Group Might Form to Monitor Class Bias Shots in the Dark
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Prospects: Driesell's and Moorman's recruits __ THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 1989 JAMES MADISON UNIVERSITY VOL. 66 NO. 51 Group might form Shots in the dark to monitor class bias By Jennifer Rose assistant design editor By Martin Romjue universities nationwide who claim a sta*f writer professor or class is slanted toward a "Where were you when the lights went out?" The professor asked her class of political viewpoint. JMU students have been asking each other that question about 150 if it is important to attend But according to AIA members in since Sunday, when a tree fell across a power line near church regularly. Sophomore Marcos Washington D.C., the disputed Squire Hill apartments and cut power to the JMU campus Salinas and three other students viewpoint in all cases AIA has and about half the city at 10:12 p.m. raised their hands. investigated so far is liberal or Gregory Arcy, an engineer for The professor called them Nazis. leftist. Harrisonburg Klectric Commission, Salinas, executive director of the The group's national staff looks said the tree caused a short in the JMU chapter of Students for into a complaint by examining a power cable. The short opened a circuit America, says that incident reveals a course's syllabus, textbooks and the breaker at the Reservoir substation and political bias that is pervasive informant's notes, and interviews shut it down. among some professors at JMU and other students in the class. Kristin Alban was one of the people who spent part of the blackout in an at other American colleges. If it concludes a professor or administrator has exhibited a elevator in Kagle. To combat such alleged "I was stuck in the elevator for 10 to distortions, SFA members recently political bias, AIA publicizes the 15 minutes," Alban said. "I and posted notices in the Warren incident in its national newspaper another RA banged on the doors until Campus Center encouraging students Campus Report. The monthly someone heard us. Since the power was off, the emergency to seek involvement with Accuracy newspaper documents about three to alarm didn't work in the elevator." in Acadcmia. AIA is a national seven incidents in each issue and has a circulation of about 50,000. No police were there so Alban and the oilier resident conservative watchdog group that adviser had to get themselves out of the elevator. tries to battle alleged cases of The group also tries to focus public and media pressure on alleged "I pried the inner door open and then waited for someone academic bias and distortion among to come with a light and tell us where exactly we were before college professors. violators by sending Campus Report to student editors and other members I opened the other set of doors. "AIA makes sure class material is "We were between the third and fourth floors. So we just taught in an unbiased fashion," of the media, educators, administrators and students. jumped about two feet down to the third floor," Alban said. Salinas said. "I have heard students Freshman Rob Christensen was ;ii the Little Feal concert tell me of some professors leaching Salinas said though AIA would report "conservative biases as well, in Godwin Hall's Sinclair Gymnasium when the power went their own political beliefs." off. More than 2,000 people attended the concert. SFA plans to seek student interest generally you find professors indoctrinating students with liberal "I didn't know what was going on. 1 just thought that the in AIA activities starting next and Marxist beliefs." band had blown a fuse," Christensen said. "Hut then some semester and might form a "Campus Report is there to catch guy came out and told us that the power was out all o\er permanent chapter if enough students them." he said. campus and that the concert was over. I just went back to respond. AIA Executive Director Brian the Village and joined in the fun there." Fitzpatrick said in a phone interview Kristina Lofgren, a freshman, said she was walking by PC from Washington, "We're not that Dukes when all the lights went off. concerned that professors have an "You could sec everyone "AIA makes sure ideological bent — the relevant turning on their flashlights class material is question is how the subject is being and lighting candles in their taught in the class. looms," Lofgren said. "When taught in an "There has been an ethical I got back to Wine-Price, a lot unbiased fashion." breakdown in the faculty," he said, of people went out on to the citing a 1985 U.S. News & World balcony to watch everything Report survey that shows 10,000 going on." — Marcos Salinas professors with Marxist beliefs Senior Todd Jordan said teach at American colleges. he was "just hanging out" at Fitzpatrick said AIA currently has the Sigma Pi house when the about 435 student members who lights went out. "We're not planning to monitor create reports on political activities "I went out and watched [JMU professorsl for another year at and alleged academic dishonesty from the fireworks and the police least," Salinas said. "If people arc campuses nationwide. cars going everywhere while I interested, we'll give them AIA was started by media drank a few beers," he said. information to start a chapter." watchdog Reed Irvine in 1985 as an The short at the substation Accuracy in Acadcmia investigates See BLACKOUT pnqe 2>- complaints from students at See ACCURACY page 2> Page 2, The Breeze, Thursday, April 20,1989 Blackout Accuracy >• (Continued from page 1) "For some professors, it could become > (Continued from pagel) the concert and three deputy sheriffs flattering. were helping them with it. We called offshoot of his group Accuracy in "Plus, it took some time to find out "I think in most academic settings in some cadets, and those we didn't get Media. The media group operates much where exactly the problem was. in touch with came out on their own there is a tendency for a more liberal "We didn't actually repair the line like AIA through its efforts to combat group of individuals, but not so far left to help." until the next morning. It was a very alleged leftist biases in the national that it tips the continuum," he said. minor repair job. We just had to The police radio was inoperable due news media. "The benefit of an academic institution remove the tree. to the blackout and communications "It's our policy not to propose any is to expose different viewpoints." "At this time we have no idea why were carried out by way of walkie particular thing being taught," talkie, said MacNutt. Fitzpatrick said. But, he added, a the tree fell," Arey said. We are Dr. Charles Dubenezic, an associate investigating the possibilities, classroom is not "simply a forum for Scott Ford, executive chairman of professors to promote their own professor of library science and though." the University Program Board, said political views." educational media, said JMU faculty A blackout of this scale has not those people who attended the Little members generally don't identify with happened in Hanrisonburg for at least When asked why AIA hasn't Feat concert will not be reimbursed, publicized accounts of conservative conservative or liberal labels. six years, Arey said. even though the show had not finished. biases among university faculty, Dubenezic also serves as speaker of the George Marcum, director of the JMU Little Feat "had been playing for faculty senate. physical plant, said he can't remember Fitzpatrick said, "Nobody has taken up over two hours" when the power went our challenge to find a biased the last time the campus lost all its off. Ford said. "We are representatives of a broad power. conservative professor. "By dent of his ideology, a view of education and I think it should Some buildings have emergency Tara McKenna, a dispatcher for the conservative professor is not inclined be the nature of academic persons to generators, he said. campus police, was working in a to use the class to promote his views," represent all sides of an issue," "Also, some fire alarms went off campus computer lab when the power Dubenezic said. because they are tied into the power he said. went out. Professors interviewed at JMU this Students who want to complain line," Marcum said. "I knew that things would be hectic week were skittish about the about a professor's classroom Alan MacNutt, director of campus at the station so I went down to see if I possibility of AIA activities here. performance can approach student police and safety, said some of the fire could help," McKenna said. "Everyone alarms were pulled by students. was calling in and telling us about the But "on the whole, students power outage and the fireworks in the conducted themselves very well during Village." this crisis," he said. "I really appreciate "We're not planning to monitor [JMU the fact that they didn't cause any According to Peggy McHugh, professors] for another year at least." problems." associate director of residence life, There was some "rowdiness" in the JMU's resident advisers said at their Village area, but no arrests related to Monday staff meeting that things had — Marcos Salinas the blackout were made that night, he gone smoothly and there were no said. serious problems. There was little theft during the "One of our main worries was the blackout, MacNutt said, "The only fact that students were lighting thing that was reported missing was a candles," McHugh said.