University suspends student for conservative activism

Young America's Foundation ^ | FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, OCTOBER 18, 2002

[Trouble North of the Border]

*************************************************** STUDENT LEADERS PERSECUTED FOR BELIEFS One Student Faces Suspension, the Other Impeachment *************************************************** HERNDON, VA - What started as a dispute at Arizona State University over "gifts or information" received from a Young America's Foundation activist rewards program has quickly escalated to one student leader being threatened with impeachment, and another suspended from school without due process.

Shanna Bowman, vice president of activities for the ASU student government, and Oubai Shahbandar, her chief-of-staff, are the first student government leaders at ASU to advocate a balanced lecture program. They have invited several well known conservatives to counter the leftist speakers the administration has sponsored, including Cornel West, Mary Frances Berry, Morris Dees, and Henry Louis Gates, Jr. Because of Bowman's and Shahbandar's belief in offering students a chance to hear conservative ideas on their campus, leftist groups, including the Young Democrats and Democratic Socialists, the Progressive Alliance, the ASU chapter of the ACLU, and the Minority Coalitions, which includes the Women's Coalition, the Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgendered/Questioning Lambda League, the Asian Coalition, the American Indian Coalition, and El Concillio, have used endless dirty tricks to remove them from their positions with student government.

The extremist groups first tried to have Bowman impeached by the student senate for possibly accepting future "gifts" from Young America's Foundation including a "free trip to California" in April to the Reagan Ranch in Santa Barbara, California. The impeachment failed and now the groups are holding rallies where they hold signs declaring Bowman a bigot, and are promoting a petition drive for Bowman's recall, using lies to entice fellow students to sign the petition and vote her out of student government. On the petition recall, the groups accuse Bowman of "creating a hostile work environment," taking an "extremist position," and "receiving gifts while in office." None of the groups' accusations have any truth.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: CONTACT RICK PARSONS: 1(800) 292-9231

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[Trouble North of the Border]

I'm not sure what can be done, but this is outrageous!

[Arkinsaw]

It's getting easier and easier to see what happened to Germany in the 30's. The whole country went off on a mental tangent and were unable to see the reality of what they were doing. Suddenly oppression of others becomes a high moral value and worthwhile goal. Same deal going on here.

[herewego]

I should be more surprised. I really should be.

[hedgetrimmer]

I would flood the chancellors office with phone calls and mail, complaining about the lack of first amendment rights. I would push for oversight to make sure that the students with conservative views are protected. I would definitely get involved. The same thing is happening at the University of Calfornia, Santa Cruz. There are some lawsuits that have been declared against the student government and university officials for their dastardly treatment of the student group, Students for a Conservative America, SFCA

[timpad]

I'll tell you one thing that can be done. I'm an ASU alumnus, life member of the Alumni Association, and I donate regularly to both the association and the College of Business. If ASU wants any more of MY donations, they will support free speech for all points of view, not just Leftist ones.

The Association will receive a letter to this effect rather quickly.

[Texas_Jarhead]

un-effen-believable

the communists must be proud while our founding fathers rollover in their graves

if they keep this crap up, sooner of later the stuff is gonna hit the fan. I say is bring it on - they shall reap what they sew

[LonePalm]

PING!

Sounds like trouble in your neck of the woods.

Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)

[gaijin]

"[The conservative students wished to invite] Morris Dees..."

Isn't that the guy who goes around, raking in millions, while calling everyone a Nazi?

[Drango]

future "gifts"

I give up? What the 'ell is a "future gift"?

[irv]

It's getting easier and easier to see what happened to Germany in the 30's.

Political violence - street brawls and murders - was a daily occurrence. The far left (the Nazis, today, for some bizarre reason considered the Right) and the farther Left (communists) fought skirmish after bloody skirmish in a ruthless war for power.

That was far away and long ago, before the Left learned about marijuana and designer drugs. They'd be even more violent now, if they could just remember why ...

[Salvation]

Unbelievable. Is there anyone we can FReep?

[rickmichaels]

None of the groups' accusations have any truth.

This is like saying water is wet.

[Coeur de Lion]

They have invited several well known conservatives to counter the leftist speakers the administration has sponsored, including Cornel West, Mary Frances Berry, Morris Dees, and Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

Read it again.

[timpad]

Oh, get a load of this...

 

http://www.asuwebdevil.com/main.cfm?include=detail&storyid=110240

 

Now I'm really torqued...I sure hope I'm reading this situation wrong. If not, there's a bad moon on th' rise at the Alma Mater...

[Quix]

I sure CONCUR.

Outrageous it is.

