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Opinions MANITOU MESSENGER
November 16, 2012
Finesse improves comedy Buntrock unworthy of leadership “Perhaps you do not understand the difference between civil and criminal charges. Each year, thouThis year marks the 10th anniversary of a sig- sands of individuals and corporations have differencnificant corporate fraud suit brought against Dean es of opinion with both the Internal Revenue Service Buntrock ’55, founder and former longtime CEO of (IRS) and the SEC regarding complex tax and secuWaste Management. It also marks Buntrock’s 40th rities laws. The vast majority of these disputes are year serving on the St. Olaf Board of Regents. settled short of litigation, as this case was. There were On March 26, 2002, the U.S. Securities and Ex- and are no criminal charges against Mr. Buntrock.” change Commission filed a suit against Dean BunThis is complete baloney. A criminal case introck and five other Waste Management executives volves criminal charges. A civil case does not involve for committing “massive financial fraud motivated criminal charges. Fraud is a federal crime. The SEC by greed and a desire to preserve professional and brought a lawsuit (read “litigated”) against Buntrock social status.” The SEC’s 89-page complaint was for federal crimes. damning of Buntrock, calling him “the leading force The letter went on to accuse the editors of an unbehind the fraud.” justifiable attack on a college hero. “Your labeling of The massive fraud occurred between 1992 and Dean Buntrock as a fraud is defamatory, demeaning 1997 and was not fully revealed until 1998, when to him and without merit. You provided no facts to Waste Management announced it had overstated support your labels,” it stated. its profits for the prior five years Astonishingly, the letter conby an astounding $1.7 billion. It cludes with, “We need more was the largest earning restate- “It is unconscionable people like [Buntrock].” It seems ment in history, until Enron sur- that Buntrock’s name inconceivable that Thomforde, passed it. Revealingly, the U.S. remains attached to who refused to sacrifice his morgovernment brought criminal al autonomy as college presicharges against Arthur Anderthe student center dent, had a hand in writing the son LLP, Waste Management’s letter, even though his name was outside auditor, for its role in the and the college’s most attached to it. Thomforde creatEnron scandal. prestigious merited a controversy by placing signs Waste Management’s stock based scholarship.” on his lawn that read, “Say no to plummeted after the restatethe war on Iraq.” The day after ment, costing shareholders $6 the U.S. launched its invasion of billion. At the same time, as Iraq, he gave a speech during chapel service decrying the SEC complaint notes, Buntrock and his cronies the destruction of war and calling for benevolence. “profited handsomely from their fraud.” Disturbing- He even joined students sitting on the stairs of Bunly, on Oct. 1, 1997, a mere 10 days before the com- trock Commons to protest the Iraq war. pany’s new management announced profits from Such political outspokenness no doubt angered 1996 had been overstated, Buntrock donated 100,000 donors and members of the Board of Regents who shares of his inflated stock to St. Olaf to fund his $29 supported George W. Bush. How else could one million commitment to build a new student center in explain what happened next? On June 7, 2005 , Tohis honor. strud announced the coming academic year would “Through the gift of inflated stock, Buntrock was be Thomforde’s last as president. He gave no justifiunjustly enriched in the form of the increased tax cation. It is conceivable that Thomforde was forced benefit,” stated the SEC. The SEC estimated Bun- to resign. Considering Thomforde’s achievements as trock’s ill-gotten gains from bonuses, retirement president, the Board’s decision was unwarranted. benefits, trading and charitable giving alone to be According to a St. Olaf news story published June nearly $17 million. 17, 2005, Thomforde’s accomplishments included In August 2005, Buntrock and the executives growing the endowment by $70 million, increasing reached a $30.8 million settlement with the SEC. the first-year retention rate to 94 percent, setting the Waste Management agreed to pay $17.1 million in college down a path of environmental sustainability penalties on behalf of Buntrock, who was left to pay a and making operational changes that saved the colmeasly $2.3 million penalty. Nonetheless, Bloomberg lege $500,000 in one year alone. Thomforde, who News reported that it was “the largest fine imposed was 6’ 9’’ and wore a bow tie, was popular among stuon an individual in an SEC accounting fraud case.” dents. An editorial in the Manitou Messenger that fall These revelations have not changed a thing. “Bun- described him as “the most visible administrator on trock Commons” is still the name of the student cen- this campus . . . [who] is frequently seen strolling past ter. The college’s most prestigious academic scholar- Fireside, waving and smiling, stopping along the way ship remains the “Buntrock Scholarship.” to (bend down) and chat with students and faculty.” Defenders of Buntrock typically rely on at least Thomforde remained true to his conscience in his one of three lines of reasoning. All three reflect na- final year. On March 9, 2006, he wrote an email to all ivete concerning legalese and the lawsuit against students, faculty and staff announcing that President Buntrock. George W. Bush in his 2007 budget proposal had The first is that Buntrock never admitted to any recommended the elimination of Upward Bound wrongdoing. This is only half true. According to the (UB), Educational Talent Search (ETS) and GEAR SEC’s press release, the executives “settled without UP – programs that help low income students gain admitting or denying the allegations in the Com- entrance to college. mission’s complaint.” This phrase is far from proof The concerted effort by Tostrud to paint Buntrock of innocence. In fact, it is standard practice for legal as a saint only months after quasi-impeaching Presisettlements to include this phrase. dent Thomforde evinces Tostrud’s moral meekness. The second alleges that Buntrock was not convict- The lies he promoted about Buntrock