Duquesne Athletics

An update.

Athletic Cuts at Duquesne

I have the details over at Phi Beta Cons.

Recent Higher Ed Commentary

Sorry my blogging here has been light as of late.

I've had a few pieces over on Phi Beta Cons recently:

On Title IX

On LSE's links to Hamas

Is DC Cooler Now that Obama is in Town?

Amanda Carpenter and I weigh in over at The Right Idea:

The Right Idea, Episode 34: The "New" DC from The Winston Group on Vimeo.

The Battle for Free Speech at Bucknell

I have an update over at Phi Beta Cons.

The Right Idea

I recently filmed an episode of The Right Idea with Kristen Soltis and Amanda Carpenter. We talked about health care reform and you can watch here:

The Right Idea, Episode 33: Health Care Reform from The Winston Group on Vimeo.

Bucknell Update

It's back to school time in L-burg and, unfortunately, everything isn't sunshine and lollipops at my alma mater. Here's my latest on the behalf of the Alliance for a Better Bucknell:

The new academic year is about to begin at Bucknell. For many students, especially the new Class of 2013, it is a time of excitement and new beginnings. Regrettably, for many of us who are not on campus, this is a time of sadness given two recent developments.

First, Bucknell president Brian C. Mitchell announced his resignation this summer. As anyone who has ever met him knows, President Mitchell is a force of nature. He has, over his tenure, applied his considerable energy to some of the most pressing challenges facing Bucknell--including making a concerted effort to pop the "Bucknell bubble" and ensure that students are confronted with a wide range of views on the issues facing our nation today. ABB will miss President Mitchell and wishes him success in his next endeavor. We also hope the Board of Trustees will ensure that his successor is the kind of change agent who will force Bucknell into greater heights of excellence. His legacy deserves it, and our degrees demand it.

Second, the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education--a civil-liberties group in Philadelphia--has placed Bucknell on its "Red Alert" list given the ongoing free-speech dispute we have noted here. The group's announcement is accompanied by prominent advertisements, including in the U.S. News & World Report college guide. Clearly, this is not the reputation we want Bucknell to have. ABB urges all friends of Bucknell: Redouble your efforts to change this unacceptable situation. Call on President Mitchell, kindly but firmly, to stand up and make clear that the events of the spring were a mistake, and that all students and faculty will have their right to speak freely respected. Tell your Bucknell friends, and ask them to do the same.

That is not fun, we know, and it is not how we would prefer to begin the school year. But as it is often said, we are all members of the "Bucknell family," and sometimes family members have to pull each other aside and present some hard truths. Please join us in doing that at this challenging, and crucial, time for the university we all love.

--Allison Kasic '05

MSNBC

Here's my clip from Monday talking about Sarah Palin:

Podcast Alert

Hadley Heath and I discuss the cap-and-trade bill here.

News Alert

I'm quoted in this article about the National Organization for Women.

TV Alert

I'm scheduled to be on MSNBC today, approx. 3:30 EST talking about Sarah Palin.

News Coverage of the Recent Bucknell Kerfuffle

Check out this story in today's Philly Inquirer for an update on the situation.

The bright spot of the article for me is that President Mitchell has received over 100 calls/emails/letters from people who don't like how the school is handling the situation. Keep it up, folks! We have to stand up for free expression at Bucknell.

Podcast Alert

Sarah Walters and I discuss the Cash-for-Clunkers program which passed Congress on Thursday. Listen here.

MSNBC Video

Here's part of the segment I was on earlier this week (sorry it gets cut off at the end):

Free Speech (or Lack Thereof) at Bucknell

As a proud Bucknell alum, it saddens me greatly to see free expression not valued on campus. In two separate incidences this spring, the Bucknell administration shut down two political events, seemingly because they were too controversial for their liking.

I put out this statement on behalf of the Alliance for a Better Bucknell last night:

Paging President Mitchell

In recent years, Bucknell has been no stranger to free-speech controversies. In fact, several of our board members were part of the successful effort--which included students, faculty, and alumni from across the ideological spectrum--to repeal Bucknell's former speech code, which had been used to silence "politically incorrect" student speech. After that, we thought our beloved alma mater had turned the page, especially given President Brian Mitchell's repeated statements and actions in favor of a vigorous exchange of ideas.

Now, we are deeply saddened to read that the "bad old days" seem to have returned. The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, a respected civil-liberties group in Philadelphia, has issued a series of communiqués documenting administrative censorship of the Bucknell Conservatives Club--whose members had tried to state their views regarding fiscal policy and affirmative action. It is troubling that these events ever happened, and even more so that the administration had the chance to resolve this privately and did not

So far, no one has heard a word from President Mitchell. His subordinates were responsible for the actions taken against the conservative students and issuing the university's lone (and very puzzling) statement. We need him to speak up, personally, to do what's right and to protect the value of a Bucknell degree--and we are hopeful he will do so.

ABB calls upon President Mitchell, in the strongest possible terms, to immediately condemn the recent censorship and proclaim publicly that no one will ever be treated this way again at Bucknell for expressing social or political views. This issue is not about conservatives or liberals; it is about one of the fundamental tenets of a university. The expressive rights of Bucknell students (as well as faculty) must be respected.

In pursuit of this most important goal, we urge like-minded alumni and friends of the University to contact the president--politely but purposefully--at brian.mitchell[at]bucknell.edu. And do loop us in, via info[at]betterbucknell.org, so we know how many folks have raised their voices in support of free speech.

--Allison Kasic '05

TV FYI

I'll be on MSNBC today at approx. 3:40pm eastern time to talk about President Obama. Tune in if you can.

Podcast Alert

In a new IWF podcast, Hadley Heath and I discuss the impact of the Employee Free Choice Act on small business.

Podcast Alert

In the latest IWF podcast, I discuss Obama's pick of Sotomayor for the Supreme Court. Listen here.

Podcast Alert

At a recent rally for school choice in Washington, D.C., I interviewed Virginia Walden Ford about the status of the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program.

Article Alert

I have a new article about the recently slew of athletic program cuts across the country (and how Title IX factors into program decisions). Check it out here.

Radio Alert

I was on Wrestling 411 today to discuss Title IX's impact on athletics. Audio is available here.

Radio Alert

I was recently on Troy Derengowski's show to discuss the new CAFE standards for automobiles. Listen here.

News Alert

I'm quoted in this article on Title IX.

Article Alert

Over at Townhall.com, I have an article on the push to enforce Title IX in high school athletics. Check it out here.

News Alert

This was in yesterday's New York Times (I was responding to this article):

To the Sports Editor:

When colleges consider budget cuts, male athletes will always bear the brunt of those cuts because of Title IX’s demands. Title IX’s proportionality requirement mandates that the gender breakdown of athletes mirror the gender breakdown of the general student population.

Most colleges struggle to meet that demand and are left with the option of adding more women’s sports or cutting men’s teams. Combine that framework with the economic downturn, and it’s no surprise that colleges are cutting men’s teams in droves. If costs were the only consideration, there would be no reason for universities to disproportionately cut men’s teams.

People deserve to know the full story about Title IX’s impact on collegiate athletics so they can encourage lawmakers to rethink enforcement measures to ensure that they are fair to both sexes.

Allison Kasic
Washington

The writer is a director at the Independent Women’s Forum, a research and educational institution.