For Immediate Release
April 01, 2008
Contact
Haley McConnell
Shirley & Banister
703-739-5920 / 800-536-5920
mailto:hmcconnell@sbpublicaffairs.com
Wilmington, DE – The Collegiate Network (CN) presents their 2008 Campus Outrage Awards Doug Schneider, Director of the Collegiate Network. The 2008 winners include:
Duke University: “Sex and Sensibility”–Last month Duke hosted the “Sex Workers Art Show,” a visual and performance art show, featuring sex “occupations;” which includes strippers, prostitutes, and phone-sex operators in a ”cabaret-style” performance. While some of the performers read poetry, others strip to near-nudity and don artificial sex organs (while mocking President George W. Bush). The irony of this display at Duke University’s campus, is, of course, that during the Duke Lacrosse “rape” scandal, university administrators demonized the lacrosse team for inviting a stripper to an off-campus party, and yet, the administration condones on-campus strippers?
University of Delaware: “Welcome to College: Now Here is What to Think”–The University of Delaware is doing its best to make aspects of George Orwell’s 1984 a reality. The University instituted a comprehensive and intrusive program of moral and civic “reeducation” in which incoming freshman are required to review and abide by the college Residence Life officials. One of the key definitions students must learn is: “A RACIST: A racist is one who is both privileged and socialized on the basis of race by a white supremacist (racist) system. The term applies to all white people (i.e., people of European descent) living in the United States, regardless of class, gender, religion, culture or sexuality. By this definition, people of color cannot be racists, because as peoples within the U.S. system, they do not have the power to back up their prejudices, hostilities, or acts of discrimination.” Very Orwellian indeed.
Indiana University-Purdue University: Indianapolis (IUPUI): “When in Public, Best to Read People Magazine”-IUPUI student-employee Keith Sampson was accused of racial harassment for reading Notre Dame vs. The Klan: How the Fighting Irish Defeated the Ku Klux Klan in the employee lounge during his work breaks. A co-worker complained that the book’s title was offensive, yet refused to listen to Sampson’s explanation that the book, as suggested by its title, described a 1924 clash in which Notre Dame students defeated the Ku Klux Kan and chased them out of town. As a result, a complaint was filed against Sampson with the university’s Affirmative Action Office (AAO). The AAO then sent a letter that claimed Sampson’s actions constituted racial harassment because he “demonstrated disdain and insensitivity to [his] coworkers who repeatedly requested that [he] refrain from reading the book which has such an inflammatory and offensive topic in their presence.”
The College of William and Mary: “Professors Behaving Badly”–A year after removing the cross from the college Chapel, Gene Nichol was informed that his contract as President of the College of William & Mary would not be renewed. Nichol responded by sending an inflammatory resignation letter via e-mail to all students, faculty, and alumni, which set off angry protests by professors and students, forcing canceled classes and resulting in the defacement of public property. Demeanor fit for college professors? If things don’t go your way, encourage such behavior.
Iowa State University: “Un-Intelligent Tenure Decision”–Iowa State University astronomy professor Guillermo Gonzalez co-authored the book, The Privileged Planet, which suggests Intelligent Design might be responsible for life on earth. Despite co-authoring the book, Professor Gonzalez never taught this topic in class. In 2007, Professor Gonzalez applied for tenure but was denied, despite having published 68 peer-reviewed articles and co-authored an astronomy textbook. The percentage of tenure application approval at Iowa State University was an overwhelming 91%, in 2007. Was there classroom bias on Iowa State University’s campus? Gonzalez appealed for tenure, but the Board of Regents denied Gonzalez’s appeal for tenure by 7-1.
Winning entries are chosen from nominees submitted to the Collegiate Network describing outrageous events on campus. The Grand Prize Winner will receive $1,000 and the four other prize winners will each take home $500. The student and/or student publication who nominates the outrage receives the award and the prize money. The award is mailed to the respective university’s President. displaying five cases of outrageous activity on college campuses this year. “The CN focuses public awareness on shocking behavior and excessive politically correct activity on American colleges and universities, impacting classrooms, curricula, student life, and resulting in the decline of educational standards” says
For more information or to interview Doug Schneider, please call Hayley McConnell of
Shirley & Banister Public Affairs at 703-739-5920 or hmcconnell@sbpublicaffairs.com.