February, 2005 Carolina Journal Article
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• EMOs Follow HMOs • Title IX Hammers In Educational Market Male Sports Programs Scotland County Schools C A R O L I N A Crichton’s ‘State of Fear’ Volume 14, Number 2 A Monthly Journal of News, February 2005 Analysis, and Opinion from JOURNAL the John Locke Foundation www.CarolinaJournal.com www.JohnLocke.org Student Loses Privacy Battle With NCSU, Professor a graded assignment. I cited the very per- Protest of personal test sonal, private nature of the information, and made the case that such matters were leads to NCSU student’s often discussed only within relationships rejection, trespass charge of trust. I pointed out to Dr. Robinson that I did not really know her.” Also during the meeting, Robinson and By SHANNON BLOSSER Boren discussed his academic future and Contributing Writer the fact he intended to apply to the educa- RALEIGH tion counseling program. Boren recognized hen the 2001 spring semester that Robinson held an important role in began at North Carolina State whether he would be accepted into the pro- W University, Robert Boren was a gram. student looking forward to beginning his “I assured her that I was not trying to pursuit of a master’s degree in education ruffle any feathers, that I wanted to do well counseling. Little did Boren know, how- in her class and that I felt I needed to do ‘A’ ever, that one interaction with a professor work,” Boren wrote. “I told her that I was would lead to his grades being altered on aware she would play a role in whether or his application, his chances at graduate edu- not I would be admitted into the program. cation crippled, his pleas for answers about She nodded that I was correct.” those being ignored, and his being threat- ened with arrest for trespassing. When to hold ‘em, fold ‘em A nontraditional graduate student, Boren wanted to enter NCSU’s education Nevertheless, Boren stuck by his objec- counseling master’s program. Boren was tion to her assignment, and “at some later taking courses in preparation for this pro- point Dr. Robinson ran out of patience and gram, including ECD 540: “gender issues in told me that the present situation reminded counseling,” taught by Dr. Tracy Robinson. her of a song by Kenny Rogers,” he said. She was also in charge of the education “Looking me right in the eye and quoting, counseling program. she cautioned me, ‘You got to know when to hold’em, know when to fold’em.’ She Up close and personal said it stern-faced, and I felt warned.” Boren said he asked Robinson what At the beginning of the semester, would happen if he chose not to answer the Robinson gave Boren and her other stu- inappropriate questions. Robinson told him dents in the Monday-evening course the he’d fail the assignment, which would di- class syllabus. A writing assignment was minish his overall grade. due at the start of the next class, she told the Boren said he left the meeting stunned class. The assignment was a “personal nar- and “feeling extremely ill-treated [and] even rative” to be worth 15 percent of each more convinced of the impropriety of” the student’s final grade. It required students assignment. On the advice of a friend, he to answer personal questions relating to phoned Dr. Amy Halberstadt, an NCSU their gender and sexuality. psychology professor and a sexual harass- The assignment began: “What is your ment resolution officer. gender? What is your sexual orientation? Boren completed the assignment, which Who have you told about your sexual orien- was graded as Robinson had told them, tation?” Follow-up questions asked students according to the nature of their answers and to discuss societal discourses as well as on her estimation of whether each student common values to their sexual orientation. Carolina Journal photo by Jon Sanders had given complete answers. Boren received Boren found some of the questions to be Poe Hall, where Boren was cited for trespassing, looms over North Carolina State University. one of the lowest grades in the class. One too personal, inquiring about private infor- question asked, “On a scale of 0-10 (0 being mation he believed no professor, no matter The meeting and the aftermath more than 10 minutes,” Boren said. complete comfort; 10 being total discom- the class, had any business asking. “This is “At our meeting, I began by calmly fort), indicate your comfort level with this the professor saying ‘let me get in your Boren met Robinson in her office a few expressing my discomfort with Dr. assignment. Please discuss your response.” business,’” Boren said. days before the assignment was due to dis- Robinson’s assignment,” Boren wrote in In reply, Boren wrote a page and a half on Robinson, who now operates Robinson cuss it. Boren described the meeting as pro- his Web site, www.abuseofpowerat his “misgivings surrounding this assign- Counseling Services, an online counseling fessional, but he said Robinson seemed