Some people just don’t listen. Even when all indications prescribe taking a certain direction, they blindly go the other way.

Last year, former NIU president Clyde Wingfield wouldn’t listen when people told him it would be wrong to contract the Pow Wow Room out to an independent corporation. He went full force ahead and brought in a Roy Rogers cafeteria even though it was clear most of NIU was against the move.

When the issue was being discussed, it was argued a private contractor would not be able to maintain the food service quality or the menu price structure which existed with the Pow Wow. In fact, two major food contractors, Saga Corporation and Szabo Foods, declined a bid on the property because they would be unable to live up to university specifications. Despite these indications, the administration pushed on.

When civil service workers employed at the Pow Wow and students protested the change, their pleas were ignored and the deal was pursued.

Eventually, the university signed a contract with the Marriott Corporation, owner of the Roy Rogers chain. Now the university is suffering for its mistake of closing its ears to the public’s concern.

It now appears Marriott has come to the realization that the Roy Rogers excursion was doomed to fail. They have asked the university to consider discussing the terms of their contract and are entertaining thoughts of closing the facility.

Now, yet another committee has been forced into existence in order to decide what should be done as this situation develops. In all likelihood, it will be proven the university should have listened to those who objected to the selling out of the Pow Wow in an attempt to make money.

The university was mistaken from the start on this and now they must deal with the consequences.

The Pow Wow Room ran smoothly, was appreciated by the students, provided work to area residents and, above all, was profitable. It should have stayed the way it was.

Fortunately, the newly-formed committee will have the power to recommend a new format for what is now Roy Rogers, should that establishment pull out.

This time, maybe they’ll use hindsight and conclude that another Pow Wow-type cafeteria would be the most appropriate. Hopefully the university has learned to listen to the concerns of those involved before making hasty decisions on its own.