Statement from The Towerlight

Kristen

Thu Dec 3 2009 10:10

Parent,

Did you go to Towson? Have you ever been to public school? From your letter it doesn't sound like it. How can you compare private school education to public school education when you don't have CLUE about public school education. I am sorry to point this out, but your argument is flawed. You want to give your opinion great, just think it out a little instead of ranting.

I on the other hand went to public highschool, had friends who went to a private highschool, then went to a private college where I transfered after a year to Towson because of the good education and low expense. Not because I had a hard time with the curriculm actually I had a 3.7 GPA. I transfered, because the education style was too sloppy. There were no clear guidelines for grading, no indication when we'd get our grades back, and only half my teachers had syllabuses. Not only that, but it was completely too expensive for what I was getting out of it.

I am glad you feel secure to flaunt your economic status to us on towerlight, congradulations! Hopefully your success is based on hard work and academic achievement and not family money. But if you think how one person expresses themself in a college newspaper defines public instituions I don't think you've learned a lot.

P.S. I hope you kids do well in there money pit of private education. I hope they get a leg up based on name recognition of their private college, but when I graduate from this public university with a broader degree of education and secure myself just as nice of a job as your kids land once they graduate, I hope you'll start to see that "freedom of expression" in the case of the "Bed Post" articles does not define our education.

A Parent

Thu Oct 8 2009 21:20

This is a typical article found in almost all state funded universities.
It will soon be a comman article found in state funded high schools.

It represents the level of education found from state schools. It represents the
level of education the United States presents compared to the rest of the world.

The comparison of this article has been made to articles found in the city paper.
The problem is this paper is supposed to represent a place of high learning. a level
where human inteligence is of utmost consideration. The city paper represents none of this.

A state funded education in the United States has declined to the level where human
inteligence is not celebrated but animal instints are highlighted and praised.

I'm sorry to see my taxes go to support universities and High schools in the
United States that cannot and will not provide a level of higher education for my
children.

It's a shame that as a parent concerned that my children are educated in such a manner to
become a positive influence in society if have to fund worthless state schools and then pay
additional funds to make sure my children recieve a REAL education.

Even though I have spent a small fortune over and above my taxes to send my children to
a school I know will teach them..........I would do it all over again.

Because as a parent I have shown my love for my children by giving them the best possible
education I could by not ever sending them to any state funded school in the US

I love my children to much to cheat them out of something that is so important as an real
education

Your name

Thu Oct 8 2009 21:16

It's funny how this controversy a way has worked out good for the Towerlight, there readership has significantly increased and the story is in the news and posted all over the internet. Shows you that responding to things you don't like, instead of ignoring them which you should do, brings even more attention and intrigue to the very things you try to censor!

Your name

Thu Oct 8 2009 19:14

The President should never have threatened her or asked her remove the article. If there was some real concern, he should have best talked to her to see what her motivation was for running the article. But, aside from that the students should be able to publish what they want if they see it have an educational and entertainment value. And they published it and many students enjoyed it. I never heard students complaining about the column before the President got involved.

Wendy Waldsachs Isett '96

Thu Oct 8 2009 12:44

When I was the editor of The Towerlight, I made the decision to use a review of the play, "Poor Superman" as our cover story (back then, we had a photo cover -- a single image with teasers for inside news). The image that emblazoned the front cover was provocative, illustrated a key theme of the play and got the attention of readers. The photo? Two male actors engaged in a passionate kiss.

Did we take some flack for it? Yes. Did we defend our position? Indeed. Did I resign? Uh, no. Did I learn a lession? Hell yeah. After all, that's the point of a student newspaper ... regardless of whether it is independent of the university or not. It's a place for students to LEARN and for faculty and staff to TEACH.

So what did the team learn from this? From Ms. Wood's statement, it seems she may have learned to drink a cup of coffee and count to 100 before responding to an e-mail from the university president about a potentially ill-placed column, and to seek counsel from her Editorial Board before responding. She and the rest of the board learned that pseudonyms and journalism really don't mix and that policies are in place for a reason. Hopefully they learned some lessons about content.

But that aside, what was TAUGHT? There's one lesson that appears to have trumped all: Caret can evoke the wrath of God and TU students should not push the envelope and take chances during their college days. That there is no room for improvement or life lesson on a college campus -- and that you risk advertising funds or office space if you mess up. Remember, kids -- TU doesn't tolerate mistakes or poor judgment ... wait until you're out in the real world to take a header. A college campus isn't a safe harbor in any way and there are no safety nets. Don't spread your wings -- roll over and play dead. What a lovely lesson for the president of a liberal arts university to teach. Shame on you, Robert Caret.

Reports of heavy-handed missives coming from the university administration, rumors of threatened eviction and withdrawal of advertising funds are rampant. From a PR perspective, perception is reality. And this reality bites. The student editors would have been better served had there open discussion and coaching instead of the executive guillotine.

Mr. Caret: There's a nice lesson to be given in crisis communications. Plan your strategy wisely.

Your name

Thu Oct 8 2009 10:51

I found that the column was more comedic than informational. I can see both sides of the spectrum in relations to how the column was written. I do know that this is a college university and that as an adult, or becoming an adult, we all find that sex is everywhere...on the other hand, I do think that a column about safe sex would be more appropriate, especially with the rise of H.I.V.

From a student perspective, I find that Towson University has a controlling factor to every entity and Campus Ministries has put their nose in many places where they are constantly stating, "I love the sinner, hate the sin." I appreciate their love, but I think their place on campus should be more focused on the religious groups and not in everyone's face about sexuality, what is placed in the paper, how a person lives their life, etc. We have to remember that is an educational institution, not a daily church sermon. I add this in here because of the letter to the editor about Carrie Wood's resignation through the Tower Light.

