10.31.2003
Brandeis Justice back online
First up: a 3,300 word story on how "Racism slips past editors."
Some things of note in there:
The editorial:
The Brandeis Black Student Organization (BBSO) responds:
"If this were to happen again at Brandeis, to any community, always remember the words that rang out at 2:30 in the morning and will forever echo throughout the halls of the Shapiro Campus Center..."
We can guess that those words probably aren't "Steve, Steve [the editor-in-chief]... we'll get you..."
Here's a separate article about what happened that morning.
The editor-in-chief's letter of resignation, as well as the feature editor's.
The masthead has been changed as well.
Some things of note in there:
Passner attributed this quote to [Brandeis student]. Passner's previous columns have cited [Brandeis student] on other occasions.and this:
[Brandeis student] said that he had not been interviewed for the Oct. 21 column, nor had he been interviewed by Passner for any previous article.
Passner himself has a long history of including racist remarks in his columns. A case in point is his column in the Sept. 16 issue of the Justice, titled "The Art of Selig Bashing," in which, according to Professor Jacob Cohen (AMST), "he used the same language as the Nazis did when they referred to Jews in terms of diseases as a way of describing Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig, who himself is a Jew."
In that issue, Passner continued further to say that "if the Third Reich were making Der Sturmer today, there is no doubt that Allen 'Bud' Selig would be on the cover." He followed this comment in the next paragraph by comparing Selig to Yasser Arafat...
The editorial:
We still strive to be your advocate and your megaphone. We still strive to be the best newspaper we can be, not just for ourselves and our pride, but for the good of the whole Brandeis community. But we have been severely weakened by this past week, and we are left exhausted.
We still stand behind our newspaper, and those of us who remain are trying to stand as strong as possible as an Editorial Board. But we admit that we do not know the future of this paper. Our namesake, which has been a source of pride for over 54 years, is in danger, even as we put our hearts and souls into trying to save it. The future weeks will be trying for us as an organization, as well as members of the Brandeis community. We ask for your forgiveness, we ask for your understanding, but most of all, we ask you to start dealing with the greater issue of racism and the incredible need for members of this campus to start reaching out to each other...
The Brandeis Black Student Organization (BBSO) responds:
"If this were to happen again at Brandeis, to any community, always remember the words that rang out at 2:30 in the morning and will forever echo throughout the halls of the Shapiro Campus Center..."
We can guess that those words probably aren't "Steve, Steve [the editor-in-chief]... we'll get you..."
Here's a separate article about what happened that morning.
The editor-in-chief's letter of resignation, as well as the feature editor's.
The masthead has been changed as well.
Mass Media 10/30/2003
This week's Mass Media is finally up.
For online readers, here is what our covers look like.
Lt. Gov. Healey, Swift Headline Political Summit. This is the New England Women's Political Summit I went to last Sunday and Monday.
Political Science Professor Arthur "Rusty" Simonds passes away.
And the usual student government stuff, "Senate Notes."
This week the paper has an editorial urging for House Bill 2400 to be killed in committee. It's up for a vote in the next several days.
And it doesn't matter which side you're on in the HB2400 debate, come on, how cool is this editorial cartoon, done by our new cartoonist?
For online readers, here is what our covers look like.
Lt. Gov. Healey, Swift Headline Political Summit. This is the New England Women's Political Summit I went to last Sunday and Monday.
Political Science Professor Arthur "Rusty" Simonds passes away.
And the usual student government stuff, "Senate Notes."
This week the paper has an editorial urging for House Bill 2400 to be killed in committee. It's up for a vote in the next several days.
And it doesn't matter which side you're on in the HB2400 debate, come on, how cool is this editorial cartoon, done by our new cartoonist?
Globe: subpeonas for Bulger family
"In an effort to find out who took a phone call from a London bank where fugitive James 'Whitey' Bulger had stashed $50,000 in cash, federal prosecutors have subpoenaed the wife and children of Bulger's brother William, according to several people involved in the case.
The 1997 phone call was made to the Bulgers' South Boston home because James Bulger had listed his brother as the contact for the London safe deposit box.
When asked about the box and the phone call during testimony before a congressional committee in June, William Bulger said that he was unaware of the box and that nobody in his family 'recalls such a call'..."
The 1997 phone call was made to the Bulgers' South Boston home because James Bulger had listed his brother as the contact for the London safe deposit box.
When asked about the box and the phone call during testimony before a congressional committee in June, William Bulger said that he was unaware of the box and that nobody in his family 'recalls such a call'..."
Goldin questions potential BU trustees' conflicts of interest
Patrick Healey for the Globe: "Goldin, who accepted the BU presidency in August and is scheduled to take office tomorrow, has alienated top BU trustees and outgoing leader John Silber, sources have said, because he planned to let some of the current trustees go, appoint new ones, sideline Silber from university affairs, and overhaul business practices on the board of trustees -- major changes after 32 years during which Silber, as president and then chancellor of BU, appointed close allies to the board and largely crafted BU's current management and business policies..."
Silber has stepped down, according to this article by Marcella Bombardieri. The university will try to get out a severance package, but Goldin is looking like he's going to fight for it, since he hired the Clintons' lawyer, Robert Barnett.
Globe columnist Brian McGrory has this lead: "You know it's gotten bad at Boston University when the owner of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey quits the board of trustees in a huff because the whole thing has become too much of a circus..."
Kevin Rothstein writes that it was a speech Goldin made to the board of trustees that sent them scrambling to get rid of him.
And from the campus press: Several members of the board of trustees won't be attending, for several reaons.
Students express their sentiments: some have been "talking about it all day," others don't know, don't care.
October 18 DFP interview with Silber. He comments on Goldin, and answers a DFP question about his severance package:
Silber: ...But I don’t have any financial reward. There’s no golden parachute out there waiting for me. I’ll float down on the basis of what I’ve already earned. Lord, you’re nosy.
DFP: Well, that’s our job.
Silber: Well, that’s okay. That’s a perfectly fair question.
The editorial opines on the end of an era. In the letters arena, "Students must fuel change," writes one, "BU Trustees wise to question Goldin temperament," writes another. An alumnus comments, "Silber leadership past expiration date."
Silber has stepped down, according to this article by Marcella Bombardieri. The university will try to get out a severance package, but Goldin is looking like he's going to fight for it, since he hired the Clintons' lawyer, Robert Barnett.
Globe columnist Brian McGrory has this lead: "You know it's gotten bad at Boston University when the owner of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey quits the board of trustees in a huff because the whole thing has become too much of a circus..."
Kevin Rothstein writes that it was a speech Goldin made to the board of trustees that sent them scrambling to get rid of him.
And from the campus press: Several members of the board of trustees won't be attending, for several reaons.
Students express their sentiments: some have been "talking about it all day," others don't know, don't care.
October 18 DFP interview with Silber. He comments on Goldin, and answers a DFP question about his severance package:
Silber: ...But I don’t have any financial reward. There’s no golden parachute out there waiting for me. I’ll float down on the basis of what I’ve already earned. Lord, you’re nosy.
DFP: Well, that’s our job.
Silber: Well, that’s okay. That’s a perfectly fair question.
The editorial opines on the end of an era. In the letters arena, "Students must fuel change," writes one, "BU Trustees wise to question Goldin temperament," writes another. An alumnus comments, "Silber leadership past expiration date."
Brandeis Justice Controversy Update
Thanks to everybody who's been sending e-mails. I'll try to respond as quickly as possible.
It's been a crazy week on many fronts, and tomorrow it's all going to come to a head, I think.
So many developments in the Brandeis Justice incident, it's almost hard to keep up. But here we go, once more into the blogging breach before bed:
Steven Silver writes on his blog, "I guess as a former staffer for the paper, I feel a natural identification with the Justice editors, who made a horrible mistake but are now collectively being accused of doing much worse. There are likely people on the current Justice Editorial Board who have wanted to pursue journalism careers for their entire lives, and now may have to abandon that dream because their names will forever be associated with a racially charged scandal- even though most of them had nothing personally to do with the mistake."
Not only that, but I think there is a stigma that will become attached to the newspaper. So if and when current and future staffers will be looking to do a story on anything, some in the university community will tell them, "The Brandeis Justice? Oh yeah, you're the guys who did the whole Dusty Baker racist comment thing, right?"
I've had this sort of thing happen to me more than once, with university people still remembering an incident in 1997 (when I was in 7th, 8th grade, no less) where the newspaper, in an amazingly stupid move, put porn on the front page.
It makes it that much harder to get the story, to get people to trust you as a reporter, with that stigma attached.
Other Brandeis students blogging on this, found by Silver and Jawsblog's Josh: Here and here.
Josh mentions The Justice being an independent student newspaper: "So why did the administration place so much pressure on these two editors to resign? I can understand going after the section edtior, cause it seems like he dropped the ball, but the editor-in-chief? I understand why the administrators decided to get involved (they went into CYA mode) but what about the paper's autonomy?"
For administrators, a student newspaper's autonomy appears to come second, as it was proven over at UMass Boston, when last semester, the editor-in-chief was suspended by the dean of students. We wrote about it, and it got picked up by the Boston Herald.
And this, the stigma, editors getting fired, the overall climate, etc., is something that's been happening at student newspapers and on colleges campuses all over the country. The problem is nation-wide.
Jawsblog also says the controversial article is back online after a brief hiatus.
And the Boston Globe article from Thursday. University spokesperson Dennis Nealon said the editors "decided to take their time and look at this, to give students enough time to have input, and not rush an issue out while things are evolving." Which isn't quite what the newsroom source said.
And I think that's it.
Blogging will probably light tomorrow. I might be heading up to UMass Lowell with a few people to see some friends, or seeing a friend who hasn't been feeling well. Either way.
As always, tips, comments, suggestions, corrections, and clarifications can be sent to gin@the-mass-media.com.
It's been a crazy week on many fronts, and tomorrow it's all going to come to a head, I think.
So many developments in the Brandeis Justice incident, it's almost hard to keep up. But here we go, once more into the blogging breach before bed:
Steven Silver writes on his blog, "I guess as a former staffer for the paper, I feel a natural identification with the Justice editors, who made a horrible mistake but are now collectively being accused of doing much worse. There are likely people on the current Justice Editorial Board who have wanted to pursue journalism careers for their entire lives, and now may have to abandon that dream because their names will forever be associated with a racially charged scandal- even though most of them had nothing personally to do with the mistake."
Not only that, but I think there is a stigma that will become attached to the newspaper. So if and when current and future staffers will be looking to do a story on anything, some in the university community will tell them, "The Brandeis Justice? Oh yeah, you're the guys who did the whole Dusty Baker racist comment thing, right?"
I've had this sort of thing happen to me more than once, with university people still remembering an incident in 1997 (when I was in 7th, 8th grade, no less) where the newspaper, in an amazingly stupid move, put porn on the front page.
It makes it that much harder to get the story, to get people to trust you as a reporter, with that stigma attached.
Other Brandeis students blogging on this, found by Silver and Jawsblog's Josh: Here and here.
Josh mentions The Justice being an independent student newspaper: "So why did the administration place so much pressure on these two editors to resign? I can understand going after the section edtior, cause it seems like he dropped the ball, but the editor-in-chief? I understand why the administrators decided to get involved (they went into CYA mode) but what about the paper's autonomy?"
For administrators, a student newspaper's autonomy appears to come second, as it was proven over at UMass Boston, when last semester, the editor-in-chief was suspended by the dean of students. We wrote about it, and it got picked up by the Boston Herald.
And this, the stigma, editors getting fired, the overall climate, etc., is something that's been happening at student newspapers and on colleges campuses all over the country. The problem is nation-wide.
Jawsblog also says the controversial article is back online after a brief hiatus.
And the Boston Globe article from Thursday. University spokesperson Dennis Nealon said the editors "decided to take their time and look at this, to give students enough time to have input, and not rush an issue out while things are evolving." Which isn't quite what the newsroom source said.
