CSU Stanislaus Students Want to Ban Sarah Palin from Campus Speech Due to Ideological Reasons

Associated Content (AC) ^ | April 4, 2010 | Marc Schenker

[Suvroc10]

At California State University Stanislaus, a movement is building to ban Sarah Palin from speaking at the June 25 50th anniversary of the Stanislaus campus. This movement includes not only a sizeable chunk of the student body, but also heavily ideological and biased professors, one of whom has actually started a Facebook page to consolidate opposition to Palin's June 25th event! What makes their opposition so objectionable is it flies in the face of everything a university's supposed to stand for—like challenging students to hear speakers who hold opposing viewpoints. To that end, two, little female Stanislaus students appeared on The O'Reilly Factor on Friday to try and make even a half-coherent argument as to why they want Palin banned. Like with all ideological and proselytized students, they utterly failed. Alicia Lewis and Ashli Briggs struck out, plain and simple, offering everything from flip-flops to repetitive mantras to meaningless absurdities in their failed attempt.

[screaminsunshine]

Communist Universitys should be closed. They are a waste of time and money.

[BigCinBigD]

“Communist Universitys should be closed. They are a waste of time and money.’

California should be closed. It is a waste of money.

There, fixed it for ya... ;O)

[6SJ7]

Universities are all for diversity as long as everyone has the same opinion.

[Shimmer1]

Ashli!!! How incredibly precious a name!!!!!! I thynk that is just soooooo cutsye!!!!

/s

[Babalu]

I’m sure they get Federal funds. I say pull the plug and see how quickly they change their mind.

Bastirds!

[OR Patriot]

The real backlash of the Palin visit to CSU Stanislaus controversy should center around why two faculty members, Terry D. Jones, Associate Professor of Vertebrate Anatomy and Patrick A Kelly, Professor of Zoology, at CSU Stanislaus are the administrator and creator respectively of the a Facebook group found at

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=108411352519824

with the express purpose of inciting the student body to protest Sarah Palin as a guest at CSU Stanislaus.

Mr. Kelly in particular stated Palin “is widely regarded as anti-intellectual, and her polarizing rhetoric and intolerance of views that differ from her own run counter to the very idea of a university”. This comment has consequently become the main talking point of the students on the Facebook group, and why wouldn’t it? After all students are impressionable and therefore easily manipulated by ideologues like Kelly and Jones who in one breath decry tolerance of views different from one’s own, while under the other incite impressionable students to be intolerant and protest the views of those who differ from theirs.

If you would like to voice your displeasure with the activities of these faculty members, Mr. Kelly can be contacted at 209-667-3446 / pkelly@csustan.edu and Mr. Jones can be contacted at 209-667-3488 / tdjones@csustan.edu The chair of the Biology Sciences Program is Mark A. Grobner, Ph.D who can be reached at 209/667-3628 / mgrobner@csustan.edu.

Like our distinguished faculty members, I would encourage you to voice your displeasure with their attempts to manipulate our children, and speak further with your pocket books by not supporting California public colleges or universities until such time as ideologues who have no interest in open a free speech are kept in check.

[Sgt_Schultze]

[who knows what evil?]

Alicia Lewis and Ashli Briggs struck out, plain and simple, offering everything from flip-flops to repetitive mantras to meaningless absurdities in their failed attempt.

Two prime examples of why American men are looking for wives off-shore...they reminded me of androids.

[who knows what evil?]

Isn’t this event ‘sold out’?

[OR Patriot]

By the way, I sent an email below to the Biology Department at CSUS:

Dear Doctor Grobner:

Can you explain why two faculty members of your department are using Facebook to encourage students to protest a guest speaker at CSU Stanislaus’ anniversary gala? If you wish, you can view the group at www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=108411352519824. It is one thing for students to create a Facebook page and protest a speaker. It is quite another for faculty members to do so and it is far outside the realm of academic freedom.

Mr. Kelly in particular stated Palin “is widely regarded as anti-intellectual, and her polarizing rhetoric and intolerance of views that differ from her own run counter to the very idea of a university”. This comment has consequently become the main talking point of the students on the Facebook group, and why wouldn’t it? After all students are impressionable and therefore easily swayed by the opinions of their instructors.

It seems more ironic that Kelly and Jones in one breath promote tolerance of views different from one’s own, while under the other incite impressionable students to be intolerant and protest the views of those who differ from theirs.

We look to our universities as places where ideas, popular or not, are embraced and encouraged. I believe the actions of these two faculty members brings great discredit to the CSU Stanislaus image as a center of learning and ideas. Unfortunately, I believe the entire university will suffer as a result.

Thank you for your consideration.

[OR Patriot]

Here is the reply I received:

Dear,

I can easily explain why two faculty members of my department have a Facebook page that displays their dissapointment with the choice of Sarah Palin as a speaker at the 50th anniversary gala, it is called freedom of speech, something the US constitution guarantees each of us. If you read more carefully, Dr. Kelly does not want to prevent Sarah Palin from coming to campus to speak, he is just dismayed by her as a choice to provide a keynote address at the 50th anniversary gala. She does not have a record in higher education, nor does her record sho that she is a supporter higher education. The more appropriate question should be why was she chosen and the bottom line is money. If the foundation board wants to hold a fund raiser and people are willing to pay to hear her, I am all for it, as are Drs. Kelly and Jones.

Academic Freedom is about what is taught in the classroom, faculty, outside of the classroom, have the same rights to freedom of speech that you and every American enjoys.

[kcvl]

Students Protest Sarah Palin Speaking At California College

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7TWdFLBuXs

Alicia Lewis and Ashli Briggs

[kcvl]

Alicia Lewis

CA university refuses to disclose Sarah Palin fee, official requests filed

Students, community leaders and a state senator all want to know how much CSU Stanislaus is paying Sarah Palin, former Governor of Alaska and former contender for vice-president of the United States to speak at the University’s 50th Anniversary Gala on June 25th.

Today, Californians Aware and the First Amendment Coalition have joined State Senator Leland Yee, in filing Public Records Act Requests with CSU Stanislaus’s President to release the contract and compensation package for Palin’s appearance this summer.

“We are demanding that the CSU Foundation disclose the full amount paid for Mrs. Palin’s speaking fee and all other expenses associated with the contract that both parties have entered,” said Alicia Lewis. “We, the students, feel we must be the guardians of our educational system and we seek to see the full financial implications of our Foundation’s actions.”

CSU Stanislaus officials have publicly stated they can not release Palin’s compensation, which may be in excess of $100,000, due to a confidentiality term in her contract. State law, however, specifically prohibits a state or local agency from allowing an outside entity to control the disclosure of information that is otherwise subject to the California Public Records Act (CPRA.)

http://kalwnews.org/blogs/nancymullane/2010/04/01/ca-university-refuses-disclose-sarah-palin-fee-official-requests-filed

[mainestategop]

BOOKMARK!