The Faculty Association's Executive Committee is rather miffed about the column in the University Chronicle that I reported, insofar as it spoke ill of a faculty member here. It sent a letter to the paper's faculty advisor, copied to the entire campus, complaining that while (of course!) it supports the freedom of the press and that the newspaper can print what it wants (which of course it can't, if you listen to the student government), that it had not "honored its responsibility" that comes with the freedom. This sentence, however, needs to be quoted to be believed.

...we object to the vilification of a faculty member in your newspaper commentary pages especially when the faculty member singled out is a person of color. (Emphasis mine.)

Pointing out the faculty member's status as a person of color seems almost patronizing; if he was slandered, his status is irrelevant. Does the press have differential responsibilities in criticism in op-eds depending on one�s gender or race? I most certainly hope not.

And nobody has brought forward any evidence that anything said in the column is false. It's not a great column, but some monkeys get paid for worse.