Arkansas Blog

They could shout Bang? Tell me you are kidding. Please tell me that an institution of higher learning could give their students enough credit to continue to use a gun prop in a SCHOOL PLAY even though yes, violence does exist in real life and even on their campus. Please. This is a joke blog thread to see if we'll believe it right?

Either the kids their are not thought very highly of by the college admin, or more likely the administrators there are not the brightest on the market today.

"Bang Bang. Take that you wascally president. Bang." You can't make this stuff up. I sit here with my mouth open. At least they didn't use the gun that has the little flag that unfurls with the world BANG on it. I think having the students say "Bang" aloud adds so much more.

We've been all through this in previous threads. Please, ATU, just get rid of Robert Brown, hire an intelligent adult and regain some respect for your institution. To keep this throwback on board as President is to affirm what he stands for and accept your newfound status as a hick laughingstock school. Is that what you like?

Sports vs. Arts? What lasting value has O.J. Simpson or Lance Alworth left the world vs. Stephen Sondheim or Pablo Picasso?

Sack Brown, ATU, and become relevant again.

Robert Brown has been an embarrassment for years. It's time for him to go.

My drama major daughter was all up in this at dinner last night. She is trey offended and so here's ample warning....Mr. Brown, if you have a flat in front of our house...just keep walking dude, and if I was you, I'd make tracks fast.

My political animal daughter suggested the newly formed drama department at UAFS might offer the use of Breedlove Auditorium on the campus of UAFS to the drama department of Arkansas Tech, so they could stage their play up here....with no need to yell BANG BANG.

My drama-free wife who thinks globally about everything except sex, suggested that Stephen Sondheim might offer to stage the Arkansas Tech production on Broadway in New York New York just to make a big point that ain't nobody should be messin with ART.

It's time we wrestle our world back from the pea-brained pussies of the world.

Brown is an egomaniac who makes Benito Mussolini look like a shrinking violet.

Excellent ideas, DBI.. Why does My name Is Rachel Corrie come to mind?

Deathbyinches:

>>She thinks globally about everything except sxe<< Hmmm. I have to wonder. I to agree, all sex, when it's not online, like politics, is local.

I'm sure she does not have to think globally about such bodily wonders, given that I'm only left to assume that your wife came up with your pen name, DeathbyInches.

You're the man. "Boom, Boom" he said. "Take that you wascally woman you" :)

As an alumni, I can tell you it is more than time for Bob C. Brown to hit the road. He's undoubtedly done a number of good things, but over time, the amount of power he has consolidated has stifled academic and personal freedoms on the Tech campus, culminating in this very public, very embarrassing incident.

DBI - I can only hope that Brown has a flat near your compound, but he'd probably have a police escort if he drove around the mean streets of Fort Smith given his ego-tripping style as of late.

What's wrong with using one of those cool pistols that extends a short stick from which the word 'bang" unscrolls? Water pistols are equally useful for dramatic effect. Jeez, people, do I have to think of everything?

If only the student/thugs/kids/darlings/delinquents (kids are so complex at that age) at Boyles Park yesterday had simply yelled BANG and Ka-Pow, and Take That yesterday.

Oh wait, that would've involved creative problem solving, rudimentary conflict resolutioon and pretty advanced vocabulary.

Never mind.

In general...Arkansas' university presidents are petty bullies who seem to have tossed out the ethical fundamentals that underlie a quality college education. It's all about preserving their place at the tax trough, appeasing alum and making sure the campus flowers look pretty. Soon our colleges will resemble our public schools...where superintendents have absolute rule, conformity is rewarded, drug testing is the norm and free speech/cutting edge artistic endeavors are nonexistent.

...one more thing I hope I'm wrong about.

You are exactly, precisely, right, Zelda.

This is the "education" presented to our children in this state. Approved by their parents and "communities."

No wonder anybody with larger ambitions, especially creative, gets the hell out of Arkansas as soon as possible to further their educations and make their marks and money elsewhere. No wonder Arkansas ranks at the bottom of so many polls. University Presidents like Brown are supported and retained.

Ironically, we have a fine internationally-staffed and studented medical education facility (UAMS) that ranks among the finest in the country. It is free from religion, free from sports teams and stadiums and cheerleaders and Greeks. It relies heavily on generous patrons each year.

It offers a fine education and turns out impressive physicians year after year.

UAMS has its "star" physicians. Dr. David Lipschitz. Dr. Bart Barlogie. Et al.

Yet I still hear from women after their initial visit with Dr. Rhonda Henry-Tillman for a lump in their breast , "But she's black."

That's how I know I'm in Arkansas.

Zelda, hi, I'm earth. Have we met? Come on, put yourself into a modern college president's shoes, especially in Arkansas. Around half the dollars come from the state, thus shouldn't they be just a little polictically astute in order to get proper funding? And about those alums, don't they give a little every now and then for scholarships and buildings? You want to take that away from the colleges? Ok, either there really goes the tutition through the roof or just have everyone transfer to Harvard where their billions in endowments can take care of everyone. Get real-istic. This is Arkansas where everything worth it's salt usually isn't funded enough. And if the campus flowers weren't blomin', then there would be complaints on that, too.

You realize that IF this play goes on, the terrorists will win.

Is Brown supporting Huckabee? Where is Mikey on this issue? Come save the world Mike!

.

It's utterly ridiculous that this situation has advanced to the point at which the ACLU has become involved. Everything would be solved if the Theatre Kids could do their play.

