March 20, 2011 - 4:38pm
Coleman, Harper stopped for speeding on way to North Campus
BY KYLE SWANSON
After arriving more than 10 minutes late to an informal discussion with students yesterday, University President Mary Sue Coleman apologized for her tardiness by explaining that the car she was riding in to the event was stopped by police.
Coleman told those in attendance at her monthly fireside chat — an event at which students are invited to discuss campus issues with Coleman — that University Vice President for Student Affairs Royster Harper, who had been driving Coleman to the event, was pulled over for speeding on their way to Bursley Residence Hall.
“Vice President Harper assures me this is only the second ticket she’s gotten in the last 20 years,” Coleman told students at the fireside chat with a laugh. “She is not a lawbreaker.”
Coleman said she and Harper were delayed because they tried to explain to the officer why they were speeding.
“We didn’t do a very good job of pleading our case,” Coleman said. “He had to write a ticket for us, so we had been detained there.”
Harper walked in to the event shortly after Coleman, at which point Coleman motioned to Harper and joked, “the lawbreaker.”
Harper joked to students that she had tried to convince the officer not to write a ticket.
“Don’t you know who I’m with,” Harper said she asked the officer.
Coleman and many students in the room laughed at the remark, which Coleman followed up by saying the officer was just doing his job.
“He was actually a very nice patrol officer,” Coleman said.
