I’m speaking, of course, of college Republicans, on whom on most campuses there is an open season and no limit.
A case in point involves the College Republicans at Susquehanna University in Pennsylvania. They decided to invite a speaker to campus to talk about affirmative action, someone you will have seen and possibly even read — the well-known (The Cosby Show, and many others) actor and commentator, Joseph C. Phillips. In addition to his acting career, Mr. Phillips has been an active participant in the debate over affirmative action.
In a gesture of good will, the College Republicans asked Susquehanna’s Office of Multicultural Affairs if it wanted to co-sponsor the event and joint Mr. Phillips for dinner after the event. The OMA declined, saying it would participate only if it could supply a speaker of its choosing to share the stage with Mr Phillips.
And that’s not all. The students were told by the Communications Department that they could not list the upcoming speech on the university’s web page unless they agreed to a joint appearance with the OMA-preferred speaker. Finally, according to the comments of a member of the College Republicans, the Director of OMA told them that “students were offended” by their upcoming event, that there would be posters on campus attacking them personally and as a group, and finally “the Director stated that it would been better if we would have a white individual coming to speak.”
Mr. Phillips is scheduled to speak Friday evening, for any of you in the vicinity of Selinsgrove, Pa.
Where’s the problem? I’m sure the OMA takes pains to include Republican voices for balance in all their events. Right?
Let me provide you with some accurate information, because it appears you were painfully misinformed. My name is Heather McCartney and I am the president of SU College Democrats.
Our campus in the middle of central Pennsylvania where conservativism isn’t so much a political preference as it is a way of life. 93% of Susquehanna University students are white, and the majority of students come from homes where their parents make over $150,000 a year. We are listed as one of the least diverse campuses in America, so this explains why Susquehanna’s Communications Department was hesitant on advertising an anti-Affirmative Action speaker on their website.
The truth of the matter is that the SU College Republicans approached the Susquehanna’s Office of Multicultural Affairs and asked them to pay for half of the cost of bringing Mr. Phillips to our campus. The OMA declined, considering that the majority of students who make up the rather lacking diversity on my campus are often here because of Affirmative Action. Many students were offended by the Affirmative Action speaker on campus, how could they not be when this man is questioning the reason that many of them are here?
Furthermore, no posters protesting the event were ever put anywhere on campus. Rather than utilizing passive aggressive protesting posters, we decided to be proactive. So being the political activists that many of us are, the SU College Democrats decided to bring an opposing view to campus. Why not inform everyone on both sides? We invited Professor Jerrold Levinsky, legal instructor at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, to come and speak in an event entitled: “Affirmative Action: The Truth about Merit and Diversity.” The OMA did not offer us any money to bring this speaker, on the contrary he offered to come free of charge.
This event sponsored by SU College Democrats and Diversity Council, not the OMA, is not intending to marginalize the views of the SU College Republicans, but rather to have the unique opportunity for honest, scholarly discourse on a touchy subject.
Thank you,
Heather McCartney, SU College Democrats President
Hi Heather,
So, you are going to punish some white students who got rejected because of their skin color so that you can admit some black students who are now relatively unprepared to compete all so that other white rich kids can experience “diversity” to learn that black people aren’t very smart and in order to make up for other black people who were discriminated against a hundred years ago and are now dead.
Congratulations, you are well on your way to becoming a fully functional liberal, despite your young age. Good luck f’ing up the rest of the world after you graduate.
ACF
“…the majority of students who make up the rather lacking diversity on my campus are often here because of Affirmative Action.”
I find it quite offensive that you assume most of SU’s minority students are there because of affirmative action.
As for the rest of your post, you seem to also be “painfully misinformed” about the true events surrounding Levinsky’s visit. I’d advise you to search a little deeper beneath the surface of this and find out who’s really running the show, and why…
I’m running the show. I brought him here. It’s impossible for me to be “painfully misinformed” about the true events when I was the one who brought Levinsky here. That just makes no sense.
I did not assume that SU’s minority students are here because of affirmative action. Perhaps my wording was wrong, and for that I apologize. However, I know that affirmative action is one of the reasons that, in a school of primarily white people and primarily white applicants in a primarily white area, we have the opportunity to have diverse interests and diverse backgrounds–even if that diversity is only 7%.
Bravo for coming to a forum with an opposite slant to debate these issues.
“students who make up the rather lacking diversity”
Diversity isn’t something a particular student has or doesn’t have, unless, of course, diversity is only a code word for something else.
“the majority of students come from homes where their parents make over $150,000 a year”
Do these students have a right to be offended? You seem to be “questioning the reason that many of them” are on campus. I’m not sure its reasonable for anyone to be offended on a college campus because of “questioning” any proposition or debate.
“I’m running the show. I brought him here. It’s impossible for me to be “painfully misinformed” about the true events when I was the one who brought Levinsky here. That just makes no sense.”
