Media Watch Yale Notes Commencement 2002

Media Watch

Or the Freestyle Dueling Association
“In this modern age it seems there is no time for civility and gentility, strength and honor. Yet, thankfully, one institution still survives that exemplifies those qualities of Old Yale…the Yale Collegiate Polo Team.”
— “Overheard,” Light and Truth, Spring 2003

So, are those amoral principles?
“[A university’s] object is, on the one hand, intellectual, not moral; and, on the other, that it is the diffusion and extension of knowledge rather than the advancement.”
— Alden Bass, “From the Editor”, Light and Truth, Spring 2003

“Yale’s historical mission has been to produce principled and profound leaders”
— “Overheard,” Light and Truth, Spring 2003

First one’s free…
“I didn’t plan to make a habit of opining on the editorials page, but when I was asked to write regularly for this year, I gladly accepted.”
—Meghan Clyne, YDN, 4/30/03

I now declare our nation utterly defenseless!
“After spending billions of dollars over the past year and a half to keep weapons off airplanes, the federal government will now spend nearly a billion more to put them back on. Even if this makes sense to you, solving a safety issue by throwing guns at it shouldn’t.”
—David Grimm, YDN, 4/24/03

Stop, or I’ll…I’ll…whimper
“Various studies have shown that guns are just as likely to exacerbate a violent situation as they are to resolve it. Even the most highly trained police officers are often unable to defend themselves with their weapons.”
—David Grimm, YDN, 4/24/03

The law of causation is ominous indeed
“…the most ominous response came from House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, who stated that “anybody can say anything he or she wants to — but there are consequences to what you say.”
—David Grimm, YDN, 3/27/03

Representative democracy?
“Without debate, we risk letting the opinions of a few dictate the actions of all. And what could be more un-American than that?”
—David Grimm, YDN, 3/27/03

Profiles in gratitude
“Thank you for getting rid of Saddam,” Iraqis told the Washington Post. “Now please go home, let us take care of things.”
—Kanishk Tharoor, The Yale Herald, 4/25/03

Just give me my money, okay?
“‘It speaks to the growing importance of the UOFC and the reforms it started this year. A lot of people care how it’s run.’”
—Ryan Sheely, YDN, 4/23/03

A controversial platform
“[Harsha-Strong] also said he wants more money for the UOFC.”
—Katherine Stevens, YDN, 4/23/03

Will rule for food
“Yale University pays and treats its workers like royalty as far as salaries and benefits are concerned; where else can you make $17 an hour swiping a card.”
—Hunter Kushner, Light and Truth, Spring 2003

Get your laws off my union
“The group [GESO] has been trying to organize a teaching and research assistant union for nearly 14 years but has not called for a National Labor Relations Board election because they say the process would allow the University to contest the results of an election.”
—Shinzong Lee, YDN, 5/1/03

Pending a vote, the YFP staff volunteers its services
“‘Obviously, I’m disappointed because I would have liked to see a stronger showing of support for the union,’ [Seth] said, ‘But I still think graduate researchers and teachers need an organized collective voice on this campus.’”
—Shinzong Lee, YDN, 5/1/03

You have to draw the line somewhere
“Hustler magazine publisher Larry Flynt joked Wednesday that he would have to modify his vocabulary since he was speaking in Battell Chapel.”
—Will Sullivan, YDN, 4/24/03

Then again, maybe not
“The church has had its hand on our crotch for 2,000 years.”
—Larry Flint, YDN, 4/24/03

Ugly rights are human rights
“‘[The feminists’] only claim to fame has been to urge a lot of ugly women to march,’ Flynt said. ‘I think the radical feminists who are on the fringe do not speak for the majority of women.’”
—Will Sullivan, YDN, 4/24/03

What is the world coming to?
“Green, who teaches ‘Racial Prejudice and Political Intolerance,’ said people tend to stand behind their country and respond negatively to vocal opposition during times of war.”
—Philip Rucker, YDN, 4/24/03

But Yale has eleventy bajillion dollars?!
“I remain hopeful that once the unions are willing to become realistic about the parameters of their wage and pension offers, we can settle contracts quickly.”
—Richard Levin, YDN, 4/24/03

Now that’s thinking outside the box
“Aaisha Tracy ’03 suggested Yale develop cultural sensitivity classes…”
—Martha Fulford, YDN, 4/24/03

