tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89180962011-04-21T12:51:56.386-07:00Confronting Taylor University about its secrecy, privacy violations and disregard for the personhood of its students.Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.comBlogger681100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8918096.post-1102622470103604882004-12-09T11:57:00.000-08:002004-12-09T12:01:10.103-08:00

Because of various issues with blogger, I've migrated the blog and all its entries to a MT system which now lives at http://tuobligation.fifteen-minutes.net . I'm working on a way to move the haloscan comments there, but it'll take a while. For now, start using the MT comment system. It requires either a TypeKey identity or you'll have to wait until I can manually approve your comments. If that

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8918096.post-1102540410767859562004-12-08T13:09:00.000-08:002004-12-08T13:18:11.866-08:00

A new article from the Marion Chronicle-Tribune. It looks like the reporter still did the interviews by phone, but it's better than the last one.

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8918096.post-1102490423973222692004-12-07T23:15:00.000-08:002004-12-07T23:20:23.973-08:00

There are some friends from Taylor who didn't suddenly stop returning e-mails and phone calls or saying hi to me in the hallways. But we've lost touch anyway, for no good reason. Tara's one. We spent many hours driving back and forth between Taylor and PA -- and even got caught in a tornado and were trapped in the basement of a McDonald's once. I still have her Jewel Christmas CD and thouroughly

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8918096.post-1102485948870014882004-12-07T21:20:00.000-08:002004-12-07T22:55:00.843-08:00

This is really long, I know. But, I've been thinking a lot about all the tours I gave. Here's what my last couple tours on campus were like, after everything I went through in my last year there. The blue parts are the things that I didn't say but was of course thinking. This is all from memory, so bare with me if I forget something or screw some facts up. -------------- Taylor was founded in

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8918096.post-1102459887414183452004-12-07T14:42:00.000-08:002004-12-07T19:40:30.430-08:00

Philip has managed to sum me and Taylor up nicely on his blog. He says: He repeatedly had very negative experiences at Taylor, to the point where he initiated legal action for several reasons.That put it in perspective for me. Trying to codify this and watching people who haven't experienced what I have and don't care to understand what I've experienced, has been difficult. Continually being

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8918096.post-1102459057184946412004-12-07T14:34:00.000-08:002004-12-07T14:53:51.260-08:00

Finally, someone who puts the Chronicle-Tribune's coverage of the riot to shame with a thoughtfully executed, well reported article. Kevin O'Conner does the incident and the school justice with his piece (and there's video). My respect for the Chronicle dwindles every day.

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8918096.post-1102400620667188152004-12-06T22:05:00.000-08:002004-12-06T22:34:48.113-08:00

A recent letter (sent today), a few old ones for reference and the PAC documents regarding campus law enforcement: Letter to Ice Miller re: the hearing and records accessOriginal request for counseling recordsOriginal request for medical recordsPAC's advisory opinion (fall 2003)My response to the PAC's advisory opinion (fall 2003)The "original request" letters above were ignored by the

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8918096.post-1102396224771622332004-12-06T21:05:00.000-08:002004-12-06T21:10:24.770-08:00

Annie received a response tonight from Joyce Woods in University Relations. Here's some of what she said: "To address your specific concerns, the Dean of Students did mention some acts of breaking and entering in the community unrelated to the campus incidents (the entire town was affected by the power outage). The number of students in the library that night is not confirmed."She also said

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8918096.post-1102300626605907462004-12-05T18:01:00.000-08:002004-12-05T18:39:26.983-08:00

Annie received a good response from a few of her old professors at Taylor. I'm not placing much hope into that transferring into support, but it's great for Annie. It's good that they're talking through things, too. A snippet: Sorry to learn of your bad experience at Taylor. We always hope each student views his or her Taylor years as some of the very best. Unfortunately, we also know that is not

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8918096.post-1102298340614468812004-12-05T17:58:00.000-08:002004-12-05T17:59:00.613-08:00

