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As the ball dropped in Times Square this New Year’s Eve, members of the Brandeis community were greeted with a video holiday card from President Fred Lawrence and his family wishing a happy new year to all. The video is the first Lawrence has made in his time as president, and the university has already posted a new flick, “if we will it,” to introduce Lawrence to the community.

While we welcome the administration to the 21st century and applaud the unprecedented use of multimedia to access the community at large, this year’s new videos are certainly tacky and border on creepy—a combination this editorial board did not know was possible.

The cold, stiff, uncomfortable new year video, which amputated members of the Brandeis presidential family mid-thigh, did not do justice to the warm, animated and personable man who has recently ascended to the presidency. Similarly, the “if we will it” video is altogether too long and clearly choreographed.

As far as personality, the board of trustees chose well when they picked Lawrence as the university’s new president; however, the orchestration of both videos stifles his charisma and dampens his amicable nature.

We have met Fred Lawrence. This is not Fred Lawrence.