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Office of Student Affairs 2005-04-01 A Modest Proposal, vol. 1, no. 4 Geoff Barry, et al. © 2005 A Modest Proposal Find more information about this article here. This document has been made available for free and open access by the Eugene McDermott Library. Contact [email protected] for further information. lllustrat1011 by Luke McKelllJ! repnnted wrth perT'fliSSIO(I from The liTO MeiCUry - see the full story p.3 - A Mon:r.sr 1'1\0POSAL Aprtl2005 'C: 3 CovER STORY -. 4 Incensed by nonsense in censorship by Bobby Janecka the wonderful progress Coleman is mak But would this have really hurt the pro review by the faculty," Eggspuehler said. ing in instituting a new University policy posal for mid-term grades? Said Coleman, They appeal only to the prudence of the [email protected] of mid-term grades for all students. Egg "'t's been my experience that when you paper's editors, hoping that they would re In a recent issue of 7ht UTD Mn-cu spuehler and 7he Mn-rory learned of the have a new initiative and you go public consider how vital certain information is if ry a seemingly innocuous pair of articles proposal at an SGA meeting, where Cole with it before you have it well organized ... it is in part harmful to the university. slipped under the radar of most readers. man was presenting it in hopes for an en then people's opinions can galvanize about Admittedly, this highlights two exam Two pieces by editor Chad Eggspuehler dorsement of student support. it and it makes it harder to discuss." ples ofMerrury judgment over the span of painted a picture of UTD both hopeful Eggspuehler smelled a big news story Eggspuehler, for his part, hoped that two years. In the Jenifer example, we find and grim, but there's an unspoken truth to and rushed to gather facts on the proposaL such policies would be able to stand on 7he Mmury deferring to the benefit of the them that underscores a much more im When he consulted Coleman, however, he their own merit, but it's a difficult ques university over a policy of free informa portant debate in the role of a newspaper, received the warning that publishing the tion to be sure. tion. The example with Coleman, on the any newspaper, and may offer insight into story would, "place our missions at risk. Later in his column, Eggspuehler men other hand, shows 1hr Mmury choosing a trend of the changing role of The Mer Issues will not reach the Committee for tions an incident regarding donors, Presi unlimited access to information to the cury. Educational Policy (CEP) until March dent Franklyn Jenifer and "a telephone detriment of the university, which in this In Eggspuehler's February 28th col and the Senate until April. You do us no call from a dean." Walter Voit, former case, thanks to a very able administrator, umn, "Mercury rising over silence," he service by placing it before the public eye Managing Editor at the Mercury, actually was not as problematic as it could have tackles one of the formidable hurdles to months before we're prepared to discuss it remembers the incident firsthand and he been. the newspaper's publication: censorship, with faculty,uColeman said. remembers it slighdy difterendy. Outcomes aside, it shows that 1hr Mn- or at the very least, reluctance of some When Eggspuehler protested that the "It wasn't really censorship, the call rory, a publication whose content is always administrators to provide information for SGA meeting was fully public and The came down to me and 1 decided not to put shaped by the judgment and hubris of its fear of being mis-quoted or burned for Mercury had every right to print the story, it in the article," Voit said. editors, is one that, for the moment at their words. Coleman conceded: "Premature public As per his account, Jenifer mentioned least, prints first and asks questions later. As a former Mercury contributor, I exposure fo rces us to battle strong wind a specific company as an example of an Bur this isn't necessarily a bad thing, no know firsthand how dead-on Eggspuehler we could have easily dismissed with frank annual university donor requesting to be one but the players politically involved is on calling out the bull-headed admin discussion. Having said that, you're abso forgiven its pledged donations until the ever complained about free information in istrators of UTD. With a publication as lutely correct that we've discussed these fallen market could tum around. Though the media. credible as 1he Mn-mry, it's insulting to the issues in a public forum leaving the pub this was indeed on public record, Voit was It begs a deeper question: just what is University that some administrators are lic record for anyone's review and open to informed that releasing the donor's name the role of a publication? As a very direct still so uncooperative. That said, I suspect free discussion. Ifyou and the staff choose in as public a forum as 1he Mmury could beneficiary of UTD's success, does The that Eggspuehler's claim of censorship at to write on this topic, than I am duty seriously damage university relations with Mn-cury have a vested interest and bias fa our University is a bit exaggerated; I can bound and happy to help you so we will the donor. Voit consulted the staff and voring the university? only offer the facts to let you make the now change gears." ultimately deemed that detail unneces From the way things look now, decid judgment call. These are hardly the words of a censor. sary: "it contributed nothing to the article; edly not. But in our present media-driven It's very likely, though unconfirmed of As it tu.rns out the incident of ce nsorship nothing to the issue, and it could have hurt world, questions of media bias, profes ficially, that Eggspuehler's column was in that Eggspuehler may have been com the university so I decided to leave it out," sional interest, and selective dissemination part inspired by an incident with Dean plaining about was really only an example said Voit. of information are raised everywhere. We of Undergraduate Education J. Michael of an administrator pleading for consid Admittedly, these examples could be must ask ourselves whether all informa Coleman and an article in the same is eration by 7he Mn-cury for a potentially considered censorship but only as an ap tion is really worth knowing, but more sue, "Mid-term grade proposal passes first sensitive proposal and subsequent rush to peal to common sense. um administra importandy, we must ask how we are to round of tests." pass said proposal in anticipation of a me tors have no formal power of censure; in regard the organizations that take it upon In the article, Eggspuehler reports on dia splash. fact, "at our university, we don't have prior themselves to deliver it. Letter to the Editor ligious belief, which continues to seems to me that the anti-reli Religious people don't want It would seem that Bree be a source of irritation to many gious voices are the loudest and to be told they are wrong, nor do Si.ostek may have stumbled upon Dear Editor, at UTD, especially those on the the most grating on this campus they want to be accused of being some ovenealous religious fanat I wish to commend you on north side of the campus. (once again, on the north side of mindless puppets who ignorandy ics, which is indeed unfortunate, the publication of If M odest Pro Now the criticism: As a the campus). embrace a morality forced on because it really is the religious posal. As a staunch supporter of Christian, 1 always like to take What is needed, perhaps, them in childhood. belief system itself that has value, the Hrst Amendment to the the opportunity to respond to is a bit of mutual respect. After Many of us "religious rypes" even if the messenger makes a U.S. Constitution, I am always the criticism C hristians receive all, those who are "left of center" have studied our own, as well as mess of it in the telling. encouraged to hear voices being on this campus, often unfairly. have a pretty strong voice on this other religious belief systems, lifted in the name of free speech. I'm not sure where these *Bible campus, not to mention a great and have found -- quire purpose Eileen Baland I am also happy to see that pushers" are at UTD. deal ofsupport by the faculty and fully -- the common threads that Ph.D. Student one of your articles discussed I haven't seen them, and I am administration. I think the pen link us, rather than focusing on Arts&. Humanities the much-maligned topk of re- not one of them. ln fact, it often dulum swings in both directions. the differences that separate us. 4 IT's ALL T8 ML by Eric Kildebeck [email protected] Nerds vs. Greeks: the unfortunate nature of bias and arrogance in social cliques Harking back to long before such classic adults in leggings sipping tea engaged in people that I didn't like. I had never ac to perceive Greek life as negative and had cinematic works as Revenge of the Nerds a thrilling conversation. That aside, let's tually done any of these things, but I felt serious biases towards it.

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