They're Just Envious!

Today Penn State announced the appointment of Kevin M. Morooney as vice provost for information technology. While I really have nothing to say about the appointment per se, the following comment by Provost Rod Erickson did catch my eye.

"We're delighted that Kevin will be taking on an even greater role in providing leadership for Penn State's vast, complex information systems," said Rodney A. Erickson, executive vice president and provost. "The information technology organization at Penn State is the envy of our peers across the nation, and Kevin's vision and plans for enhancing Penn State's strengths in teaching, research and service through technology will serve the University well."

Frankly, Penn State's boastfulness makes it the laughing stock of its peers across the nation. It also belies a deep rooted insecurity.

For the record, here is the definition of envy.

1 : painful or resentful awareness of an advantage enjoyed by another joined with a desire to possess the same advantage
2 obsolete : MALICE
3 : an object of envious notice or feeling of envy

As you can see, it is not a positive attribute. I wonder if Erickson is even aware that this comment is an insult to Penn State's peers.

The crassness of Erickson's remark is best seen by comparison to this one: My Ferragamo purse is the envy of all the girls in my sorority. Get the picture?