And I think that's it.
Blogging will probably light tomorrow. I might be heading up to UMass Lowell with a few people to see some friends, or seeing a friend who hasn't been feeling well. Either way.
As always, tips, comments, suggestions, corrections, and clarifications can be sent to gin@the-mass-media.com.
Faculty discuss Goldin
"More than 100 Boston University faculty members assembled Wednesday afternoon at a two-hour faculty forum to discuss the controversy surrounding the Board of Trustees and President-elect Daniel S. Goldin," writes DFP's Chris Gaylord.
"Several sources over the past week have told the Globe they expect the full board to rescind Goldin's job offer tomorrow," reported Marcella Bombardieri.
Alumni and faculty protest.
Globe columnist Alex Beam says BU is reaping what Silber sowed.
A Globe editorial points out that tomorrow will be a lose-lose situation for the trustees: If Goldin keeps his job, his power won't be as strong; if he is let go, a new search will have to start, and nobody's going to want to the job after this little debacle.
The Boston Herald website does not seem to want to cooperate tonight, but I want to note that they did have several things today (or yesterday, seeing how it's almost 2am Friday).
The one by Kevin Rothstein ("Incoming president's ouster may cost BU) mentioned that members of Attorney General Tom Reilly's staff "met with people accusing members of the BU board of trustees of having a conflict of interest."
They quote Ann Donlan, Reilly spokesperson, as saying "We have absolutely no intentions of getting involved with anything to do with BU."
Herald columnists Cosmo Macero and Peter Gelzinis both tackle the issue.
SEE ALSO IN DFP: Part four of five of a DFP interview with Silber.
CA students may not have homes to go back to after fires.
In the letters pages, two letters about the Goldin mess: A short note from a '70s graduate. "Is this really happening?" asks a Siim Hanja in NY.
Creepy: "Whisperer" making early morning phone calls to Harvard students, asks lewd questions.
"Several sources over the past week have told the Globe they expect the full board to rescind Goldin's job offer tomorrow," reported Marcella Bombardieri.
Alumni and faculty protest.
Globe columnist Alex Beam says BU is reaping what Silber sowed.
A Globe editorial points out that tomorrow will be a lose-lose situation for the trustees: If Goldin keeps his job, his power won't be as strong; if he is let go, a new search will have to start, and nobody's going to want to the job after this little debacle.
The Boston Herald website does not seem to want to cooperate tonight, but I want to note that they did have several things today (or yesterday, seeing how it's almost 2am Friday).
The one by Kevin Rothstein ("Incoming president's ouster may cost BU) mentioned that members of Attorney General Tom Reilly's staff "met with people accusing members of the BU board of trustees of having a conflict of interest."
They quote Ann Donlan, Reilly spokesperson, as saying "We have absolutely no intentions of getting involved with anything to do with BU."
Herald columnists Cosmo Macero and Peter Gelzinis both tackle the issue.
SEE ALSO IN DFP: Part four of five of a DFP interview with Silber.
CA students may not have homes to go back to after fires.
In the letters pages, two letters about the Goldin mess: A short note from a '70s graduate. "Is this really happening?" asks a Siim Hanja in NY.
Creepy: "Whisperer" making early morning phone calls to Harvard students, asks lewd questions.
Blogger briefly down
Now where was I?
Ah, yes. Brandeis and BU.
Ah, yes. Brandeis and BU.
Three of a kind: pair of journalists and a princess come to Notre Dame
Mike Wallace of "60 Minutes," NYTIMES foreign correspondent Anthony DePalma, and Filipino Princess Emraida Kiram all on the Notre Dame campus, reports the Observer.
10.30.2003
Illinois U. chancellor not candidate for UPenn presidency
"Chancellor Nancy Cantor was listed among the top five candidates for president of the University of Pennsylvania in the October issue of Philadelphia Magazine, but spokeswoman Robin Kaler denied on Wednesday that Cantor is a candidate," Ann Sanner writes for the Daily Illini.
Fall out continues at Alligator over cartoon
"Friday’s editorial cartoon drew more letters to the editor than any other topic this year," says the editorial. "Those seeking a retraction or apology for the decision will not find it in this column. The editors of the Alligator take full responsibility for the decision. We do not consider publishing it an oversight or mistake but rather a deliberate parody of the ways the two campus groups express their beliefs..."
The editor himself writes, "During the last couple of days, the Alligator and I have been criticized as anti-Semitic and ignorant toward the horrific events of the Holocaust."
The cartoonist responds to the criticism: "Have you forgotten that cartoons are not to be taken literally? Don’t tell me you were the balcony leapers who believed the cartoon physics when Wile E. Coyote ran off the edge of a cliff, hovered, looked at the audience, waved goodbye and then fell..."
And he has a new one up, poking fun at censorship.
"Distribute Alligator in the Middle East," says one letter writer. Another writes, "Overreaction shows disturbing paranoia."
The editor himself writes, "During the last couple of days, the Alligator and I have been criticized as anti-Semitic and ignorant toward the horrific events of the Holocaust."
The cartoonist responds to the criticism: "Have you forgotten that cartoons are not to be taken literally? Don’t tell me you were the balcony leapers who believed the cartoon physics when Wile E. Coyote ran off the edge of a cliff, hovered, looked at the audience, waved goodbye and then fell..."
And he has a new one up, poking fun at censorship.
"Distribute Alligator in the Middle East," says one letter writer. Another writes, "Overreaction shows disturbing paranoia."
Students to file JAG suit
Yale Daily News' Stephan Butler: "Yale Law School students will sue the Department of Defense today in the United States Courthouse at 141 Church St., challenging the department's alleged violation of their constitutional rights.
Representing approximately 50 students at the Law School, the plaintiffs -- the Student/Faculty Alliance for Military Equality and OutLaws, the association of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students -- are challenging the 1995 Solomon Amendment, which threatens law schools such as Yale's with withdrawal of all federal funds if they deny military recruiters access to the law schools' career offices..."
SEE ALSO: Nick Baumann reports that the famed Whiffenpoofs will appear on the WB's Gilmore Girls show. (West Wing fans will remember that they appeared in an episode of that, too.)
They met the mother and daughter, no doubt. Lucky sons of bitches.
...
Not that I watch the show or anything. I'm just saying.
Representing approximately 50 students at the Law School, the plaintiffs -- the Student/Faculty Alliance for Military Equality and OutLaws, the association of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender students -- are challenging the 1995 Solomon Amendment, which threatens law schools such as Yale's with withdrawal of all federal funds if they deny military recruiters access to the law schools' career offices..."
SEE ALSO: Nick Baumann reports that the famed Whiffenpoofs will appear on the WB's Gilmore Girls show. (West Wing fans will remember that they appeared in an episode of that, too.)
They met the mother and daughter, no doubt. Lucky sons of bitches.
...
Not that I watch the show or anything. I'm just saying.
Copy editors society founded
Crimson White: "[University of Alabama] students interested in [copy-editing] have founded the nation's first student chapter of the American Copy Editors Society, a 6-year-old organization designed to promote and publicize the growing field of copy editing..."
Ah, copy editors. What would we do without them? Probably not receive notes left on our desks, with written promises to kneecap us the next time we hyphenate "Vice President." Heh.
Ah, copy editors. What would we do without them? Probably not receive notes left on our desks, with written promises to kneecap us the next time we hyphenate "Vice President." Heh.
Swastikas at Suffolk U.
"On the night of October 20 Suffolk Police received a call that a swastika was drawn on a door of a room on the seventh floor at the 150 Tremont Street dorms.
Later that evening, police received one more call. They were alerted to another swastika, this time scrawled in the men's bathroom on the same floor of the dorm.
Police discovered a swastika sketched in black permanent marker inside the middle toilet stall next to a small caricature of Adolph Hitler connected to a voice box with another swastika drawn in it..." writes Tristan Benozer.
SEE ALSO: SGA members still in madhouse.
Letter to the editor about what a "laughingstock" the Suffolk student government has become.
Later that evening, police received one more call. They were alerted to another swastika, this time scrawled in the men's bathroom on the same floor of the dorm.
Police discovered a swastika sketched in black permanent marker inside the middle toilet stall next to a small caricature of Adolph Hitler connected to a voice box with another swastika drawn in it..." writes Tristan Benozer.
SEE ALSO: SGA members still in madhouse.
Letter to the editor about what a "laughingstock" the Suffolk student government has become.
SGA Diversity Roundtable offers space for dialogue
Ferron Salniker for UMass Amherst's Daily Collegian: "Over 50 faculty members, students and members of the University of Massachusetts community gathered yesterday afternoon to discuss recent issues regarding diversity for the first Student Government Association Diversity Roundtable of the year.
Organized by the Secretary of Diversity Issues, Russell Plato, the meeting was designed to create a space for dialogue on how to make the UMass campus a more inclusive community..."
SEE ALSO: A student writes a letter editor, complaining that UMass security is totally ineffective.
Organized by the Secretary of Diversity Issues, Russell Plato, the meeting was designed to create a space for dialogue on how to make the UMass campus a more inclusive community..."
SEE ALSO: A student writes a letter editor, complaining that UMass security is totally ineffective.
Creative Writing Boot Camp
This sounds like a creative writing class worth taking...
Charles Johnson, a professor of English at the University of Washington at Seattle, writes for the Chronicle of Higher Education.
[via bookslut]
Charles Johnson, a professor of English at the University of Washington at Seattle, writes for the Chronicle of Higher Education.
[via bookslut]
65 Years Ago Today Martians Invaded
Before we jump into today's regularly scheduled Campus Press Notes, I'd like to note that it was 65 years ago today, on October 30, 1938, that Orson Welles's radio play adaption of HG Wells's War of the Worlds caused a nation-wide panic.
I suggest doing what I doing: Sitting back, turning on your tape, record player, mp3 player, whatever, and with a cup of hot chocolate in hand, listen to Orson Welles tell the tale of how Earth was invaded one night by beings from another world.
Just listen:
"Ladies and gentlemen, we interrupt our program of dance music to bring you a special bulletin from the Intercontinental Radio News...."
MORE: A Crimson columnist writes about it.
I suggest doing what I doing: Sitting back, turning on your tape, record player, mp3 player, whatever, and with a cup of hot chocolate in hand, listen to Orson Welles tell the tale of how Earth was invaded one night by beings from another world.
Just listen:
"Ladies and gentlemen, we interrupt our program of dance music to bring you a special bulletin from the Intercontinental Radio News...."
MORE: A Crimson columnist writes about it.
More blogging to come
More blogging to come tonight on the Brandeis Justice controversy and BU trustee turmoil. Still at the Mass Media's office, for the second late night in a row.
CNN called the newsroom this afternoon, asking if we had any info on "campus politics." Apparently they wanted to know if anything was going at UMass Boston in advance for the November 4th "Rock the Vote" Democratic candidate debate at Fanieul Hall. Incidently, one of our guys has a press pass to that. I might go on my own just for the hell of it. Not sure yet.
Today I went and covered a small talk given by Paul Finkelman, a law professor from the University of Tulsa. His current claim to fame is that he was an expert witness for the Alabama Ten Commandments case that happened just recently.
He briefly commented on that, slavery reparations, his testimony for the Barry Bonds baseball case, and Harvard and Yale law schools' suit against the Department of Defense over the Solomon Amendment.
More on that in next Thursday's Mass Media.
CNN called the newsroom this afternoon, asking if we had any info on "campus politics." Apparently they wanted to know if anything was going at UMass Boston in advance for the November 4th "Rock the Vote" Democratic candidate debate at Fanieul Hall. Incidently, one of our guys has a press pass to that. I might go on my own just for the hell of it. Not sure yet.
Today I went and covered a small talk given by Paul Finkelman, a law professor from the University of Tulsa. His current claim to fame is that he was an expert witness for the Alabama Ten Commandments case that happened just recently.
