Drew Brackett / KCOU News / May 11, 2010 / Get the radio story!
UM President Gary Forsee came under fire for a letter opposing Cap and Trade
Trouble was, he did not consult with other UM officials or the Board of Trustees before putting pen to paper.
Sustain Mizzou president Tina Casagrand says Forsee was wrong.
“I was concerned about the contents of the letter,” said Casagrand. “On one hand economically, it made sense for president Forsee to ask for an exemption. But on the other hand, he signed the presidents climate commitment.”
There were protests in front of Forsee’s MU campus office from student environmental groups.
Sustain Mizzou took a different approach, sending a letter to Forsee expressing their concerns.
While Casagrand says Forsee never responded to the letter, he did reverse course, dampening down his criticisms of cap and trade.
School of Journalism Associate Dean Brian Brooks' response to the Black Culture Center vandalism elicted criticism
Meanwhile, another major writing error came from a former wordsmith at the MU Journalism School.
It all started after two MU students, neither journalism majors, threw cotton balls on the Black Culture Center lawn in what was seen at the time as a hate crime.
The journalism school’s associate dean, Brian Brooks, sent out an email to students saying that he was thankful that no journalism students were involved.
He went on to say the school is one that respects people of all races ands religions as well as political and sexual preferences. It was that last phrase that led to an outcry within the school. Students blasted Brooks for his insensitivity, some even saying he should take Cross-cultural Journalism, one of the school’s required courses.
The criticism forced a follow-up e-mail from Brooks, in which he said he should not have used the term “sexual preference” because sexual orientation is not a choice. Brooks said his word choice was unfortunate and that he was heartbroken he offended people. (13 sec. Brooks 3)
One MU journalism student says the e-mails sent the wrong message.
“I think that he kind of doesn’t need to send the kind of emails that he sends. He ostracizes the j-school even more because we already are perceived as the elitist of Mizzou and he just makes that even more apparent.”
Last updated: 10:01 p.m. May 12, 2010
