Date: Wed, 12 Nov 1997 16:55:01 -0500 From: Lydia Hucker <aquamarine-AT-earthlink.net> Subject: Re: PLC: SUNY Conference > The particular discussion panel that Pataki was complaining about > featured > members of the S&M community talking about their experiences... Here's what I got. Best, L. Hucker > ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > Date: Fri, 07 Nov 1997 07:25:02 -0500 > From: Kenneth Sherrill <ksherril-AT-SHIVA.HUNTER.CUNY.EDU> > Reply-To: "CUNYTALK: Forum for Discussion of General CUNY Issues" > <CUNYTALK-AT-CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU> > To: CUNYTALK-AT-CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU > Subject: Right-Wing Lunatics Assault Academic Freedom > > The following comes from today's New York Times. If you are interested in > preventing similar actions in the future, I suggest contatcting me > directly > about contributing to The Higher Education PAC. Remember that Gov. Pataki > runs for re-election next year and that he named Candace de Russy to the > SUNY Board of Trustees in return for the electoral support of CHANGE-NY. > > Ken Sherrill > > November 7, 1997 > > Conference on Sex Topics Provokes Debate > > By KAREN W. ARENSON > > <Picture: T>he president of the State University of New York at New Paltz > is under fire from the governor and one of the system's trustees after a > women's studies conference on sadomasochism, lesbianism and other sexual > topics was held on the New Paltz campus last weekend. > > Gov. George Pataki, in a statement, said it was "outrageous" that state > money was spent on the conference, which included sessions like "Sex Toys > for Women" and "Safe, Sane and Consensual S&M: An Alternate Way of > Loving." > He called on SUNY's chairman to develop recommendations on "how to > prevent > this kind of activity from happening on a SUNY campus again." > > "This has nothing to do with freedom of speech and everything to do with > the proper expenditure of tax dollars," the governor said. > > Floyd Abrams, a First Amendment expert, challenged Pataki's assessment of > the issue. "Once the state has a public university," he said, "it is not > free to act as if only acceptable judgments may be voiced at the > university." > > Candace de Russy, a SUNY trustee who attended the conference, called for > the resignation of New Paltz's president, Roger Bowen. She said the > conference was a "travesty of academic standards and process and had > absolutely nothing to do with the college's undergraduate mission." > > She was the only trustee who voted against Bowen's appointment as > president > of New Paltz last year. > > De Russy added that the conference, "Revolting Behavior: The Challenges > of > Women's Sexual Freedom," represented poor scholarship at a time when the > trustees were trying to raise academic standards. > > "President Bowen exercised exceedingly poor judgment and oversight and is > unfit to oversee the college," she added, saying that she knew of at > least > one other trustee, Paul Perez, who agreed with her. "I will do whatever I > can do to get him dismissed," she said. > > Bowen, who gave opening remarks at the conference, said Thursday night > that > the real issue at stake was free speech, not taxpayer money, and charged > critics with trying to curb debate on the campus. He said that > personally, > he finds some views expressed on campus offensive and disagreeable. > > "But so what?" he said. "What's the surprise? > > "This boils down to a simple principle of the First Amendment," he said. > "Public or private, a university should provide a forum to present, > discuss > and debate things. If you can't have groups on the margin here, where can > you have them?" > > SUNY's chancellor, John Ryan, said the university would respond to > Pataki's > request for a report on the New Paltz activities, in consultation with > Bowen, the college's council and others. > > In a statement, the chancellor cited the importance of academic freedom > but > coupled it with the notion of responsibility. > > "Academic freedom -- the right to intellectually explore any subject in > the > pursuit of knowledge -- is our most cherished value," he said. "With it > comes great responsibility. It is our obligation to ensure the taxpayers > of > the state of New York and members of our university community that there > will be no violation of their right to freedom of expression." > > > > > > > > It was unclear Thursday night how much support de Russy will find on the > 16-member board, which is controlled by appointees of Pataki. Arnold > Gardner, one of the few remaining trustees appointed by Gov. Mario uomo, > said he had heard little about the New Paltz issue and had received no > notice of it from SUNY's central administration. > > Bowen said that this is the 21st year New Paltz has hosted a women's > studies conference, and that some previous conferences at his college and > others have focused on similar themes. He defended the level of > scholarship > at last weekend's conference and said it had included workshops on > subjects > like birth control and HIV education as well as those on sadomasochism, > lesbianism and women's sexual toys. > > Still, in written comments circulated publicly, Bowen said he told the > conference's organizers that he "personally found several of their > planned > panel topics offensive and in poor taste." > > De Russy was also critical of another New Paltz conference that begins > Friday, "Subject to Desire: Refiguring the Body." Sponsored by the School > of Fine and Performing Arts, it will include a performance of "Angels in > America," the play about AIDS, as well as a session on the sexual content > of Andy Warhol's artwork. > > --- from list phillitcrit-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---
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