He briefly commented on that, slavery reparations, his testimony for the Barry Bonds baseball case, and Harvard and Yale law schools' suit against the Department of Defense over the Solomon Amendment.
More on that in next Thursday's Mass Media.
Brandeis Justice source: Here's how it happened
Catch up with the ongoing controversy here.
The damage to the paper is reportedly more extensive than first reported. According to a newsroom source, after the resignation of five editors, "the rest of the board doesn't know how to put the paper back together."
Four of the people who resigned had the most experience and ability. The new editor-in-chief, who was previously the managing editor, "has never edited a section in her life." There is no sports editor, the feature editor is resigning, as are the two best layout people.
Anyway, here is one newsroom source's account of what happened:
The columnist, Dan Passner, writes the column with the racist remark, not qualifying it or giving it any context. "Although his remarks are inexcusable in the words he used, the blow would have been much softer had Passner... said that the context was Baker saying that all blacks are better baseball players than whites in the heat."
The column was submitted late Monday. The sports editor didn't read it and placed it in layout. He also did not pass it along to the editor-in-chief, another step missed. Bells went off in a copy assistant's head, but because of his "inexperience," he just circled it, "instead of [running out] of the copy office to ask why this was in the newspaper." The proof was handed off to the sports assistant, who didn't see anything wrong with it, "as in he wasn't reading it, just looked to see what needed... fixing and a circle is not a good indication."
The paper came out on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, someone reads it, and forwards it to the Brandeis Black Student Organization (BBSO). The BBSO brings it to the attention of the Justice and demands for four things: That the sports editor and columnist be fired; a front page editorial/apology be put on the front page, as well as a letter from them.
A deadline to agree is set for Wednesday, 8pm.
Before the deadline, the university's president, Jehuda Reinharz, sends a campus-wide "ill informed email (probably b/c he board of trustees was meeting on campus)," writing that the three editors had condoned the column's racist writings. He did this, the source says, without ever speaking with any Justice staffers.
The newspaper tries to hold a forum on Thursday night for people to discuss what happened. The BBSO walks out because their demands have not been met. They issue several more, one of which includes the resignation of the editor-in-chief.
On Friday, President Reinharz meets with the editor-in-chief and sports editors to say they should resign. They refuse (sports editor later resigns anyway).
After being told to do so, the columnist resigns from the paper, as well as the student senate.
On Saturday slash Sunday, "through student leaders we were told the president said the EIC will resign or else." It's later clarified that they won't be able to print unless he does. "Mind you the University says we are independent and it says so on our Masthead," says the source.
On Sunday, the student senate passes a resolution calling on the people responsible to resign. Reportedly, it took them from 7pm till 6am to do it.
The main thrust of their debate was that the editor-in-chief should resign.
The resignation of the editor-in-chief would cripple the paper, says the source, since at that point they had already lost two editors, including the senior editor because he was "trying to speak for the board without [the] authority."
Monday, 6pm: The editor in chief said the Justice must go on. "At first most of the board felt that we should all resign, but he told him that the idea of the Justice is more important than him--so did several 'ghosts' from Justice past like the EIC from 2001 who emailed and called."
Because the administration was clear on not letting them print unless the editor-in-chief resigned, the source says, "I can no longer honestly say that the Justice is the independent student newspaper."
Later that night, the BBSO didn't have their front-page statement ready, and wanted to have until Friday to write it. The Justice decided to go to print anyway, feeling that six days was enough. As a result, the BBSO began a protest outside their offices, often shouting, "What do we want? No Justice! When do we want it? Now!" amd "Stop the presses."
The BBSO was there until 5am, banging on the doors, walls, and windows, calling staffers "racists," "bigots," and yelling "Steve, Steve [the editor-in-chief]... we'll get you..."
"They were threatening and made many editors feel vulnerable, afraid. The office (people) was an emotional wreck," says the source.
"At 4:30, senior administrators come to the office to try to diffuse the situation. Basically Senior VP for Students and Enrollment [Jean Eddy] made us hold off printing [until Thursday to allow for the BBSO to write their statement], taking away any dignity the board has left," adding that that is the first time anyone from senior administration had met with the entire board.
The people in the editorial room were "hurt, deflated, disenchanted," and operating on three hours of sleep. They didn't argue with Eddy.
"We now don't feel comfortable on campus, and feel threatened to not reveal our feelings and opinions on the issue. Luckily there is an undercurrent of support growing for us now," said the source. Soured by the experience, many said they want to transfer out of Brandeis.
Making a final point, the source writes, "What is lost in all of this is that one person made a racist remark. One person. Not the 17 editors but one person. And everyone is trying to blame anyone on the Justice for that. Instead of trying to figure out how to deal with racism in the community, [they] just want to punish the paper."
The damage to the paper is reportedly more extensive than first reported. According to a newsroom source, after the resignation of five editors, "the rest of the board doesn't know how to put the paper back together."
Four of the people who resigned had the most experience and ability. The new editor-in-chief, who was previously the managing editor, "has never edited a section in her life." There is no sports editor, the feature editor is resigning, as are the two best layout people.
Anyway, here is one newsroom source's account of what happened:
The columnist, Dan Passner, writes the column with the racist remark, not qualifying it or giving it any context. "Although his remarks are inexcusable in the words he used, the blow would have been much softer had Passner... said that the context was Baker saying that all blacks are better baseball players than whites in the heat."
The column was submitted late Monday. The sports editor didn't read it and placed it in layout. He also did not pass it along to the editor-in-chief, another step missed. Bells went off in a copy assistant's head, but because of his "inexperience," he just circled it, "instead of [running out] of the copy office to ask why this was in the newspaper." The proof was handed off to the sports assistant, who didn't see anything wrong with it, "as in he wasn't reading it, just looked to see what needed... fixing and a circle is not a good indication."
The paper came out on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, someone reads it, and forwards it to the Brandeis Black Student Organization (BBSO). The BBSO brings it to the attention of the Justice and demands for four things: That the sports editor and columnist be fired; a front page editorial/apology be put on the front page, as well as a letter from them.
A deadline to agree is set for Wednesday, 8pm.
Before the deadline, the university's president, Jehuda Reinharz, sends a campus-wide "ill informed email (probably b/c he board of trustees was meeting on campus)," writing that the three editors had condoned the column's racist writings. He did this, the source says, without ever speaking with any Justice staffers.
The newspaper tries to hold a forum on Thursday night for people to discuss what happened. The BBSO walks out because their demands have not been met. They issue several more, one of which includes the resignation of the editor-in-chief.
On Friday, President Reinharz meets with the editor-in-chief and sports editors to say they should resign. They refuse (sports editor later resigns anyway).
After being told to do so, the columnist resigns from the paper, as well as the student senate.
On Saturday slash Sunday, "through student leaders we were told the president said the EIC will resign or else." It's later clarified that they won't be able to print unless he does. "Mind you the University says we are independent and it says so on our Masthead," says the source.
On Sunday, the student senate passes a resolution calling on the people responsible to resign. Reportedly, it took them from 7pm till 6am to do it.
The main thrust of their debate was that the editor-in-chief should resign.
The resignation of the editor-in-chief would cripple the paper, says the source, since at that point they had already lost two editors, including the senior editor because he was "trying to speak for the board without [the] authority."
Monday, 6pm: The editor in chief said the Justice must go on. "At first most of the board felt that we should all resign, but he told him that the idea of the Justice is more important than him--so did several 'ghosts' from Justice past like the EIC from 2001 who emailed and called."
Because the administration was clear on not letting them print unless the editor-in-chief resigned, the source says, "I can no longer honestly say that the Justice is the independent student newspaper."
Later that night, the BBSO didn't have their front-page statement ready, and wanted to have until Friday to write it. The Justice decided to go to print anyway, feeling that six days was enough. As a result, the BBSO began a protest outside their offices, often shouting, "What do we want? No Justice! When do we want it? Now!" amd "Stop the presses."
The BBSO was there until 5am, banging on the doors, walls, and windows, calling staffers "racists," "bigots," and yelling "Steve, Steve [the editor-in-chief]... we'll get you..."
"They were threatening and made many editors feel vulnerable, afraid. The office (people) was an emotional wreck," says the source.
"At 4:30, senior administrators come to the office to try to diffuse the situation. Basically Senior VP for Students and Enrollment [Jean Eddy] made us hold off printing [until Thursday to allow for the BBSO to write their statement], taking away any dignity the board has left," adding that that is the first time anyone from senior administration had met with the entire board.
The people in the editorial room were "hurt, deflated, disenchanted," and operating on three hours of sleep. They didn't argue with Eddy.
"We now don't feel comfortable on campus, and feel threatened to not reveal our feelings and opinions on the issue. Luckily there is an undercurrent of support growing for us now," said the source. Soured by the experience, many said they want to transfer out of Brandeis.
Making a final point, the source writes, "What is lost in all of this is that one person made a racist remark. One person. Not the 17 editors but one person. And everyone is trying to blame anyone on the Justice for that. Instead of trying to figure out how to deal with racism in the community, [they] just want to punish the paper."
FIRE testimony to Congress
The director of legal and public advocacy for FIRE (Foundation for Individual Rights in Education), Greg Lukianoff, today testified before the Senate's Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.
The full testimony is up here.
Excerpt:
The full testimony is up here.
Excerpt:
For over a decade in at least five dozen documented instances, students have stolen and destroyed tens of thousands of copies of student-run newspapers on colleges and universities across the country in an effort to silence viewpoints with which they disagree. In some cases these newspapers were thrown out, and—in at least a half dozen cases—they were burned. I hope I do not need to remind you of the fate of societies of the previous century when they began burning books. In fact, this form of mob censorship has become so commonplace that this month the Berkeley City Council passed an ordinance making newspaper theft illegal. This was in part a response to an incident involving Berkeley 's current mayor, Tom Bates, who stole 1,000 copies of a student newspaper after it endorsed his opponent in the mayoral race. With those in power teaching the current generation these kinds of lessons about free speech, how can we expect them to defend their own basic rights when they are threatened? It would truly be a terrible thing to have a whole generation of students so unfamiliar with their basic liberties that they would not even know if they lost them.
Rebel Yell editor quits
It's not a good week to be a college newspaper editor, is it?
Following the firing of columnist over a controversial Columbus Day peice...
"The editor of UNLV's student newspaper resigned Tuesday, the latest development sparked by a controversial column the newspaper published a month ago.
It was not clear Tuesday why Rebel Yell Editor Renae Judkins resigned. She could not be reached, and Rebel Yell staffers declined to comment..."
Sierra College is still dealing with people pissed off about a column where Sierra girls were said to be unattractive.
Some good news (depending on how you look at it): The Daily Show is coming to film a peice on the thing.
[via romenesko]
Following the firing of columnist over a controversial Columbus Day peice...
"The editor of UNLV's student newspaper resigned Tuesday, the latest development sparked by a controversial column the newspaper published a month ago.
It was not clear Tuesday why Rebel Yell Editor Renae Judkins resigned. She could not be reached, and Rebel Yell staffers declined to comment..."
Sierra College is still dealing with people pissed off about a column where Sierra girls were said to be unattractive.
Some good news (depending on how you look at it): The Daily Show is coming to film a peice on the thing.
[via romenesko]
10.29.2003
BU trustees will address Goldin presidential crisis Friday
Theo Emery of AP: "The letter, addressed to 'the Boston University Community,' was posted on the school's Web site the first such statement since word leaked to the press about the Board of Trustees' displeasure with Goldin, the former NASA administrator set to assume the presidency on Saturday. It said key issues would be resolved when the board meets Friday to consider rescinding its offer to Goldin..."
Here is the letter.
See this post, which was blogged earlier today, for the current breakdown of events.
Here is the letter.
See this post, which was blogged earlier today, for the current breakdown of events.
Yale considers cutting staff
Daily News: "Yale will be forced to reduce its staff and cut expenses in response to a projected $30 million budget deficit in the 2004-2005 fiscal year, Yale University Provost Susan Hockfield said Tuesday.