reveal his fear ed of any crimes and/or that he was never tried. This of how students would respond to the truth. is remarkably deceptive. Buntrock wasn’t convicted The fact that the Board has not impeached Bunof any crimes because he settled. Settling is the com- trock, now 82, speaks to the lost souls who have been mon and convenient recourse for defendants who at its helm. The Board of this Christian college is in cannot win their case and want to avoid the publicity bed with a criminal. and expenses that come with It is unconscionable that Buntrock’s name rea public trial. Waste Management spent $37 million mains attached to the student center and the college’s defending Buntrock and his henchmen and had esti- most prestigious merit-based scholarship. It is an mated the cost of going to trial at another $32.5 mil- abomination that needs to be rectified. lion. The Regents used to name campus buildings afThe third is that Buntrock’s case was a civil suit, ter morally upstanding individuals whose devotion not a criminal suit. In essence, it alleges that Bun- to the college left a personal impression on students: trock never committed any crimes. This claim was Agnes Mellby, Gertude Hilleboe, Thorbjorn Mohn. used by Jerrol Tostrud, then-Chair of the Board of Now they write seven- and eight-figure checks for Regents, in a letter to the editors of the Manitou Mes- buildings to be named in their honor. The former senger published Nov. 5, 2005. A week earlier, the tradition should be resurrected to rename the stupaper’s executive editors opined an editorial titled dent commons. It is high time to purge this Christian “Buntrock, A History” that overviewed the SEC’s al- college of such a disgrace. legations against Buntrock. It seems as though Tostrud felt so threatened by the information divulged James Daly ’13 (daly@stolaf.edu) is from Cambridge, that he made the extraordinary decision to respond Wis. He majors in environmental studies. with a letter signed by him and then-President Christopher Thomforde. The letter was patently deceitful to the point of hilarity. By James Daly
DANIEL BYNUM/MANITOU MESSENGER
someone is saying what they have been thinking and grateful that they During his monologue a couple of do not have to talk about it themweeks ago as the host of “Saturday selves. Their laughter could also be Night Live,” comedian Louis C.K. prompted by nervousness – they described an experience helping are too uncomfortable to react any an old lady who had fallen down at other way, seeing the humor in the the airport. He ended the story by situation, but still finding it shocksaying, “I connect with old ladies. ing. They’re my favorite demographic! Is the fact that we can laugh at I wish that I desired them … sexu- all indicative of a greater problem? ally. I really do wish that I could get It could mean that these issues are a boner from an old lady, because ubiquitous enough that everyone is then, I’d be set. I could find an old able to knowingly laugh about them, lady and spend the rest of her life but that they are ultimately too difwith her.” ficult to actually be dealt with. Then, C.K. is coming off a very suc- what does it say about the state of cessful couple of years after win- our country that we are indeed able ning two Emmy awards for his FX to consciously laugh about such secomedy “Louie,” a show that he di- rious topics? rects, writes and In a way, standedits himself and up comedy is a in which he plays “The best comedi- mode of escapism. the title role. He a comedy show, ans should be able At also made over $1 we do not have to million last year to do more than actually confront selling his stand-up problems and spout a string of our special “Live at the instead are able Beacon Theater” on jokes whose sole to laugh them off. his own website at a Finding the humor cost of five dollars, purpose is to shock in difficult social inspiring other cotheir fans. ” issues is one way of medians to use a dealing with them similar idea with in that it makes their own specials. them somehow less Although his level of success is intimidating. C.K. is aware – and ofsomewhat unusual for a stand-up ten acknowledges – that his standcomedian, C.K. is only one in a up material can be touchy. But his group of comedians who have be- success comes from the fact that he come famous for often relying on is able to mix so well the touchy and shock value in their humor. Other sensitive issues with the harmless examples include comedians Chris and make them all equally funny. Rock, Daniel Tosh of Tosh.0 and It is truly the mark of a good coSarah Silverman. median when he or she has the ability Their success brings up the ques- to make every issue, no matter how tion of whether being successful in sensitive, seem humorous. However, the world of stand-up comedy de- the best comedians should be able to pends on one’s willingness to cross do more than spout a string of jokes into sensitive territory such as issues whose sole purpose is to shock their of race, gender and class. It also puts fans. Louis C.K. stands out in that into perspective how much their sense: While his stand-up is often audiences take away from watching crude, it is relatively avant-garde in these acts and to what degree their that it successfully mixes the crude comedy plays a role in the public’s with the meaningful and sincere. perception of these issues. Similarly, his show “Louie” mixes To some degree, if a comedi- in many surreal elements and at the an’s act does not include any truly same time is very true to life and ocshocking jokes, it will not be as casionally even profound. memorable. C.K.’s stand-up is given Hopefully comedians emulating so much attention precisely because C.K. will follow his lead and move he so often crosses the line into such away from depending solely on the territory and makes bold statements shock factor for laughs. about topics such as white privilege, women’s issues and sexuality. Using stand-up comedy as a me- Nina Hagen ’15 (hagen@stolaf.edu) dium, it somehow becomes more is from St. Paul, Minn. Her major is acceptable to bring up these issues currently undecided. because the dialogue takes place in a light-hearted environment. The laughter of the audience comes from the fact that they are glad that By Nina Hagen
ANNA CARLSON/MANITOU MESSENGER