Printz--Letter to the Editor: Alumnus witholding donation over column - USM Forum -- Message Board

Reporter · Status: Offline

Printz--Letter to the Editor: Alumnus witholding donation over column

Reporter · Status: Offline

Printz OPINION--Displease alumni are ridiculous

http://media.www.studentprintz.com/media/storage/paper974/news/2006/10/24/Opinion/Displease.Alumni.Are.Ridiculous-2383396.shtml?sourcedomain=www.studentprintz.com&MIIHost=media.collegepublisher.com

"In fact, the USM Alumni Association received one of its donation cards back from their previous newsletter containing no money, but instead a cryptic message indicating our sex column and a separate letter to the Printz and the Alumni Association explaining how the alumnus and his wife were going to offer an endowment for chemistry students, but have now decided against it because of a regular column in the campus paper.

I understand how that guy feels. I myself was going to donate $100 million to the university, until I saw his letter.

...Now, I don't believe the school is losing money because of "Pillow Talk", but I am willing to let these angry alumni put their money where their mouth is. I will drop the column if you can do the following:

By the end of the semester, raise and donate $1 million to the school. ..."

LVN · Status: Offline

Two opposing "goods" -- the alum has every right to put his money anywhere he choses. However, it's also important that the administration not be able to muffle the Printz. We remember when the Printz was the only free voice on campus, and it has to stay that way.

I just wish the battle was about something worthwhile.

stephen judd · Status: Offline

LVN wrote:

Two opposing "goods" -- the alum has every right to put his money anywhere he choses. However, it's also important that the administration not be able to muffle the Printz. We remember when the Printz was the only free voice on campus, and it has to stay that way.

I just wish the battle was about something worthwhile.

It is unfortunate that the alum chooses to punish chemistry in order to compel the president and faculty but I suppose that is the way pressure politics works.

This kind of free speech is the easiest to justify suppressing because it can't be defended in high minded terms. It is simply an issue of taste and style (and perhaps a difference in perception of what is appropriate in certain venues). This is the hardest kind of speech to defend since the stakes are abstract -- I have to defend the issue of free speech rather than defend the content (an easier argument to make). For some people, this is simply "offensive" speech that has no discernable reason for exisiting beyond its offensiveness. We are, in a sense, beng asked to weigh this type of speech on a scale -- is the balance of offensiveness significantly higher than the content? Those who would like to forclose this kind of speech would argue that since there is no discernable value in the content of the writing, censorship should not be an issue since there is no redeeming content. It is an old argument -- and a road well travelled.

In a sense this argument becomes personal, since the supressor is, in effect, saying: "This really offends me deeply. How can you justify defending what deeply offends me when there is so little content of value in it? Are my feelings not worth more than something that has little content value?" -- an argument which cannot help but put those who defend the writing on the defensive.

-- Edited by stephen judd at 11:22, 2006-10-24

LVN · Status: Offline

It would be interesting for the Printz to really test free speech by publishing a series of articles which closely examine events on campus over the past four years. Maybe they could also do a "where they are now" recurring feature on departed faculty.

Interested onlooker · Status: Offline

Excellent post, Stephen.

Excellent idea, LVN.

Atheist · Status: Offline

Let me get this straight. The alum states, "You cannot allow a few students to hide behind the First Amendment and print this kind of trash."

The message I get is, "To hell with the First Amendment, my beliefs and values should be imposed on everyone else." (And if you label me as "Taliban" I will be offended")

People can do whatever they like with their money, but justification with this type of logic reminds me of the people who keep stating the U.S. is a "Christian Nation". They want to impose their theocracy and have little regard for our constitution.

Curmudgeon · Status: Offline

I'm just pleased that the Printz seems to actually have a living, breathing editor this year. For the past two years the Printz has been moribund or on the take.

LVN · Status: Offline

Atheist, I don't see any mention whatsoever of religion in the alum's letter. Maybe he just doesn't like the columns. He graduated in 1960 -- maybe he's just old and grouchy like us.

Interested onlooker · Status: Offline

"When Dr. Thames and the Faculty Senate muster the courage to stop this kind of offensive activity, we may consider the endowment again."

