Eric Langborgh

The suppression of conservative voices on campus has increased in recent months with the censorship and removal of conservatives from student media at Georgetown University, Michigan State University, Wayne State University, and Central Michigan University. Three columnists and a radio talk show host have been removed from their positions upon their refusal to kowtow to political correctness. Hoya Bans Critique of Feminism

Garnering the national spotlight in recent months was the censorship of an article written by staff columnist Robert Swope for The Hoya at Georgetown. Upon suggesting that The Hoya editors were embarking on "content censorship" after being told his column—which took a critical view of the Georgetown production of The Vagina Monologues—would not run, Swope was fired.

"For them, it seems," Swope told Campus Report, "speech is only free when it's speech they agree with."

Indeed, even the insinuation of censorship leveled by Swope was taken as an example of "disrespect toward the opinions editor and the newspaper," according to the paper's editor in chief, David Wong.

The Hoya has "a history of flip-flopping on issues of free speech," Swope pointed out. When almost an entire press run of the conservative Georgetown Academy was stolen last year, The Hoya ran a subsequent editorial "applauding the thoughtful souls" who trashed the paper, while criticizing the views of the stolen publication. However, the much smaller-scale theft of the leftward-leaning Voice a few months later earned the paper's just condemnation. Later the same year, The Hoya defended Hustler founder Larry Flynt's appearance on the Catholic university under the guise of protecting the principle of "freedom of speech."

The known facts surrounding Swope's dismissal are equally as flagrant. Swope was informed through email—just hours before deadline—by viewpoint page editor Laurie Mingolelli that there was a "slight problem" with his column that had nothing to do "with the quality of its writing or the effort" put into it, necessitating it's printing at a "later" date. Mingolelli charged that his column condemning the Vagina Monologues for its promotion of rape constituted a second successive piece critical of the Women's Studies Program. This proved to be false, both because the current column did not address the group in question and because his previous column addressing the women's program actually ran on February 11, almost a month and a half previous.

Yet when Swope pointed these facts out in his reply, and when he questioned Mingolelli's sudden change in policy to "email me in advance [column] topics" as possible censorship, he was fired. "I do not want to spend any more time on this matter," Wong wrote in his email response. "Robert Swope is no longer a columnist for The Hoya…. This decision is final."

The decision came without warning or any previous correspondence with Swope. The real reason for the decision not to run the column, Wong then divulged, was that it was "once again, spiteful more than critical, angry more than constructive."

"What makes censorship so dangerous in an academic setting," Swope pointed out, "is that the search for truth is the defining reason for a university's existence."

"Once you give some authority the power to censor views you don't agree with, you give them the power to some day censor your own."

Gay Director Objects to Anti-Gay Show

At Central Michigan University, one student's radio talk show discussing the health dangers related to the homosexual lifestyle was too much for the director of the school's Office of Gay and Lesbian Programs. Acting on the complaint of a listener, Dr. Michael Stemmeler forwarded an email to WMHW chairman Peter Orlik, charging that the February 23 edition of "The Post" radio show specifically promoted the notion that "AIDS/HIV was a ‘gay disease' and that it was sent here for the sole purpose of cleaning out society."

Stemmeler did not return calls from Campus Report, but did ask Orlik to do some "checking into this matter" of the "wild remarks" made on the show.

Despite subsequent reviews of the show proving that no such remarks were made, David Horski was immediately removed from his position as the show's host.

"To be quite honest, I'm not very happy about it," exclaimed student station manager Dominick Famiano. "I feel this was a form of censorship, personally."

Both Orlik and general station manager Jerry Henderson deny that their intent was censorship or that they were pressured by anyone in the Office of Gay and Lesbian Programs to remove Horski. Instead, both cite a conflict of interest as the motivating factor in their decision. That conflict had to do with Horski's additional role as station news director.

"It is not appropriate for a news director to be doing a one-sided issue presentation," Henderson said. "He needs to be the moderator."

He then added, "This is not and never has been a free speech issue."

Horski has hosted "The Post" since May 1999. It was not until December 1999, however, that he was appointed news director. "I've done shows on controversial issues like affirmative action and gun control and have sparked some great debates," he exclaimed.

"I expect the audience to provide the balance," Horski divulged. "If they don't agree with me, call up."

Famiano was aware of this from the start, and did not see a problem with Horski performing both roles. "Did he editorialize the news? No."

Famiano also feels victimized by the episode. "It has made me feel that my position here at the station is pretty much meaningless."

"It seems to me there's this line, so to speak," he continued, "as far as what we can and what we can't do on the air."

‘Don't Stomp on Gay Pride!'

The suppression of voices this semester continued at the Wolverine State campuses of Michigan State and Wayne State.

Conservative columnists at both schools' papers were fired shortly after writing columns during Gay Pride Week explaining what they see as the intolerance of gay activists. At Wayne State, Bill Barnwell was told to "Please find another outlet for your commentaries," by interim editor in chief of The Southend, Ryan Alexander Keberly, following his response to a fellow columnist who took issue with Barnwell's editorial. Barnwell was accused of sexual harassment for sarcastically sending an email to the objecting author saying, "I've been reading what you got to say and it seems like we have a lot in common. I was wondering if you wanted to hook up."

"The email was meant to say that I was being a good sport, even after her column directed at me and my ideas," Barnwell told Campus Report, "and to mock the fact that we are completely different."

Sources close to Keberly report that he now thinks he may have "overreacted."

At Michigan State's The State News, Jason Van Dyke's article, "Movement Preaches Tolerance Hypocritically," raised the ire of more than a few individuals within the gay community.

Beginning his article with the statement, "I can see it now. By 9 a.m. today, everyone will be talking about how a bigot dared attack homosexual rights during Pride Week 2000," his premonition turned true when two disgruntled Michigan Staters wrote responses threatening University judicial proceedings against Van Dyke's "intolerance." Wrote Blake Spear, "And before The State News prints another column of Van Dyke's, it may want to make sure he is more educated about what is going on before he violates MSU's anti-discrimination clause and gets himself, as well as The State News, in a lot of trouble."

Van Dyke's lawyer advised that this was indeed a threat, and should be responded to with the understanding that any effort to carry through with the threat would be met with legal action against the individuals in question. Despite the lawyer's assurance that a response simply stating legal realities could not legally get him fired, The State News summarily dismissed Van Dyke for, ironically, threatening the paper's readers.

"Van Dyke's behavior was unacceptable and he was forbidden from having any columns run in the future," wrote State News editor in chief David Miller in an editorial explaining the paper's decision.

"People told me I was offensive," Van Dyke said. "I was called hypocritical, idiotic, nauseating, offensive, racist, bigoted, and homophobic. I was even compared to Fred Phelps of the infamous ‘godhatesfags.com.' Ironically, when PRISM (one of the campus gay rights organizations) responded and I was fired, they proved the entire point I was trying to make in my article: that the ‘tolerance' crowd is very intolerant of views different from their own."