On Feb 26, 2010, I was one of 20 students that relocated 300 of the 1500 copies of The Weekly from the Campus Center to at least four dorms, where 674 students reside. The papers were available for 24 hours prior to their relocation and, following Scholarship Days, The Weekly staff replaced newspaper copies in the Campus Center where they remained for the rest of the week.

After contacting several administrative departments, the administration informed us that they were not going to remove the papers for Scholarship Days, arguably the most important recruitment event for Gustavus.  At the time, a letter to the editor or conversation with The Weekly staff would not have prevented the visibility of the newspaper, which, in the opinion of this group of students, did not accurately portray the Gustavus we love.

Accusations of censorship are overstated. The papers were available throughout campus, and this action of individuals did not stifle the discussion of binge drinking on campus.  Evidently, understanding censorship and its real consequences remains difficult for those of us in a free democracy.

When faced with a formal complaint of disrespect of college property and violation of The Weekly’s distribution rights (notably not theft or censorship), I agreed to a public judicial hearing, open only to members of the Gustavus community, to encourage conversations about drinking and media responsibility. Unfortunately, an outside reporter attended this hearing, resulting in a factually incorrect editorial.  Others used these untruths to rescind my nomination for an All-American forensics award.  Despite the personal attacks, defamation and hate mail, I am overwhelmed by the personal and public statements of support and defense. To each of you, thank you.

As a product of values honed at Gustavus, I stand by this action and will continue to stand for what I believe.

Mary Cunningham ‘10