Entries for April 2008

A University of Wisconsin Law School "Sex Toys 101" talk was shut down by the school, and the event organizers—who say the event was an attempt to promote safe alternatives to sex and discuss laws concerning sex toys—are not happy about it, the Badger Herald reports.

The official reason the seminar was canceled was that policy "prohibits the promotion or sale of commercial products by a private company." But many students suspect it's possible that the event's racy fliers had something to do with it, too. Accompanied by a photo of wrists in shackles, one advertisement asks: "Finals got you tied up at the library all night? Wouldn't you rather be tied up at home?" The other, littered with photos of sex toys, is probably too scandalous for me to repeat.

The two sides have sort of worked out their differences: Event organizers filed a complaint—asking for reimbursement for the event. The school complied but hasn't backed down from its claim that the cancellation was policy related, not necessarily a matter of taste. Meanwhile, the inevitable First Amendment discussion lingers. Says a political science professor: "The larger question to be asked is to what extent can the Law School set reasonable limits on presentations that advocate certain sexual practices because they have an interest in basic decency."

Blah, blah, blah. Why can't they just kiss and make up and color in pictures of male and female genitalia with rainbows like they do in Kansas?

For the California state school students who couldn't make it to the massive protest in Sacramento last week, there are other ways to take a stand against the proposed $386 million in budget cuts to higher education. Like fax machines. Lots of fax machines.

Activists at various Cal State campuses, including Long Beach and Fullerton, have been collecting signatures—which will be faxed individually to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's office in Sacramento to "basically [try] to jam up his fax machines."

Over the weekend, 659 faxes from Long Beach were sent. Protest organizers—with apparent utter disregard for the cost of paper, ink, and fax machines—say they have collected thousands of signatures across the state.

A possible name change at Loyola College in Baltimore (to Loyola University) has rattled alumni enough to leap to action, the Greyhound reports. So far, the protest has been confined to digital venues—online petitions, a Facebook group, and mass E-mails to the president and alumni relations—and criticizes the school's "reductionist approach to a marketing problem" that "shows no respect for the history of the school," according to one alumnus.

The name change is part of the school's strategic plan to establish the college as the leading Catholic university in the country, a plan that could all be finalized by October 2008. Of course, the name "Loyola University" already is claimed by schools in Chicago and New Orleans.

Two former New York City police detectives say they have linked more than 40 deaths of college-age people across the country—including the 2002 disappearance of a University of Minnesota student found months later drowned in the Mississippi River north of the Minneapolis campus.

The case the two detectives have put forth presents what could be an unbelievable crime spree of the style usually found on TV or in the movies—a nationwide string of deaths linked by an awful signature (a spray-painted smiley face) with no arrests yet. Minneapolis police in November 2006 denied any connection between the Minnesota student's death and other drownings in Midwest waterways. But the two New York ex-cops are convinced a link exists—and have gone public with their case in hopes of changing the way drownings are investigated—to "protect the innocent and prosecute the guilty."

A report by a faculty committee at George Washington University, ominously titled "The Decline in Elite Freshmen Admissions," has school officials on the defensive, saying the report is missing information and is rife with distortions.

The report, released more than two weeks ago, focuses on the decreasing number of National Merit Scholars in the freshman class, along with a drop in the number of early-decision applicants. Critics of the report say it does not fully take into account a number of different measurements, such as SAT scores. "[The statistics] require a much further and sophisticated analysis than what might be apparent."

A memorial at the University of Southern California dedicated to the Armenian genocide was partially torn down by two students, the Daily Trojan reports. The pair was reportedly yelling and stomping on the temporary display, which was built by Armenian student groups and comprise fact sheets and 1,500 carnations placed in the ground—each flower representing 1,000 Armenians killed between 1915 and 1923.

• I seem to recall that there is in fact a Republican running for president out there, and he has been touring Democratic strongholds in the shadow of the Pennsylvania primary this Tuesday. One stop was at Youngstown State University, where he held a town hall meeting to discuss jobs and the economy—and where he was also greeted by a horde of protesters, many criticizing his stance on NAFTA and disconnect with the working class.

• Students at Webster University have rallied around a former resident adviser after the school fired him, evicted him, and revoked his meal plan, the Journal reports. His troubles began after he allegedly stole a sandwich from a school eatery. Two weeks later—after another pseudo run-in with the law—he was fired. The student declined to comment for the Journal's article.

After the firing, the ex-RA's girlfriend organized a protest, which 30 people attended last week despite the rain.

• Concerned over a number of recent reported incidents on Michigan State's campus, 35 protesters gathered to speak out on what they say is an ongoing problem of racism and sexism on campus, the State News reports.

• Not technically a protest (yet), but members of Students for a Democratic Society at Evergreen State College in Washington are crying foul after the school suspended the group for violating a recent on-campus-concert ban. Five hundred students, faculty, and staff members signed a petition to lift the group's suspension.

As is the case with most conservative speakers at those pesky liberal bastions (aka colleges), the choice of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas as the University of Georgia's commencement speaker has inspired a "reaction that ranges from surprise to infuriation," the Red and Black reports. "Many would consider him a divisive figure because of his voting record and the past allegations of sexual harassment with Anita Hill," said a psychology professor.

The speaker announcement caps a year of sexual harassment scandals on the Georgia campus (three professors have resigned since September because of sexual harassment complaints). But it also comes at a time when faculty members believe the school has made progress on the issue. "What a slap in the face this is to everyone who has been working to bring to light the realities of sexual harassment at [the university]," said the women's studies director.