In a letter sent to Yale's faculty and managerial and professional staff, Hockfield said the University's total revenue is projected to grow by 6.3 percent next year but expenditures are expected to increase by 10 percent, producing a deficit. Hockfield said the financial problem is the result of national economic conditions..."
AP: "Yale University plans to eliminate an estimated 670 jobs over the next two years to help reduce a $30 million deficit, the New Haven Register reported in Wednesday's editions.
The cuts would reduce the Ivy League school's administrative staff by 5 percent to 10 percent..."
In a letter sent to Yale's faculty and managerial and professional staff, Hockfield said the University's total revenue is projected to grow by 6.3 percent next year but expenditures are expected to increase by 10 percent, producing a deficit. Hockfield said the financial problem is the result of national economic conditions..."
AP: "Yale University plans to eliminate an estimated 670 jobs over the next two years to help reduce a $30 million deficit, the New Haven Register reported in Wednesday's editions.
The cuts would reduce the Ivy League school's administrative staff by 5 percent to 10 percent..."
Stanford dorms considering publication distribution restrictions
Jessica Hanley for the Daily: "Some Stanford residences are reconsidering their policies for how publications are distributed, after The Stanford Review printed a controversial editorial comparing Chicano / Latino student organization MEChA to the Ku Klux Klan.
In recent weeks, staff members at Castaño House and Roble Hall decided to prohibit student groups such as The Review, The Stanford Chaparral and The Stanford Progressive from slipping publications under residents’ doors. Those groups must now leave publications at dorms’ main entrances..."
The Daily, of course, opposes it.
In recent weeks, staff members at Castaño House and Roble Hall decided to prohibit student groups such as The Review, The Stanford Chaparral and The Stanford Progressive from slipping publications under residents’ doors. Those groups must now leave publications at dorms’ main entrances..."
The Daily, of course, opposes it.
Stanford vice provost runs for office
Cool winds should clear UCLA air
"As fires continue their rampage through Southern California, the skies around UCLA are growing darker and murkier.
But according to experts, the stifling air quality should not last long and should not do any permanent damage..." writes Emily Inouye for the Daily Bruin.
But according to experts, the stifling air quality should not last long and should not do any permanent damage..." writes Emily Inouye for the Daily Bruin.
Fee for Int'l Students
Nathan Heller for the Crimson: "The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has proposed charging international students $100 for mandatory registration in a national tracking database, vastly exceeding expected fees and eliciting sharp responses from many institutions..."
SEE ALSO: Presidential campaigns enlist Harvard professors for policy and speeches, reports Jessica Vascellaro.
SEE ALSO: Presidential campaigns enlist Harvard professors for policy and speeches, reports Jessica Vascellaro.
Correction re: phone call to Justice offices
I wrongly assumed, when I called to their offices this afternoon, that the Brandeis Justice staff had been locked out by administrators and couldn't get to the phones.
A clarification was sent to me: "They won't let us print unless he resigns but they aren't touching our phones or tried to lock us out..."
The message was their way of rebelling, I was told.
This sort of thing has happened to the Mass Media, before my time, where something controversial happened and administrators changed the locks/codes to the doors and staffers couldn't get back in. In any case, I shouldn't have leapt to conclusions.
Hopefully I'll have more on the controversy tonight when I get home (still at the Mass Media's offices at UMass Boston).
So watch this space, and keep checking Steve Silver's and Josh's blogs for more stuff, too.
EDIT: clarification on phone call
A clarification was sent to me: "They won't let us print unless he resigns but they aren't touching our phones or tried to lock us out..."
The message was their way of rebelling, I was told.
This sort of thing has happened to the Mass Media, before my time, where something controversial happened and administrators changed the locks/codes to the doors and staffers couldn't get back in. In any case, I shouldn't have leapt to conclusions.
Hopefully I'll have more on the controversy tonight when I get home (still at the Mass Media's offices at UMass Boston).
So watch this space, and keep checking Steve Silver's and Josh's blogs for more stuff, too.
EDIT: clarification on phone call
Brandeis Justice Controversy courses through blogosphere
You know when something hits Romenesko, it's officially become huge in the world of media:
He kindly pointed me to other blogs as well: A current student, Josh, who has been putting up e-mails regarding the matter being sent to him. On his blog, Silver unearths the barren blog of the student who started it all.
He mentions that he got the same e-mail I did from the misquoted student, asking us to take his name off the blog.
I managed to contact an associate editor of the Justice via e-mail, and was told to call their offices to discuss it. I did and got the answering machine (I didn't leave a message) where the basic gist of it was, "The administration won't let us print unless the editor-in-chief resigns... no instructions on how we're allowed to answer our own phones... please leave a message and we hope that an administrator will let us get back to you."
Sounds like they were locked out of their offices. Since the editor in chief resigned, they'll be putting out an issue this Friday according to the news articles.
More on this as keeps on developing.
Five student journalists have quit the Brandeis Justice after publishing this quote from a student: "The only thing [Cubs manager Dusty] Baker has a Ph.D. in is something that starts with an N and rhymes with Tigger, the cheerful scamp who stole all of our hearts in the Winnie the Pooh series." Newspaper staffers apologized after students and university officials denounced the quote. The former editor-in-chief says a copy editor circled the Baker remark, but the sports editor didn't read the column before it was published.Stephen Silver, a Brandeis alum and former Justice editor has also been blogging about the whole thing.
He kindly pointed me to other blogs as well: A current student, Josh, who has been putting up e-mails regarding the matter being sent to him. On his blog, Silver unearths the barren blog of the student who started it all.
He mentions that he got the same e-mail I did from the misquoted student, asking us to take his name off the blog.
I managed to contact an associate editor of the Justice via e-mail, and was told to call their offices to discuss it. I did and got the answering machine (I didn't leave a message) where the basic gist of it was, "The administration won't let us print unless the editor-in-chief resigns... no instructions on how we're allowed to answer our own phones... please leave a message and we hope that an administrator will let us get back to you."
Sounds like they were locked out of their offices. Since the editor in chief resigned, they'll be putting out an issue this Friday according to the news articles.
More on this as keeps on developing.
BU turmoil continues: two trustees quit
This can't be good for business:
Globe: "Two nationally known members of Boston University's board of trustees have resigned amid the crisis gripping the university over whether Daniel S. Goldin will be allowed to take the president's office.
Kenneth Feld, owner of Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus, and Jeffrey Katzenberg, a cofounder of the Hollywood studio DreamWorks SKG, both resigned last week, BU confirmed yesterday..."
The Boston Herald has more, including the fact that it looks like Silber is stepping down regardless of whether Goldin gets in or not.
Score one for the student press: It looks like the DFP had the trustee story first.
DFP columnist Amy Horowitz tells of her chance encounter with Goldin.
The editorial calls the trustee changes "dubious."
130 sign petion to keep Goldin. The petition is here.
Other letters to the editor relating to the situation: "Pride in BU education turning to disgust watching conflict" and "Prof. Iffland should admit biases, Trustees should come clean."
SEE ALSO: Interview with Silber, the third in five parts.
Globe: "Two nationally known members of Boston University's board of trustees have resigned amid the crisis gripping the university over whether Daniel S. Goldin will be allowed to take the president's office.
Kenneth Feld, owner of Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus, and Jeffrey Katzenberg, a cofounder of the Hollywood studio DreamWorks SKG, both resigned last week, BU confirmed yesterday..."
The Boston Herald has more, including the fact that it looks like Silber is stepping down regardless of whether Goldin gets in or not.
Score one for the student press: It looks like the DFP had the trustee story first.
DFP columnist Amy Horowitz tells of her chance encounter with Goldin.
The editorial calls the trustee changes "dubious."
130 sign petion to keep Goldin. The petition is here.
Other letters to the editor relating to the situation: "Pride in BU education turning to disgust watching conflict" and "Prof. Iffland should admit biases, Trustees should come clean."
SEE ALSO: Interview with Silber, the third in five parts.
National Enquirer reporter not a 'martyr' says letter-writer
Letter to the editor in today's Daily Utah Chronicle (University of Utah) regarding the National Enquirer reporter who came to speak the other week:
"I am writing in response to Patrick Boice's Oct. 24 letter, "Once Again The Chronicle is Hypocritical" and to communication department chairwoman Ann Darling's comments in an Oct. 23 Chronicle article, "Academic Freedom Questioned at U." Both Boice and Darling expressed support for professor Craig Wirth's decision to invite a discredited National Enquirer journalist to speak to his class and suggested that criticizing Wirth raised the frightening possibility of "censorship."
The question, rather, is whether Wirth's decision was a wise one, and what sort of consequences he should bear as a result of it. Wirth's "right" to invite the journalist to speak did not give him an obligation to exercise it nor did it convert him into a First Amendment martyr..."
10.28.2003
BU Reacts to Goldin situation
[Goldin, Silber]
Chris Gaylord from the Daily Free Press has it.
Students worried, want more information, write Allison Brown and Paola Singer. "Boston University administrators should cease their power struggles and devote more time to student concerns, several BU students said yesterday afternoon, responding to the controversy surrounding the Board of Trustees and President-elect Daniel Goldin..."
The staff editorial recommends patience, telling people to not immediately blame Silber.
Kenneth Elmore, dean of students, climbs into the ring by warning students about Professor Iffland, who for close to twenty years, has "been publicly comparing Dr. Silber to Fascist dictators."
Professor Iffland had a letter in yesterday's DFP, and was quoted in a NYTIMES story on the matter.
A student weighs in as well, saying trustees should give Goldin a chance. Goldin is the "right choice," writes another.
SEE ALSO: Part two in a five-part interview with Chancellor John Silber.
Sharpton on Hardball.
Congress to look at campus free speech codes
Reports Erin O'Connor of Critical Mass: "The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education's ongoing campaign to eliminate speech codes on campus is drawing the attention of Washington. Tomorrow, FIRE's director of legal and public advocacy, Greg Lukianoff, will testify before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions..."
From FIRE's press release:
From FIRE's press release:
From Lukianoff will also inform the Senate about one of the consequences of these institutions' refusal to educate their students in freedom: the epidemic of college newspaper thefts that is plaguing the nation. Censorship of this kind usually involves students throwing away or even burning newspapers containing viewpoints with which they disagree. In the past decade, this brand of censorship has resulted in the theft of hundreds of thousands of copies of student newspapers.Looking forward to the testimony.
Sharpton @ Harvard for Hardball Special
The Crimson's Alex Pasternack writes up the appearance.
SEE ALSO: Brown Daily Herald's account on Chris Matthews's visit to its campus, called "Hardball Host Hunts Hypocrisy."
The Crimson's Jenifer Steinhardt digs into administrative affairs with two peices on Harvard presidential aides. "Aides Describe Mass. Hall Life," and "How aides have served Harvard's past presidents."
Harvard snags two scientists from Wash U, writes Jessica E. Vascellaro.
SEE ALSO: Brown Daily Herald's account on Chris Matthews's visit to its campus, called "Hardball Host Hunts Hypocrisy."
The Crimson's Jenifer Steinhardt digs into administrative affairs with two peices on Harvard presidential aides. "Aides Describe Mass. Hall Life," and "How aides have served Harvard's past presidents."
Harvard snags two scientists from Wash U, writes Jessica E. Vascellaro.
Rebel Yell columnist/alleged plagiarist defended
University of Nevada, LV: "Michael Berliner, the author of an opinion article supposedly plagiarized by Alexander Marriott, wrote a letter to The Rebel Yell, which said he did not think Marriott copied his article..."
Berliner defends Marriot in this letter.
As does this person.
Marriott had written a controversial column about Christopher Columbus for Columbus Day. He resigned after much controversy and uproar, as well as accusations of plagiarism.
A student writes in to say the Rebel Yell abused the First Amendment by publishing the column.
Berliner defends Marriot in this letter.
As does this person.
