Homepage / Education
E-Mail News Alerts
Get breaking news and daily headlines.
Browse all e-mail newsletters
Related To Story

CCSU Newspaper Comic Criticized

Professor Calls For President's Resignation

POSTED: 11:59 am EDT September 14, 2007
UPDATED: 7:15 pm EDT September 14, 2007

A cartoon published in the campus newspaper of Central Connecticut State University this week prompted students and faculty to demand the editor's resignation.

The Recorder, a student-run campus newspaper, printed a three-frame comic, titled "Polydongs," features two characters who mention locking a "14-year-old Latino girl" in a closet and urinating on her.

Students and faculty are outraged and are planning to call for the removal of the campus newspaper editor on Friday.

The university's Student Media Board is scheduled to meet on Friday in a special session to discuss the new cartoon. Members of the Latin American Association and Latin American Student Organization plans to gather in a separate meeting the same day to discuss their response.

The Recorder came under fire in February for an opinion article titled "Rape Only Hurts If You Fight It," satirizing sexual assault as an experience that benefits "ugly women."

The head of the school's communication department said he is not only filing a complaint against the newspaper staff, but calling on the university's president to step down for not responding fast enough.

"I feel intimidated when they issue these types of publications," said communications professor Dr. Serafin Mendez.

Mendez told Eyewitness News that he has filed a judicial complaint against the CCSU newspaper and its staff for publishing the cartoon.

"We have literally hundreds of students who have come to us who are scared, who are hurt, who are sad," he said. "it's not funny. I cannot see the funny part of it."

Mendez called the cartoon hate speech and said the repeated wrongs show a lock of sensitivity by the paper and a lack of concern by the campus leadership.

"These problems are just a reflection of the poor quality of leadership that we have at the university," he said.

Mendez and his supporters are calling for the president's resignation and said that they will appeal to the Board of Trustees, Legislature and governor for action.

In a statement to the campus community, the university's president said he is offended by the cartoon and wants greater diversity on the newspaper staff and a full-time faculty member mentoring and teaching the staff.

The president said he also wants a journalism major and is cutting university advertising in The Recorder.

E-mail news tips to Eyewitness News, or dial: 866-289-0333.
Refresh WFSB.com often and watch Channel 3 Eyewitness News for the latest news updates.


Sponsored Links

Back To School

Find out how to send your student off to college, make sure your child's backpack isn't too heavy and see how much you remember from your school days. Check out our Back to School guide. More


Links We Like
Sponsored Content
There is no absolute number of drinks per day that defines alcoholism. Learn the behavior and body reactions that constitute alcoholism. More

Staging is vitally important when selling your home. These helpful hints will turn your problem rooms into buyer bait. More

It’s easy for us to go with the quick and unhealthy option when it’s time to grab lunch during a busy work day. Get tips on how to eat healthier at work. More

No matter where you live there are great foreclosed properties that could be just right for you. Search over 1.5 million foreclosed properties today and save up to 50% off market value! More

Degrees

When University of Phoenix was founded more than three decades ago, the leading edge of the Baby Boom generation was just turning 30 and the first personal computers were introduced. More

University of Phoenix offers an innovative approach to higher education. Focused on meeting the needs of working students, we believe it is important to provide educational opportunities that are not only convenient and accessible, but also up-to-date and applicable to the real world. More

Click Here


Hartford Magazine
Meriden Record-Journal
AllGreen.com