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Conservative Students for a Better Tomorrow releases "Support our Seniors" letter of response May 19, 2008--Greenville, SC
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Dear President Shi, Provost Kazee, and members of the Furman community: As we approach the end of spring term and the graduation of the Class of 2008, Conservative Students for a Better Tomorrow wishes to present the following letter: "Support our Seniors." Our letter comes in response to the release of the faculty-led "(W)e Object" letter and the subsequent placement of that letter on the university's official Web site. The letter also details concerns with faculty members asking for "conscientious objector" releases from commencement exercises and the administration's handling of those demands. The letter is signed by over 700 members of the Furman community, about half of them students. We welcome the opportunity to meet with you should you have questions about the "Support our Seniors" letter. We appreciate your consideration of the views expressed in this letter and your continued support for Furman's students. Sincerely, Christopher Mills, Kyle Wilkins, Nathan Guinn, Barrett Bowdre, Carlyle Jackson, and Jackson Briggs Board of Directors, Conservative Students for a Better Tomorrow (Click here for more information and media links) --END-- |
Conservative Students for a Better Tomorrow presents Michael Steele Wed., May 21, at 7:00 P.M. May 19, 2008--Greenville, SC 
| Furman University’s Conservative Students for a Better Tomorrow presents Michael Steele, GOPAC Chairman and former Lt. Governor of Maryland. Mr. Steele will give an address on “Healing the Conservative Coalition” Wednesday, May 21, at 7:00 p.m. in Furman’s University Center Watkins Room.
The event will last approximately one hour and will conclude with a question-and-answer session. The event has CLP status.
The event is open to the public without charge. All students, faculty, and members of the community are welcome. Seating is limited.
GOPAC Chairman Michael Steele was born on October 19, 1958 at Andrews Air Force Base in Prince George's County and was raised in Washington, DC. He graduated from Archbishop Carroll High School, earned his bachelor's degree in International Relations from Johns Hopkins University in 1981 and his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center in 1991. Mr. Steele also spent three years as a seminarian in the Order of St. Augustine in preparation for the priesthood.
In 2003, Chairman Steele earned a place in history when he became the first African American elected to statewide office in Maryland. He was the nation's highest-ranking African American Republican elected official and the only sitting African American Lt. Governor in the country.
In 2002, President George W. Bush appointed Chairman Steele to serve a term on the Board of Visitors of the United States Naval Academy. Other affiliations include the State House Trust, the East Baltimore Development Corporation, the Export-Import Bank Advisory Committee and the Prince George's County Chapter of the NAACP.
Among the distinguished awards and honors received by Chairman Steele, he has been named a 2005 Aspen Institute-Rodel Fellow in Public Leadership and was awarded a Bethune-DuBois Institute 2005 Award for his work in the ongoing development of quality education in Maryland.
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Greenville News: Ann Coulter draws overflow Furman crowd April 17, 2008--Greenville, SC 
| Ann Coulter told a raucous overflow crowd at Furman University tonight that she has conceded the presidential election to the Democrats and fumed that John McCain is no better.
"I don’t see how any of the three of them can win," she quipped.
Addressing a McAlister Auditorium crowd in a near rock-concert environment, the ulta-slim, ultra-conservative blonde commentator said, "It’s looking like it’s 1992 all over again. We have to begin to start thinking beyond this election."
The fire marshal locked the doors on scores of fans outside after the capacity of 1,800 was reached. Furman spokesman Vince Moore said it was the first time he recalled an overflow crowd for an event at the auditorium -- which included a stop in January by Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.
Wearing a black dress and sipping coffee from a Styrofoam cup, the columnist and TV commentator, who arrived a half-hour late, bashed the presumptive GOP nominee nearly as much as she did the candidates on the Democratic side.
"The fact that McCain is the only man left standing shows the state of vacuum in the Republican Party," she said, adding that the only thing he could do to earn her vote would be to add Mitt Romney to the ticket.
Security men lurked in the wings, scanning the crowd throughout the event. No cameras or recorders were allowed.
After her talk, Coulter took questions from the floor, including a few from detractors.
"I came here with an open mind, but I haven’t heard you talk in anything but sound bites," one questioner said, drawing applause.
