Rights of the Right

The Citizen ^ | 12-28-03 | SHELLY ODDO / STAFF WRITER

[Kudsman]

Rights of the Right
By SHELLY ODDO / STAFF WRITER

AURORA - Wells College is a tough place to be a Republican.

Nine young GOP college students have seen their bid to become a club turned down by their peers, and have been subjected to what they believe to be stinging e-mails from one professor.

"It takes guts, a lot of courage, a lot of bravery, " said Kristy Lee Hochenberger, chairman of the Wells College Republicans. "Every day you go to battle. Every day you are in the face of intolerance and injustice."

The battle began in earnest for the campus Republicans when the group released a study, conducted with the help of the Tompkins County Republican Committee.

The report pointed out that of the 37 faculty members in the social and human sciences departments, 34 were registered with either the Democratic, Liberal, or Working Families party. Only three were registered Republicans.

The group distributed their results through a press release and campus-wide email last month.

Thomas A. Vawter, professor of biology at Wells College, fired off a reply to the Republicans:

"Good study! You've shown that really smart people don't vote Republican!

"The big problem is that your guys want to look into my bedroom window, tap my phone, know what books I check out of the library, and what church I attend. That's why your guys are scary, not just that they're stupid," Vawter wrote. Under his name, was written: "Lobotomies for Republicans: It's not just a good idea; It's the law."

"I was shocked and I was insulted because I expected a lot of the anger to come from students," Hochenberger said. "They (e-mails) were were insulting and humiliating. He was proving the point that professors are not open."

"Bill Clinton frightens Republicans - does that mean all Republicans should hate Democrats? The fact that he uses the word 'stupid' scares me!" said club member Lisa R.E. Davis.

"I responded tongue-in-cheek. It's a joke, it's irony," Vawter said. He openly admired their spunk and criticized the new silent majority of liberal students for not engaging in the dialogue. "I was never mean to students," he added.

"He could have fooled us," said Hochenberger.

Wells College President Lisa Marsh Ryerson encouraged everyone to engage in a more civil discourse.

"It is critical that we move the conversation beyond e-mail to a broader range of campus settings," Ryerson said.

The report also caused some dissension out of confusion.

"The students weren't sure where we were coming from," Hochenberger said. "People assumed that we weren't supporting or didn't like our professors. Some said we were blackmailing the college."

The women were also denied club status this fall, by the college's collegiate association. The vote was 11-7 in favor, with 11 abstentions. The vote required a two-thirds majority to be passed.

"Some made it personal," Hochenberger said. "Eleven decided to be cowards."

Many of the representatives who abstained said they didn't have the time to discuss the issue. Hochenberger disagreed.

"This has been on the agenda the entire semester. It was announced two weeks ahead," Hochenberger said.

Ann Rollo, vice president for external relations, said Wells is considering a campus forum, but that administration will not inject itself into the collegiate association's decision.

"It is very important that the process of club recognition be allowed to take place in the student arena," Rollo said. "As a liberal arts college we absolutely hope and expect our faculty is open to a broad range of ideas."

Defining Diversity

Davis believes diversity should include politics. The Republican women are prompting Wells to hire more professors with conservative viewpoints.

"I think we're teaching students that diversity stands for color or sexual orientation and missing two people having different views," Davis said.

"I don't think they ever worried about diversity of thought until we came along," said Hochenberger. "With one majority, they never even considered politics as part of diversity. We made people change their thinking."

"They certainly are the minority," Vawter agreed. "They're right - they're political views are not represented on the faculty." He said he did not mean to be obnoxious, but wanted to spark political debate with humorous irony.

"They demand Wells hire more Republicans," Vawter said, "Are we going to ask how they vote in the last election?"

"What I want in my education is views from both sides," said Colleen Curry, club treasurer.

But their position isn't popular.

"During the last day of my political science class," said Curry, "people were tearing us apart and felt we were giving Wells a bad name. Our professor didn't step in."

Davis felt Sen. Hillary Clinton, speaker for opening day convocation, was forced on all the students; She wasn't a choice of the Republican women. For graduation speaker, Davis would prefer Cayuga County District Attorney James B. Vargason or new county clerk Susan M. Dwyer.

"I am receiving an excellent education here," said Hochenberger. "I guess we're using our education to become the women (that) Wells prides."