"I can be biased on my own blog, just as you are biased on yours." I've been thinking about that one since I first read it. It was on my mind all through church tonigh (granted, there's always a lot of things on my mind during church, but). Anyway, that statement bothers me. It bothers me for its uncritical generalization of what I write; for it's tone that I can't help believe was designed

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8918096.post-1102284639238937742004-12-05T13:46:00.000-08:002004-12-05T14:14:53.590-08:00

Okay, if I were covering this story, I'd have a field day with it. Based on Dr. Gyertson's letter, these would be my initial questions. Initial questions. I'd of course talk with students, campus safety, etc. It's not easy to get a real grasp of what occurred based solely on this press release. My questions are in blue. Early Friday morning December 3, 2004, there were a series of student

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8918096.post-1102272821801180442004-12-05T10:49:00.000-08:002004-12-05T12:50:00.260-08:00

If Megan does a good job, I'll be the first to say it. From her blog, she's got the right attitude about the story: The story is far from over. At the moment, all I have are questions. No answers. Good for her. Questions are the life blood of journalism. She's also reporting something interesting happening at the library again, this afternoon. But alas, Grant County 911's non-emergency number is

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8918096.post-1102272426513905982004-12-05T10:39:00.000-08:002004-12-05T10:48:18.740-08:00

I was being sarcastic. The reporter didn't even talk to any primary sources, (link only active for a few days) but again, parroted back the university's official PR spin (Dr. Gyertson's letter) on the incidents. There's no mention of him looking at any radio dispatch logs, having any contact with students for the story or campus law enforcement at all. This isn't reporting, this is what the

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8918096.post-1102219579131027622004-12-04T19:59:00.000-08:002004-12-04T20:07:23.456-08:00

A source outside of Taylor but a significant part of the Upland community, speaking on the condition of anonymity, says that they are beginning to identify and question suspects in the incidents mentioned, and that "several persons of interest" in major events are not even Taylor students. Taylor students, the source said, are "not solely responsible" for what basically amounts to "criminal

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8918096.post-1102215420299776332004-12-04T18:45:00.000-08:002004-12-04T20:16:50.830-08:00

Thanks to Annie for digging up this list. Keep in mind, most of what they're saying is speculation, unconfirmed rumors and information fed to them by people who weren't actually witnesses. Doesn't mean it's not true, just be critical about what you read. This student calls the riot a tragedy. This one believes people need to think about their actions. This guys is "annoyed " about what

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8918096.post-1102204851046439472004-12-04T15:57:00.000-08:002004-12-04T17:41:02.726-08:00

Taylor is dealing with some unexpected events early Friday morning with surprising transparency. It's not their style, but perhaps they're starting to learn that there penchant toward secrecy only harms their credibility. I'm just glad to see I wasn't blamed for anything that happened (sarcasm). Yet. Read Dr. Gyertson's open letter. UPDATE: I've made some phone calls and there's more to this

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8918096.post-1102109204723507332004-12-03T13:11:00.000-08:002004-12-03T13:28:56.976-08:00

"He who does not have the courage to speak up for his rights cannot earn the respect of others." :: Rene G. Torres "The fastest way to succeed is to look as if you're playing by somebody else's rules, while quietly playing by your own." :: Michael Konda "I am a student. Please do not fold, spindle, or mutilate me." :: Slogan of the Free Speech Movement, 1964 "Nothing happens by

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8918096.post-1101923450714031922004-12-01T09:40:00.000-08:002004-12-01T09:50:50.713-08:00

I appreciate the concern in the e-mails some of you have sent. But I'm okay. Rather than respond to each one, I decided to let you all know at once. I didn't make the decisions I have expecting a smooth ride, nor did I expect no criticism. I can deal with it. I have dealt with it. I've grown especially used to it in regard to Taylor. I say it over and over again, but this is the reason people

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8918096.post-1101920364659387222004-12-01T08:41:00.000-08:002004-12-01T09:01:25.826-08:00

Well, at church the other night, there was this student in my class. She's a very good student; others have trusted her with leadership before, I have in the past as well. But I've noticed lately, she's not herself. I think she's depressed. So I called the church counselor. He wouldn't tell me that she was already seeing him, at least at first. I pressed him hard enough and he finally told me.

