t too many jobs that can pay the wages/salary that minning pays…..is the solution to keep on building fast food restaurants, live on unemployment until that ends, or try to get a check for some mental or physical disability, or shouldn’t the individual that is working in minning be allowed to provide for themselves and their families with a job that pays well enough to provide for their needs. Coal Minning is part of Kentucky Heritage…..many individuals that have jobs in the minning industry do this because their daddy or grand-father’s did this. They work long, difficult, hours and most breath dirty air, in not so great working conditions. If there were seriously that many great optioins or alternatives available don’t you think those hard working miners would already be out there taking advantage of them? Not everyone wants to go to college, this doesn’t mean that person is too dumb, it is a choice and after all shouldn’t everyone have control of their own lives and individuality……I suppose if the solar powered clean energy alternatives were up, going and paying the same type of wages that minning does, then this could possibly give people of coal a sense of security;however I’m not aware of any place my family members could obtain employment at in Eastern Kentucky that would provide them with the same standard of living they have worked their entire lives to achieve once minning is prohibited…..Life is full of choices and consquences…….granted if there were better opportunities available in Eastern Kentucky, then individuals wouldn’t have to resort to minning, but don’t take away the minimal opportunities that are already in place…..Severance taxes from coal minning have helped build roads in Kentucky and this has affected every individual living in the state……Without coal there would also be a lot of jobs lost on the Railroad……who would want to move to a community that has nothing to offer……if I worked in the medical profession I would want to live in a place I could enjoy spending the money I earn…..How would this affect our schools……We already have a difficuilt time keeping good teachers in the area…..Maybe the pencil pushers in Frankfort and Washington need to come to Eastern Kentucky and take a walk in the day and life of an jobless person, with limited resources and no housing to see what it is really like. It is really scarey to think about how it will be once more individuals are left unemployed. Everyone should think about this and try to come up with a solution that will allow all to benefit. I am not from Hollywood, but I will exercise my right to free speech before that is taken away.
Just saw a couple of earlier things that bother me:
-Joe
When did I say I was against clean coal legislation? I clearly said that the same people who oppose coal are the same people who are against clean coal legislation. We want to make it cleaner but others stand in our way. I don’t think you will meet one person who is associated with mining that is against clean coal legislation. That is a rediculous accusation. Why do you think I’m in mining engineering? To improve a method or to stick with the old one? Wow, I still can’t even believe that you would say that. Why in the world would we be against clean coal? It is those who are in opposition that are against this legislation which is very frustrating considering they are the ones who are complaining and they don’t want to help us to do anything about it.
-Tex
Actually, an unsafe mine is not okay. They can pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines if they are unsafe. A slashed cable that hasn’t been taped is $1300 alone just to give you an idea. An unsafe mine cannot make a good profit for this reason.
And just like in any other industry, every employee cannot be regulated all the time.
By the way, I would say the same thing for the coal mine I worked at in northeast Texas. They were very people and safety oriented. They make up a large part of Texas’ power grid. Also, you can hardly compare Texas and Kentucky. Texas has immense land area to have enough room for the amount of wind turbines and solar panels that would be necessary to maintain the same energy usage. Kentucky, especially in the eastern part of the state, does not have this kind of area. Like I’ve said before though, the best place to out a wind turbine in Eastern Kentucky is on a reclaimed mountain top removal site.