Agathon is being ironic, Heather. It is you who stated that we were “painfully misinformed”. That statement is a lie. The facts are as related in the original post. The timeline in the campus paper appears to bear this out as well. I challenge you to state which facts are misinformation.
The OMA is engaging in viewpoint discrimination by demanding a pro/con format before they will sponsor. If they are not engaging in viewpoint discrimination then we will see in their history, and in the future, that all such OMA sponsored speakers are presented in a pro/con forum.
For me, it is enough to know that you place the hurt feelings of those who benefit from officially sanctioned racial discrimination above the actual harm done to the victims of racial discrimination.
Ms. Heather McCartney writes:
>>>”Rather than utilizing passive aggressive protesting posters, we decided to be proactive. So being the political activists that many of us are, the SU College Democrats decided to bring an opposing view to campus. Why not inform everyone on both sides? We invited Professor Jerrold Levinsky, legal instructor at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, to come and speak in an event entitled: “Affirmative Action: The Truth about Merit and Diversity.” The OMA did not offer us any money to bring this speaker, on the contrary he offered to come free of charge.
This event sponsored by SU College Democrats and Diversity Council, not the OMA, is not intending to marginalize the views of the SU College Republicans, but rather to have the unique opportunity for honest, scholarly discourse on a touchy subject.”
Excellent work, Heather! I want to commend you and the rest of the SU College Democrats for providing your campus with an OPPOSING VIEWPOINT to a right winged, anti-affirmative action propagandist like Joseph C. Phillips.
Lord knows what this guy charged for his lecture fee, and for the College Republicans on your campus to beg the Office of Multicultural Affairs to pony up HALF the bill with no fair representation of the counter argument is OUTRAGEOUS.
Keep fighting the good fight, Heather! Just know that there are people out here who support your efforts. You made a big fan out of me.
–Cobra
“…to beg the Office of Multicultural Affairs to pony up HALF the bill with no fair representation of the counter argument is OUTRAGEOUS.”
The challenge is laid, Heather. Even our resident racism apologist agrees that the OMA should not sponsor speakers without a fair representation of a counter argument. I can’t wait to hear your reply, but I’m betting we hear silence on the subject now that your misrepresentations have placed the CMA guest speaker policy under unflattering light.
Heather -
Let’s be serious – we all know who REALLY got the speaker. And it was NOT you.
When did you even know about this speaker? (Who was BORING)
PS: the second event was MUCH more respectful and professional than the first one.
“I did not assume that SU’s minority students are here because of affirmative action. Perhaps my wording was wrong, and for that I apologize.”
Do not apologize to us. Perhaps you should apologize to those “students who make up the rather lacking diversity on campus”
Wording was not the issue in that statement – it was quite clear actually. I even think the speaker that the dems ‘provided’ would even disagree with you on that.
Just for the sake of clarity, if this conversation is going to continue: The SU Republicans asked if the OMA would like to co-sponsor the event. The OMA declined to offer financial support. The OMA did not offer financial support to the other speaker either. Neither the SU Republicans nor Democrats discouraged the other from bringing a speaker to campus. And for those of you off-campus, both events went pretty darn smoothly. It seems to me that the underlying issue is whether university administrators were equally supportive of both groups. That seems to be the concern that community members are discussing… and it seems like a good issue to discuss.
Does anybody have a link to a webcast archive of the event, or of reporting on the event?
It seems to me that Heather forgets that the school is about diversity of ideas. No matter what they are, we should respect them. So what if the Republicans brought in a speaker that may have shared their views. That only seems logical. As for the whole 150,000 salary parents, I can not count 10 people that have parents with that salary. I call shenanigans on these statistics. To conclude I would like to say that I believe that this campus is 100% diverse. We all bring a different background and experiences to this campus. Who cares about numbers either way.
Who cares if the Republicans brought in a speaker who shares their views. It is only logical. Diversity on this campus should be about ideas as well. We should respect all views on this campus. As for Heather’s statistics I feel they are off. I can not count 10 people I know who come from homes that make 150,000. I call shenanigans. As for diversity on campus, I strongly this campus is 100% diverse. Regardless of anything, we all bring a different background and experiences. If Heather can not see that, she is the Liberal, Activist and Progressivist she claims to have been.
JKM writes:
>>>”Just for the sake of clarity, if this conversation is going to continue: The SU Republicans asked if the OMA would like to co-sponsor the event. The OMA declined to offer financial support. The OMA did not offer financial support to the other speaker either.”
Which backs up Heather’s point. Why should the “Office of Multicultural Affairs” pay HALF the lecture fee for a
Professional Black Conservative who says:
>>>”That is our strength and until we return to what we do best we will struggle and our nation will continue its slide into the multicultural abyss.”
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=20304
LOL!
What cracks me up about many anti-affirmative action types is not that they have opinions,(everyone does) but that they seem to think their opinions should stand UNCHALLENGED.