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8918096.post-1101918726352479512004-12-01T08:30:00.000-08:002004-12-01T08:32:06.353-08:00

"But Paul said to the officers: "They beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens, and threw us into prison. And now do they want to get rid of us quietly? No! Let them come themselves and escort us out." :: Acts 16:37

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8918096.post-1101883130831247482004-11-30T22:33:00.000-08:002004-11-30T22:38:50.830-08:00

I haven't had a chance to ask her permission (I hope she doesn't mind), but after the last post I just entered, I wanted to end my night on a more positive note. This is part of one of a few e-mails I've received. It came today, after the author discovered Annie's post on the alumni forum. She explained to me some of what she experienced in regard to Taylor (different in a lot of ways than what I

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8918096.post-1101856234743663372004-11-30T15:09:00.000-08:002004-11-30T22:46:29.520-08:00

I've been thinking about this one most of the day. I respect and appreciate Evan's decision to chop the post, because it deserved it. But I don't want to hide from criticism, and I want to be as transparent as I can. So I'm posting some of the parts of Tom Klein's post (now a grad student at Purdue, originally from Michigan I believe) from the alumni forum. It's fairly indicitive of what I've

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8918096.post-1101791132295912882004-11-29T21:03:00.000-08:002004-11-29T21:05:32.296-08:00

"INDIANAPOLIS – Criminal charges of trespassing and obstructing a peace officer were voluntarily dismissed late last week against a student journalist at Brigham Young University who was trying to videotape campus police doing their work." (emphasis mine) --Society of Professional Journalists

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8918096.post-1101787489363978172004-11-29T19:54:00.000-08:002004-11-29T22:54:46.566-08:00

I've made two requests to Taylor to inspect and copy the records created by the counseling center. They've ignored both. That's interesting to me, because Indiana law says: "The information contained in the mental health record belongs to the patient involved as well as to the provider. ... A patient is entitled to inspect and copy the patient's own mental health record." Indiana Code 16-39-2, et

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8918096.post-1101786192662231012004-11-29T19:39:00.000-08:002004-11-29T20:05:56.793-08:00

"Well, I watched the Incredibles, and couldn't help but recognize how Justin felt like he was being abused...much like Syndrome. So, Syndrome builds a vast empire and tries to be a hero for others after he has been hurt. Justin has been hurt and it seems like he's trying to cover up his feelings with power and money. Oh yeah, don't forget that you're supposed to love the brotherhood. Think about

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8918096.post-1101784357560862492004-11-29T19:10:00.000-08:002004-11-29T19:12:37.560-08:00

"COLDWATER -- The Michigan Court of Appeals declined to consider the appeal of Troy Stoner, in turn forcing him to register as a sex offender for his Branch County conviction. But it made little difference, as he was sent to prison the same day as a sex offender in Hillsdale County." --The Daily Reporter

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8918096.post-1101767165264576092004-11-29T14:23:00.000-08:002004-11-29T20:06:36.943-08:00

The justinmc (at) gmail (dot) com account is down and has been since last night. If you've tried to contact me, and it's urgent or time sensitive, please feel free to e-mail again at justin (at) fifteen-minutes (dot) net. As an anti-spam measure on that account, you'll need to verify your e-mail address. It's easy and painless, I promise. I assume the gmail account will at some point be

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8918096.post-1101677232041423732004-11-28T13:19:00.000-08:002004-11-29T20:07:19.293-08:00

I noticed the page view counter has jumped by a couple thousand in just about an hour. A little investigation finds a high profile link on Metafilter. Seriously, it's sent like 3,000 4,000 5,500 7,500 visitors here in just a short amount of time about a day's time. (UPDATE: I've recieved multiple e-mails from people expressing outrage and advice, there's a new link on another blog here, and

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8918096.post-1101668985898536662004-11-28T11:06:00.000-08:002004-11-28T13:30:19.736-08:00

