Under-qualified & Overpaid at Berry College
The Crier Laughs at Berry College and its Decanal Leadership
In January 2021, Berry College announced its new dean, one Gabriel Barreneche—a truly underqualified and overpaid academic. Since Ole “Busted” Barreneche began his tenure in July of that year, key questions have emerged.
How much scholarship has this esteemed academic published?
Where’s the bibliography?
Where’s the Works Cited?
Well…where is it?
What’s the scorecard for Ole “Busted” Barreneche?
Answer—Nothing!
Answer—None!
Answer—Zero!
Answer—Zip!
Or, should the Crier say nada?
The Crier searched the web for the latest scholarship from Ole “Busted” Barreneche but found nothing since 2021. The Crier searched Jstor for the latest and greatest scholarship from Ole “Busted” Barreneche but found nothing since 2021. The Crier searched Galileo for the latest and greatest scholarship from Ole “Busted” Barreneche but found nothing since 2021. The Crier searched Google Scholar for the latest and greatest scholarship from Ole “Busted” Barreneche but found nothing since 2021.
In short, the Crier found nothing—or should it say nada?
What has Ole “Busted” Barreneche been doing since taking over decanal duties?
What was Ole “Busted” Barreneche doing during lockdown?
It would appear that Ole “Busted” Barreneche has been sitting on his ass.
The Crier warned back in 2021 that Ole “Busted” Barreneche was underqualified for the position. In fact, there were at least 1000 more qualified candidates across America. Ah, but NW Georgia now lives in the world of DIE—Diversity, Inclusion, Equity. Since Ole “Busted” Barreneche was a DI(r)E hire, it makes perfect sense that he’s published nothing—or is it nada?
What’s that line from Lear? “Nothing will come of nothing. Speak again.”
Now, in all fairness, the Crier is not a polymath like those sages at Berry College [chuckle…chuckle]. The Crier lacks Berry-like erudition and apercu [chuckle…chuckle]. That said, the Crier will willingly print a retraction if this less than esteemed publication—or the Crier that is—has missed any of Ole “Busted” Barreneche’s scholarship. Afterall, the Crier is “manned & womaned” by simple folk—what those at Berry College would call simpletons or bumpkins. That said, the Crier is fully qualified—unlike Ole “Busted” Barreneche—to act its part, to act the fool in NW Georgia. That said, who’s the more foolish: the Crier or Berry College?
Regardless, Ole “Busted” Barreneche is out of his depth it would appear. What’s that line from “Roscoe,” that line from Washington Irving? Oh yea, something about pygmies rummaging the armory of a giant and contending for the possession of weapons they cannot wield. Irving goes on in the Sketchbook to talk specifically about books and scholarship and most importantly about deans: “Books were written to give pleasure and to be enjoyed; and I would have a rule passed that the dean should pay each of us [the books that is] a visit at least once a year; or if he is not equal to the task, let them once in a while turn loose the whole school of [Berry College] among us, that at any rate we may now and then have an airing.” In other words, Ole Dean “Busted” Barreneche needs to stop “queefing” around the Berry campus and get back into the library, get back to the scholarship.
But alas, this is exactly what an equity hire looks like. Ole Gabriel Barreneche is just a bust. That said, Ole Gabriel is probably a nice man/woman/they; the Crier would never presume to misgender anyone—especially since we’re talking about a faculty member at Berry College…all those sophisticates. But still, all the “niceness” aside, Ole Gabriel Barreneche is a bust; he’s the Ryan Leaf of the academic world.