The Student Code at the University says that “discussion and expression of all views is permitted within the University” and that decisions involving people at the University be based on “individual merit and be free from invidious discrimination in all its forms.” This sounds all well and good – until it becomes clear that some people use these policies to enforce certain campus orthodoxies.

Last year, the University had a panel discussion on gay marriage. This panel consisted of three people who supported gay marriage and one person who was married to his gay lover. That is not a “discussion” among differing opinions. That is a one-sided political rally. Last fall, Professor Bassett in Geography 101 took class time to explain that if students didn’t vote for Kerry, there would be a draft. (Where’s my draft card?)

The Center for Advanced Study at the University is spending their dwindling funds to bring in Ted Rall in November as a guest speaker. Apart from his being a political cartoonist and a left-wing troll, I’m unclear what “intellectual” contribution he has to make. Do you think The Center for Advanced Study will invite Rush Limbaugh or Ann Coulter to campus any time soon? Me neither. What if a professor took class time to convince students to vote for Bush? Would he keep his job?

Take Social Perspectives on the Family, Sociology 273, as another example. The textbook is written by Andrew Cherlin and is entitled “Public and Private Families.” The textbook starts out with the premise that the traditional view of families and marriage is no longer sufficient. No reason for this premise is given. It then paints the definition of families and marriage to be anything you want it to be. If you hate your parents, they’re no longer family. If you like your role-playing buddies enough, they are your family. The entire prospect conjures up images of 60s hippie communes complete with copious amounts of marijuana, yet somehow devoid of what some call “a reasoned argument.” The irony is that sociologists wonder why no one considers them serious scientists even though they accept academics like Cherlin as legitimate. Puff, puff, pass, Professor. Don’t hog the roach.

Many will remember the infamous and inappropriate “I Hate Pam” cartoon in the Daily Illini that made a stereotypical comment about anatomical features and career choices of Jews. Although the DI is not funded by or a part of the University, Richard Herman proclaimed a fatwa and went on the offensive. But when the DI printed an article that very directly attacked the character of Christian men, the same Richard Herman made clear that the de facto policy of the University is that when it comes to Christians, all attacks are permitted.

If you don’t belong to the churches of Marx or Nietzsche (and they are religions), then you aren’t welcome in many departments on this campus. I know several professors, lecturers, students and staff members who hide their religious or political affiliations because of outright discrimination in their departments. As opposed to a marketplace of ideas, they have turned the University into little more than an echo chamber in the latest and greatest in left-wing Gnostic theology. Even when conservatives try to fight against it with events like Conservative Coming Out Day coming up on Sept. 21, members of PRIDE send spies to the planning meetings. If the Illinois Conservative Union, in turn, sent spies to PRIDE’s meetings, you can bet all of them would be having a conversation with the Dean of Students.

The University’s anti-discrimination policies are in place to facilitate a safe campus environment where people can develop and explore their ideas. The enforcement of those policies, however, is ensuring that various “heretical” ideas are repressed. As Stephen Balch has said, “Our colleges have become less marketplaces of ideas than churches in which you have to be a true believer to get a seat in the pews.” The University of Illinois is losing its character as a marketplace of ideas and is becoming a chamber of indoctrination.

John Bambenek is a University employee and graduate student. His column appears every Friday. He can be reached at [email protected] Student Code at the University says that “discussion and expression of all views is permitted within the University” and that decisions involving people at the University be based on “individual merit and be free from invidious discrimination in all its forms.” This sounds all well and good – until it becomes clear that some people use these policies to enforce certain campus orthodoxies.

Last year, the University had a panel discussion on gay marriage. This panel consisted of three people who supported gay marriage and one person who was married to his gay lover. That is not a “discussion” among differing opinions. That is a one-sided political rally. Last fall, Professor Bassett in Geography 101 took class time to explain that if students didn’t vote for Kerry, there would be a draft. (Where’s my draft card?)

The Center for Advanced Study at the University is spending their dwindling funds to bring in Ted Rall in November as a guest speaker. Apart from his being a political cartoonist and a left-wing troll, I’m unclear what “intellectual” contribution he has to make. Do you think The Center for Advanced Study will invite Rush Limbaugh or Ann Coulter to campus any time soon? Me neither. What if a professor took class time to convince students to vote for Bush? Would he keep his job?

Take Social Perspectives on the Family, Sociology 273, as another example. The textbook is written by Andrew Cherlin and is entitled “Public and Private Families.” The textbook starts out with the premise that the traditional view of families and marriage is no longer sufficient. No reason for this premise is given. It then paints the definition of families and marriage to be anything you want it to be. If you hate your parents, they’re no longer family. If you like your role-playing buddies enough, they are your family. The entire prospect conjures up images of 60s hippie communes complete with copious amounts of marijuana, yet somehow devoid of what some call “a reasoned argument.” The irony is that sociologists wonder why no one considers them serious scientists even though they accept academics like Cherlin as legitimate. Puff, puff, pass, Professor. Don’t hog the roach.

Many will remember the infamous and inappropriate “I Hate Pam” cartoon in the Daily Illini that made a stereotypical comment about anatomical features and career choices of Jews. Although the DI is not funded by or a part of the University, Richard Herman proclaimed a fatwa and went on the offensive. But when the DI printed an article that very directly attacked the character of Christian men, the same Richard Herman made clear that the de facto policy of the University is that when it comes to Christians, all attacks are permitted.

If you don’t belong to the churches of Marx or Nietzsche (and they are religions), then you aren’t welcome in many departments on this campus. I know several professors, lecturers, students and staff members who hide their religious or political affiliations because of outright discrimination in their departments. As opposed to a marketplace of ideas, they have turned the University into little more than an echo chamber in the latest and greatest in left-wing Gnostic theology. Even when conservatives try to fight against it with events like Conservative Coming Out Day coming up on Sept. 21, members of PRIDE send spies to the planning meetings. If the Illinois Conservative Union, in turn, sent spies to PRIDE’s meetings, you can bet all of them would be having a conversation with the Dean of Students.

The University’s anti-discrimination policies are in place to facilitate a safe campus environment where people can develop and explore their ideas. The enforcement of those policies, however, is ensuring that various “heretical” ideas are repressed. As Stephen Balch has said, “Our colleges have become less marketplaces of ideas than churches in which you have to be a true believer to get a seat in the pews.” The University of Illinois is losing its character as a marketplace of ideas and is becoming a chamber of indoctrination.

John Bambenek is a University employee and graduate student. His column appears every Friday. He can be reached at [email protected].