The World Turned Upside Down
Why I Wrote Disneygate But Almost Didn't
Kyle Klavetter
Issue date: 2/19/09 Section: News
"If buttercups buzz'd after the bee,
If boats were on land, churches on sea…
If summer were spring and the other way round,
Then all the world would be upside down."
Last week in line at the Chick-Fil-A, I turned around and almost bumped into a high-level university official who was a prominent figure in our recent publication of the Sixthirtyone "Expelled" issue. This was the first time after the publication of that issue that we had run into one another, and it's safe to say we would have rather seen that trend continue. One month after printing Boese's story, there's little love lost between certain University administrators and Sixthirtyone.
From the perspective of those who run the University, it might appear that Sixthirtyone has added defaming TU's reputation to its mission statement. In the fall, we ran a critical report on the overcrowding of the freshmen dorms, and, just in the past month, we've printed a somewhat dour assessment of the University's financial status, issued an investigative report on the Collegian's advertisement of fraudulent classified ads and called for investigation of the ethical conduct of the Dean of Students.
Compared to the copy run in most of the more recognized university newspapers, Sixthirtyone is, by comparison, wearing kid gloves. However, by the standard of the status quo at TU, these reports have indeed been harsh.
This, however, is because of the reality of the content and not due to any animosity.
I still remember how graciously President Upham received my staff and I into his office the day we presented him our first issue one year ago this month. He sat us down at his conference table and talked to us about the importance of a free press and offered encouragement for our new venture.
It was in part out of consideration for President Upham's kindness that day that I sent an email during winter break to David Hamby of University Relations, offering to kill the Boese story due to the messy fallout I knew it could bring. At the time, I was having second thoughts about whether to continue the story.
If boats were on land, churches on sea…
If summer were spring and the other way round,
Then all the world would be upside down."
Last week in line at the Chick-Fil-A, I turned around and almost bumped into a high-level university official who was a prominent figure in our recent publication of the Sixthirtyone "Expelled" issue. This was the first time after the publication of that issue that we had run into one another, and it's safe to say we would have rather seen that trend continue. One month after printing Boese's story, there's little love lost between certain University administrators and Sixthirtyone.
From the perspective of those who run the University, it might appear that Sixthirtyone has added defaming TU's reputation to its mission statement. In the fall, we ran a critical report on the overcrowding of the freshmen dorms, and, just in the past month, we've printed a somewhat dour assessment of the University's financial status, issued an investigative report on the Collegian's advertisement of fraudulent classified ads and called for investigation of the ethical conduct of the Dean of Students.
Compared to the copy run in most of the more recognized university newspapers, Sixthirtyone is, by comparison, wearing kid gloves. However, by the standard of the status quo at TU, these reports have indeed been harsh.
This, however, is because of the reality of the content and not due to any animosity.
I still remember how graciously President Upham received my staff and I into his office the day we presented him our first issue one year ago this month. He sat us down at his conference table and talked to us about the importance of a free press and offered encouragement for our new venture.
It was in part out of consideration for President Upham's kindness that day that I sent an email during winter break to David Hamby of University Relations, offering to kill the Boese story due to the messy fallout I knew it could bring. At the time, I was having second thoughts about whether to continue the story.
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