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PRESS RELEASES February 2004
February 26, 2004
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Bryan Pravda – Executive Director of Public Relations, The College Republicans
at Texas Website:
http://studentorgs.utexas.edu/cr/ is opposing certain recommendations in a report set out by the Taskforce on Racial Respect and Fairness,
which was created by President Larry Faulkner. largely in response to several racially charged incidents on the UT campus, including the egging of the Martin Luther King Jr. statue and the suspected racial profiling of a UT student. The taskforce outlined three main goals in the report: 1) the review of relevant procedures of the UT Police Department and the examination of cross-cultural educational programs available to UT police 2) an examination of the UT Administration’s ability to exert greater influence over the behavioral standards of UT student organizations 3) an examination of the effectives with which the University conveys the diversity of
its student population to the outside world. and Fairness are an affront to the values of limited government and personal responsibility,” said UT College Republicans Vice Chairman Sachiv Mehta. “Students at institutions of higher learning are adults and should be treated as such. If the taskforce desires to exert more influence over behavioral standards of UT students and student organizations, then they are implying that students are not responsible
enough to be civil and respectful to
one another without the help of Big Brother.” implement institutional and structural changes at the University. Throughout the last ten years, several committees have been
created with the theme of enhancing campus diversity in regard to race. civility and racial respect. However, the means by which the taskforce recommends going about achieving these goals would likely infringe upon the academic freedom of UT students,”
said UT College Republicans Chairman Brian Bodine. “structural and institutional changes for interpersonal and cultural change.” Among the policy proposals outlined in this goal is the establishment of a comprehensive “Honor Code” that incoming students would be required to sign in order to be admitted into the University and that student
organizations would have to
adhere to in order to function at the University. prove disastrous for student organizations engaging in free speech. The taskforce has recommended that words such as honor, civility, and fairness and respect for diversity be included in the Honor Code,” said Bodine. “Such terms are highly subjective, and being that UT has a mostly leftist faculty and student body, those terms might be incorrectly construed in order to
condemn certain forms of
political speech.” marked with it’s level of “university standing” to mark it’s role
in encouraging diversity. We have been discouraged from participating in cross-cultural events and shunned for voicing our political views; while the University-sponsored ‘diversity’ programs have been little less than rallies supporting affirmative action,” stated
Bryan Pravda, UT College Republicans Executive Director of Public Relations. and organizations, so the University can shoot down our political speech with which they do not agree. If the University were to truly pursue hiring historically underrepresented faculty, they should look into studies that show over 90% of the administration identifies with left-wing
views.” not just diversity of skin tone, for if UT is to improve upon race relations, it
should start thinking of people as individuals, not as colors.”
What this task force wants to do is regulate students’ thoughts.” University institute a multicultural/diversity general education requirement and create a
new office for a Vice President for Diversity and Equity. in more tuition and tax dollars going toward a bureaucratic function that the University doesn’t need. It’s fiscally unwise,” said Mehta .“And I do not believe that UT students would be happy having to take an additional course on multiculturalism, considering that many students have packed schedules as it is and are already learning about other cultures
though language and history requirements.” President Faulkner is accepting student input on the report until Friday, March 5th,
after which he will meet with the taskforce to discuss implementing the
recommendations. and to ensure that it respects political diversity. We are working with multiple student organizations
that oppose parts of the report to organize an opposition to its
implementation,” said Bodine.
http://www.utexas.edu/opa/news/04newsreleases/nr_200401/report_respect.pdf
February 16, 2004
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
College Republicans Host Congressional Candidate's Forum in a forum for a political race that promises to produce the future U.S. congressional representative for the new District 10. will meet in the Texas Union Ballroom of the University of Texas Union to debate the pertinent issues facing voters in the 2004 election year. The event will start at 8:00 pm on Thursday and is taking place 19 days before the Republican
Primary. College Republicans commented on the significance of the District 10 Republican primary election, "With strong Republican support in District 10, the results of this Primary Election promise to produce the next Texas Representative to US
Congress." in November since no Democratic candidate filled for the
general election, ” added Pravda. Michael McCaul, attorney Dave Phillips, former District Judge John Devine, Houston businessman Ben Steusand, Houston sports consultant John Kelley, retired airline pilot Pat Elliott, Austin banker Teresa Doggett-Taylor, and
Harris county native Brad Tashenberg. what positions they take on some of the most controversial issues of the day, including immigration, federal spending, and a constitutional amendment concerning marriage,” said College Republicans Chairman Brian Bodine. There is no charge to attend the event. Republican voters and
University of Texas Students are encouraged to attend. |
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