Welcome to Today's College Culture

"MY NAME IS MICHAEL VOCINO AND I LIKE DICK!"

What's that headline all about? Well, it is exactly the introductory words used by a faculty member at the University of Rhode Island, Michael Vocino, to introduce himself to his students on the first day of class.

As most of my readers know full well, the atmosphere on today's college campuses can sometimes get... well, strange. Nathaniel Nelson, an ISI Campus Representative at the University of Rhode Island just graduated this past spring and will be enrolling in a graduate program at another university in a nearby state.

Earlier this year, Nathaniel informed me of his encounter with a professor at URI and I pointed him in the direction of Students for Academic Freedom. Nathaniel attended ISI's Cicero's Podium debate at Wheaton College on "academic freedom", where he spoke to both of the debate's participants, David Horowitz of SAF and Roger Bowen, of the AAUP, about his story. Both were appalled and both have been trying to help him.

Horowitz allowed Nathaniel to write an article and publish it on FrontPageMag.com. After the article was published on August 12, Nathaniel's former professor at URI, Michael Vocino, responded. Both the response and the link to the first article by Nathaniel can be found here:

A Confession of Guilt?

I will warn you, it's quite disturbing. But, worth the read despite the length. Nathaniel wanted me to thank everyone at ISI for being a place where students can find a voice of reason in the sometimes bizarre world that is today's college campus. I think this story continues to demonstrate that we have a long road ahead as far as making a change in the culture on college campuses, needless to say, a change in the classroom too.