When Student Affairs vice president Charles Brown called an emergency meeting yesterday morning to discuss "restructuring student media," there was no way to predict the outcome. This is FAU, after all. Would the UP editor get fired? Or would she get a puppy?
With only 45 minutes' notice, EIC Karla Bowsher couldn't make it. So she started calling her staff. She eventually woke up former EIC Michele Boyet, who rolled right out of bed and headed to campus.
Michele said the meeting was more about spin than structure. Joining Brown in his office were Student Affairs dean Corey King and assistant dean Terry Mena – but no Marti Harvey. The student media director wasn't around to discuss restructuring student media.
On the other side of the table was Michele, the TV station's manager, and the radio station's program director.
Michele said most of Brown's speech – it wasn't really a conversation – was about correcting “the misinformation that’s out there.” And while he permitted the meeting to be recorded, Brown asked that it not be aired. Obviously, he reads this blog and listened to his performance from the other day.
He even admitted as much...
I read the blogs from time to time. I read that Student Affairs wants to take over the media. That is not the purpose of this. We’ve never censored the paper. I WILL come up to a student and say, “Are you sure that was a great story? That was the right story?” – after it’s been printed. We have a right to say that. And I tell students all the time, “Remember you represent FAU, and you don’t want to create a red eye for the university.” You represent FAU. That’s one of my taglines: You represent FAU.
Brown is the boss and I'm just a volunteer, but we have a gaping difference of opinion here. I believe a student newspaper represents students. Not the university.
And you know what? All those "red eyes" had a knack for creating clearer vision. Housing tightened its rules, the pub stopped serving alcohol outdoors, and Student Affairs put an adviser in SG's offices.
Journalism works. Imagine that.
I tell the students all the time...
You don't represent FAU. You're paying FAU. If anything, FAU should be representing you. If it isn't, you just found your next big story.
MONDAY: One month since I was fired. An anniversary present.