Marriott had written a controversial column about Christopher Columbus for Columbus Day. He resigned after much controversy and uproar, as well as accusations of plagiarism.
A student writes in to say the Rebel Yell abused the First Amendment by publishing the column.
Tuition rising faster than national average
"University tuition rose 70 percent in the past ten years, almost a third more than the 47 percent increase in the average cost of tuition at public universities nationwide over the last decade, a recent study found..." writes Justin Fenton for the Diamondback (University of Maryland).
BC Observer on affirmative action bake sales
Boston College's conservative newsmagazine writes on affirmative action bake sales, which caused some controversy earlier this year at the University of Michigan.
Florida Alligator editor apologizes
The editor of the Independent Florida Alligator (University of Florida) apologizes for a cartoon that ran:
"During the last couple of days, the Alligator and I have been criticized as anti-Semitic and ignorant toward the horrific events of the Holocaust.
My integrity, as well as the integrity of everyone who works here, has been called into question because of cartoons that ran in the space just above this column.
After talking with campus groups, students and members of the community, as well as reading the more than 300 e-mails that have made their way into my inbox, I would like to apologize because people interpreting the cartoon have seen it as propagating myths about Jews that should have been dispelled years ago..."
"During the last couple of days, the Alligator and I have been criticized as anti-Semitic and ignorant toward the horrific events of the Holocaust.
My integrity, as well as the integrity of everyone who works here, has been called into question because of cartoons that ran in the space just above this column.
After talking with campus groups, students and members of the community, as well as reading the more than 300 e-mails that have made their way into my inbox, I would like to apologize because people interpreting the cartoon have seen it as propagating myths about Jews that should have been dispelled years ago..."
Fires force university closings
"The University of California, San Diego, as well as three California State University campuses, closed Monday in response to the fires that have engulfed Southern California..." writes Nancy Su for the Daily Bruin.
Rehnquist at U. of Alabama
"U.S. Chief Justice William Rehnquist spoke to a packed house in the UA School of Law on Friday, proving, in his own words, that the third time truly is a charm.
Rehnquist, who had been scheduled to speak at the University two other times but could not because of various circumstances, including a knee injury last year, delivered the fourth annual Albritton Lecture..."
Talks about the Rutherford B. Hayes election and presidency.
Rehnquist, who had been scheduled to speak at the University two other times but could not because of various circumstances, including a knee injury last year, delivered the fourth annual Albritton Lecture..."
Talks about the Rutherford B. Hayes election and presidency.
U News Roundup
Senate Democrats unveil higher education bill. (This actually came over the fax this afternoon, from Senator Edward Kennedy's office.)
AP and Globe on the two MIT students who have developed a possible alternative to file-sharing.
Amherst College's eighteenth president, Anthony Marx, was inaugurated this weekend.
Both MA senators back a professor's efforts to grow marijuana for medical research.
UMass Amherst students arraigned for off-campus "hoedown."
AP and Globe on the two MIT students who have developed a possible alternative to file-sharing.
Amherst College's eighteenth president, Anthony Marx, was inaugurated this weekend.
Both MA senators back a professor's efforts to grow marijuana for medical research.
UMass Amherst students arraigned for off-campus "hoedown."
Chron of Higher Ed Awards Prize to Yale Grad
Justin Chen receives the Miller Award, for his two articles (here and here) in the Yale Herald.
SEE ALSO: "The advent of 24-hour news media on cable television and the Internet will not replace newspapers, Leonard Downie Jr., executive editor of The Washington Post, said Saturday in the keynote address of the second annual Georgetown University Journalism Conference sponsored by THE HOYA..."
[via romenesko]
SEE ALSO: "The advent of 24-hour news media on cable television and the Internet will not replace newspapers, Leonard Downie Jr., executive editor of The Washington Post, said Saturday in the keynote address of the second annual Georgetown University Journalism Conference sponsored by THE HOYA..."
[via romenesko]
Goldin strikes back, aims to keep post
"Daniel S. Goldin, the embattled incoming president of Boston University, yesterday sent a memo to the school's trustees saying he had no intention of backing away from the presidency and would protect his rights 'vigorously' despite an attempt by the board's executive committee to revoke his job offer..."
Man, it's got to suck to not even be president yet and already have "embattled" attached to your name in news articles...
The Globe and AP.
Yesterday, Globe columnist Adrian Walker comments.
EDIT// Link to AP story fixed.
Man, it's got to suck to not even be president yet and already have "embattled" attached to your name in news articles...
The Globe and AP.
Yesterday, Globe columnist Adrian Walker comments.
EDIT// Link to AP story fixed.
Harvard Panel: Dems stuck in rut
Crimson: "The Democratic Party is in a rut, according to a panel of distinguished journalists who spoke at the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum Friday.
The panel, which was moderated by Director of the Shorenstein Center for Press, Politics and Public Policy Alex S. Jones, also discussed bias in the media’s political coverage and what they described as President Bush’s ignorance of public opinion..."
ABCNews Political Director, Mark Halperin (he also writes the always-excellent Note)was there. "The Democratic presidential candidates have also been hurt by a lack of the 'sunny personality' that former President Bill Clinton exuded, according to Halperin."
The panel, which was moderated by Director of the Shorenstein Center for Press, Politics and Public Policy Alex S. Jones, also discussed bias in the media’s political coverage and what they described as President Bush’s ignorance of public opinion..."
ABCNews Political Director, Mark Halperin (he also writes the always-excellent Note)was there. "The Democratic presidential candidates have also been hurt by a lack of the 'sunny personality' that former President Bill Clinton exuded, according to Halperin."
10.27.2003
DFP: Trustees reconsider Goldin
"A group of faculty members is pushing faculty, students, alumni and staff to sign a petition rebuking the Boston University Board of Trustees Executive Committee’s Friday decision to consider rescinding its offer of the presidency to Daniel S. Goldin.
The petition, which will be released online today, expresses 'deep concern' with the Executive Committee’s recommendation that the board go back on its offer and urges the board to “honor its commitment” by installing him Nov. 1, as planned..."
NYTIMES (r.r.): Professor Iffland, a longtime critic of Dr. Silber's and the former chairman of the faculty council, started a petition drive on Monday to urge the trustees to keep Mr. Goldin. If the board approves the recommendation of the executive committee, the petition says, "Irrevocable damage will be done to Boston University's standing in the academic world."
"It would be very difficult to find another institution where something like this would happen," Professor Iffland said. "Unfortunately, this is classic B.U. This is just one in a very long string of crises of this type, many of them comical, stretching back over 33 years."
Iffland also has a letter to the editor in the DFP.
Following all the articles on Saturday and Sunday.
The DFP editorial takes the trustees to task over changing their minds.
And adjunct faculty member tells of a story almost similiar to the one being written about now.
SEE ALSO: Silber discusses his 32 years at BU. First of five installments of an October 18 interview.
The petition, which will be released online today, expresses 'deep concern' with the Executive Committee’s recommendation that the board go back on its offer and urges the board to “honor its commitment” by installing him Nov. 1, as planned..."
NYTIMES (r.r.): Professor Iffland, a longtime critic of Dr. Silber's and the former chairman of the faculty council, started a petition drive on Monday to urge the trustees to keep Mr. Goldin. If the board approves the recommendation of the executive committee, the petition says, "Irrevocable damage will be done to Boston University's standing in the academic world."
"It would be very difficult to find another institution where something like this would happen," Professor Iffland said. "Unfortunately, this is classic B.U. This is just one in a very long string of crises of this type, many of them comical, stretching back over 33 years."
Iffland also has a letter to the editor in the DFP.
Following all the articles on Saturday and Sunday.
The DFP editorial takes the trustees to task over changing their minds.
And adjunct faculty member tells of a story almost similiar to the one being written about now.
SEE ALSO: Silber discusses his 32 years at BU. First of five installments of an October 18 interview.
UMass PD still searching; Harvard Law school professor speaks; professor still in intensive care
UMass PD still searching for main instigator of riots.
ALSO: Lani Guinier of Harvard Law School, and Dr. William Spriggs, from the National Urban League, spoke Friday on "The Future of Affirmative Action in the Academy."
Professor who was involved in plane crash still in intensive care.
ALSO: Lani Guinier of Harvard Law School, and Dr. William Spriggs, from the National Urban League, spoke Friday on "The Future of Affirmative Action in the Academy."
Professor who was involved in plane crash still in intensive care.
Use of Historians in Litigation and in Public Policy Planning
For anyone who's interested, it's this Thursday at UMass Boston:
Historians as Experts: The Use of Historians in Litigation and in Public Policy Planning
2:30 p.m., Healey Library, 8th Floor, Provost's Conference Room.
The John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy Studies and the History Department present Paul Finkelman, professor of Law at the University of Tulsa Law School.
He has written primarily of law and history on topics ranging from the law of slavery, the second amendment, John Peter Zenger, as well as baseball. Professor Finkelman has been a consultant to federal agencies and was an expert witness in two big cases last year: the lawsuit over the ownership of Barry Bonds' 73rd home run ball and suit that forced the removal of a 5,000 pound Ten Commandments monument from the Alabama Supreme Court building.
Light Refreshments will be served. For more information, call 617-287-5550 or email candyce.carragher@umb.edu
Historians as Experts: The Use of Historians in Litigation and in Public Policy Planning
2:30 p.m., Healey Library, 8th Floor, Provost's Conference Room.
The John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy Studies and the History Department present Paul Finkelman, professor of Law at the University of Tulsa Law School.
He has written primarily of law and history on topics ranging from the law of slavery, the second amendment, John Peter Zenger, as well as baseball. Professor Finkelman has been a consultant to federal agencies and was an expert witness in two big cases last year: the lawsuit over the ownership of Barry Bonds' 73rd home run ball and suit that forced the removal of a 5,000 pound Ten Commandments monument from the Alabama Supreme Court building.
Light Refreshments will be served. For more information, call 617-287-5550 or email candyce.carragher@umb.edu
Hampton U. dispute resolved
"[Hampton U. Acting President JoAnn] Haysbert, reached Friday, was asked if it had been a mistake to pull the papers.
'I would say I learned a lot," was her reply. "And I hope that my students have as well.'..."
[via romenesko]
MORE: Comments Eugene Volokh of the Volokh Conspiracy: "It's possible that, as a matter of property law, the university still owned the papers, and was thus just disposing of its own property -- it all depends on the legal relationship between the university and the newspaper.
But in any event, this surely isn't a good way for the university to foster a climate of intellectual freedom or healthy debate, both things that I think are necessary for a university, and the university's students, to prosper."
'I would say I learned a lot," was her reply. "And I hope that my students have as well.'..."
[via romenesko]
MORE: Comments Eugene Volokh of the Volokh Conspiracy: "It's possible that, as a matter of property law, the university still owned the papers, and was thus just disposing of its own property -- it all depends on the legal relationship between the university and the newspaper.
But in any event, this surely isn't a good way for the university to foster a climate of intellectual freedom or healthy debate, both things that I think are necessary for a university, and the university's students, to prosper."
Brandeis controversy continued
I was surprised to get an e-mail tonight from the person who was quoted in a very controversial article in the Brandeis Justice. He has asked that his name be removed from the blogpost. Pending further review, I have.
He wrote, "I was grossly misquoted, my quotes were taken out of context, as Mr. Passner himself has admitted in his letter of resignation to the Justice. I was never interviewed, and I was as surprised as anyone to see my name associated with such an abhorrent statement. I have taken action to make the Brandeis community aware of these facts, and I would appreciate it if you would continue to refrain from using my name in your Blog."
Also, the article is no longer up on the Justice's website. No follow-up to the story, no editorial explaining what happened.
Curiously, the person who wrote the controversial article, Passner, is gone from the student senate's website as well. Google caching has proved unsuccessful.
It appears everybody just wants to forget about the whole thing.