Welcome to the machine
“Instead, Pillsbury ran as a nominee of the Green Party — a political organization that has begun to rival the New Haven Republicans as the largest opposition party in the city.”
—Jacob Leibenluft, YDN, 4/22/03

Faceless bureaucrats no more :-)
“In some cases, the [AIM] may allow more expression than the old intercom systems it has replaced. ‘You send a little message with a happy face or a sad face,’ said one administrative assistant. ‘It makes it personal.’”
—Emily Anthes, YDN, 4/22/03

The understatement of the century
“I think IM has the potential for wasting a lot of time.”
—Dean Quimby, YDN, 4/22/03

If only it had given them a life
“War’s end gives anti-war marchers a new focus.”
—Stephen Butler, YDN, 4/22/03

In peril? Isn’t that a little optimistic?
“The [YCC], the candidates presciently implied, is in constant peril of irrelevancy.”
—YDN, 4/21/03

How could such an innovative campaign fail?
“Vice presidential candidate Alan Kennedy-Shaffer ’06 will also use buttons to convey his message and called today ‘button day.’”
—Philip Rucker, YDN, 4/13/03

And he split an infinitive, too
“Stewart said she was disappointed by the lack of strong language in the e-mail, in particular Brodhead’s closing ‘Best wishes.’”
—Jessica Feinstein, YDN, 4/11/03

Being conservative at Yale…
“Raphael Soifer ’04 said he was the victim of such harassment Wednesday evening when a man spit on him as he was walking out of the Davenport dining hall.”
—Brian Murray, YDN, 4/11/03

Hard core
“The first time I carried a gun was in kindergarten.”
—YDN, 4/11/03

Fifty points for making us laugh
“There isn’t a whole lot of connection between say, Olympic style rifle competition and self-defense, unless you get attacked by a small black circle from 50 feet.”
—John McGann, YDN, 4/11/03

Flattery will get you everywhere
“This may come as a shock to liberal students at Yale, but in my experiences over the past year I have generally found my conservative peers to be the most intelligent, thought-provoking and open-minded students on campus.”
—James Kirchick, YDN, 4/23/03

Union workers and students have more in common than first thought
“My suitemates and I chose the latter and went out on the street to witness a huge funfest for laziness and greed.”
—Hunter Kushner, on Jesse Jackson’s visit, Light and Truth, Spring 2003

In the straight-to-video sequel to Groundhog Day
“Earth Day may be over, but for some Yale students, it never ends.”
—Katherine Stevens, YDN, 4/25/03

Told you so
“Wilhelm [a top negotiator for the Yale Unions], it seemed, had much more on his mind than mere contracts for Yale’s workers and recognition for its graduate students as he marched alongside his comrades.”
—Jacob Blecher, The New Journal, April 2003

See Back Page
“It takes more than the truth to organize workers.”
—Jacob Blecher, The New Journal, April 2003

It takes more than truth…
“The union’s largest local, in Las Vegas, had been in cahoots with the infamous gangster Bugsy Siegel…The last president, Edward Hanley, was ushered out of office by allegations of ties to Chicago mobsters, and even when Wilhelm took over in 1998, the Justice Department kept close tabs on his administration.”
—Jacob Blecher, The New Journal, April 2003

Yale Note

This issue of the Yale Free Press could not have been complete without some mention of the GESO vote, held on April 30. The vote, which sought to pass a proposition affirming the Graduate Employees and Students Organization and its attempts to unionize graduate students at Yale, stirred up a great deal of controversy among the student body. Those who opposed GESO complained that the vote was illegitimate. GESO gave very little notice of the election, giving its opponents no time to establish any organized opposition. Additionally, it submitted a list drawn up by GESO leaders themselves delineating which students were eligible to vote. Finally, it held the vote at Dwight Hall on Old Campus, a location discouraging to graduate students on Science Hill, most of whom oppose GESO. Despite all of these measures, the vote narrowly failed 694 to 651, including 80 challenge ballots, or ballots written by students who did not make the eligibility list but believed they deserved a vote. There were also 27 write-in votes that supported unionization sans GESO.

What was intended to be an artificial victory for GESO fast became a colossal defeat. Not only did the vote fail, robbing GESO leaders of the tenuous legitimacy that they have been laying claim to all year, but also the process strengthened opposition to GESO, encouraging those who were once silent to speak out. The YFP extends its heartfelt congratulations to GESO chairwoman Anita Seth. We hope that she continues to make such brilliant political decisions in the future.