(April 25) The Campus: "Homosexuality is unnatural and evil"
This op/ed follows a previous article from Upham (2 weeks prior), and articles that were written in response to it (1 week prior.) Upham makes his position on homosexual acts as "both unnatural and intrinsically evil" very clear. He says that he wishes to appeal to those who support his right to express these opinions, whether they agree with them or not. Upham then engages in conservative fear-mongering, claiming that Middlebury will begin prosecuting students for "politically incorrect ideas" in totalitarian style and that the sexual harassment policy puts an end to discussion. Finally, Upham restates his claim (which had already been disproven) that homosexuality as a mental disorder was still a matter of debate in the professional field of psychology and in the psychology department at Middlebury. Here is the article from The Campus' archives, as well as photos of the article as it was originally printed.
David Upham
April 25, 1991
(April 18) The Campus: "Understanding 'PC'"
This editorial reconciles the history and present of the term "political correctness." The history stems from Marxists circles wherein any politics that weren't Marxist were deemed "politically wrong." However the term was reinterpreted for present day use as a phrase that demands respect and inclusion for neglected people and their histories. The editorial suggests that the goals of PC are worth the possible limitations on free speech that is hateful. Finally the article states that the misuse of "PC," and it's framing as anti-free speech or free-thought, are an "effective conservative political weapon against social change." Here is the article from The Campus' archives, as well as photos of the article as it was originally printed.
The Middlebury Campus Staff (Editorial)
April 18, 1991
(April 11) The Campus: "PC seen as threat"
This op/ed is written in defense of Daniel O'Neil's article in the March 14 edition of the Campus. This article specifically addresses the legitimacy of the college's new sexual harassment policy which prohibited "negative comments concerning sexual orientation." Upham labels this policy as "extremist" because it "prohibits the expression of the religious tenets of Roman Catholicism and of religions that regard homosexual acts as immoral" and "prohibits the free discussion of a major question in psychology." Note that there was already psychological consensus that homosexuality was not a possible diagnosis or mental disorder (Search: (April 18) The Campus: "Correcting Upham"). Upham believes the new policy is "coercion of the mind" and that it is an attempt to "coerce" rather than "persuade" those who don't agree with PC ideas. He concludes by stating that all who care about intellectual freedom and the free exchange of ideas in an educational institution, "must resist the tendencies of the current phenomenon known as political correctness." Here is the article from The Campus' archives, as well as photos of the article as it was originally printed.
David Upham
April 11, 1991
(March 21) The Campus: "PC does not exist at Middlebury"
This op/ed is a direct response to Daniel O'Neil's article a week prior on March 14. This article says that though political correctness can be problematic, there is no point to O'Neil's op/ed, as PC does not exist at Middlebury. Ryan and Stillinger point to O'Neil's own words about the SGA rejecting a possibly mandatory "Cherishing the Earth" course, to show that the student body clearly does not consider itself to be PC. They further push back on O'Neil's "dangerous" opinions, saying "The label of PC at Middlebury provides a convenient escape from the very real issues of sexism, racism, elitism, and other “perceived” social inequities" ("perceived" is a quote from O'Neil's article). Finally, they defend the faculty who they say are as much a part of the Middlebury community as the students, though they were criticized harshly in O'Neil's article. Ryan and Stillinger condemn O'Neil's argument that PC limits diversity of thought and speech, "In the future, if Mr. O’Neil would like to glorify fascism, please do not masquerade it under the cloak of diversity. Silence equals death." Here is the article from The Campus' archives, as well as photos of the article as it was originally printed.
Melissa Ryan and Cynthia Stillinger
March 21, 1991
The Campus: "Middlebury: Where White Supremacists, but Not Survivors, Are Worthy of Free Speech"
After Dunn posted The List, they met with a campus judicial officer who requested the names and contact information of the people who had contacted Dunn with reports of sexual misconduct. Dunn refused. After returning from winter break (Dunn posted The List during finals week), the judicial officers informed them that they were facing official college discipline for violating college policy. Shortly thereafter, past and present Middlebury It Happens Here leaders, wrote an op/ed in solidarity with Dunn. The op/ed questioned why white supremacists (Charles Murray for example) had the right to free speech at Middlebury, but not survivors or women of color (Dunn and Addis Fouche-Channer among others).
Middlebury's It Happens Here team (alumni and students): Maddie Orcutt ('16), Jingyi Wu ('17), Luke Brown ('14), Michelle Peng ('15), Morgan Grady-Benson ('18), Katie Preston ('17), Kristina Johansson ('14), Taite Shomo ('20.5), Shariell Crosby ('16)
January 24, 2018