He wrote, "I was grossly misquoted, my quotes were taken out of context, as Mr. Passner himself has admitted in his letter of resignation to the Justice. I was never interviewed, and I was as surprised as anyone to see my name associated with such an abhorrent statement. I have taken action to make the Brandeis community aware of these facts, and I would appreciate it if you would continue to refrain from using my name in your Blog."
Also, the article is no longer up on the Justice's website. No follow-up to the story, no editorial explaining what happened.
Curiously, the person who wrote the controversial article, Passner, is gone from the student senate's website as well. Google caching has proved unsuccessful.
It appears everybody just wants to forget about the whole thing.
10.26.2003
Sunday Breakdown: BU President Goldin in trouble, power struggle with trustees
Power struggle over presidency at BU, reports the Globe. Former NASA administrator Dan Goldin looks to be in deep trouble:
"It's like the night before the wedding, you decide you don't want to get married to that person," the trustee said. "Are you better off going through with it because you made all the preparations, or are you better off saying, 'Whoops, we made a mistake?'"Boston Herald plays catch-up. And AP.
One interesting thing to note: if the trustees do succeed in ousting Goldin, what kind of effect would that have on the future searches for another president?
Campus Insider: UMass Amherst still searching for admissions director; Amherst College inaugurates new president; law schools vs. the Pentagon on Solomon snowballs.
Obit: Rusty Simonds, UMass Boston professor. This will probably be The Mass Media's top story this week. He was my advisor. I switched over to him after he substituted a 101 class one morning freshman year. I didn't know very well, but he was really cool guy, and just from that one class, you could tell he was a fantastic professor.
I spoke with him on Friday, as he was on his way out to go to the doctor's; we were joking around, he asked how were things going at the Mass Media, etc. When I came into the newsroom Tuesday morning and was told that he had passed away, it was total shock. He was one of those guys you expected to be around forever, you know?
MORE: Thoughts and comments can be left here, on a message board set up by the Political Science Department.
Michigan State fights for right to party, town fights for right to sleep.
BC's first student to minor in women's studies is interviewed.
Northeastern's course on horror is profiled.
Snapshot: WashPost graphic on federal government report on trends in education.
NYTIMES on the NYU suicides this year. (r.r.)
Today, I'll be covering the New England Women's Political Summit at the JFK Library. The first session is at 4:30pm. It'll be a forum, "Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Women in American Politics", will include former vice presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro,U.S. Representative Loretta Sanchez (D-California), and former Massachusetts acting governor Jane Swift. Martha Raddatz, ABC News' senior Pentagon correspondent will act as moderator.
10.25.2003
UMass Boston campus center concerns: No doors, little privacy
Article here.
[Available only in the Mass Media online edition, this picture shows the layout of the new campus center. Specifically, the first floor, where Academic Support is going to be. The lack of doors for the workspaces and glass doors in the conference rooms (producing a "fishbowl effect"), which worry many staff who work with students every day.]
More on the article here.
[Available only in the Mass Media online edition, this picture shows the layout of the new campus center. Specifically, the first floor, where Academic Support is going to be. The lack of doors for the workspaces and glass doors in the conference rooms (producing a "fishbowl effect"), which worry many staff who work with students every day.]
More on the article here.
Bombshell: BU trustees reconsidering President Goldin
"A committee of influential Boston University trustees voted yesterday to recommend that the university's governing board reconsider its decision to name former NASA chief Daniel S. Goldin as president of the 30,000-student campus, according to sources familiar with the trustees' concerns.
The decision by the executive committee of the BU Board of Trustees, coming about a week before Goldin is scheduled to take office, amounted to a "vote of no confidence" in Goldin, a source said, because several trustees have come to believe in the last few months that Goldin does not have a suitable temperament to lead the university..."
The decision by the executive committee of the BU Board of Trustees, coming about a week before Goldin is scheduled to take office, amounted to a "vote of no confidence" in Goldin, a source said, because several trustees have come to believe in the last few months that Goldin does not have a suitable temperament to lead the university..."
No Hardball for Kucinich
He declined the invitation to appear, reports the Harvard Crimson, but will talk with students.
ALSO: The fourth sexual assault in two weeks near the campus (police don't know if it's the same person); Group riled by asst. provost's firing; Lt. Gov. Kerry Healy decries cuts to rape crisis center.
ALSO: The fourth sexual assault in two weeks near the campus (police don't know if it's the same person); Group riled by asst. provost's firing; Lt. Gov. Kerry Healy decries cuts to rape crisis center.
Saudi ambassador speaks at Tufts, defends gov
The Tufts Daily has the story:
"Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the US, Prince Bandar bin Sultan, played defense during most of yesterday's lecture when answering questions that ranged from the government's policy on women's rights to its role in the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks..."
ALSO: A note about the Beantown Notes controversy. The Globe had an article on it, as well. The teacher in the lead is the one who wrote a letter to the editor to the Daily Free Press.
"Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the US, Prince Bandar bin Sultan, played defense during most of yesterday's lecture when answering questions that ranged from the government's policy on women's rights to its role in the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks..."
ALSO: A note about the Beantown Notes controversy. The Globe had an article on it, as well. The teacher in the lead is the one who wrote a letter to the editor to the Daily Free Press.
Chief Justice Rehnquist @ University of Alabama
Friday morning.
He was going to visit a while ago, but a knee injury prevented it.
Also, "The law school is already preparing for the next two Supreme Court justices to speak at the lecture series. Ruth Bader Ginsberg is scheduled to speak Feb. 2, and Clarence Thomas is expected to lead the Albritton lecture in spring 2005."
[via how appealing]
He was going to visit a while ago, but a knee injury prevented it.
Also, "The law school is already preparing for the next two Supreme Court justices to speak at the lecture series. Ruth Bader Ginsberg is scheduled to speak Feb. 2, and Clarence Thomas is expected to lead the Albritton lecture in spring 2005."
[via how appealing]
Under Silber, BU campus triples in size
Advice from SPLC on student journos covering protests
On what to do if you're covering any of the protests this weekend:
Bring ID, $50, cell phone. Obey the officers. Etcetera.
"D.C. media/criminal law attorney and First Amendment/Freedom of Information Chair of the Washington, D.C., professional chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists Robert S. Becker, Esq., has agreed to provide on-the-scene assistance to any student journalist that is arrested or detained covering the protests. Student journalists in need of such assistance can contact Becker directly by calling (202) 364-8013. Becker and the Society of Professional Journalists are offering this pro bono assistance because of their commitment to student journalism and accurate media coverage of the protests."
MORE: Globe: Protesters gather in SF, DC.
Bring ID, $50, cell phone. Obey the officers. Etcetera.
"D.C. media/criminal law attorney and First Amendment/Freedom of Information Chair of the Washington, D.C., professional chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists Robert S. Becker, Esq., has agreed to provide on-the-scene assistance to any student journalist that is arrested or detained covering the protests. Student journalists in need of such assistance can contact Becker directly by calling (202) 364-8013. Becker and the Society of Professional Journalists are offering this pro bono assistance because of their commitment to student journalism and accurate media coverage of the protests."
MORE: Globe: Protesters gather in SF, DC.
Mass Media website down
Don't know what it is.
Otherwise I'd link to the articles I did this week; one on some campus center concerns (the university is building a new one), and the other on the New Majority conference which took place last weekend. The Boston Banner has a good article (and skimming through it, better and more in depth than mine) on the conference.
Got a chance to tour the campus center today. I and several other Mass Media staff, as well as others, saw where our offices are going to be. We'll be on the second floor, in the "student media" section, along with the fine people from The Watermark (the literary magazine) and the yearbook. Unfortunately, I had to dash off at 4 for an interview with the chancellor.
People who are concerned about the lack of doors (a cost saving measure, according to the university) will have their worst fears confirmed.
Looking to do a follow-up article in the next few weeks on it, since there is still a lot of material that didn't go into the campus center article, just because of space constraints.
Also, if anybody's concerned about the amount of anonymous quotes, that worried me, too. But in the end, the public concern and need to air these concerns met the standards set out to use anonymous quotes. There was no other way of getting the people to go on the record, since they were truly fearful of losing their jobs (whether they actually would have been in any danger is another matter-- the fact that there is this climate figures into it).
RELATED: Student Press Law Center's legal guide to sources.
Otherwise I'd link to the articles I did this week; one on some campus center concerns (the university is building a new one), and the other on the New Majority conference which took place last weekend. The Boston Banner has a good article (and skimming through it, better and more in depth than mine) on the conference.
Got a chance to tour the campus center today. I and several other Mass Media staff, as well as others, saw where our offices are going to be. We'll be on the second floor, in the "student media" section, along with the fine people from The Watermark (the literary magazine) and the yearbook. Unfortunately, I had to dash off at 4 for an interview with the chancellor.
People who are concerned about the lack of doors (a cost saving measure, according to the university) will have their worst fears confirmed.
Looking to do a follow-up article in the next few weeks on it, since there is still a lot of material that didn't go into the campus center article, just because of space constraints.
Also, if anybody's concerned about the amount of anonymous quotes, that worried me, too. But in the end, the public concern and need to air these concerns met the standards set out to use anonymous quotes. There was no other way of getting the people to go on the record, since they were truly fearful of losing their jobs (whether they actually would have been in any danger is another matter-- the fact that there is this climate figures into it).
RELATED: Student Press Law Center's legal guide to sources.
Lehigh on General Clark's visit to UMass Boston
"At UMass, as I've previously written, Clark told a questioner worried about the administration's approach that 'in some places, diplomacy doesn't work unless it is backed by the threat of force.' Further, the general said that the only hope of getting action from Saddam 'is by threatening the use of force.' And, in our interview afterward, Clark drew a parallel to former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic. 'What we found in the case of Slobodan Milosevic was that he wasn't going to admit that there was a problem in Kosovo or cease repression . . . unless we threatened him,' he said.
Equal riots amendment
Chris Wright for the Boston Phoenix:
"When Red Sox fans exploded into violence following the team’s victory against Oakland recently, a spate of head-shaking and tut-tutting quickly followed. 'Knuckleheads,' said Thomas Menino, referring to the revelers who expressed their joy by flinging beer bottles and overturning cars in Kenmore Square. UMass officials, meanwhile, promised 'harsh, swift disciplinary action' against those who ran amok in Amherst. To me, these reactions smacked of envy. Indeed, I’d wager that Mayor Menino, even as he fixed a photogenic frown on his face and stood before the media, was secretly wishing he could have climbed atop a building and bared his breasts that night..."
MORE: Boston Herald columnist Howie Carr on the riots. (r.r.)
"When Red Sox fans exploded into violence following the team’s victory against Oakland recently, a spate of head-shaking and tut-tutting quickly followed. 'Knuckleheads,' said Thomas Menino, referring to the revelers who expressed their joy by flinging beer bottles and overturning cars in Kenmore Square. UMass officials, meanwhile, promised 'harsh, swift disciplinary action' against those who ran amok in Amherst. To me, these reactions smacked of envy. Indeed, I’d wager that Mayor Menino, even as he fixed a photogenic frown on his face and stood before the media, was secretly wishing he could have climbed atop a building and bared his breasts that night..."
MORE: Boston Herald columnist Howie Carr on the riots. (r.r.)
10.23.2003
Critical Mass on newspaper theft
Erin O'Connor of Critical Mass has some great comments on how universities (students and administrators) punish the student press, in response to the incident at Hampton U.:
"It's illegal to steal newspapers, and doing so shows a lamentable ignorance about the importance of a free press and the point of writing letters to the editor. But it's popular nonetheless as a swift and effective means of suppressing offensive stories and of punishing the people who write and print them. So popular has newspaper theft become, in fact, that even campus administrators are getting in on the action..."
ALSO: O'Connor is inviting folks to write about choosing colleges. People have responded here and here.
"It's illegal to steal newspapers, and doing so shows a lamentable ignorance about the importance of a free press and the point of writing letters to the editor. But it's popular nonetheless as a swift and effective means of suppressing offensive stories and of punishing the people who write and print them. So popular has newspaper theft become, in fact, that even campus administrators are getting in on the action..."