University President Michael Adams defended the choice, asking students to not embarrass themselves or the university. He also noted that the Anita Hill allegations were never proved, while another supporter cited Thomas's previous appearance at the law school years ago. "[Thomas's life] is a rags-to-riches story. I think it's the American dream come true."

New York Times columnist Tom Friedman—globalization's well-versed Joan of Arc—was pied in the face yesterday evening at Brown University, the Brown Daily Herald reports. Just as the writer was about to begin his lecture, a female audience member in the front row "leapt" out of her seat and threw a bright-green pie in his face. Immediately after, a male accomplice jumped onstage and distributed fliers explaining the stunt. The "Greenwash Guerillas," as they called themselves, then ran out of the auditorium. The woman has been apprehended by campus police.

The pamphlets thrown to audience members identified the pair as activists who were acting "on behalf of the earth" and "all true environmentalists" and contained five bullet points explaining why "Thomas Friedman deserves a pie in the face." These include "his sickeningly cheery applaud for free market capitalism's conquest of the planet" and "for helping turn environmentalism into a fake plastic consumer product for the privileged."

The pamphlets said Friedman's idea of "green" was "as fake and toxic to human and planetary health" as the artificial cream on his face.

By the way, did I mention there was a lecture, too? Though the Herald doesn't have any comment from him specifically on the incident, Friedman—after cleaning the emerald goo from his face and body—continued with his talk, titled "Hot, Flat, and Crowded" and focusing on globalization's role in environmentalism.

If victims of the Great Kent State Burrito Massacre of April 2008 can take comfort in anything, it's knowing Chipotle is willing to pay their medical bills as penance (and good PR), the Daily Kent Stater reports.

Health officials believe the norovirus is the cause of last week's outbreak—which affected 432 people, many of them Kent State students (and many of whom received free burrito coupons after giving blood. Where's karma now?)

The damage also spilled over to the school's track and field team, which—with six players sick—turned in a weak performance at the All-Ohio Championship. Amazingly, two ill athletes managed to compete in the hammer throw—one notching second place with a 103-degree temperature and the other throwing a personal best. The illness is still affecting one of the team's key distance runners, who will sit out of a Thursday meet where he planned to break the school's 5,000-meter race record.

The free medical care ploy also seems to be working: "I have no hard feelings," said a sophomore studying nutrition. "My stomach is still upset, though. I'm really excited that they're going to pay."

And for students with no medical bills to pay? More coupons and more burritos! "Hey, it's better than nothing," said a Kent State senior. "I'm a big fan of Chipotle."

Writing tutors at Yale have recently seen an overwhelming influx of struggling essayists, the Yale Daily News reports. The 12 tutors—a team of professional writers and university lecturers—say they now see around 1,200 students a year, compared with 1,050 a few years ago, nearly a 15 percent increase. Exacerbating the problem, the number of hours a tutor can work is capped at 150 hours a semester.

The jump has been attributed to a more rigorous writing requirement at the university and better marketing from the writing center. That, or students have less pride. Or fewer skills.

The College of William and Mary forced a Ying Yang Twins concert Saturday to end earlier than was originally planned, the Flat Hat reports. According to the university, the change was made to accommodate the city's 10 p.m. noise curfew—which the Flat Hat points out has been broken or bent before. Explicit portions of the rappers' show had already been edited out because of the amphitheater's outdoor location. The student organization hosting the concert had received protests over the explicit lyrics of the Ying Yang Twins, specifically because of the amphitheater's open atmosphere and close proximity to residents.

Depending on your source, 1,000 to 3,000 protesters marched against higher education budget cuts at the California state capitol in Sacramento on Monday.

The group was protesting Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposed plan to decrease higher education funding by $1 billion—a move that may force student fee increases of 7 to 10 percent in the University of California system. The state is facing a projected $16 billion deficit.

The demonstration was supported by Democratic Legislature members, along with Lt. Gov. John Garamendi, whose office worked with student groups from community colleges and the UC and California State systems. "There is no more important investment for California than students," Garamendi told the crowd. "You are the intellectual infrastructure of California."

The Democratic lawmakers reassured sign-waving, drum-beating, slogan-chanting students they would not allow the state to cut higher ed funding. "This is not a complicated problem," said Senate leader Don Perata. "We need to raise taxes." Good luck with that.

A U.S. News programming note: Check out Gradzilla, our new Facebook application for graduate programs. Keep track of schools, and—in that quintessential gen Y narcissistic way—tell all your friends about it. The polls are probably the most fun; designed for you to ask friends which school you should attend. But the polling questions aren't limited to that (or anything, really). The possibilities are endless—and not necessarily so innocent. Socially network away!

An update on the crazy Yale art project: School officials say they will not allow Aliza Shvarts to unveil her project at the art school's official reception unless she admits—in writing—that the entire work was a ruse, the Yale Daily News reports.

Shvarts would have to admit her project did not actually include the graphic acts that she had first described and that she did not try to inseminate herself and induce miscarriages. She also must promise that no human blood will be displayed in her exhibit.

No matter what happens, Yale has been backed into a Catch-22. The project—which has drawn more press inquiry to the school than any other incident since the admission of a former Taliban diplomat in 2006—will, if unveiled, encourage further media scrutiny. However, if the display is taken down, the school will very likely face criticism for the suppression of free expression.

The school also disciplined two unknown faculty members for displaying "serious errors in judgment" in their roles in the project.