The Dangers Of Presidency
Marquette, MI – Standing before the Northern Michigan University Elections Committee, Katerina Klawes tries to defend her innocence. She had received an email at 10 p.m. last night presenting her with charges against her during the election for president of the Associated Students of NMU.
The crime she is accused of is forging a document to give herself the approval to canvas Payne Hall for the election. Although speculative, the evidence was enough for the committee to press the charges. Sleep deprived out of worry, she didn’t have to wait long for the verdict to a crime she knows she did not commit.
Northern Michigan University welcome sign as you enter campus in Marquette, MI. (photo by Ron Caspi)
The ASNMU presidency has held something of a stigma around it for some time. For the past couple of years, it has become synonymous with abuse of power and corruption, wearing down students expectations and appreciation over the years. But is it the position that corrupts, or is it simply in the nature of those who seek the position?
They are intended to be representatives. They decide the policies that affect students, and determine how money is spent. And yet many times, they have failed to live up to those standards. Although the same may not truly be said about Klawes.
Unfortunately, the speculation was more than enough for the committee, and Klawes was voted out with no chance for appeal. Thus ending what many would consider a stellar career. But such scandal is not new to the ASNMU office.
A number of Klawes’ predecessors were caught up in scandals as well, although the evidence is a little more concrete. One such person was impeached from his term, arrested only a few days after being elected for having a chicken in city limits, and had also been found with dog-at-large fines, traffic violations, and missing court appearances.
This trend continued with his replacement. After an average run as president, she was eventually arrested after it was found she had embezzled over $1,000 from ASNMU during her term. She is currently serving time in prison. Another dark chapter in the history of ASNMU presidents. But for a time there was a bright spot, in the form of Katerina Klawes.
Kat Klawes will make a fresh start next semester after being forced to withdraw from the race for USNMU president.
Her day would begin at eight in the morning with a meeting with a department head or administrator, as no one else would set a meeting at that time. There were two or three of these meetings a week, ranging from motorist assist programs to talk of gender inclusive housing. After that, she would spend two hours working at the library before going to her classes. And after classes came afternoon meetings, which usually occur three out of five days during the week. As she puts it, “There’s no such thing as a typical day for me, except hectic.”
Klawes, former ASNMU president and junior majoring in Secondary Education English, is the first to say she has a lot on her plate. Working on 20 different university committees, such as the Food Advisory Board, Radio X, and the Sexual Assault Task Force, and taking 18 credits a semester, can be a little tiring. “I always try to do too much and run myself into the ground,” Klawes said. “But it’s allowed me to meet lots of different people.”
As odd as it may seem, to relax after over working herself, she usually gets back to work. “Otherwise, I look at different things on Tumblr and Newsworthy,” said Klawes. “I look at things about people making a difference, and upbeat news articles.” According to Klawes, even if it’s only five minutes out of a horrible day, it gives her the extra push to keep going. But when she does find time to have fun, she makes sure to make the most of it.
Living most of her life in Oconto, Wis. a small town only 10 minutes south of the Michigan border, Klawes was born to a 16 year old single mother, who as a result was unable to graduate high school. And although she managed to earn her GED, she never went to college. Klawes decided that she wanted to be the first person in her family to graduate from college. Sitting in her office, dressed in a white sweater with blue stripes, with her brown hair down to shoulder length; it was easy to see that she had come a long way.
As a first-generation college student, there were many road blocks ahead of her. “My family didn’t know how scholarships worked,” said Klawes. “And we didn’t know how college essays worked either. I had no concept of what college was going to be until I got there.” She goes on to describe herself as the nerdy kid who bought books about what college life was like and spent hours reading them. A far cry from the woman who dresses in business suits for meetings, and always seems to have the right thing to say.
Growing up 10 minutes away from the U.P., Klawes spent most of her time there, saying there was nothing in Wisconsin but cheese and the Packers. She spent a lot of her time looking after her younger brother James, who suffers from Asperger’s Syndrome. She says defending her brother from bullies helped shape her independent nature. She was first interested in NMU as it was a Nationally ranked school of education and still close to home. But it wasn’t until her visit that she knew she wanted to go to the university. “I can’t really explain it,” Klawes said. “I only visited once but it felt like home. And I knew I would be able to do great things here.” These feelings would soon result in her officially joining ASNMU.
Klawes joined ASNMU her sophomore year, after being heavily involved during her freshman year. As soon as she did, she immersed herself in campus life. “I got to spend time as a girl scout troop leader,” Klawes said. “And I worked for AmeriCorps, talking to high school students about Secondary Education. It made me feel like I could make a difference.”
Indeed Klawes did manage to make a difference, motivated by the desire to help out students. This desire eventually led her to looking at the student hearing process. “I was really curious about how the university worked, and what things like these policies were for,” Klawes said. “One thing I found to be very disconcerting was the lack of lawyers for students. These are situations that could ruin a student’s life, and there is no one to advocate what is proper court protocol.” Klawes feels that the process should better mirror the American court system, allowing lawyers and working more on First Amendment Rights. She also feels that secrecy is a problem because it keeps people from getting informed, and as she puts it, “Transparency and justice go hand in hand in the American court system.”