"If you act like a police department, are equipped and have the powers of a police department, then you should have to abide by the same rules that all other police departments must." -The Macon TelegraphUnfortunately, though there is no question that Grant County Sheriff's department must abide by the law, but they have, for almost a year now, ignored repeated requests for access to their

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8918096.post-1101489853693900932004-11-26T08:47:00.000-08:002004-11-26T09:46:51.093-08:00

Grant County Sherrif's Deputies Can carry weapons Can make arrests Have limited jurisdiction Wear police style uniforms Enforce the laws of the State of Indiana Investigate crimes Exercise an executive power of the state Drive police style vehicles Create incident reports Public can access their records Taylor Campus Safety Officers Can carry weapons Can make

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8918096.post-1101277442190748522004-11-23T22:22:00.000-08:002004-11-23T22:24:02.190-08:00

This is old, but I just found it in the Macon Telegraph: Private police powers need public scrutiny.

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8918096.post-1101271091952416122004-11-23T20:23:00.000-08:002004-11-24T09:58:30.320-08:00

Here's my best recollection o fthe things that happened after Taylor. After learning about this, and this and the extent to which such things ocurred, I used the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act to request records from several people on Taylor's campus. This was July 2003. I also at the same time, requested police reports from the Office of Campus Safety, under Indiana's Access to Public

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8918096.post-1101270189430132672004-11-23T20:08:00.000-08:002004-11-23T20:40:06.103-08:00

This started about the time that the YC ordeal was ending. Registration, as I recall, occurred by May 1st for the follwing Fall. At any rate, I needed to register one class for the summer and one internship for that fall. When I went to register, I was told that I could register for the summer class, but that I couldn't register for my fall internship until I actually secured a letter of

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8918096.post-1101269328294480792004-11-23T19:10:00.000-08:002004-11-23T20:39:56.746-08:00

I'm going to try and give a general overview of everything I've dealt with in regard to Taylor. Some, especially those on the outside are having difficulty following all the sordid details. So, here are some significant events about Youth Conference (remeber, this is a bare bones account, more info here): Fall 1999, I start as a freshmen at Taylor. Spring 2001, I'm chosen as one of two

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8918096.post-1101245739907807532004-11-23T13:33:00.000-08:002004-11-23T19:07:28.233-08:00

UPDATE: The petition is online as of 10 p.m. EST. The final text is below, and you can sign at http://www.petitiononline.com/tayloru/petition.html We, alumni, students, and other friends of Taylor University, ask the Taylor University Board of Trustees, Taylor University President David Gyertson and the student development / residence life staff of Taylor University to create a Student

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8918096.post-1101234113818866512004-11-23T10:15:00.000-08:002004-11-23T10:45:05.700-08:00

As part of a settlement with the school, I proposed they create a Student Advocacy Center. I spent some time talking with administration at school's around the country that have created such a place. In general, they had an adult -- a full-time employee -- who was the student advocate general. This person was responsible, at the student's request, to mediate disputes or conflicts between a

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8918096.post-1101164043159649422004-11-22T14:52:00.000-08:002004-11-22T14:59:50.880-08:00

I was surprised when I checked today's site stats -- as they're already higher than the last highest day (November 8th) when the first person from Taylor's campus discovered the site. A little checking, and I discovered that it's probably due to this. UPDATE: After reading a comment at that site, I have to agree that for outsiders all this may be hard to follow, as there was so much stuff --

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8918096.post-1101151467301064042004-11-22T10:50:00.000-08:002004-11-22T12:25:38.430-08:00

I've given you details and since most of us are aware that I threatened to file a lawsuit regarding some of this, I'm going to get a little more specific on the legal problems as I see them. I'm not a lawyer, this is all based on what I've learned and read on my own. Even if these aren't legal issues, they are moral ethical ones that a Christian community like Taylor should be willing to address.

