Since Charles Brown took over as Student Affairs vice president in 2006, the University Press has been called into several surprise meetings and vaguely threatened. Here's my favorite example...
In October 2008, just before the presidential election, FAU's art gallery hosted an exhibit called "Political Circus." It was a collection of the most disturbing and obscene propaganda items from that historic campaign season. These buttons, posters, and bumper stickers mocked Obama's race, McCain's age, and Clinton's genitals. ("Hillary Is a Cunt!")
Here's how editor Michele Boyet kicked off the special issue covering the exhibit:
As far as I know, this is the first time the University Press has ever printed the word "cunt" and talked about sucking dick – and believe it or not, we have a solid journalistic reason for doing so: Because FAU has made those words part of an art exhibit.
A few days after that issue hit the racks, the associate dean asked Michele to attend a meeting. Terry Mena emailed her – but not me – and asked Michele to come to the office of Mena's brand-new boss, dean Corey King.
Michele told me about it, and I emailed King, "Can you tell us what this meeting is about, so if we need to prepare any documentation, we can?"King replied simply, "I asked
Terry to forge this meeting as I am learning about the different
media groups."
As is typical with this Student Affairs regime, great attention was paid to the details of the power play. Michele and I arrived five minutes early and were told to wait. About 10 minutes later, we were escorted into King's office.
Three copies of the offending issue were fanned out on the table in front of King's desk. He was in an adjacent conference room, and we could hear him leisurely chatting with Terry Mena.
A few minutes later, they walked in together smiling. After some pleasantries, King pelted Michele with questions about why she would publish "such obscenity."
King told her he'd spoken to many people on campus, and in only a few weeks on the job, he'd heard that "no one likes the UP." He listed reasons ranging from "attitude" to "graphics."
Michele debated King on each point. She was polite, firm, and factual. Exasperated, King finally blurted, "Michele, do you want the UP to be The New York Times or the National Enquirer?"
Michele shot back, "A little bit of both."
King shook his head and muttered, "No." He turned in my direction.
"Don't ask me," I replied. "I've freelanced for both The New York Times and the National Enquirer."
Then I said what I always say: That as long as they obey the SPJ Code of Ethics and adhere to sound journalism principles, I believe student editors have the right to reinvent their student newspaper in their own image.
King slammed his big hand on the desk and said, "No! They don't!"
The meeting became quite uncomfortable after that and ended a few minutes later. Ever since then, I was pressured to counsel the students to "behave better." I'd always reply the same way: I encourage students to debate adults twice their age. And I defend their right to print what they want.
I believe this is why I was fired. It doesn't make sense to fire me and hire no one else, unless the intent is to browbeat the students into submission – without a pain in the ass like me sitting by their side and encouraging them to fight back.
TOMORROW: Details on FAU's full-time adviser opening.