ALSO: O'Connor is inviting folks to write about choosing colleges. People have responded here and here.
Sierra College columnist controversy continues
More on the Sierra College campus columnist who said the majority of girls there "do not fit in to the category of 'hot.'"
[via obscurestore]
[via obscurestore]
Notable Professor Quotes
One thing I like about the Daily Jolt campus newsfeeds: Professor/student quotes.
"Monday Night Football is like astrology gone mad!"
-- Alex White, Intro to Statistics, discussing probability
[American University]
"Contrary to what may be popular belief, the Renaissance was not led by mutant, green, pizza-eating turtles."
Professor Benedict, History 1: Eurpean History to 1800, referring the the names of the Ninja Turtles
[Brown University]
"The only thing missing now is T and a."
-- Professor Hunter, Physics 16, having solved for all values except tension and acceleration
[Amherst College]
"He disliked the tendency of women to have children when you slept with them."
--Prof. Tony Brinkley, on Rousseau
[University of Maine]
"Monday Night Football is like astrology gone mad!"
-- Alex White, Intro to Statistics, discussing probability
[American University]
"Contrary to what may be popular belief, the Renaissance was not led by mutant, green, pizza-eating turtles."
Professor Benedict, History 1: Eurpean History to 1800, referring the the names of the Ninja Turtles
[Brown University]
"The only thing missing now is T and a."
-- Professor Hunter, Physics 16, having solved for all values except tension and acceleration
[Amherst College]
"He disliked the tendency of women to have children when you slept with them."
--Prof. Tony Brinkley, on Rousseau
[University of Maine]
Under Silber, student quality improved
Part four of five in the Daily Free Press' series on Chancellor John Silber, former Massachusetts gubernatorial candidate.
ALSO: File-sharing drops.
And James Johnson, professor of history, writes an a letter to the editor against the professional classnote-takers, Beantown Notes (currently being sued by the university):
ALSO: File-sharing drops.
And James Johnson, professor of history, writes an a letter to the editor against the professional classnote-takers, Beantown Notes (currently being sued by the university):
The intellectual content of a lecture, not the students' note-taking skills, is what is being sold. This content is what students have in mind when they buy notes in the hope of getting the grades they want. Without the consent of the teachers whose work it is, the sale of notes amounts to intellectual theft, something like buying a book, neatly transcribing its main points and then reselling it as your own work. This is why the sale of notes without the professor's consent and against his wishes is unethical and a violation of the Code of Student Responsibilities.
Stanford student gov votes to encourage U. to join recruiter fight
Stanford Daily: "The ASSU Undergraduate Senate unanimously passed a bill Tuesday night encouraging the University to join a nationwide lawsuit against the Department of Defense's move to cut federal funding from universities that prohibit military recruiters."
How Appealing links to a Yale Daily News article on Harvard professors urging the university to join them in their lawsuit.
How Appealing links to a Yale Daily News article on Harvard professors urging the university to join them in their lawsuit.
Admissions controversy @ UCLA
Daily Bruin: "UCLA turned away over 1,000 students with high SAT scores in 2002 and admitted several hundred students with comparatively low SAT scores that same year, according to a report compiled by the university and released on Tuesday..."
[via instapundit]
[via instapundit]
Jessica Simpson to visit Harvard
Oh, good god.
The Tenessean reports, fourth item down:
"The notoriously ditzy singer/MTV reality show star (she once said she didn't want buffalo wings because she hates the taste of buffalo) will go to Harvard and other Ivy League schools on a tour with her hubby, singer Nick Lachey, early next year.
Jessica and Nick, who star in MTV's Newlyweds, will perform and then host question-and-answer sessions with students..."
[via duckseason]
The Tenessean reports, fourth item down:
"The notoriously ditzy singer/MTV reality show star (she once said she didn't want buffalo wings because she hates the taste of buffalo) will go to Harvard and other Ivy League schools on a tour with her hubby, singer Nick Lachey, early next year.
Jessica and Nick, who star in MTV's Newlyweds, will perform and then host question-and-answer sessions with students..."
[via duckseason]
Demands for Due Process for UMass Amherst Alleged Rioters
UMass Amherst students deserve due process, writes "SJ Port" in a letter to the editor in the Daily Collegian:
"When a student commits a crime on campus, he is arrested and charged with a crime. His room is possibly searched, his belongings confiscated. Whether he is arrested by the University of Massachusetts Police Department, the State Police or the F.B.I., if it is on campus, he is usually given less than 24 hours to leave University housing - regardless of whether he guilty or innocent. The accused is shunned by the University administration, exiled from school and barred from an education..."
Is it happening to these guys?
"When a student commits a crime on campus, he is arrested and charged with a crime. His room is possibly searched, his belongings confiscated. Whether he is arrested by the University of Massachusetts Police Department, the State Police or the F.B.I., if it is on campus, he is usually given less than 24 hours to leave University housing - regardless of whether he guilty or innocent. The accused is shunned by the University administration, exiled from school and barred from an education..."
Is it happening to these guys?
UNLV Rebel Yell columnist fired for plagiarism
"A UNLV newspaper columnist who wrote a controversial opinion piece on Christopher Columbus last month was fired Monday following allegations he plagiarized his Sept. 29 column..." (A similiar thing has happened at the Daily Kansan...)
The Rebel Yell has the story. In an editorial, they respond to the theft of 4,000 papers.
A visit by a National Enquirer reporter sets off questions about academic freedom at the University of Utah.
Woodward, co-author of All The President's Men (and played by Robert Redford in the movie) still refuses to name Deep Throat. He and Ben Bradlee were at a lecture recently.
[various from mr. romenesko]
The Rebel Yell has the story. In an editorial, they respond to the theft of 4,000 papers.
A visit by a National Enquirer reporter sets off questions about academic freedom at the University of Utah.
Woodward, co-author of All The President's Men (and played by Robert Redford in the movie) still refuses to name Deep Throat. He and Ben Bradlee were at a lecture recently.
[various from mr. romenesko]
BG Roundup: Bush polls well among college students
Higher than the national average, says a Harvard U. poll. But 86% believe he isn't telling the whole truth about Iraq. (Crimson article here.)
Seven out of ten students think it'll be hard getting a job after college, probably 'cause they've been talking with people who've just graduated.
ALSO: Public colleges need $1B in rehab, says study. "As more students flock to aging campuses, the 24 Massachusetts state and community colleges will need more than $1 billion in new construction and renovations to modernize and expand over the next decade, according to a study by the state Board of Higher Education..." (The UMass campuses were not among the examined.)
BC student settles with RIAA.
10 Plymouth State University female students involved in a fatal crash this week were participating in activities related to an unauthorized sorority, a newspaper reported Wednesday.
The gay Epsicopal bishop-elect comes to Dartmouth College.
David Horowitz was at Brown U.
"Tax cuts, not profligate state spending or the economic doldrums, are to blame for the Commonwealth's current fiscal crisis, according to a new study by an economist at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst," writes Scott Greenberger for the Globe.
Seven out of ten students think it'll be hard getting a job after college, probably 'cause they've been talking with people who've just graduated.
ALSO: Public colleges need $1B in rehab, says study. "As more students flock to aging campuses, the 24 Massachusetts state and community colleges will need more than $1 billion in new construction and renovations to modernize and expand over the next decade, according to a study by the state Board of Higher Education..." (The UMass campuses were not among the examined.)
BC student settles with RIAA.
10 Plymouth State University female students involved in a fatal crash this week were participating in activities related to an unauthorized sorority, a newspaper reported Wednesday.
The gay Epsicopal bishop-elect comes to Dartmouth College.
David Horowitz was at Brown U.
"Tax cuts, not profligate state spending or the economic doldrums, are to blame for the Commonwealth's current fiscal crisis, according to a new study by an economist at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst," writes Scott Greenberger for the Globe.
Wednesday Odds and Ends
Did I say blogging was gonna be light? Wednesday is always such a busy day...
Student held at gunpoint in Symphony apartment, reports the Northeastern News. A similiar incident happened several months ago.
Northeastern's treasurer and business college dean are leaving.
Harvard grads are starting an essay consultation service.
Hampton University administrators seize the campus newspaper right off the dock. (from Romenesko)
BU's Daily Free Press' series on Chancellor John Silber, here (u.'s follow Silber's template for success) and here (academics smarten up, expand).
DFP weekly columnist Amy Horowitz comments on how "Washington bipartisan cooperation happened to benefit college students."
Two opposing viewpoints in the BU biolab debate.
Student held at gunpoint in Symphony apartment, reports the Northeastern News. A similiar incident happened several months ago.
Northeastern's treasurer and business college dean are leaving.
Harvard grads are starting an essay consultation service.
Hampton University administrators seize the campus newspaper right off the dock. (from Romenesko)
BU's Daily Free Press' series on Chancellor John Silber, here (u.'s follow Silber's template for success) and here (academics smarten up, expand).
DFP weekly columnist Amy Horowitz comments on how "Washington bipartisan cooperation happened to benefit college students."
Two opposing viewpoints in the BU biolab debate.
'SGA is madhouse,' writes Suffolk Journal
Suffolk's Journal comes out today. I'm beginning to think that every school has their share of student government problems: 'SGA is madhouse,' is their top story. Although it seems theirs not as bad as some of the others I've read about.
Primary Colors Author Stops By UMass Amherst
Joe Klein of TIME, on the upcoming election: "Reality is about to collide with political process - it doesn't always happen. This election is out of the hands of politicians. It is going to be decided by Iraq, homeland security and the economy."
ALSO: Boston Globe editor stops by as well:
"Turner said he has written editorials directed at the Globe's own editors, specifically the news department's lack of focus on policy coverage during current Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney's election campaign. Turner said he believed the news drifted too much into a focus on Romney's Mormon religion.
According to Turner, one thing the editorial department strives for is accuracy. 'My own instinct is to be on top of the news,' he said..."
Faculty and staff lobby in Boston.
MORE: Apparently they were loud enough to hear in a person's office. "do you think if i ask them nicely, they'll go protest somewhere else?" asks Kellen. (from boston common)
ALSO: Boston Globe editor stops by as well:
"Turner said he has written editorials directed at the Globe's own editors, specifically the news department's lack of focus on policy coverage during current Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney's election campaign. Turner said he believed the news drifted too much into a focus on Romney's Mormon religion.
According to Turner, one thing the editorial department strives for is accuracy. 'My own instinct is to be on top of the news,' he said..."
Faculty and staff lobby in Boston.
MORE: Apparently they were loud enough to hear in a person's office. "do you think if i ask them nicely, they'll go protest somewhere else?" asks Kellen. (from boston common)
13 Arraigned for UMass Rioting After Friday Red Sox Game
Thirteen arraigned for UMass Amherst Red Sox rioting. [Holy crap! Skimming the list, I saw that I actually know one of them from high school. Wow.]
I spoke with UMass Boston's student trustee, Omar, today. He was at a Board of Trustees meeting yesterday. Many of the people there were serious about punishing and expelling these kids, to set an example. Some of the kids have reportedly already been kicked out of their dorms. Omar said that he and the student trustee from Worcester were the only ones who stood up and defended the kids, asking for something "not as extreme."
We'll have to see how it plays out.
ALSO: UMass professor in critical condition after plane crash in Athol.
A former environmental lobbyist runs for Town Hall in Amherst on a platform of stopping UMass budget cuts, and wins.
I spoke with UMass Boston's student trustee, Omar, today. He was at a Board of Trustees meeting yesterday. Many of the people there were serious about punishing and expelling these kids, to set an example. Some of the kids have reportedly already been kicked out of their dorms. Omar said that he and the student trustee from Worcester were the only ones who stood up and defended the kids, asking for something "not as extreme."
We'll have to see how it plays out.
ALSO: UMass professor in critical condition after plane crash in Athol.