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8918096.post-1101089953864644812004-11-21T17:48:00.000-08:002004-11-22T21:03:13.543-08:00

Again, this one from Jan Pletcher confuses me. She says I had a number of keys that were never issued to me. That is absolutely false. First, let's take a good look at how well Taylor keeps track of those precious keys. In the communication department, the secretary kept a small notebook where she wrote down who had what. I can remember one time, one time in about three years that we were

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8918096.post-1101084495689614012004-11-21T16:46:00.000-08:002004-11-21T16:48:15.690-08:00

I have a lot to do tonight and a lot of things to say, so we'll see what I get to and what I don't. But I wanted to throw this one out to you guys. It's at Annie's site. I'll be back later.

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8918096.post-1101019506220376472004-11-20T22:14:00.000-08:002004-11-20T22:50:24.483-08:00

This is a statement written by a former Taylor student. I had originally decided against publishing it, but I since we're talking about full disclosure tonight... I'm keeping the author's name out unless they say it's okay to use it. The author graduated from Taylor in the Spring of 2003. Remember, this is a third-party statement. I have no reason to question its accuracy; the details, to my

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8918096.post-1101003704593493672004-11-20T18:00:00.000-08:002004-11-20T18:25:28.516-08:00

The conversation here has taken a turn I well expected. Loyalty and the expectation of loyalty to Taylor are fierce powers. I remember being overly offended one day, as I listened to a mass communication major complain about the school (and in that department, we had mucho to complain about). "I believed the admissions lies," she said to me. Wait. I work there. I work hard there. I love working

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8918096.post-1100834428234794582004-11-18T19:04:00.000-08:002004-11-18T19:20:28.236-08:00

I can't do my job without records. Having access to them is important. I spend my days collecting records, most of which will never lead to anything. I mine them for the smallest piece of information, something that will hopefully lead me to a human source. And people are much more willing to talk to reporters than you might think. Recently, I stumbled across a small notice that someone in town

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8918096.post-1100833068020910682004-11-18T18:29:00.000-08:002004-11-20T17:58:17.523-08:00

Where does Taylor's real problems lie? Is the way it treats some of its students a symptom of the toxic churches and legalistic Christianity or of a decaying system of higher education in which schools are given overwhemling and unreasonable control over their students? Probably both -- and that makes it worse. Many schools treat their students the way I was treated at Taylor; but the guilty at

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8918096.post-1100814592351050702004-11-18T13:46:00.000-08:002004-11-18T17:01:53.226-08:00

I'm pleasantly surprised by this letter from the Chronicle-Tribune's editor. Their response is world apart from how Taylor generally responds to criticism. This arrived several days ago, but I've just now had the chance to get to it. Mr. McLaughlin. Thanks for your note. You make some good points for us to consider. As you know, Jim Garringer's work is always accompanied by a statement

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8918096.post-1100662322680840312004-11-16T18:21:00.000-08:002004-11-16T19:41:03.090-08:00

In the course of my time at Taylor I had my privacy walked on and systematically violated as if I were a small child and the "adults" at Taylor were my parents. I've tried very hard to rationlize why this is okay -- why, "the campus is fine" in the eyes of so many. Why things I describe here, which have happened to more than just me, aren't enough to turn the stomachs of everyone who reads them.

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8918096.post-1100279042097117522004-11-12T08:53:00.000-08:002004-11-12T09:04:02.096-08:00

I wasn't on campus my senior year, but I had enough credits to eat at the Grille all through my junior year -- and I did. One day, I was sitting in the union a table away from two female hall directors (neither are still at Taylor, to my knowledge). They didn't know who I was -- or at least, what I looked like. I listened, catching bits and pieces of their conversation, what they were saying --

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8918096.post-1100124057947260172004-11-10T13:58:00.000-08:002004-11-10T14:00:57.946-08:00

This is some of what Journalism.org says we should expect from journalists: We should expect proof that the journalists' first loyalty is to citizens: [snip] We should expect news companies to disclose any synergy, connecting partnerships or conflicts of interest as they relate to a particular story. This

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8918096.post-1100123643069402462004-11-10T13:51:00.000-08:002004-11-10T13:54:03.070-08:00

It's the end of business, four days later since I sent the e-email below regarding the extreme conflict of interest represented by allowing Taylor to pass its Director of News Services off as an objective reporter in regard to Taylor. The surprise: no response yet. I may send again, or I may just send it off to the president of Indiana Newspapers for Gannett. We'll see.