She answered, "If it was such a bad speech, you ought to be able to come up with a very clever question," eliciting much louder applause and laughter.
One man proposed marriage. Another said he wishes she would run for president.
A line stretched outside the auditorium after the event with fans waiting to get autographs.
Casey Schuff, a 35-year-old discount store manager from Duncan, was among them.
"She speaks her mind, she tells it like it is," he said. "She says things that a lot of people would like to say, but she has the courage to say them." From 4/17/08 Greenville News written by Ron Barnett
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Conservative Students for a Better Tomorrow presents Ann Coulter Wed., April 16, at 7:00 P.M. March 20, 2008--Greenville, SC 
| Furman University’s Conservative Students for a Better Tomorrow will host best-selling author and outspoken commentator Ann Coulter. Coulter will lecture on why “Liberals are Wrong about Everything” Wednesday, April 16, at 7:00 p.m. in Furman’s McAlister Auditorium. The event has CLP status.
Ann Coulter is the author of six New York Times bestsellers — If Democrats Had Any Brains, They`d Be Republicans (October 2007); Godless: The Church of Liberalism (June 2006); How to Talk to a Liberal (If You Must) (October 2004); Treason: Liberal Treachery From the Cold War to the War on Terrorism (June 2003); Slander: Liberal Lies About the American Right (June 2002); and High Crimes and Misdemeanors: The Case Against Bill Clinton (August 1998).
Coulter is the legal correspondent for Human Events and writes a popular syndicated column for Universal Press Syndicate. She is a frequent guest on many TV shows, including Hannity and Colmes, Wolf Blitzer Reports, At Large With Geraldo Rivera, Scarborough Country, HBO`s Real Time with Bill Maher, The O`Reilly Factor, Good Morning America and has been profiled in numerous publications, including TV Guide, the Guardian (UK), the New York Observer, National Journal, Harper`s Bazaar and Elle magazine, among others. She was named one of the top 100 Public Intellectuals by federal judge Richard Posner in 2001.
Coulter clerked for the Honorable Pasco Bowman II of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit and was an attorney in the Department of Justice Honors Program for outstanding law school graduates. After practicing law in private practice in New York City, Coulter worked for the Senate Judiciary Committee, where she handled crime and immigration issues for Senator Spencer Abraham of Michigan. From there, she became a litigator with the Center for Individual Rights in Washington, DC, a public interest law firm dedicated to the defense of individual rights with particular emphasis on freedom of speech, civil rights and the free exercise of religion.
A Connecticut native, Coulter graduated with honors from Cornell University School of Arts & Sciences, and received her J.D. from University of Michigan Law School, where she was an editor of The Michigan Law Review.
The event will last approximately an hour and a half and will conclude with an extended question-and-answer session. The event is open to the public without charge and is co-sponsored by the Clare Booth Luce Policy Institute, Furman University Student Activities Board, and Furman’s Residential Life Council. All students, faculty and members of the community are welcome. Click here for more information.
Conservative Students for a Better Tomorrow works to provide a conservative vision by educating the Furman community and contributing to a vibrant discussion of ideas.
The mission of the Clare Boothe Luce Policy Institute is to prepare women for effective conservative leadership and to promote leading conservative women. The Institute provides educational, networking, and mentoring opportunities for conservative women across the country, advancing ideas that are pro-America, pro-free enterprise, pro-religion and pro-family.
For more information, contact CSBT CEO Christopher Mills at (843) 607-1322 or by e-mail at cmills@furmancsbt.org. SCHotline coverage News Channel 7 coverage Greenville News coverage - "Coulter coming to Furman" - "Outspoken commentator" - "Ann Coulter draws overflow Furman crowd" - Photo gallery Furman University coverage
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Conservative Students for a Better Tomorrow presents Raymond Ibrahim Mon., Apr. 14, at 4:30 p.m. Ibrahim will give an address on "The Two-Faces of Al-Qaeda" March 18, 2008--Greenville, SC 
| Furman University’s Conservative Students for a Better Tomorrow presents Raymond Ibrahim, author of The Al-Qaeda Reader. Mr. Ibrahim will give an address on “The Two Faces of Al-Qaeda” Monday, April 14, at 4:30 p.m. in Furman’s University Center Burgiss Theater.