But this hasn't happened yet.

And so the fight continues....

I totally condemn this censorship by Brown. Cast of "Assassins,", get out in the middle of Tech and start performing and dare him to arrest you all. We're missing the activism component here... fight for your freedom! And if they are talented drama students, they could stage the protest in a SPECTACULAR fashion. When one is arrested, hand the script to the next person and the next and the next. Good god, students, take back your university! If they started now they could ally with drama departments and the public and perform it all day Saturday, Sunday, Monday... until the stand-off ends in a triumphant production in their original theater.

Dr. Brown has done many things at this school that need to be looked into. Here is a list of email addresses to copy and paste to send an email to help bring attention to these problems.

whitakerr@arkleg.state.ar.us
hwilkins@arkleg.state.ar.us
swomack@arkleg.state.ar.us
trustys@arkleg.state.ar.us
thompsonr@arkleg.state.ar.us
taylorj@arkleg.state.ar.us
tsteele@arkleg.state.ar.us
tsmith@arkleg.state.ar.us
msalmon@arkleg.state.ar.us
pritchardb@arkleg.state.ar.us
pmalone@arkleg.state.ar.us
madisons@arkleg.state.ar.us
lukerj@arkleg.state.ar.us
jjeffress@arkleg.state.ar.us
gjeffress@arkleg.state.ar.us
bhorn@arkleg.state.ar.us
jhill@arkleg.state.ar.us
hendrenk@arkleg.state.ar.us
cnhc@juno.com
crumblyj@arkleg.state.ar.us
jcritcher@arkleg.state.ar.us
cappsj@arkleg.state.ar.us
bryless@arkleg.state.ar.us
sbroadway@arkleg.state.ar.us
bookoutp@arkleg.state.ar.us
bakerg@arkleg.state.ar.us
jargue@arkleg.state.ar.us
aaltes@aol.com
berrys@arkleg.state.ar.us
overbeyg@arkleg.state.ar.us
raglandr@arkleg.state.ar.us
praters@arkleg.state.ar.us
greenbergd@arkleg.state.ar.us
raineyd@arkleg.state.ar.us
allenmaxwell@sbcglobal.net
roebuckj@arkleg.state.ar.us
reepg@arkleg.state.ar.us
hardwickh@arkleg.state.ar.us
martinm@arkleg.state.ar.us
abernathyb@arkleg.state.ar.us
contactus@arkansasethics.com
Michael.cook@arkansas.gov
Theola.Poole@arkansas.gov
dtatum@entergy.com
R-Lawson@swbell.net

The suggestion that Dr. Brown believes "that this is just all a big misunderstanding. He never intended to cancel anything. He's just been waiting for word from the drama department on when they planned to reschedule." IS ABSOLUTELY ABSURD!!!!!! The stand that the drama department has taken on this issue was for the sole purpose "that the show must go on". Dr. Brown, you are missing the point! All the drama department ever wanted was for the show to open. Let me put this in simpler terms, Step One: Dr. Brown "postpones" play (i.e. Dr. Brown has possession of the ball), Step 2: Dr. Brown claims he is ready to discuss rescheduling the play (pass the ball to other team Dr. Brown, not back and forth between your own teammates. ) Step 3: The ball will be back in the court of the drama department who will gladly reschedule!!!!
Come on Dr. Brown, we all know you are a sports fan, pass the ball!!!!

Dr. Brown you have got to at least let the other team (drama department) know they now have the option of rescheduling, obviously they were unaware the ball was now officially in their court.

If you are upset about the things that Dr.Brown has done and the way he runs the school, take the above list of email addresses and send an email to all of these addresses at one time. It is a list of State Senators,Representives,the Govenors office and othe state agencies that should all hear about these things. Speak out to make a change.

In a Letter to the Editor of The Courier today (28th), was a suggestion to go ahead and donate to Tech's Loyalty Fund, but direct your donations to the Theatre Department instead. This is a good idea; just make sure that is where it goes. The staff and faculty that got this same mailout at home as well as their office last year were given a 3% raise by the Trustees only to have Dr Bob take 1% of that from most underlings and departmental budgets to be placed in his Presidential Initiative Fund. Also the charge for parking permits (hang tags) and soft drink prices went up as well.

I know this is off topic perhaps, but there is a major underlying theme to the whole theatre debacle has finally brought to the surface so many shortcomings of such a small-minded, look what I've done for me, man. Maybe those that have stuck out this administration will someday soon be relieved of their overwhelming burden by the departure (voluntary or forced) of Dr Bob.

With the construction of Baswell Hall, all northbound traffic from downtown (via El Paso) is now directed to a narrow side street (Fargo) with blind corners, a building less than a foot from the pavement and so many students fighting with traffic to cross this street from a major off-campus parking lot. Again, all of this just to update the football image at Tech at the expense and danger to students and visitors alike. Dr Bob seems to have forgotten why he is here -- the students. But, when you select the people on the Board of Trustees and have the Governor rubber stamp his yes men, how can there be any checks and balances in such an administration?

As expected after numerous Tech-negative articles, another top man at The Courier finds a transfer in his future. The current Editor has suddenly accepted a job in Paragould as the Publisher. How many times in the past has this happened after less-than-positive articles about Tech have appeared in The Courier. Editors and Publishers head's seem to roll. See Sundays (March 2nd) edition for details. Freedom of the press? Has anybody else noticed this relationship?