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8918096.post-1099982723970642262004-11-08T21:34:00.000-08:002004-11-10T13:50:34.966-08:00

In the interest of fairness and accuracy, I've gone through all my records to build a timeline of the events I discribed in the post below. Monday, December 2nd, 2002 -- Professor Downs asks in an e-mail when I am returning to campus and says she'll "need some type of summary from (my) supervisor" before she can turn in a grade. Monday, December 2nd, 2002 -- (around 6:30 pm, which was

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8918096.post-1099966353862381462004-11-08T18:11:00.000-08:002004-11-08T18:12:33.863-08:00

I've added Haloscan in an attempt to do away with the Blogger commenting system. All the comments left on the old system should still be viewable via the individual archive pages.

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8918096.post-1099946979559180482004-11-08T13:14:00.000-08:002004-11-09T08:42:48.860-08:00

See "Timeline" for a more detailed retelling of this story. This one was fairly true, if I'm interpreting it right. I did have an issue with a professor, and I still do. The one in question: Donna Downs (again, guessing from Jan Pletcher's e-mail). Where it starts, I'm not very sure. Where it ended was her giving me an F for my internship -- that she was supposed to be supervising. Well, where

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8918096.post-1099861792517770262004-11-07T13:56:00.000-08:002004-11-08T11:20:20.993-08:00

This is probably the one that puzzles me the most. But before we get into it, you need to know that 1) These accusations have never been brought to me. They've been mounted in secret to everyone around me; I know of them only because of the e-mails and a few friends. 2) I've never been given a chance to defend myself; the university has blocked my attempts to do so. 3) In the years since they've

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8918096.post-1099864006038401632004-11-07T13:50:00.000-08:002004-11-08T15:19:19.230-08:00

I've been thinking about this one e-mail I have, that was sent to me last January when I graduated. The plan was that I would stay in the area and look for a job before heading off to grad school somewhere. I've been thinking about it because what she says is important, but I'm afraid to drag her into this anymore than she already has been. She's truly one of Taylor's few shinning stars --

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8918096.post-1099860025107903332004-11-07T11:54:00.000-08:002004-11-07T12:40:25.106-08:00

"The Counseling Center maintains strict standards of confidentiality. We will not release any records of your counseling or discuss your case with anyone, outside the counseling center, without your written permission." --the University Web site If only that were true. Like a lot of students at Taylor, I took advantage of counseling -- it was free, convenient, non-judgemental, private. Well

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8918096.post-1099768089559861162004-11-06T11:04:00.000-08:002004-11-07T20:54:20.623-08:00

Finally, I've had some time to write a letter to the editor of the Marion Chronicle Tribune. I'll let everyone know when (if) I get a response. I sent it less than five minutes ago. Ms. Pearson, As a journalist, I have some concerns over the way you cover Taylor University in your newspaper. Routinely, you place articles about the school in the paper written by Jim Garinger, the university's

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8918096.post-1099537103672863312004-11-03T18:52:00.001-08:002004-11-03T19:02:19.703-08:00

These links were e-mailed me tonight. They were in publications that I hadn't yet seen (surprise). Privacy act sparks debate over rights of students Private college police not covered by by public records law

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8918096.post-1099524215378208062004-11-03T15:05:00.000-08:002004-11-03T15:25:17.633-08:00

It mirrors the SPJ's in almost everyway. This is the best I could find, because the Chronicle doesn't list an ethics code on its website (though the Muncie Star Press, also owned by Gannett, does). Here's some of what Gannett says: We will be honest in the way we gather, report and present news. We will be persistent in the pursuit of the whole story. We will strive to include all sides

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8918096.post-1099506213455436362004-11-03T10:09:00.000-08:002004-11-03T15:32:22.713-08:00

The Marion Chronicle Tribune, a daily newspaper owned by Gannett (the moguls behind USA Today) routinely places press releases from Taylor as "news" on its pages. These items are primarily written and bylined by Jim Garringer, the university's Director of News Services (not real sure what that title means, actually). Here's the problem, either he's a journalist or a publicist. Clearly, he's the

