Spring Break
Parents angry about controversial editorial
Student may find another university
Aaron Hedge
Issue date: 10/1/07 Section: News
A CSU student is considering ending her education at CSU because of an editorial that was printed in the Collegian Sept. 21. The editorial that included a profane reference to President George W. Bush convinced her parents to start researching other schools.
The editorial, which read "Taser this … F*** BUSH" with the expletive spelled out in font about twice the size of a headline, upset Cathy Ide, mother of construction management sophomore Holly Loucks. Ide was so offended that she will probably pull her daughter from CSU.
"It's just so disrespectful to our leader," Ide, of Casper, Wyoming said. "We're gonna be looking at other schools. It just shows how liberal the school is. I'm not sure that I want her to go to a school that would allow that."
"My family is very conservative, not like the Collegian," Loucks said.
Ide is also worried that tuition might go up as an indirect result of the page four editorial.
"If funds are pulled from Colorado State and that causes an increase in tuition,
then I'm gonna be pulled from school," Loucks said.
A representative of CSU alumni voiced concerns at a Board of Student Communications (BSC) hearing Wednesday night that alumni organizations are having trouble collecting funds from regular donors because of the editorial.
"I have a buddy of the alumni association who calls for donations," said Riley Hestermann, a senior marketing major. "He can't even get people to talk to him because they are so upset. They're fired up."
Hestermann was one of 12 students and community members who spoke against the editorial and advocated for the firing of Collegian Editor in Chief J. David McSwane.
Supporters of the piece, including media studies instructor Pam Jackson, said that McSwane didn't deserve to be fired and had effectively accomplished his goal to start debate about freedom of speech. Eighteen McSwane supporters spoke at the meeting.
The BSC will decide whether McSwane will keep his job in a private meeting Thursday.
One CSU official said it is too early to worry about tuition increases from donators pulling support.
"I think it's too early to tell if the alumni association will be affected," said Dell Rae Moellenberg, a spokeswoman for the university.
"My mom is pretty torqued … because no one's doing anything about it," Loucks said.
The Collegian has also received several letters to the editor from parents who have crossed CSU off the list of their children's possible colleges.
"For the first time, I am ashamed to be a part Colorado State University," Loucks said.
Senior reporter Aaron Hedge can be reached at news@collegian.com.
The editorial, which read "Taser this … F*** BUSH" with the expletive spelled out in font about twice the size of a headline, upset Cathy Ide, mother of construction management sophomore Holly Loucks. Ide was so offended that she will probably pull her daughter from CSU.
"It's just so disrespectful to our leader," Ide, of Casper, Wyoming said. "We're gonna be looking at other schools. It just shows how liberal the school is. I'm not sure that I want her to go to a school that would allow that."
"My family is very conservative, not like the Collegian," Loucks said.
Ide is also worried that tuition might go up as an indirect result of the page four editorial.
"If funds are pulled from Colorado State and that causes an increase in tuition,
then I'm gonna be pulled from school," Loucks said.
A representative of CSU alumni voiced concerns at a Board of Student Communications (BSC) hearing Wednesday night that alumni organizations are having trouble collecting funds from regular donors because of the editorial.
"I have a buddy of the alumni association who calls for donations," said Riley Hestermann, a senior marketing major. "He can't even get people to talk to him because they are so upset. They're fired up."
Hestermann was one of 12 students and community members who spoke against the editorial and advocated for the firing of Collegian Editor in Chief J. David McSwane.
Supporters of the piece, including media studies instructor Pam Jackson, said that McSwane didn't deserve to be fired and had effectively accomplished his goal to start debate about freedom of speech. Eighteen McSwane supporters spoke at the meeting.
The BSC will decide whether McSwane will keep his job in a private meeting Thursday.
One CSU official said it is too early to worry about tuition increases from donators pulling support.
"I think it's too early to tell if the alumni association will be affected," said Dell Rae Moellenberg, a spokeswoman for the university.
"My mom is pretty torqued … because no one's doing anything about it," Loucks said.
The Collegian has also received several letters to the editor from parents who have crossed CSU off the list of their children's possible colleges.
"For the first time, I am ashamed to be a part Colorado State University," Loucks said.
Senior reporter Aaron Hedge can be reached at news@collegian.com.
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 70
Steve
posted 10/01/07 @ 4:07 AM MST
As Editor-in-Chief of my school newspaper, let me respectfully assert this as one of the largest crocks of shit I've ever heard.
Everything I've researched, read, and heard about CSU is that its chiefly a conservative area. (Continued…)
Alum'01
posted 10/01/07 @ 6:03 AM MST
Steve,
Although the state legislative districts that include the school and surrounding neighborhoods are traditionally Democratic, this left-leaning
area is an island amid a conservative ocean. (Continued…)
James A. Glasscock
posted 10/01/07 @ 6:52 AM MST
I posted a note earlier. I am not surprised parents and alumni/ae are upset. Not all of them, of course, but the journalism teacher who believes this editorial was beneficial to starting debate is naive. (Continued…)
Jen
posted 10/01/07 @ 7:38 AM MST
That is the dumbest thing I've ever heard of. If you are dumb enough to pull out of CSU because an editor of our newspaper hates Bush, you really don't deserve to go here anyway. (Continued…)
jimmy
posted 10/01/07 @ 8:14 AM MST
wow if they pull you from CSU they sure would not care about your future, considering that the construction mngmt has a 99% job placement. Furthermore, are you an adult? I realize that your parents probably pay for school, but aren't you old enough to make these dicisions? If not, I don't really want you to be at the same university as me. (Continued…)
J. Greene
posted 10/01/07 @ 8:29 AM MST
I lived and studied among students with outstanding conservative and liberal minds at CSU. I thrived among many with disctive personalities.
As an alum, I beleive that CSU needs to remain a place where students can grow and learn how to discover what is true, genunine and authentic in our world. (Continued…)
2007 Alum
posted 10/01/07 @ 8:51 AM MST
I knew that most Wyoming citzens were a bit crazy, after this I KNOW they're crazy. PLEASE PLEASE leave CSU if you're going to be so damn stupid like this. (Continued…)
Vince Mowery
posted 10/01/07 @ 9:04 AM MST
When I read this, the first thing that came to mind was how much does the student newspaper affect your education? That was obviously a bold editorial, but how much does it really affect the quality and bias of an education you are going to get at CSU? It was one editorial, and the feeling of it certainly isn't unanimous on campus. (Continued…)
Yo, Craig
posted 10/01/07 @ 10:05 AM MST
Jeepers, Craig Hawley, could you please stop using profanity in your messages here? Women and children might be reading this. Didn't your mom teach you better? Set an example, man. (Continued…)
Zeke
posted 10/01/07 @ 10:19 AM MST
Don't let the door hit your ass on the way out!
Post a Comment