I do agree that Ms. Wood should have been more mature with her response to Dr. Caret, but from her letter, Dr. Caret seemed intimidating and so forth. I would have reacted the same way if I felt threatened. There are more tactful ways to approach situations, but we have to remember that we are all adults and maturity needs to take precedence.

To Carrie Wood, I would have fought harder for your position. Don't apologize for what you said, that's how you feel. Apologize for your actions...Good luck.

Your name

Thu Oct 8 2009 08:17

So who's going to start the petition to get Carrie reinstated as editor? I am so disappointed the staff just sat there and accepted her doing this.

Your name

Thu Oct 8 2009 07:12

Show some backbone: Reappoint Carrie.

Your name

Thu Oct 8 2009 03:56

Modern Progressive Society is going to Hell and everybody's just F'n around and laughing about it, how fitting,( I guess it wouldn't really be any other way). Dim Bulbs never see consequence till its too late. The Future definitly doesn't look too bright. So goes decency...So goes the greater society. I don't think too many of this generation even know what it means to be decent anymore or even care.

Your name

Wed Oct 7 2009 23:04

I agree with what the person said below - how can university administrators not support and care for their students? Wasn't college always supposed to be a safe place for people to be able to express their ideas?

Duh

Wed Oct 7 2009 21:07

NO Newspaper should EVER run a column with an anonymous author, no matter the content.

Your name

Wed Oct 7 2009 18:54

Yes, other people visit the campus and have access to Towerlight, but you simply cannot censor things just because they may potentially have a bad influence. You can then go on to rationalize the banning of anything that may have an influence. Should we ban fast food from campus because it would encourage campus visitors to engage in unhealthy eating habits? Is it like how Oscar the grouch is now portrayed as happier because parents wrote in that he was too grouchy and set a bad influence? Same with cookie monster eating too many cookies. Where is the sense of personal responsibility?

moe green

Wed Oct 7 2009 18:21

i am a 1983 graduate of towson.
caret is a greedy s.o.b. who has no respect for the community. this is a college paper. screw him.
as for contributing anymore money to towson, not until caret is gone.

Your name

Wed Oct 7 2009 18:03

If this newspaper was only available for the students to read, articles of this type may be acceptable. The Towerlight has to recognize that Towson University is an open campus and many people from the community use our facilities and not just the students. From the swim program, the dance program, summer sports camps, and the Saturday Science program - children of all ages are on campus and can easily pick up a copy of the Towerlight and read it. The age of a registered TU student can be anywhere between 12 and 74 or older, so the Towerlight cannot think that it is only being read by people between the ages of 18 and 22.

Your name

Wed Oct 7 2009 17:47

You know the founders of our country fought for these very rights. People should be able to exercise their freedom of speech and it should be respected. Of course sex is relevant, and of course most people on a college campus are of the age and are at the maturity level to handle a column about sex. Most people know what sex is and are educated on the benefits of safe sex. A column isn't going to make people choose whether or not to have safe sex. People make that choice regardless. It is a question of values. Good for modernization of the campus and for what the students want. If the students don't like the article, they should be the one's who stop supporting the newspaper. There are some good articles on WBAL, ABC, and the sun on this very topic today.

tu alum

Wed Oct 7 2009 17:20

this is indeed an issue that was addressed while i was a student at Towson a few years ago as well when The Towerlight when the entire staff and students were up in arms over photographs that had images of a bong with smoke.

Nothing has changed.

Keep on writing Towerlight staff, keep printing whatever you want - it was my right 2 years ago, just as much as it is yours.

Your name

Wed Oct 7 2009 17:16

Appropriate for school? This is not high school. This is a college campus which should be an environment for the exchange of ideas, attitudes, and beliefs. A lot of people seemed to have enjoyed the column. If you decide to censor one thing, what's to stop people from censoring anything that might be offensive to them. You simply can't go on being offended by everything and expecting people to to cater to your sensitivities. If you don't like something, you don't pay attention to it! It's teaching people to be overly sensitive and not to take personal responsibility for their lives.

Your name

Wed Oct 7 2009 15:59

Who are the people outraged at the sex column? Old people. Parents of students. People who don't even go to Towson. This paper is catered towards students so shouldn't students be making the decisions as to whether or not we keep the column, not the president of our school or parents who are living under rocks? The students are what make Towson anyways, we pay to go here. Others in the outside community do not so if they don't like a small section of the student newspaper, they shouldn't read it. Can't people see that this censorship is becoming ridiculous? Are we going to have laws now that make sure that student sex columns don't appear in college newspapers anymore?

John Murphy

Wed Oct 7 2009 15:00

The fact that "Lux wishes to remain anonymous" underscores the inappropriateness of her comments. I would also point out the weakness of your argument that her column was "in context" with with other foolishness on campus, and thus proper. Why don't you take the lead, addressing issues of importance with character and maturity? Why don't you treat your rights of free speech and journalistic independence with the dignity and nobility that they deserve? There are plenty of rags that serve the worst of our natures. You can be better than this.

karin

Wed Oct 7 2009 14:38

I originally posted this on one of the letter to the editor pages, but I think it fits better here:

I find it sad that a frank yet light-hearted column about sex would send a college president into hysterics of consternation. You are out of touch with life today and seem unable to grasp that others may not have the same ideals that you hold so dear. Freedom of speech includes the speech you don't like. Freedom of thought and expression and a lack of public shaming for the commitment to those goals should be part of the college experience. If you feel you can not support your students, then it may be time for you to find other employment or retire.