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From the Wall Street Journal. Should be required reading for Hamilton's administration and trustees:
"Free to Choose? Maybe Not in American Academia
In the midst of researching the 25 "social justice" majors now at the nation's universities, at least 14 centers and institutes for the study of "social/economic justice," the approximately 200 Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender studies programs, and the five colleges with La Raza studies majors, I noticed Thomas Frank's article on the scandalous prospect of the University of Chicago creating an institute to further the intellectual legacy of Milton Friedman. Mr. Frank worries that the intellectual purity of academe will be compromised by the admission of scholars who take seriously Friedman's ideas about free markets. I think Mr. Frank has an exaggerated sense of that purity. Higher education is rife with programs and institutes engaged in outright advocacy of left-wing economic and social ideas.
As it happens, the University of Chicago plans to create in the Milton Friedman Institute a forum for robust debate of key ideas in economics, not an assembly line for economists who hold blindly to Mr. Friedman's ideas. Mr. Frank and others opposed to the Institute keep quoting a line from the original proposal that the Institute would also engage in "advocacy for market alternatives to ill conceived policy initiatives." I note that this element was apparently dropped from the plan the university adopted."
Thank you reporter for this detailed information...I've bookmarked the blog site to stay informed.
I wonder if any of the legal principles in the briefs apply to faculty as well as students....I am thinking of the recent college position on the treatment of Professor Paquette...
The briefs on that site are a remarkable read. All parents should examine the conduct of the Duke administrators and the faculty in this case and make sure things like that don't happen at any school.
Jon Stewart to Speak on Nov. 14 in Margaret Bundy Scott Fieldhouse by Eric Kuhn '09
Jon Stewart is the next Hamilton College Sacerdote Great Name speaker. Stewart is the executive producer and host of Comedy Central's "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" and will perform a stand-up comedy act on Friday, Nov. 14, at 7:30 p.m. in the Margaret Bundy Scott Field House. Assistant Dean of Students for Campus Life and Director of Student Activities Lisa Magnarelli '96, Coordinator of the Great Names Event, said, "I think the students are going to be so excited. I really feel this is a show for the students. Previous speakers have been educational, timely or historical and students have gotten excited about them, but on a basic level Stewart will amaze the students." The choice of Stewart as the next Great Name speaker was the culmination of two surveys that were distributed to students and faculty members asking who they wanted to see come to campus. "Stewart was the overwhelming favorite for the faculty, staff and students," explained Magnarelli. While former British Prime Minister Tony Blair came in second, and Bill Gates came in third, Stewart was off the charts as Hamilton's top choice. Jon Stewart is considered one of America's top social and comedic voices. A 2004 Pew Research Center poll famously revealed that 21 percent of 18 to 29 year olds cited "The Daily Show" and "Saturday Night Live" as the shows from which they obtained news about the presidential election, as opposed to 23 percent of youth who stated that ABC, CBS or NBC's nightly news broadcasts were their news information source. Since hitting the air in 1999, Stewart and "The Daily Show" have received 24 Emmy® Award nominations and won 10 times. These include winning for Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program five times (2001, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006) as well as Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series for the past five consecutive years (2003-2007). Stewart himself has been nominated for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program four times (2002, 2003, 2005 and 2007). In 2001, "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" also received the prestigious Peabody® Award for excellence in its "Indecision 2000" campaign coverage and again in 2005 for "Indecision 2004." In 2005, Stewart became the executive producer for "The Colbert Report," which has been nominated and won numerous awards including the Peabody® Award. As host of "The Daily Show," Stewart has interviewed presidents, heads-of-state, actors and authors. Many former Great Name speakers have actually been guests on the show, including Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter, Al Gore, Tom Brokaw, Rudy Giuliani and Madeline Albright. According to Magnarelli, bringing Stewart to Hamilton was a success three years in the making. Stewart's high speaking fees proved to be a major challenge. While, contractually, Magnarelli cannot disclose how much Stewart is charging, she does admit he is the highest paid speaker in series history. "We had to seriously pursue it," Magnarelli said. Lucky for the Hamilton community, Stewart and soul legend Aretha Franklin, who performed in the same series last year, share the same agent. Stewart will be performing stand-up comedy, with no question and answer feature following. No tickets will be needed for the free event, but seats for the general public will be limited to a first-come, first-served basis, as members of the Hamilton College community will receive priority seating. One difference in this year's event is a limit to the number of guests students can bring, from three guest passes last year to one this year. Faculty will be able to be accompanied by two guests. There will be a reception and photo-op following the performance and students will be allowed to participate in a lottery for invitations to the after-party. Hamilton's press release for the event states, "This event will contain language that some people find offensive and may include content not appropriate for children and adolescents." In her office a clearly excited Magnarelli laughed, saying that while "The language might be bad, I don't have to tell you the content won't be."
That paste job came out a little sloppy. The line not to miss is: "While, contractually, Magnarelli cannot disclose how much Stewart is charging, she does admit he is the highest paid speaker in series history."
Paying top dollar for comedy and they get to pick who should come - now that's education! "Previous speakers have been educational, timely or historical..." who needs them when a good laugh will do. I'm sure in the interest of diversity they'll have Dennis Miller on next years list.
The following communication was sent to Lisa Magnarelli on 5 September. It received no reply. Once again, consumerism trumps education at Hamilton College.
Dear Lisa:
I don't blame you for this choice, but how in God's name does this fellow qualify as a "Great Name?"
How about a Nobel Prize winner in economics or science? How about a Supreme Court justice?
