THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, February 10, 1996 TAG: 9602100001
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A11 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Ediorial
SOURCE: BY KERRY DOUGHERTY
LENGTH: Medium: 81 lines
Much has been written lately about the loss of civility in American society.
The signs are everywhere: Pregnant women stand on buses, clerks chat on the phone while customers idle at cash registers and families eat pizza out of cardboard boxes by the light of the TV - and call it dinner.
But in one polite corner of the Commonwealth one man has attempted to re-introduce some civility, gentility even, to an institution already steeped in tradition. Timothy Sullivan, president of the College of William and Mary, decided to return to a tradition of inviting a few faculty members and staffers in late on Friday afternoons for a sip of sherry. This elegant little respite at the end of a work week was instituted by the college's first president, James Blair, early in the 18th century.
We're not talking about wild boozing on campus. Or underage drinking. Or even a bona fide cocktail party. This is the president of one of the oldest universities in the country hosting a few faculty members and staffers for an informal gathering late on Friday afternoons. A chance perhaps to take a deep breath, reflect on a week of work well done, or an opportunity to converse with colleagues free of daily pressures.
But some killjoy complained about the sherry hours to the state's waste and abuse hotline. And the next thing you know, Gov. George Allen's deputies were doing everything in their power to stamp out the sherry sipping at William and Mary.
Joseph D. Freiburger, acting state auditor, ordered Sullivan to put a cork in it, so to speak. He sternly reminded Sullivan that the state's policy does not permit imbibing in alcohol on state property during work hours.
Sullivan promptly rescheduled the sherry sipping from 4:30 to to 5 p.m., after the official end of the workday.
But that wasn't good enough for Freiburger.
``It would be inappropriate to consume some alcohol on state property during working hours, or any time,'' Freiburger said in response to Sullivan's move.
What Freiburger's talking about here is not state law. These are the policies of this governor's administration. In other words, a four-year blip in the long, proud history of the Commonwealth.
A spokesman for Allen this week denied that Allen administration employees are forbidden to drink alcohol in public, on their own time, although some employees say that is their understanding. These workers are, however, banned from drinking alcohol any time they might appear to be representing the governor - which is open to broad interpretation.
Freiburger's understanding of state policies is even more extreme. He apparently believes there must be no drinking on state property ever. Since when are Virginia's colleges and universities dry?
Many college presidents live on state property. It makes one wonder where Freiburger will go snooping next. Will state agents raid the homes of these educators if they dare serve wine with dinner?
This petty intrusiveness is absurd. Especially coming as it does from an administration which swept into office on a promise of less government for Virginia. Seems some in Richmond only want less government when it concerns taxes, education and social programs. They warm up quite quickly, however, to rules or regulations imposing their morality upon others.
Since President Sullivan staunchly refused to stop sipping, Freiburger referred the case to the Secretary of Education, Beverly Sgro. As if Sgro didn't already have enough on her plate without worrying about what was in the glasses at William and Mary.
To her credit, Sgro displayed a bent for moderation - a rare enough quality in Richmond these days. She sided with Sullivan.
Sgro gently chided Sullivan for hosting these sippings in his office and delicately suggested they might be more appropriately conducted in the president's home. But she exercised restraint, stopping short of ordering him to pack up the sherry and move.
Virginia's public schools are struggling, the state's system of higher education is lagging behind those of neighboring states and the secretary of education is right not to get sidetracked by Sullivan's sherry hour.
After a harrowing week in Richmond, perhaps the state's top education official ought to take a quick trip to William and Mary where she could relax, yes, sip a sherry and slip back into civilized society. by CNB