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8918096.post-1099446365131302442004-11-02T17:43:00.000-08:002004-11-02T17:46:05.130-08:00

I've received one or two e-mails from Taylor alumni recently and I'd like to get more -- I'd like to make sure Taylor students and prospective students are reading this. If you're a Taylor grad or student or know someone who is, then pass this site on (those envelopes at the bottom of the posts are convenient ways to e-mail the site to friends). Though I work as a professional investigative

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8918096.post-1099439216802977692004-11-02T15:11:00.000-08:002004-11-02T17:53:01.746-08:00

Taylor boasts its rankings in college surveys quite a lot. Most schools do; if they rank high enough the listing becomes a badge of honor. But I don't think the numbers provide the whole story. First, those statistics are provided by the schools themselves. To my knowledge, there is virtually no auditing of the numbers provided. Most of the rankings work by using data from the Common Data Set

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8918096.post-1099434453757865632004-11-02T13:24:00.000-08:002004-11-08T15:12:38.303-08:00

These salaries may very well be deserved and commensurate with the employee's experiences and services to the University. I make no judgement on that. What's striking to me, is that almost all of these employees have larger benefit / derferred compensation packages than I owe on student loans or will report as income on my tax return this year. Here is what Taylor paid its officers in 2002:

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8918096.post-1099079007799972862004-10-29T13:39:00.000-07:002004-10-29T13:11:18.483-07:00

These were passed on to me from a current Taylor student, who for obvious reasons, would like to remain anonymous. He said they were adapted from the book Toxic Churches. 1. be blind, to your own perceptions of reality and the mixed messages you see and hear 2. be quiet, to the abuse that’s going on to protect the school 3. be numb, to your feelings and personal

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8918096.post-1099022594933308912004-10-28T20:53:00.000-07:002004-11-03T15:28:21.533-08:00

After realizing that Taylor's attorney might not have been passing my letters on to Taylor, and hearing from sources close to Taylor's Board of Trustees that they were being kept in the dark about my situation -- I sent a detailed letter to the board outlining my experiences at Taylor. In short, I asked them to investigate the conduct of the administration and several employees at the school.

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8918096.post-1099013117785735632004-10-28T18:04:00.000-07:002004-11-10T21:20:50.780-08:00

In April 2002, after months of planning for Youth Conference, I became ill. Really ill. My symptoms (fever, headaches, chills, etc.) started the Friday of the conference and went all weekend, then stretched into another four days. By Sunday I was in bed and pretty much stayed there until I went to the hospital the following Thursday. Ball Memorial's eventual diagnosis: a bad flu. Taylor's

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8918096.post-1099001572230305412004-10-28T15:10:00.000-07:002004-11-10T20:35:04.043-08:00

Last month, I received a letter from Taylor's attorney Michael Blickman from Ice Miller that they would aquiesce to a hearing regarding my education records (not campus crime records). The hearing is for me to present evidence that information contained in my records may be misleading, innacurate or in violation of my privacy rights. A date for the hearing has yet to be decided.

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8918096.post-1099001268170914302004-10-25T14:50:00.000-07:002004-10-28T19:12:36.010-07:00

From the Student Press Law Center Ind. official says private university's police are not subject to open-records law Former student says Ind. university withheld campus crime records From the Chronicle of Higher Education Judge Orders University to Turn Over Crime Records (requires subscription) From the Marion Chronicle-Tribune Complaint filed on Taylor

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8918096.post-1098999405838920632004-10-25T14:14:00.000-07:002004-10-31T21:09:06.546-08:00

In 1999, I entered Taylor University as a bright-eyed freshman. I graduated 3.5 years later with a degree in journalism, but with a diminished respect for the school and its leaders. I spent my three years on campus (with a semester in DC) working with Taylor World Outreach, Youth Conference, the admissions office, the radio station, the tv station, the Echo -- even in the dinning commons; I

Justinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00957457962553278055noreply@blogger.com0