Posted on 12/07/2003 7:41:51 PM PST by governsleastgovernsbest
Diversity Disrespected: Wells College Student Government Refuses to Recognize Republican Club
Wells Republicans Respond: Our Colleges Culture is Hostile to Traditional Students
Contact: Kristy Lee Hochenberger Chairman, Wells College Republicans Phone: 315.364.2960 khochenberger@wells.edu
AURORA, N.Y. (December 8th 2003)One month to the day after the Republican club at Wells College (an all-womens college located in Aurora, NY) published a study revealing a grossly disproportionate number of left-wing professors on its faculty, the student government denied recognition to the club as an official campus organization.
On November 7th, the Wells Republicans issued a press release describing the study they had conducted of the political party registrations of the members of the social sciences and humanities faculties at the college. The study revealed that members of parties of the left (Democrats, Greens, Working Families) outnumbered Republicans by a ratio of 92%/8%.
A Wells professor responded to the study calling Republicans stupid and calling for Republicans to be forcibly lobotomized. The online FrontPage Magazine promptly picked up the story:
http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=10708
The study and the colleges reaction to it were the subject of public affairs television shows in Syracuse and Ithaca, New York.
At a meeting of the Wells student government (known as Collegiate) held on December 7th, the Wells Republicans sought recognition as an official campus club. They garnered only 9 yes votes from the 27 members of the student government, with 7 voting no and 11 abstaining.
As a result of the vote, the club will not be granted a budget for its activities, although it can grieve support for specific events. Other clubs receive budgets of as much as thousands of dollars annually for their activities.
Said Wells Republican Chairwoman Kristy Lee Hochenberger, a junior from Syracuse, NY: Its hard to view this vote as anything other than retribution for the unpopular political views we espouse.
If this vote had been on the merits, there is no question we would have been granted recognition. Our club has been perhaps the most active of any on campus. Beyond bringing speakers to campus and organizing other events, our faculty diversity study attracted national and local attention and was the focus of two separate television shows.
Said Wells Republican Treasurer Colleen Curry, a sophomore from Warren, Maine: There seems to be a pattern emerging. Wells speaks often and loudly of its devotion to diversity. But when it comes to hiring faculty, somehow there is a glaring absence of conservatives. And when the few conservative students on campus want to organize themselves into a club, they are denied recognition.
Added Hochenberger: We will seek to appeal this decision if possible, and bring it to the attention of the colleges administration, including Wells College President Lisa Marsh Ryerson.
But sadly, we members of the Republican club, and other students sympathetic to our cause, are coming to the conclusion that Wells Colleges culture is hostile to traditional students.
//end release//
There is an organization that legally represents this kind of cause -- I can't remember the name though. If we can get the name, we can refer the Wells Republican Club to them.
Anyone know what I mean?
The Hell's Angels?
I believe Wells already has a ladies chapter!
At first, I thought it would be nice to appeal to Freepers to fund the Wells Republicans ourselves.
Then I had an idea that would make a bigger statement and scare the pants off the administration.
Is it possible for the Wells Republicans to get ahold of the Alumni mailing list, the one used for fundraising? As Freepers, we could pay for a direct mailing to Wells Alum appealing for donations, in lieu of donations to the school.
I bet they would get a lot of money, more than would have been granted had they been recognized. The resulting story and absolute embarrassment on the part of the administration would be pretty cool. The Dems would try to copy of course. The school itself may start bleeding money as punishment for its lack of adherance to "diversity."
Make that two alumnae.
I am what I am today because of Wells College and Bill Clinton. A well educated woman who gave up the idealistic vision of women's liberalism after graduating from that school and having Billy Bob President as our Commander in Chief.
I went to school with some wonderful women and the college does offer a well rounded education (despite the lack of diversity). Although the professors are mostly left of left, one can work around that with a truly open mind. Upon graduation one's eyes open anew as if seeing the world for the first time through the eyes of an adult.
P.S. They haven't gotten a lick of my money yet, and won't, unless it's for the Republican Club on campus. Heck, pi$$ me off enough and I'll fund the whole darn thing myself.
Ahhhhhhh... the reasoned, rational socratic dialogue preferred by so many of the tenured gargoyles hanging upside-down from the intellectual rafters of modern-day academe... < /sarcasm>
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