The best of both worlds!
Amanda asked me last night why I hadn't blogged much recently. In short, it's been a pretty hectic week, but it's finally died down. And conveniently enough, I came across a story today that got me thinking again!
As I've said before, there are two things that really appeal to me: higher education and journalism/first amendment issues. Seeing as I have degrees in both fields, I feel I can speak to both somewhat-intelligently. So imagine my surprise when I came across a story today that deals with both areas, thanks to my weekly reading of my alma mater's Blue Banner.
Jess Zimmerman is a student at Butler University. He started an anonymous blog last year called the TrueBU Blog, a blog set up to chronicle happenings at Butler. Things really picked up last December when Zimmerman's stepmother was fired as a departmental chair under what Jess feels were unfair circumstances.
Over the course of the next several months, Jess wrote some pretty harsh opinions about the University, posting correspondence sent out by various administrators and faculty members and offering his own take on what's been happening. His harshest criticism was directed towards a Dean and the Provost. That's when he got the University's attention.
The University filed a lawsuit against the anonymous blogger in January, claiming defamation and libel. The lawsuit claims that the TrueBU blog's statements "have harmed the honesty, integrity, and professional reputation of Butler University and two of its high-level administrators."
Oh, but it gets more complicated. After identifying Zimmerman as the blogger, Zimmerman's father who was also a Dean at the University, did not have his contract renewed. This was followed by the Provost allegedly misrepresenting the nature of the elder Zimmerman's dismissal. When Mr. Zimmerman attempted to seek recourse for that, the University attempted to tie both settlements together: Butler will correct the disparaging statements made against Mr. Zimmerman if Jess agreed to go through the student conduct process for his blog and waive any right to appeal sanctions. Smart.
The University has apparently dropped the lawsuit but is still processing Jess through the student conduct system, setting off more cricticism about First Amendment rights and all that jazz.
While I am certainly not a legal expert on First Amendment or higher education issues, I do feel compelled enough to offer some clarifications and opinions. If any of my old professors actually read this, feel free to correct me if I misspeak on something:
- The fact the University would sue (even if it was simply in an attempt to find the identity of the blogger, as Butler's president argues) is a huge waste of time, money, and resources. Virtually everything cited in the lawsuit is opnion and would fall under "Fair Comment and Criticism," which isn't libel. Butler may have felt they had a case when Zimmerman said that the Dean and Provost lied about aspects of the firing, but even that's a weak case. Also, keep in mind that Zimmerman was criticizing the administrators in their role as University officials, not as private citizens. There's a difference.
- Butler University is a private institution, meaning they CAN take more liberty with limiting first amendment rights than a public school. Unless they provide a contract (a student handbook, for example) stating otherwise, private institutions can limit students' rights as much or as little as they want. So unless Butler's handbook stated that students will have full First Amendment rights without any sort of student judicial consequences, they are well within their rights to pursue this through internal processes. Does that make it right? No, but they can.
Ultimately, I think this is a case of an institution making an unpopular decision and not having the thick skin necessary to stand behind it. The administration should have reached out to Zimmerman (either through the anonymous email or after he was identified) and had a private conversation with him. A lawsuit and potential judicial sanctions is not the way to win favor with those you have already angered.
Someone making my generation proud
In higher education, it seems that we talk about millennials almost constantly. For those unaware with the term, this is the group of students who were born starting in 1983-ish. They are known for many things, mainly being high-maintenance and irresponsible. Millennials want to be free of any parental oversight, but they don't want the burden that comes with it.
However, like many of my peers who either forget (or try to forget) that we are part of this generation, I begrudgingly accept my label as a millennial. And it's for exactly that reason that I'm angry I have to be in the same generation as this moron.
Meet Charley Cooper. He's a sophomore at Georgetown University, and he's apparently so overworked with a full-time class schedule, homework, and a part-time job. That's why he's trying to hire a personal assistant to help him with the little things; you know, scheduling doctor appointments, doing his laundry, cleaning his room, and getting his car maintained. Here's a sample of the job description:
"As my PA you will receive an email once a day by 9:00 am with a task list for that day and a time estimate for each task," Cooper wrote in the job listing, which was first reported by the student newsmagazine, Georgetown Voice. "Important tasks will be bolded on the list and must be done that day (even though everything on the list should theoretically be finished on a daily basis). At the end of the day you will send me an email telling me what tasks are incomplete or that all tasks have been completed."
Charley, I've got news for you: there are over 15 million undergrads in the United States, and I bet about 14,999,999 of them can manage class, homework, and a job just fine. Some of them can manage more than that. In fact, you know what I did my last year as a student? I took a full-time class schedule, did my homework, worked a 30-hour assistantship, and worked a second 30-hour job...in another state.* And you're crying over having to be a student? You certainly aren't doing anything to combat the "Georgetown students are spoiled brats" stereotype.
I swear, can't we rework the whole millennial/Generation Y thing? Can't we put the cutoff to somewhere around 1988?
Then again, I wouldn't blame anyone for applying for that gig. It sounds pretty easy.
*Note: I do not recommend the whole "two jobs in different states" gimmick. It's actually pretty stressful...and I didn't clean well. Ask the Umbdenstocks.
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