Pollys Bestowed

A report on the most glamorous awards in the delightfully standpat world of campus conservatism.

From Joseph Pylman:

Press Release
Contact: Sarah Longwell
1-800-225-2862
media@isi.org

Orwellian Mind Control at LeMoyne and UNLV. Free Speech a Myth at Harvard and Occidental. Anti-Semitism at Carnegie Mellon. Outrageous*or Just Another Day on Campus?

WILMINGTON, DEL. April 1, 2005 – Carnegie Mellon offers a platform to an Islamic radical who openly threatens the lives of Jews and Zionists, while a graduate student at LeMoyne College is expelled for writing that light spanking has a legitimate role in classroom discipline. A UNLV professor is engulfed in a whirlwind of controversy after making a remark about the financial planning habits of homosexuals, while a student at Occidental College is convicted of sexually harassing the whole school over the radio. Ward Churchill is defended by the academic community for declaring that victims of the World Trade Center bombing deserved their fate, while at Harvard, Larry Summers is demonized for daring to suggest that there may be innate differences between men and women.

Outrageous politicization and double standards continue to abound in higher education, and the Collegiate Network has once again chronicled the worst of those abuses in its 8th Annual Campus Outrage Awards.

The 2005 winners are:

1st At LeMoyne College, graduate student Scott McConnell was expelled after writing a paper rejecting multiculturalism and advocating light spanking in elementary school classrooms. Despite his exemplary grades, McConnell received a letter from the Director of his program stating: “I have grave concerns regarding the mismatch between your personal beliefs regarding teaching and learning and the LeMoyne College program goals*. You will not be allowed to register for any additional courses. Your registration for Spring 2005 courses has been withdrawn.”

2nd At the University of Nevada Las Vegas, Economics Professor Hans Hoppe received disciplinary sanctions for making an economically verifiable argument that homosexuals engage less in long-term financial planning than heterosexuals because they typically do not have children. One of Hoppe’s students, Michael Knight, filed a complaint leading to a yearlong battle between Hoppe and the University (which Hoppe eventually won). Knight accused Hoppe of “stereotyping homosexuals.* When the door closes and the lecture began [sic], he needs to make sure he is remaining as politically correct as possible.” Knight would have fit right in at LeMoyne College.

3rd At Carnegie Mellon University, $2,000 in student fees paid the honorarium of “New Black Panther Party” chief Malik Zulu Shabazz. Shabazz, a noted anti-Semite, publicly advocates killing Zionists and claims that whites are genetically disposed towards racism. Bodyguards armed with riot batons-a violation of CMU weapons policy-escorted Shabazz around campus, and black students and attendees were given preferential admission to the speech. During the speech, Shabazz asked all Jews to raise their hands and then warned those who did, “I’m watching you.”

4th In an astonishing abuse of administrative power at Occidental College, campus shock-jock Jason Antebi was fired from his radio program and found guilty by the school’s Title IX Officer of “sexual and gender hostile environment harassment,” against his entire audience after three students were offended by sophomoric comments he made on the air. Moreover, when members of the student government came to Antebi’s defense, the University disbanded it, leaving $441,000 in student fees that will not be administered by the students’ elected representatives. For those of us who believe in free speech, this situation is positively Kafkaesque. All anyone had to do to avoid this “harassment” was turn off his or her radio.

5th Harvard University President Lawrence Summers drew the ire of the politically correct crowd, and recently received a faculty vote of no-confidence, after suggesting that innate differences between the sexes could be one reason women are less likely than men to excel in the sciences. Nancy Hopkins, an MIT professor, walked out during the talk, saying that if she had listened to Summers any longer, “I would’ve either blacked out or thrown up.” Interesting that academicians rush to the aid of Ward Churchill, who stated that civilians killed on 9/11 were “little Eichmanns,” (referring to Hitler’s henchman, Adolf Eichmann) but Larry Summers putting forth a theory makes them sick.

Popularly known as the “Pollys,” these awards for the worst campus outrages are given each year to universities to remind the public that political correctness, curricular decay, and violations of academic freedom and free speech remain an unfortunate reality throughout much of higher education. For more information, visit www.isi.org.