And the airheaded liberals are too thoughtless to realize that by acting as they do, they are making a huge statement that their arguments lack merit so they have to resort to gestapo tactics.

I think publicizing that their actions ARE GESTAPO TACTICS WOULD BE VERY, VERY GOOD. Via every means possible--and the student group should be able to do it with some elbow grease and creativity. . . . whether with leaflets or emails to all their classmates or whatever. Certainly they could make it a newsworthy event every week or so if they tried hard enough. I need to check. Did the article have an email address?

[TotusTuus]

On the petition recall, the groups accuse Bowman of ... taking an "extremist position,"...

I don't know guys, sounds really, really serious to me. This is unconstitutional, isn't it?

Help me! I went to public schools!

[mississippi red-neck]

leftist groups, including the Young Democrats and Democratic Socialists, the Progressive Alliance, the ASU chapter of the ACLU, and the Minority Coalitions, which includes the Women's Coalition, the Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgendered/Questioning Lambda League, the Asian Coalition, the American Indian Coalition, and El Concillio, have used endless dirty tricks to remove them from their positions with student government

This is no longer a school. This is radical leftist, socialist, perverted , brainwashing, propaganda mill. If we don't take our schools and our children's education back from the federal government this country is lost.

[timpad]

Man, it just keeps getting worse! Here's an op-ed from the State Press, the student newspaper...real obvious what Mr. Shabandar's crime is!

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Editorial: ASASU senator should ‘Oubai’ common sense

Lately ASU has been in the news for all the wrong reasons.

Hate crimes and fake hate crimes. Professors arrested on suspicion of being involved with ecstasy-dealing rings. American flags removed from dining halls.

But one thing media outside of ASU probably won’t pick up on, however, is the impeachment process of Associated Students of ASU Sen. Oubai (prounced “OH-bay”) Shahbandar.

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences College Council has held impeachment hearings over the last few weeks. It is time to take action and end Shahbandar’s career as a CLAS senator. He is simply more concerned with getting attention than he is with doing his job. His impeachment, if it happens, won’t put ASU in national news because this is one thing Shahbandar won’t be alerting reporters to.

As Resident Media Whore, Shahbandar has had his name in the news in for any number of things — all hoopla he has generated himself. “Oooubai” must wake up every morning dreaming up ways to be controversial.

He brought controversial activist and author David Horowitz to ASU in the spring. This was after Horowitz placed an ad in college newspapers across the country, “10 Reasons Why Reparations For Slavery Is A Bad Idea — And Racist Too,” that inflamed many tempers, inundated newsrooms with misdirected angry callers and incited students to protest his visit to campus.

“Oubai Wan Kenoubai” may have brought Horowitz to ASU because he agreed with the activist’s views, but he made sure he alerted all the local media. He spoke on a call-in radio talk show, and his name appeared in local newspapers. Shahbandar basked in the spotlight that accompanies controversy and hasn’t stopped since.

As president of the College Republicans, Shahbandar set up a Web site for the club. On this site is a declaration called “I Am a Republican Because ... ” that lists reasons to be Republican, including “I BELIEVE in equal rights, equal justice and equal opportunity for all, regardless of race, creed, sex, age or disability.”

We think Shahbandar isn’t “oubai-ing” the credos on his own site. In mid-August he posted this rhetoric on the message board of the Web site: “How about those femi-Nazis that teach women’s studies?” he wrote. “Those honies just need to find a good man and take it easy on all the male-bashing.”

It doesn’t sound like “Oh baiby” believes in equal rights or equal opportunity. He also posted fliers in August to recruit new members to the College Republicans. “Attention Women!!!,” they read. “Prevent yourself from being raped. Join the ASU College Republicans.” Frankly, we think ASU women would be safer with the so-called “femi-Nazis” than with a guy who is such a pro at whoring himself to controversy.

Perhaps most discouraging about this student who can’t control his affection for the spotlight is his performance, or lack thereof, as an ASASU senator.

Shahbandar has been accused of failing to represent ASASU at Arizona Students Association meetings. Only $1 of each ASU student’s tuition goes to the ASA, the statewide student advocacy group, but we’d like quality representation for our bucks, or at least representation that actually represents.

And while we might have to look a little harder to find editorial topics because ASASU is starting to weed out the wackos, we’re glad they’re trying to make sure our student government has more real representatives and less media whores.

Sit, Oooubai, sit.

[Red Jones]

bump

[Trouble North of the Border]

If someone calls...

RICK PARSONS:
1 (800) 292-9231

Likely can get some addresses and emails...as well as moe information.

It sounds like the one student has quite a controversial political style (not necesarily bad, more then likely good), but more info would be helpful.