HA on Stringer - USM Forum -- Message Board

Date: Jun 14, 2004

HA on Stringer

Date: Jun 14, 2004

The HA is not to be trusted to get anything unbiased (i.e., not in favor of SFT) out there. What they've done might be the worst "crime" of all in this whole mess.

Date: Jun 14, 2004

But what a great headline:

Stringer Texas bound

Date: Jun 15, 2004

The other strange thing about this blurb is that it seems they're just giving a weather report about what Glamser/Stringer are up to these days. . . .Glamser's retiring, Stringer's moving. How about some INTERPRETATION, people?!?

Date: Jun 15, 2004

Here's the link to the full story today:

http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/news/stories/20040615/southernmissnews/648548.html

Date: Jun 15, 2004

That's actually a pretty good article.

Date: Jun 15, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: this little pig
"The other strange thing about this blurb is that it seems they're just giving a weather report about what Glamser/Stringer are up to these days. . . .Glamser's retiring, Stringer's moving. How about some INTERPRETATION, people?!?"

The Big Bad Wolf will interpret for you, little pig. A nice article in the HA, but it communicates one rather misleading notion. Namely, the article says that two have retired and that one of them will be moving to a prestitious out-of-state university. Actually, I believe the truth is that all three are retiring from USM. Only Professor Stringer, however, has released the details of what he will be doing. The other two (Mary Ann Stringer & Frank Glamser) are highly marketable too.

Date: Jun 15, 2004

A Jackson television station carried the article too:

http://www.thejacksonchannel.com/education/3419946/detail.html

Date: Jun 15, 2004

You know, I am happy for Gary that he is so marketable that a fine institution like Texas A&M would hire him. But I'm still so very sad that he and Mary Ann will now have to leave the town (and friends, church, community, etc.) that they call home and start over in a brand-new place. I know that they had planned to spend their retirement in Hattiesburg, and it pains me to think that SFT has basically, on his own whims, "run them out of town." Where are the so-called criminal charges he trumpted loudly during the spring? Nowhere, because THERE WAS NEVER ANY BASIS FOR SUCH CHARGES! If Gary Stringer was such a "threat" to students that SFT had to lock up his office and bar him from returning to the classroom and his research, then why on earth would Texas A&M hire him??? This is just more evidence of the bizarro world of SFT. This man is an abomination in higher education and has wrecked not only the lives of these two men and their families, but countless others. Shame on you, SFT, shame on you and your so-called "hotline to God." Thank goodness my higher power has never even HEARD of yours.

There, now I feel a little better.

Date: Jun 15, 2004

Gary and Mary Ann can take the two-years of USM "Consulting" pay and use that as a downpayment on a nice beach house or something in the mountains. The Ozarks are about a seven hour drive from College Station. Maybe they will take a picture of their vaction home and send to to Thames.

I fully expect the floodgates on the faculty exodus to fully open next academic year. Nearly every single member of my department has indicated that he or she will be on the job market. I know I'll be looking very hard to leave. A real loss to the state, but, hey, its Mississippi. There are reasons why we are at the bottom of everything. This entire affair indicated to me that USM's rapid slide won't end with SFT's removal/retirement. The problems are much deeper and systemic.

Date: Jun 15, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: truth4usm/AH
"You know, I am happy for Gary that he is so marketable that a fine institution like Texas A&M would hire him. But I'm still so very sad that he and Mary Ann will now have to leave the town (and friends, church, community, etc.) that they call home and start over in a brand-new place. I know that they had planned to spend their retirement in Hattiesburg, and it pains me to think that SFT has basically, on his own whims, "run them out of town." Where are the so-called criminal charges he trumpted loudly during the spring? Nowhere, because THERE WAS NEVER ANY BASIS FOR SUCH CHARGES! If Gary Stringer was such a "threat" to students that SFT had to lock up his office and bar him from returning to the classroom and his research, then why on earth would Texas A&M hire him??? This is just more evidence of the bizarro world of SFT. This man is an abomination in higher education and has wrecked not only the lives of these two men and their families, but countless others. Shame on you, SFT, shame on you and your so-called "hotline to God." Thank goodness my higher power has never even HEARD of yours.
There, now I feel a little better.
"

Yes, Truth. Gary and Mary Ann will be giving up their house where they raised their kids, their long time friends and colleagues, and the community and university to which they gave their adult lives. It's not much fun to move and change jobs in your 60's. On top of that, they both went through the wringer this spring. I am very pleased that they have been vindicated, but these are sad days for all of us.

Date: Jun 15, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Disgusted
"I fully expect the floodgates on the faculty exodus to fully open next academic year. Nearly every single member of my department has indicated that he or she will be on the job market. I know I'll be looking very hard to leave. A real loss to the state, but, hey, its Mississippi. There are reasons why we are at the bottom of everything. This entire affair indicated to me that USM's rapid slide won't end with SFT's removal/retirement. The problems are much deeper and systemic."

I wonder if SFT has considered the fact that his conduct will actually HELP USM faculty get jobs elsewhere. Normally, one of the first questions a recruiting committee might ask a candidate who is giving up a tenured position to seek to move elsewhere (especially if the move is "lateral") might be, "Why are you leaving a secure job?" Given the national and international publicity SFT has brought to USM, everyone everywhere will now understand perfectly why ANYONE would want to get out of Dodge. What might earlier have seemed suspicious will now seem perfectly logical, and indeed there may even be a feeling of wanting to "come to the rescue" and help applicants from USM. In other words, SFT has effectively added an extra line or two of positively helpful data to the vitae of any people applying to get out of Hattiesburg.

