Blue Collar Muse

Tristen Cramer of Cornell Coalition For Life and Elena’s Campaign sent the following press release regarding the dismantling of a previously University approved display because it was personally offensive to one (perhaps two) Cornell staff member. My mind immediately went to another University story I posted on the University of Maine at Farmingham student who designed a class project testing whether people would walk or stand on the American flag if it was put on the floor. Except in that instance, despite being personally offensive to a myriad of people, on and off campus, the University President and Provost insisted the display remain up. Any one attempting to remove even a portion of the previously University approved display was threatened with arrest.

And this is higher education? It would seem to be more of the comical and insulting material referred to in a “Piled Higher and Deeper” degree.

CORNELL UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING STAFF STIFLE STUDENT FREE SPEECH

Facilities Staff Remove Previously Approved Pro-Life Display

Less than one hour after the Cornell Coalition for Life (CCFL) set up their “Elena Campaign” signs in the Engineering Quad, the signs were abruptly removed by Dawn Warren, an administrative assistant, and taken to the Facilities Office of the College of Engineering. The “Elena Campaign” is a series of light-hearted educational signs with pictures and text detailing the biological development of an unborn child. Though CCFL had gone through the proper administrative avenues to get approval for the display, Warren removed the signs without permission because she did not personally approve of the content.

Tristen Cramer, senior at Cornell University and former president of CCFL stated, “It borders on the absurd that the facilities staff at the College of Engineering finds photos depicting biological fetal development to be controversial or offensive. Furthermore, it speaks volumes that this member of the Cornell staff chose to censor speech she disagreed with rather than facilitating an open discussion about the issue.”

Together, Dawn Warren and Cathy Dove, Associate Dean for Administration in the College of Engineering, attempted to prevent
members of CCFL from retrieving the signs. Only when the Cornell Police were brought in did Warren and Dove relinquish the property. Even then, Dove tried to intimidate the students and requested that the signs not be put up again, referencing an “unwritten policy” among the College of Engineering to prevent “opinionated displays.”

Katherine Weible, junior at Cornell University and current president of the CCFL said, “As an engineering student, I am surprised and disappointed that some of our staff would censor the issues that we are exposed to. In their claims that all engineering displays must be engineering related, they are severely short-changing all engineering students.”

“The Cornell community should be aware that our right to free speech regarding relevant current issues is hindered by this so-called ‘unwritten policy,’” said Cramer.

Interested parties may contact Ms. Cramer at trc3 at cornell dot ed

UPDATE:

From LifeNews.com come the following action items;

ACTION: Contact Assoc Dean For Administration Cathy Dove about her censorship of the Cornell University display at 607-255-4914 or csd3@cornell.edu. Contact Dawn Warren at 607-255-5668 or dmw13@cornell.edu. Also contact Cornell University president David J. Skorton by going to http://www.cornell.edu/president/contact.cfm

Blue

ADDITIONAL READING:

PICTURES!! Cornell v Elena by Leslie Carbone @ Leslie Carbone.

Cornell University Engineering Staff Remove Students’ Pro-Life Display until Police Force Return of Display by Adam Kissel @ FIRE (Foundation for Individual Rights in Education).

Cornell University Officials Remove Students’ Abortion Display After Approval by Steven Ertelt @ Life News.

Cornell University College of Engineering Staff Stifle Student Free Speech by Jenn Sierra @ Ft. Hard Knox.

Cornell Staffer/Dean Oppress Student Free Speech by Warner Todd Huston @ Publius’ Forum.

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 22nd, 2008 at 12:59 pm and is filed under 1st Amendment, Abortion, Censorship, Constitution Issues, Education, Individual Responsibility. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.