This is how to advance Iowa debate

By Bryce T. Bauer

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As University of Iowa professor Stephen Bloom, a man with an East Coast connection, was sparking an intense debate with his essay on Iowa in The Atlantic earlier this month, David Skorton, a man with a strong Iowa pedigree, was making waves on the East Coast. Unfortunately the waves didn't wash far enough inland.

Skorton is the former UI president and now the head of Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y. His transition from the UI to Cornell is doubtless a debacle too present in the minds of those who remember him (for those who don't, the exit was caused by a conflict that had nothing to do with Skorton's performance as president, which was widely praised).

But Iowa's loss was clearly Cornell's gain, as shown in the Dec. 19 landmark announcement that the university won a competition to build a new graduate school of science and technology in New York City. The stats of the project are extraordinary: a 2-million-square-foot campus for 280 faculty members serving 2,500 students, an innovative partnership with Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, an unprecedented gift of $350 million, a $150 million venture capital fund for New York start-ups, and a schedule that calls for some students to arrive as early as September 2012.

Just as Iowa wasn't alone in shaping Skorton, Skorton wasn't alone in making Cornell's project a reality, but he's been praised with ensuring it surpassed expectations.

Bloom's essay was a tragedy. It was useless hyperbole and shrill just to be shrill. I have often been asked to explain my birthplace to residents of my adopted home, New York City, and can attest that people who want to understand Iowa want more nuance and depth.

Cornell's announcement, while not a tragedy, was bittersweet. It showed what Iowa lost when it lost Skorton, but also that his Iowa connection received no recognition in the announcement's coverage, and apparently none in Iowa.

Ensuring that Iowa's identity is one to be proud of now and in the future is a very important topic for debate - while the national focus is on the state during caucus season as well as when it is not. Criticism is key to improvement and Iowa is far from perfect, but any debate should be forward looking and constructive. Events like Cornell's announcement are far better catalysts for debate than inflammatory articles, especially because empowering leaders of Iowa universities to do great things, and attract and retain leaders so capable, furthers Iowa's greatness by tapping into an already proud heritage.

Bryce T Bauer, University of Iowa journalism graduate and former Gazette intern, is a freelance writer/documentary producer in New York City. Comments: bryce.bauer@gmail.com.