Case in point:
Mikem writes:
>>>”Even our resident racism apologist agrees that the OMA should not sponsor speakers without a fair representation of a counter argument.”
Heather, don’t let the racial progress obstructionists who post here deter you, or give you pause from continuing your efforts on that campus.
You’ll find that the more these forces attack the dreams of women and under-represented minorities, the more galvanized our political coalitions will be. They will trot out think-tank funded propagandists and familiars to try and cloud the issue.
We will not be fooled.
Always remember, time is on OUR side of this debate.
The demographic future of America hangs above their weed-strewn thicket of arrogant, right-winged Eurocentricity like a sharpened scythe, and what better time to start weeding out America’s garden than this November.
–Cobra
[ "...that they seem to think their opinions should stand UNCHALLENGED.
Case in point:
Mikem writes:
>>>"Even our resident racism apologist agrees that the OMA should not sponsor speakers without a fair representation of a counter argument." ]
LOL. That makes a hell of a lot of sense?? Praising a consistent pro/con policy is calling for unchallenged speech. Uh, OK. Here’s your PhD!
And note that, once again, Cobra looks to his fantasy race war demographics for peace of mind. What a way to waste one’s life.
I would like to remind everyone of the issue under scrutiny.
The fact that another speaker was invited to present another side of the argument is of no concern.
What is troubling is that an ADMINSTRATOR found and invited Levinsky as a reaction to the SU Republican’s event; not SU Democrats or any other student group. Should the faculty of an institution contest with a student organization’s activities?
This is where the problem lies.
Well, I must say, I have been following this story for sometime now, and since the tension has finally slowed down a bit, I feel I can now comment on the events in question.
First off, Heather dear! You are quite wrong on a number of levels in almost all of the comments that you have posted. I would like to start from your very first and progress onward. I have no clue what on earth you think all of the parents of Susquehanna University students do for a living, but I can assure you that not many of them make $150,000+ per year. This statement in and of itself makes the rest of your posts sound ridiculous! If you don’t have the simple facts of the matter down, how on earth are you going to be trusted when you say other things. Why don’t you talk to the admissions office and maybe financial aid about those things before you open your mouth!! That is very offensive to students who work very hard to not only keep scholarships, but work, not only work study and other jobs during the school year, but three in the summer! Real Nice idiot!
Next, you did not word your statement wrong the first time when you stated, “The OMA declined, considering that the majority of students who make up the rather lacking diversity on my campus are often here because of Affirmative Action. Many students were offended by the Affirmative Action speaker on campus, how could they not be when this man is questioning the reason that many of them are here?”….
You changed your opinion of this matter after the fact. I attend SU and heard you say it to others around campus. Also heard several members of your group say the same things. You changed your position right after you were informed by an admissions counselor at the event and a professor, though I do not recall his name, that Susquehanna University does not have an Affirmative Action policy! Yet another fact…. that you “forgot” to check, right?
Then we can move on to who found the speaker….. YOU DID NOT! Give it up. The leader of the Office of Multi-Cultural Affairs did. That is the problem here. Students need to be the ones bringing these issues to the table, not the administration. You attend a liberal arts college… something which I bet you cannot define. Maybe you can ask the person who found and called Mr. Jerrold Levinsky to find it for you too! It is very hard to find speakers to come to a campus as a student, and with such short notice it would be near impossible. Its okay to say that you had help….
The SU Democrats, which used to be S.L.A.P. did not do much, if anything, on campus this year, so where did you make the contact to this attorney? Its all just very funny how you were able to all unite and formulate a speaker within three or so days. Sorry, hard to buy into that one.
As to what seems to be one of your lonely friends on this blog…. Cobra….
“You’ll find that the more these forces attack the dreams of women and under-represented minorities, the more galvanized our political coalitions will be. They will trot out think-tank funded propagandists and familiars to try and cloud the issue.
We will not be fooled.
Always remember, time is on OUR side of this debate.
The demographic future of America hangs above their weed-strewn thicket of arrogant, right-winged Eurocentricity like a sharpened scythe, and what better time to start weeding out America’s garden than this November.”
What the hell are you talking about! Weeding out America’s garden, now whose talking like a nut job! And time will never be on the side of someone who wants to stop others from expressing there opinions.
“LOL. That makes a hell of a lot of sense?? Praising a consistent pro/con policy is calling for unchallenged speech. Uh, OK. Here’s your PhD!
And note that, once again, Cobra looks to his fantasy race war demographics for peace of mind. What a way to waste one’s life.”
Could not agree more, brilliant!
You want to talk politics with the big boys, get a clue would you.
I remember four years ago listening to people just like you rant and rave about how you were going to take down Bush in 2004 with John Kerry. And as I watched state after state turn RED, I watch the faces of my classmates do the same as I sat quietly in support of the right candidate win the election once more!