Klawes also feels there is a major problem with the alcohol policy. The problem being that there was no protection for students dealing with alcohol related injuries. “Let’s say I’m a 19 year old student and I drink too much,” Klawes said. “I get taken in an ambulance to a hospital, and my friends tell my R.A. what happened. I could still get into trouble through the university hearing about it, and I could be taken to student court.” Her response to this problem was to help push a Medical Amnesty Policy.
The Medical Amnesty Policy would allow students to call for help for drug or alcohol related incidents without having to worry about getting into trouble. This policy was created on the grounds that NMU should have policies to protect students’ health and empower them to call for help when help is needed. ASNMU presented this policy on the grounds that NMU’s primary concern should be the health, well-being, and safety of its students. The policy is currently still under consideration. Despite the events of the scandal, there are those who still appreciate what Klawes has done for the school.
ASNMU Director of External Affairs Mitchell Sevigny feels that Klawes had done a great job as president. “She has completed many of her goals, such as Gender Inclusive Housing Resolution launching the Seconds to Success Career Closet, and playing a key role in the development of the new General Studies program as well as making speeches and appearances at Northern events,” Sevigny said. “She has also presented to the Board of Trustees twice, once regarding gender inclusive housing and referendum, and again regarding medical amnesty.”
“Some of the policies I am proud to have been involved in were Medical Amnesty, Gender Inclusive Housing,” Klawes said. “I was very vocal regarding the Preferred Name Policy, and I was an advocate for improved sexual assault policies on campus.”
But, this did leave her open to enemies.
“There were those who disapproved of my policies,” Klawes said. “Most notably was Dean of Students Christine Greer. She voiced disapproval by speaking to other ASNMU Representatives.”
Perhaps these disagreements were accentuated somewhat by Klawes herself. Sevigny feels that Klawes can tend to be fairly conceited, or quick to dismiss the ideas of others in favor of her own. “I find this common amongst student leaders,” Sevigny said. “And Kat is no exception.” He also feels Kat can tend to be intimidating, saying you could ask a simple question and end up with, “a tangent of ideas and you almost feel like you’re standing before a firing squad with her words as bullets.” He admits that Klawes’ ideas aren’t necessarily bad ideas, but they come so quick people don’t really have time to fully understand them, and feel intimidated as a result.
But these disagreements were not limited to the Dean of Students.
“I’ve had previous disagreements with the administration,” Klawes said. “Particularly regarding sexual assault policies on campus, gender inclusive housing, and other issues.” These disagreements may have led to the results of her court case.
AT 10 p.m. Mar. 17, Klawes received an email saying the election committee requested her presence at a hearing the next morning. After requesting to be informed of what the hearing was about, she received a reply telling her that she had three charges against her.
“The three charges were very confusing to me,” Klawes said. “As I did not canvas Payne Hall, and did not modify any documents.”
Losing sleep over worry of the hearing, and being denied the presence of any emotional support, Klawes did her best to defend herself against the Committee’s claims.
“I feel the entire process was rushed, and in essence was a kangaroo court,” Klawes said. “I vehemently feel that my due process rights were violated.” Klawes is adamant about her mistreatment during the trial.
“The fact that I was given less than 24 hours before the hearing,” Klawes said. “Was not informed on what documents I supposedly doctored, and given an ultimatum made by the Elections Committee that I either withdraw my candidacy or it would be made public knowledge that I was guilty of forgery; proves this fact.”
Klawes was not even allowed the right to appeal her case, on the grounds that she never filed the right form, and failed to contact ASNMU about the appeal. This is in spite of the fact that the forms are difficult to access, and not online. And so, Klawes felt she had no choice, but to step down as president, ending an otherwise spotless career.
In spite of the unfortunate events of the past month, Klawes has taken this chance to explore new opportunities. Soon after stepping down from the presidency, she had taken this opportunity to become the new general manager at Radio X, NMU’s own radio station, having been almost immediately contacted after the scandal. And although she is happy with her new job, its proximity to the ASNMU office is a little disheartening to her.
“Truthfully, working next to the ASNMU office is a bit difficult,” Klawes said. “Because I am reminded everyday about the horrible injustice that shook my life over a mere month ago.”
And with Klawes now gone, the role of president falls upon her opponent during the election; Lindsay Lieck.
Her predecessor, Kat Klawes, has advice for Lieck to try and make things better at ASNMU.
“I think that Lindsay has got to be more involved in the decisions and actions of ASNMU and to hear both sides of the issues,” Klawes said. “I feel she is now responsible to rework policies and protect students due process rights, which is one of the founding principles of ASNMU in the Preamble.”
While she hopes to improve the reputation of her position, only time will tell if Lindsay will come out of the shadow of her predecessors. Although, she does have the support of one.
“I truly wish her well,” Klawes said. “And I hope that she is successful in continuing my work of re-building ASNMU.”
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