in- ncstate.com. “I shared my view that it was service based in North Carolina, did not attentive to his concerns about the personal inappropriate to require students to dis- respond to repeated requests for comment. narrative. The meeting “couldn’t have lasted close their sexual identities in the context of Continued as “Problems Multiply,” Page 3 NC Should Spend Gas, Car Taxes On. The John Locke Foundation NONPROFIT ORG. Contents 200 W. Morgan St., # 200 U.S. POSTAGE Only Roads 57% Raleigh, NC 27601 PAID Other Items, Too 38% RALEIGH NC PERMIT NO. 1766 Not Sure 5% Calendar 2 State Government 3 Education 6 Higher Education 10 Local Government 14 Books & the Arts 18 Opinion 20 % of N.C. Respondents in Oct. 2004 JLF Poll Parting Shot 24 C A R O L I N A Contents ON THE COVER HIGHER EDUCATION • An interview with University of North JOURNAL Carolina sociology professor Dr. Christian • At one time, Robert Boren held hopes of • While Title IX has provided more oppor- Smith. Page 17 becoming a graduate student at North tunities in athletics for women, it has done Carolina State University. But that was be- the opposite for men. Page 10 THE LEARNING CURVE fore he ran afoul of a professor, had his grades changed, was denied entry into • Given the U.S. Supreme Court’s failure • Paul Messino reviews the book State of Richard Wagner graduate school, and was charged with tres- to clarify the constitutionality of racial pref- Fear by Michael Crichton. Page 18 Editor passing. Page 1 erences, the issue continues to roil nation- wide. Page 11 • Reviews of Who’s Looking Out for You? by NORTH CAROLINA Bill O’Reilly, and For the Survival of Democ- Paul Chesser, Michael Lowrey • Jon Sanders writes that the Foundation racy: Franklin Roosevelt and the World Crisis Donna Martinez • Eastern North Carolina Natural Gas is for Individual Liberty’s Guide to Free Speech of the 1930s by Alonzo Hamby. Page 19 Associate Editors winding down its pipeline construction on Campus gives a shot in the arm to aca- project in 14 northeastern counties with an demic freedom. Page 11 OPINION Karen Palasek, Jon Sanders ambitious crossing of Currituck Sound, a Assistant Editors three-mile underground tunneling that par- • Parades, music, drama, prayer breakfasts, • Paul Chesser writes that Jim Goodmon, allels Wright Memorial Bridge. Page 4 and speakers helped University of North owner of Capitol Broadcasting, is just your Carolina schools celebrate Martin Luther standard, decent guy. Page 20 Chad Adams, Shannon Blosser, • Gov. Mike Easley and state Senate Presi- King Jr. Day. Page 12 Andrew Cline, Roy Cordato, dent Pro Tem Marc Basnight are locked in • Editorials about pollution trends in North Charles Davenport, Ian Drake, a fight over a small airport in Currituck LOCAL GOVERNMENT Carolina and mathematics performance Tom Fetzer, Bob Fliss, County. Page 5 among U.S. teens. Page 21 Nat Fullwood, John Gizzi, • Clint Willis isn’t bitter toward Scotland David Hartgen, Summer Hood, Lindalyn Kakadelis, George Leef, EDUCATION County voters, even though they didn’t re- • Michael Walden writes that the demise Kathleen Linder, Marc Rotterman, elect him to the county Board of Commis- of the federal tobacco program is a prime R.E. Smith Jr., Jack Sommer, • It’s time for medical HMOs to step aside, sioners. He regrets only that he couldn’t put example of the ultimate triumph of eco- John Staddon, George Stephens, because the educational market, with an the brakes on residents’ growing property nomic forces over political control. Page 22 Jeff Taylor, Michael Walden, estimated $350 billion potential value, is tax burden. Page 14 Karen Welsh ready to let EMOs make their debut. • George Leef writes that out-of-state tu- Contributing Editors Page 6 • Good news is the cause of bad news for ition is a bargain at the University of North local government and civic leaders when it Carolina, and that the state’s taxpayers de- • Recently released test results showed that comes to the state’s yearly William S. Lee serve a break because of it. Page 23 Jenna Ashley Robinson, Paul Messino, Brian McGraw the most advanced American students com- Act tier designations, in which a stronger Editorial Interns pared unfavorably with their peers in other local economy can reduce incentives for PARTING SHOT countries, underlining the importance of business investing in and state aid to a providing appropriate education to the county. Page 15 • CJ Parody: A study by the Office of State most gifted students. Page 8 Personnel revealed that women make less • Chad Adams says if you compete with than men and female-dominated occupa- John Hood • Two recent studies examined curriculum Dell in North Carolina, you are subsidiz- tions are ”often paid less than male-domi- Publisher and teaching practices in K-12 English and ing your competition simply because you’re nated jobs even if they require the same or math, and find that even the best states of- paying taxes that Dell won’t have to pay.