Little wonder that Hamilton ranks so low in perceived scholarly stature relative to so-called peer institutions.
Should we expect Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones for the spring?
Pathetic. Tony Blair and Bill Gates for place and show? I'll even bet that Gates would have donated his fee to charity. What a waste. Jon Stewart a "Great Name"? Please tell me that this is a joke.
hb
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http://www.mindingthecampus.com/originals/2008/08/by_robert_weissberg_observers.html
http://www.mindingthecampus.com/originals/2008/08/by_robert_weissberg_observers.html
"Free to Choose? Maybe Not in American Academia
In the midst of researching the 25 "social justice" majors now at the nation's universities, at least 14 centers and institutes for the study of "social/economic justice," the approximately 200 Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender studies programs, and the five colleges with La Raza studies majors, I noticed Thomas Frank's article on the scandalous prospect of the University of Chicago creating an institute to further the intellectual legacy of Milton Friedman. Mr. Frank worries that the intellectual purity of academe will be compromised by the admission of scholars who take seriously Friedman's ideas about free markets. I think Mr. Frank has an exaggerated sense of that purity. Higher education is rife with programs and institutes engaged in outright advocacy of left-wing economic and social ideas.
As it happens, the University of Chicago plans to create in the Milton Friedman Institute a forum for robust debate of key ideas in economics, not an assembly line for economists who hold blindly to Mr. Friedman's ideas. Mr. Frank and others opposed to the Institute keep quoting a line from the original proposal that the Institute would also engage in "advocacy for market alternatives to ill conceived policy initiatives." I note that this element was apparently dropped from the plan the university adopted."
The documents on this page http://www.dukelawsuit.com/2008/08/players-oppose-defendants-motions-to.html make for a fascinating read on campus activism and a gutless president.
Anybody know of any parallels to Hamilton College?
I wonder if any of the legal principles in the briefs apply to faculty as well as students....I am thinking of the recent college position on the treatment of Professor Paquette...
Any input from lawyers in the crowd???
Margaret Bundy Scott Fieldhouse
by Eric Kuhn '09
Jon Stewart is the next Hamilton College Sacerdote Great Name speaker.
Stewart is the executive producer and host of Comedy Central's "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" and will perform a stand-up comedy act on Friday, Nov. 14, at 7:30 p.m. in the Margaret Bundy Scott Field House.
Assistant Dean of Students for Campus Life and Director of Student Activities Lisa Magnarelli '96, Coordinator of the Great Names Event, said, "I think the students are going to be so excited. I really feel this is a show for the students. Previous speakers have been educational, timely or historical and students have gotten excited about them, but on a basic level Stewart will amaze the students."
The choice of Stewart as the next Great Name speaker was the culmination of two surveys that were distributed to students and faculty members asking who they wanted to see come to campus. "Stewart was the overwhelming favorite for the faculty, staff and students," explained Magnarelli. While former British Prime Minister Tony Blair came in second, and Bill Gates came in third, Stewart was off the charts as Hamilton's top choice.
Jon Stewart is considered one of America's top social and comedic voices. A 2004 Pew Research Center poll famously revealed that 21 percent of 18 to 29 year olds cited "The Daily Show" and "Saturday Night Live" as the shows from which they obtained news about the presidential election, as opposed to 23 percent of youth who stated that ABC, CBS or NBC's nightly news broadcasts were their news information source.
Since hitting the air in 1999, Stewart and "The Daily Show" have received 24 Emmy® Award nominations and won 10 times. These include winning for Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program five times (2001, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006) as well as Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Series for the past five consecutive years (2003-2007). Stewart himself has been nominated for Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program four times (2002, 2003, 2005 and 2007). In 2001, "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" also received the prestigious Peabody® Award for excellence in its "Indecision 2000" campaign coverage and again in 2005 for "Indecision 2004." In 2005, Stewart became the executive producer for "The Colbert Report," which has been nominated and won numerous awards including the Peabody® Award.
As host of "The Daily Show," Stewart has interviewed presidents, heads-of-state, actors and authors. Many former Great Name speakers have actually been guests on the show, including Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter, Al Gore, Tom Brokaw, Rudy Giuliani and Madeline Albright.
According to Magnarelli, bringing Stewart to Hamilton was a success three years in the making. Stewart's high speaking fees proved to be a major challenge. While, contractually, Magnarelli cannot disclose how much Stewart is charging, she does admit he is the highest paid speaker in series history. "We had to seriously pursue it," Magnarelli said. Lucky for the Hamilton community, Stewart and soul legend Aretha Franklin, who performed in the same series last year, share the same agent.
Stewart will be performing stand-up comedy, with no question and answer feature following. No tickets will be needed for the free event, but seats for the general public will be limited to a first-come, first-served basis, as members of the Hamilton College community will receive priority seating. One difference in this year's event is a limit to the number of guests students can bring, from three guest passes last year to one this year. Faculty will be able to be accompanied by two guests. There will be a reception and photo-op following the performance and students will be allowed to participate in a lottery for invitations to the after-party.
Hamilton's press release for the event states, "This event will contain language that some people find offensive and may include content not appropriate for children and adolescents." In her office a clearly excited Magnarelli laughed, saying that while "The language might be bad, I don't have to tell you the content won't be."
Dear Lisa:
I don't blame you for this choice, but how in God's name does this fellow qualify as a "Great Name?"
How about a Nobel Prize winner in economics or science? How about a Supreme Court justice?
Little wonder that Hamilton ranks so low in perceived scholarly stature relative to so-called peer institutions.
Should we expect Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones for the spring?
Sincerely,
Bob Paquette