A former environmental lobbyist runs for Town Hall in Amherst on a platform of stopping UMass budget cuts, and wins.
Column causes uproar on Brandeis campus
Duck Season's Nick sends this Brandeis Justice article, which he says he hears is causing an uproar on campus:
Notes Nick, "And it's not just that one paragraph, although that paragraph is *so* blatantly offensive, but the rest of his article is just stinkin pile of crap. This guy clearly knows nothing about baseball.
In a bit of irony, i'm told the author has resigned from the Student Senate over this matter. [Our] Senate may not be so nutty after all."
Interesting note at the end of the column: "*THIS COLUMN IN NO WAY REPRESENTS THE OPINION OF THE JUSTICE OR THE JUSTICE EDITORIAL BOARD. IT REMAINS ONLINE FOR INSPECTION BY MEMBERS OF THE BRANDEIS COMMUNITY. THE EDITORIAL BOARD ASKS ALL MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY TO BRING QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS TO THE PANEL DISCUSSION AND QUESTION & ANSWER PERIOD AT THE SHAPIRO CAMPUS CENTER AT 10 P.M. ON THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2003."
EDIT//10.27.2003: Name removed per e-mail request, for more information, see this post.
"As I often like to do, I will end with a quote. This one comes from noted campus civil rights activist [name removed per request, pending review]. I cannot endorse it, but I find it fitting. In response to the praise being heaped on the skills of Dusty Baker, [name removed] responded, "The only thing Baker has a Ph.D. in is something that starts with an N and rhymes with Tigger, the cheerful scamp who stole all of our hearts in the Winnie the Pooh series."
Notes Nick, "And it's not just that one paragraph, although that paragraph is *so* blatantly offensive, but the rest of his article is just stinkin pile of crap. This guy clearly knows nothing about baseball.
In a bit of irony, i'm told the author has resigned from the Student Senate over this matter. [Our] Senate may not be so nutty after all."
Interesting note at the end of the column: "*THIS COLUMN IN NO WAY REPRESENTS THE OPINION OF THE JUSTICE OR THE JUSTICE EDITORIAL BOARD. IT REMAINS ONLINE FOR INSPECTION BY MEMBERS OF THE BRANDEIS COMMUNITY. THE EDITORIAL BOARD ASKS ALL MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY TO BRING QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS TO THE PANEL DISCUSSION AND QUESTION & ANSWER PERIOD AT THE SHAPIRO CAMPUS CENTER AT 10 P.M. ON THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2003."
EDIT//10.27.2003: Name removed per e-mail request, for more information, see this post.
I despise oral reports.
Blogging light tonight (or, rather, this morning) due to work and homework.
10.22.2003
"Faux politics in full force," writes Globe columnist on Kerry appearance @ Harvard
Columnist Eileen McNamara:
Handpicked students -- just the right mix of gender and ethnicity -- are led to microphones to ask prescreened questions. "Your parents paid tons of money and pulled every string they could to get you here," [Dawn] Birch reminds them. "They are looking for you to ask a question tonight." Not just any question, though. "No Iraq, no Medicare, no health care," instructs one handler, patrolling the aisles in search of some predetermined balance.
MORE: Adam Reilly of the Boston Phoenix comments on the Kerry @ Harvard thing:
By the show's halfway mark, 7:30 p.m., the energy that had accompanied Kerry's entrance had vanished, and Dawn was worried. "Okay, guys, I'm not losing my audience, right? Cause there wasn't a lot of enthusiasm on that last [round of applause.] You've still got enthusiasm, right?" The response was tepid. In the back of the crowd, two baby-faced male students seemed exasperated by Kerry's discussion of Iraq. "Can you summarize his position in two or three sentences?" "No, 'cause he's unwilling to." "And I think that hurts him."
Handpicked students -- just the right mix of gender and ethnicity -- are led to microphones to ask prescreened questions. "Your parents paid tons of money and pulled every string they could to get you here," [Dawn] Birch reminds them. "They are looking for you to ask a question tonight." Not just any question, though. "No Iraq, no Medicare, no health care," instructs one handler, patrolling the aisles in search of some predetermined balance.
MORE: Adam Reilly of the Boston Phoenix comments on the Kerry @ Harvard thing:
By the show's halfway mark, 7:30 p.m., the energy that had accompanied Kerry's entrance had vanished, and Dawn was worried. "Okay, guys, I'm not losing my audience, right? Cause there wasn't a lot of enthusiasm on that last [round of applause.] You've still got enthusiasm, right?" The response was tepid. In the back of the crowd, two baby-faced male students seemed exasperated by Kerry's discussion of Iraq. "Can you summarize his position in two or three sentences?" "No, 'cause he's unwilling to." "And I think that hurts him."
10.21.2003
There's some good news and there's some bad news
Bad news: College tution keeps going up.
Good news: College textbooks used in America can be gotten for half-price in England.
Below, an interesting comment from a UPenn linguistics professor, responding to a person (presumably a student):
AP has more on the tuition increases.
The tuition increases are offset by increased financial aid, reports USATODAY.
UPDATE: Boston Globe had an article:
Good news: College textbooks used in America can be gotten for half-price in England.
Below, an interesting comment from a UPenn linguistics professor, responding to a person (presumably a student):
"I sure don't get any kickbacks for "forcing my classes to use 'upgraded' textbooks". I've never heard of such a practice. These days, I'm lucky if I can even get the publishers to follow the traditional practice of sending me a free desk copy for evaluation purposes; more and more often, publishers want me to pay for the text before I consider creating a captive market of 40 student customers for them.
I share your anger about the problem of publishers charging unreasonable prices for textbooks. If I could find a low-priced textbook which is a reasonably academically sound choice, I'd choose it. Unfortunately, for every course I've ever taught, all of my choices have been overpriced. So what I'm forced to do is to make the best tradeoff I can between picking the most academically suitable text vs. saving my students as much money as I can..."
AP has more on the tuition increases.
The tuition increases are offset by increased financial aid, reports USATODAY.
UPDATE: Boston Globe had an article:
For the current academic year, tuition at public colleges averaged $4,694, up almost $600 from the year before. At the University of Massachusetts, tuition and fees this fall increased 30 percent over last year, leaping from $5,750 for in-state undergraduates to $7,500.
The rate of tuition increase at four-year private colleges was 6 percent, with the average tuition now at $19,710 nationally and $25,093 at colleges in New England, the most expensive region in the country, the College Board reported in its annual "Trends in College Pricing" survey.
College columnist accused of plagiarism
Kerry on special Hardball edition @ Harvard U.
The Crimson on the event, and the talk he gave to students beforehand.
The Daily Free Press has something as well.
ALSO: In the Crimson, Harvard law professors are asking President Lawrence Summers to help with their fight against campus recruiters and the Solomon Amendment.
Harvard's proposed new campus in Allston.
The Daily Free Press has something as well.
ALSO: In the Crimson, Harvard law professors are asking President Lawrence Summers to help with their fight against campus recruiters and the Solomon Amendment.
Harvard's proposed new campus in Allston.
Silber strikes again
The Daily Free Press continues its look at Chancellor Silber. This issue: faculty recruitment.
ALSO: Silber himself responds to the first installment, taking issue with several things.
An alumnus writes in, hoping a new leadership style joins the new president, Goldin.
Another alumnus refuses to donate money to the university until Silber is completely gone.
ALSO: Silber himself responds to the first installment, taking issue with several things.
An alumnus writes in, hoping a new leadership style joins the new president, Goldin.
Another alumnus refuses to donate money to the university until Silber is completely gone.
Open Source
"In a memo sent last month, Massachusetts Administration and Finance Secretary Eric Kriss instructed the state's chief technology officer to adopt a policy of "open standards, open source" for all future spending on information technology.
While the directive probably wouldn't completely cut out Microsoft from the state's $80 million technology budget, it may have been the clearest example yet of a state government taking sides in the most important struggle in the software industry..."
The Mass Media had an editorial the other week about this.
I'm not sure what it all means, but I've been told it's All Good.
While the directive probably wouldn't completely cut out Microsoft from the state's $80 million technology budget, it may have been the clearest example yet of a state government taking sides in the most important struggle in the software industry..."
The Mass Media had an editorial the other week about this.
I'm not sure what it all means, but I've been told it's All Good.
Controversial column chafes college
"A Sierra College student newspaper column titled “Sierra girls aren’t really all that ‘Hot’” has the writer, editor and student adviser sweating this week after administrators received dozens of complaints..."
RELATED: Local news station picks it up.
[via obscure store]
RELATED: Local news station picks it up.
[via obscure store]
10.20.2003
Author Ellory talks shop
Yale Daily News: "When pressed for advice for aspiring writers, Ellroy told listeners to thwart the conventional advice 'write what you know.' Ellroy -- who said he was not completely knowledgeable about the topics he explores -- said a combination of imagination, research and detailed outlines closes the occasional information gaps for him.
'I've never been a private eye. I've never assassinated a president,' Ellroy said. 'But this is the kind of stuff I like to think about'..."
Heh.
'I've never been a private eye. I've never assassinated a president,' Ellroy said. 'But this is the kind of stuff I like to think about'..."
Heh.
Justice Kennedy @ Stanford Law
"Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy spoke Saturday morning as part of a panel dissecting the origin and power of the United States Constitution. The discussion, titled “We the People,” was moderated by Kathleen Sullivan, dean of the School of Law and a constitutional law expert..."
Lawrence Lessig was also on the panel.
Lawrence Lessig was also on the panel.
UMass unions plan for legislative lobby day Wednesday
"Faculty members, staff and students at the University of Massachusetts plan to join colleagues from other public colleges and universities in Boston Wednesday to lobby legislators to fund employee contracts..."
RELATED: Union Anger Surfaces.
MORE: Daily Collegian has the details.
RELATED: Union Anger Surfaces.
MORE: Daily Collegian has the details.
Harvard's Shadow Too Much for Neighbors
From today's Crimson:
Also: On the annual regatta.
MIT's The Tech has something on the Cambridge/Harvard thing as well.
The sign in front of Riverside resident Cob Carlson’s house says it all: “No Harvard buildings here. Save our neighborhood.”Carlson’s home is located next to Mahoney’s Garden Center on Memorial Drive, a site that has been at the epicenter of one of Harvard’s biggest fights with the city of Cambridge.
Carlson’s name has become a synonym for the activist-endorsed development plan for the neighborhood—a plan that aims to strictly regulate the height and density of future Harvard buildings and make the statements emblazoned on Carlson’s sign a reality.
The Cambridge City Council has only two opportunities—tonight and next Monday—to vote on the so-called Carlson petition and the more moderate zoning plan submitted by the planning board or to cobble together a compromise.
Also: On the annual regatta.
MIT's The Tech has something on the Cambridge/Harvard thing as well.
BC: A campus divided over Red Sox, Yankees
"I'm tired of all the pink and Carolina blue hat-wearing girls and fair-weather Red Sox fans here," said Mark Powers, A&S '06. "I give the Red Sox credit, but this was the battle of the century, and we won."
Also in BC Heights: Boston colleges address sexual assault; schools sue BU and Atlantic Coast Conference, which BU just accepted an invitation to join.
Also in BC Heights: Boston colleges address sexual assault; schools sue BU and Atlantic Coast Conference, which BU just accepted an invitation to join.
Silber and U. still have alumni support
"First in a five-part series exploring how Boston University has changed under Chancellor John Silber.
Despite numerous controversies throughout Chancellor John Silber’s 32 years at Boston University, many alumni still support his policies and find his leadership an asset, said BU spokesman Kevin Carleton..."
Also in the DFP: Opponents of the bioterror lab are misinformed, says a director of the BU Medical Center.
Despite numerous controversies throughout Chancellor John Silber’s 32 years at Boston University, many alumni still support his policies and find his leadership an asset, said BU spokesman Kevin Carleton..."
Also in the DFP: Opponents of the bioterror lab are misinformed, says a director of the BU Medical Center.