A bit off topic but I'm curious. Does anyone have any idea how many donations/endowments have been withheld until the Thames era is over?

info · Status: Offline

[Another letter from Mr. John Atwood, HA, 4/18/06]

http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060418/OPINION03/604180326/1014/OPINION

The criticism of University of Southern Mississippi President Shelby Thames by the Faculty Senate over his daughter receiving a pay raise is nothing more than Thames bashing....

...The Faculty Senate reminds me of the Democrats who constantly bash Bush, regardless of what he does....

...Yes, I am a graduate of USM. Yes, I was a classmate of Shelby Thames. ...

...Maybe if the Faculty Senate devoted its time to education instead of politics, USM would not rank a distant third behind the University of Mississippi and Mississippi State University.

LVN · Status: Offline

Definitely grouchy.

Curmudgeon · Status: Offline

USM was not a distant third five years ago. Guess what happened.

DJ · Status: Offline

Some may call this splitting hairs, but the title of the letter and the tone of Adam Chance's column are both slightly misleading. The alum in question didn't actually withhold a donation. He was "considering" an endowment and if the university suppresses the column, they MAY go back to "considering" it. Next thing you know, people will be threatening boycotts with Monopoly money.

As far as I am concerned, putting a price on a free press is impossible. I don't care for the column, but then I don't care for the lies and blather in Washington, either. I was considering paying off the national debt, and if we ever get truth in government, I MAY go back to considering it. Now, where did I put that dang box of Monopoly money?

qwerty · Status: Offline

Folks,
USM has really screwed up this time. I hear through the grapevine that Mr. Atwood took the bundle indended for USM and took his wife out to dinner at Barnhill's instead. So we've lost out on this development opportunity.

Reporter · Status: Offline

MORE LETTERS TO PRINTZ:

Letter to the editor: Count on my donations

http://www.studentprintz.com/media/storage/paper974/news/2006/11/02/Opinion/Letter.To.The.Editor.Count.On.My.Donations-2433443.shtml?norewrite200611020743&sourcedomain=www.studentprintz.com

Letter to the editor: Concerning Pillow Talk: Time to get more sexy

http://www.studentprintz.com/media/storage/paper974/news/2006/11/02/Opinion/Letter.To.The.Editor.Concerning.Pillow.Talk.Time.To.Get.More.Sexy-2433449.shtml?norewrite200611020744&sourcedomain=www.studentprintz.com

Letter to the editor: The newspaper is a student publication

http://www.studentprintz.com/media/storage/paper974/news/2006/11/02/Opinion/Letter.To.The.Editor.The.Newspaper.Is.A.Student.Publication-2433455.shtml?norewrite200611020745&sourcedomain=www.studentprintz.com

Letter to the editor: Sex column nonsense must stop

http://www.studentprintz.com/media/storage/paper974/news/2006/11/02/Opinion/Letter.To.The.Editor.Sex.Column.Nonsense.Must.Stop-2433458.shtml?norewrite200611020747&sourcedomain=www.studentprintz.com

-- Edited by Reporter at 06:48, 2006-11-02

LVN · Status: Offline

I'm with the second writer -- what the heck IS that noise outside the Powerhouse? Btw, I saw the Powerhouse for the first time last week. Thank you Dr. Lucas for not letting that building be demolished. Sitting in there at sunset was incredible.

LeftASAP · Status: Offline

I liked this quote from the third letter:

"If you have a problem with the column, I have some advice. Do what I do; don't read it. With all of the recurring issues facing the university, accreditation, parking, graduation rates, administration scandals (an issue that does affect reputation), etc…it would seem that all of this attention and energy could be gathered to fix and tackle real problems."

info · Status: Offline

CL, 11/3/06

http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061103/OPINION02/611030306/1009/OPINION

Sex column bad for college paper

USM President Dr. Shelby Thames is correct ...

DJ · Status: Offline

Info,

You are fantastic! I'm sincere when I say that you make my life so much easier by finding these articles and posting the links.

With respect to the CL letter from A.D. Owings of Longview, TX, it is encouraging to know that in a day filled with a doctor's appointment, a meeting with an Associate Dean and an afternoon spent watching a movie with the undergrad class I am TA'ing, I have gotten my daily dose of total ignorance out of the way before 7 am. What a country!