The event will last approximately one hour and will conclude with a question-and-answer session. The event has CLP status.
The event is open to the public without charge. All students, faculty, and members of the community are welcome. Seating is limited.
Raymond Ibrahim is a scholar and writer of the Middle East and Islam, and author of The Al-Qaeda Reader (Doubleday, 2007). He was educated at California State University, Fresno (BA and MA in History) and has done graduate work in the Center for Contemporary Arab Studies of Georgetown University.
His op-eds, essays, translations, and al-Qaeda related analyses have appeared in various publications and syndications (including the Chronicle of Higher Education, Los Angeles Times, New York Times Syndicate, United Press International, Washington Times, Financial Times, National Review, Washington Post, The Jewish Press, Assyrian International News Agency, as well as in international publications).
He has been interviewed on a number of radio and TV shows across the political spectrum (including Fox News and NPR), and has lectured at several universities as well as governmental agencies, such as the U.S. State Department.
He works at the Near East section of the African and Middle Eastern division of the Library of Congress, where he discovered many of the never-before-translated Arabic texts that make up the bulk of The Al-Qaeda Reader.
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"Ann Coulter could be good for Furman" CSBT CIO discusses pending Coulter visit in Paladin newspaper February 8, 2008--Greenville, SC 
| Barrett Bowdre CSBT Chief Information Officer After RLC, FUSAB, and AFS devoted $2,000, $4,200, and $4,499, respectively, to Conservative Students for a Better Tomorrow specifically to bring Ann Coulter, the campus has been abuzz with dialogue. This is precisely why her coming would be such a benefit to the student body and to the University. After all, the co-sponsorships of FUSAB and RLC demonstrate Coulter’s widespread appeal to students of all political persuasions.
Ann Coulter is a best-selling author and renowned conservative entertainer who has written six straight New York Times bestselling books, has appeared on numerous news networks as a political commentator, and has spoken on college campuses including Harvard University, Yale University and Penn State. As Syracuse University professor and director of the Center for the Study of Popular Television Robert Thompson said, Ms. Coulter is an entertainer, but one who points out essential but uncomfortable truths.
Having Ann Coulter come to campus would be very advantageous to the Furman community. If discussion is already occurring on campus simply because of rumors of a visit, it is clear that having Ann Coulter come would further create and promote the discussion. She both represents many students’ political opinions and delivers them in a comedic, entertaining way. And while I certainly don’t agree with everything Coulter has ever said, I believe that having her come would generate enough dialogue on campus that people will be forced to discuss the underlying conservative ideals she opines—unless, of course, Furman students have become too close-minded to consider perspectives other than their own.
After hearing all about “censorship” and “free speech” last year with the Kinsey Sicks, I am surprised that President Shi has not already come down on the side of CSBT this year. Just last year, he wrote, “A university’s mandate is not to insulate students from competing idea but to expose them to competing ideas.”
Even though I have been pleasantly surprised by many non-CSBT supporters actually adhering to their lofty rhetoric, some have not. Taking her words out of their proper context—that is, speaking in a comedic manner about current political issues (not unlike late night talk-show hosts)—opponents have argued that Ann Coulter promotes hate speech (whatever that is), and have gone directly for the funding without addressing any issues.
In a revealing and completely unprecedented show of partisanship, a minority of AFS members moved to revoke the funding for Ann Coulter that was allotted just the previous week. Thankfully, a substantial enough number of members of the council have enough respect for student opinion, the democratic process, and the intelligence of council members to quickly vote to delay the stunt until Feb. 11.
I can only hope that students opposed to Ann Coulter have enough respect for their ideals opined last year to uphold them when it is finally their turn to do so. As The Paladin noted on Jan. 18, “Let’s pray that the powers that be (AFS) don’t close their pocketbooks when it comes time to demonstrate some real tolerance.” This article reprinted from the 2/8/08 issue of The Paladin newspaper. --END--
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Conservative Students for a Better Tomorrow presents Dr. Daniel Pipes Thurs., Feb. 7, at 6:30 P.M. February 4, 2008--Greenville, SC 
| Furman University’s Conservative Students for a Better Tomorrow presents Dr. Daniel Pipes, director of the Middle East Forum. Dr. Pipes will give an address on “Vanquishing the Islamist Enemy” Thursday, Feb. 7, at 6:30 p.m. in Furman’s University Center Watkins Room.