[Kudsman]

And here are the intelligent, beautiful young ladies that will be future leaders of the conservative movement.

This is Ms. Hochenberger's e-mail. Please drop her a line of support.

khochenberger@wells.edu

[Kudsman]

Pictured L to right:

Treasurer Colleen Curry, chairman Kristy Lee, member Lisa Davis, and vice chairman Kirsten Gresko are trying to start a Republican club on the campus of Wells College. The group says they have been treated unfairly since they started their campaign. Jeff Costello / Staff Photographer

Hey bc2 how's about trying out that shiny new upstate NY ping list for me please. Does anyone know who keeps the leftism on campus ping list?

[Kudsman]

A little David and Goliath type news. I just thought you might find it interesting as hope for the future. (((hugs)))

[Peach]

The "party of tolerance" is actually the hateful group in the nation.

[sauropod]

Have an e-mail for Vawter?

[cake_crumb]

The Party(s) that preach tolorance the most are the least tolorant people on the planet.

[Spok]

If my experience is typical, I expect these ladies will be flunked out of school, confirming this lefty professor's view that only stupid people are conservative. I hope I'm wrong, but my views in college affected my grades. When I learned to keep my mouth shut, I went to the dean's list.

[gaspar]

tvawter@wells.edu

[MissAmericanPie]

"The big problem is that your guys want to look into my bedroom window, tap my phone, know what books I check out of the library, and what church I attend. That's why your guys are scary, not just that they're stupid," Vawter wrote. Under his name, was written: "Lobotomies for Republicans: It's not just a good idea; It's the law."

Au contrare, like Ann Coulter wrote, it is rather the liberals that want to dictate every aspect of a persons life. A moral person may say, I think what you are doing is wrong, deviant, preverted, so keep it in your bedroom, don't demand my approval or acceptance. The liberals know no such grace of manners. They demand the ability to chain society with threats and oppression not to voice their opinion lest their pc god be offended.

[forktail]

Folks... I think he was busting their chops. _we_ Rep/Conservative types _cannot_ run in hystrionics every time a Dem/Liberal says bad things about us. That is their thing.

[muir_redwoods]

The lobotomies quote is a clear threat of physical violence and should be pursued to the full extent of the law both criminally and civilly. Hit these bastards hard each and every time they mouth off and watch the climate change. 30 years ago an ethnic joke was simply bad taste now it's actionable at law. The climate changed. Make jokes about Republicans or conservatives either threatening violence or demeaning our intelligence and get charges pressed against you and get sued civilly. The climate will change.

[Kudsman]

Have an e-mail for Vawter?

Not yet. While I doubt that any FReeping of Mr. Vawter would have any effect on the Cro-Magnon, I do know that encouragement for the ladies would do wonders. I have received e-mails from Ms. Hochenberger and she fears that hers views are unpopular. That may be true on Well's campus but I have tried to ensure her that her views are very popular in the population at large and in fact are probably the true center of the country. Confirmation of this would be many FReepers offering them a big KUDOS. Please have at it.

[Kudsman]

Thanks you beat me to it.

[gaspar]

By all appearances Wells should close it doors. See:
http://geocities.com/saveheartsatwells/tenure.html

[lilmsdangrus]

Just got done firing off an email of support to these wonderful women!!! YEAH! Good job, Gals!!!

[Kudsman]

Link didn't work. Got a page not found error.

[Kudsman]

Thank you very much. Please encourage others you know to do the same.

[lilmsdangrus]

Believe it or not, I attend a community college, and many of the instructors are conservative!!!! Although they DO have to say it outside the classroom, and sometimes in hushed tones. I will ask them to send encouragement to these gals, and what encouragement it would be, coming from a college instructor! (of course I must admit I am in the UP of Michigan, where we still believe in gun rights!!)

[henderson field]

"...smart people don't vote Republican?" It's not a question of being smart. Hitler was smart. Stalin was smart. They just had this little character flaw. Like murdering people. Marxist professors also have character flaws. That's why I worry wbout them.

[Behind Liberal Lines]

As noted on another thread, Professor Vawter also teaches at Cornell and lives in Lansing, which is basically considered a suburb of Ithaca.

And, as we all know, Ithaca is the City of Evil.