Another stellar accomplishment, Shelby! Mighty fine of you to help folks out in this way! Maybe after you retire you can get a position in the economic development office at College Station or some other comparable university town you've assisted so well.

Date: Jun 15, 2004

copy of an e-mail I just sent to the IHL:

FROM AN ARTICLE IN TODAY'S HATTIESBURG AMERICAN; ROY KLUMB: PLEASE READ

Stringer did not return telephone calls Monday, but Paul A. Parrish, chair of the Texas A&M English department, said he is thrilled to bring Stringer to College Station, Texas, despite the controversy at Southern Miss.

"I've known Gary for a long time and so do many of my colleagues," Parrish said. "We know the kind of person he is and we're delighted."

The Donne Variorum project, started in 1981, has brought about $1 million in grants to USM. The grant will now be transferred to Texas A&M.

Date: Jun 15, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: this little pig
"The other strange thing about this blurb is that it seems they're just giving a weather report about what Glamser/Stringer are up to these days. . . .Glamser's retiring, Stringer's moving. How about some INTERPRETATION, people?!?"

Big Bad Wolf would like to provide some more 'interpretation' for you, little pig. The HA has, appropriately, cited Texas A&M's good fortune in attracting USM scholar Gary Stringer to its English faculty. Professor Stringer's scholarship is highly regarded within his discipline, and his superb service to church and community is highly regarded in the greater Hattiesburg area. Somewhat less local attention has been paid to Professor Glamser's recognition within his discipline, and his superb contributions to the greater Hattiesburg community. Big Bad Wolf would remind you that Professor Glamser is President-elect of the Mid-South Sociological Association. Too bad for USM that the settlement agreement precludes his using even modest USM resources, such as the typing and mail services, essential for carrying out his role as President of the Mid-South. What a loss to USM's Sociology Department! What a loss to USM! The USM administration didn't even allow Professor Glamser so much as "a name on the door and a Bigelow on the floor" in the way of even the paltry bit of resources necessary to support his President-elect positon. No wonder he took retirement. My field is not Sociology, but I do know persons in that discipline at SEC and ACC schools. They are stunned by the shabby way Professor Glamser has been treated. Now, regarding community service, cyberspace is filled with Professor Glamser's name in capacities other than academic. I cite only three representative examples from cyberspace:

1. December 29, 2003 posting from the Mississippi Sports Talk Forum:

"One of the best coaches around the Hattiesburg area does not coach high school. His name is Frank Glamser. He used to coach some select teams. I think he coached club soccer at USM. He emphasizes defense."

2. Undated posting from something called "Catoptric.com":

". . . frank glamser was my neighbor and soccer coach during the formative young chap years. really nice guy."

3. From the Official Site of USM Athletics Women's Soccer: This entry, describing a USM Women's Soccer player, is from the Official USM Women's Soccer Roster. See Professor Glamser's name embedded about the middle portion of this entry:

Tabbed Who’s Who Among American High School Students … Member of the National Honor Society and Who’s Who Among American High School Students … Played club soccer for the Hattiesburg Rampage and Jackson Futbol Club for Coach Frank Glamser … Participated on the Olympic Development Program’s Mississippi team … Received gold, silver and bronze medals for soccer at the State Games of Mississippi and Majoring in management information systems and sport administration . . .

Big Bad Wolf feels like showing her snarly, sharp teeth every time she thinks about the shabby and ruthless way Professor Stringer and Professor Glamser were treated by the USM administration.

<< Return to roster for Women's Soccer

Date: Jun 15, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Big Bad Wolf
"
Big Bad Wolf feels like showing her snarly, sharp teeth every time she thinks about the shabby and ruthless way Professor Stringer and Professor Glamser were treated by the USM administration.
"

Thanks for that info, BB Wolf. I wonder if our pals at EagleTalk would feel differently if somebody pointed out that Dr. Glamser was a highly regarded coach.

Seriously, your post illustrates how much the loss of these two gentlemen means in the broader scope of community life in the Hattiesburg area. Among the faculty who are leaving USM are people who are active in church, civic organizations, kids' sports, Boy/Girl Scouts, United Way, you name it.

One of the best things about growing up, as I did, in Hattiesburg was that there were so many highly educated people involved in everything. I guess there's some logic that if SFT can run off as many of them as possible, Hattiesburg can become more like, um, Laurel or Meridian... <SIGH>

(I am not slamming Laurel or Meridian. It's just that Hattiesburg is, or was, different.)

Date: Jun 15, 2004

quote:
Originally posted by: Invictus
"

I guess there's some logic that if SFT can run off as many of them as possible, Hattiesburg can become more like, um, Laurel or Meridian... <SIGH>

"

Ouch! Be careful. There are a few good people from Laurel...Ralph Boston, Leontyne Price, Bobby Collins, Evelyn Gandy, Ray Walston, me...

AE

Date: Jun 15, 2004

Here's the letter to the editor I just fired off to the HA:

Well, we can all breathe easier now that the notorious criminal professor, Dr. Gary Stringer, will be taking his million-dollar, world-famous NEH grant and leaving us for Texas A&M. And taking his musician wife, Dr. Mary Ann Stringer with him. It was brilliant of Dr. Thames to get rid of two faculty members in one fell swoop. Three, if we count Dr. Glamser. How efficient! Way to go, Dr. Thames and friends at the IHL. This is an important step towards the establishment of a fine technical institute where a university used to be.