The event will last approximately one hour and will conclude with an extended question-and-answer session. The event has CLP status.
The event is open to the public without charge. All students, faculty, and members of the community are welcome. Seating is limited.
Daniel Pipes is director of the Middle East Forum and a prize-winning columnist, now writing for the New York Times Syndicate.
His website, DanielPipes.org, is one of the most accessed internet sources of specialized information on the Middle East and Islam. It offers an archive of his work and an opportunity to sign-up to receive e-mails of his writings as they appear.
The Wall Street Journal calls Mr. Pipes "an authoritative commentator on the Middle East." CBS Sunday Morning says he was "years ahead of the curve in identifying the threat of radical Islam." "Unnoticed by most Westerners," he wrote for example in 1995, "war has been unilaterally declared on Europe and the United States." The Boston Globe states that "If Pipes's admonitions had been heeded, there might never have been a 9/11."
He received his A.B. (1971) and Ph.D. (1978) from Harvard University, both in history, and spent six years studying abroad, including three years in Egypt. Mr. Pipes speaks French, and reads Arabic and German. He has taught at the University of Chicago, Harvard University, the U.S. Naval War College, and Pepperdine University. He served in various capacities in the U.S. government, including two presidentially-appointed positions, vice chairman of the Fulbright Board of Foreign Scholarships and member of the board of the U.S. Institute of Peace. He was director of the Foreign Policy Research Institute in 1986-93.
Mr. Pipes frequently discusses current issues on television, appearing on such U.S. programs as ABC World News, Crossfire, Good Morning America, News-Hour with Jim Lehrer, Nightline, O'Reilly Factor, and The Today Show. He has appeared on leading television networks around the globe, including the BBC and Al-Jazeera, and has lectured in twenty-five countries. He has consulted on Middle Eastern topics for prominent financial, manufacturing, and service companies; law firms, bar associations, trade groups; agencies of the U.S. government; and law courts in the United States and Canada.
Mr. Pipes has published in such magazines as the Atlantic Monthly, Commentary, Foreign Affairs, Harper's, National Review, New Republic, Time, and The Weekly Standard. More than a hundred American newspapers have carried his articles, including the Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post. His writings have been translated into twenty-nine languages and have appeared in such newspapers as ABC, Corriere della Sera, The Daily Telegraph, Le Figaro, Neue Zürcher Zeitung, The Sydney Morning Herald, and Die Zeit. His articles are also found on hundreds of websites.
Mr. Pipes has written twelve books.
Four deal with Islam: Militant Islam Reaches America (2002), The Rushdie Affair (Birch Lane, 1990), In the Path of God (Basic Books, 1983), and Slave Soldiers and Islam (Yale University Press, 1981).
Three books concern Syria: Syria Beyond the Peace Process (1996), Damascus Courts the West (Washington Institute, 1991), and Greater Syria (Oxford University Press, 1990).
Four deal with other Middle Eastern topics: The Hidden Hand (St. Martin's, 1996) analyses conspiracy theories among Arabs and Iranians. An Arabist's Guide to Colloquial Egyptian (Foreign Service Institute, 1983) systematizes the grammar of Arabic as spoken in Egypt. The Long Shadow (Transaction, 1989) and Miniatures (2003) contain some of his best essays. Conspiracy (Free Press 1997) establishes the importance of conspiracy theories in modern Europe and America.
Mr. Pipes has also edited two collections of essays, Sandstorm (UPA, 1993) and Friendly Tyrants (St. Martin's, 1991).
Mr. Pipes sits on five editorial boards, has testified before many congressional committees, and worked on four presidential campaigns. He is listed in Marquis' Who's Who in the East, Who's Who in America and Who's Who in the World. Universities in the United States and Switzerland have conferred honorary degrees on him.
Mr. Pipes takes pride in having been Borked by Edward Kennedy, called an "Orientalist" by Edward Said, deemed the neo-conservative movement's "leading thinker" by Egypt's Al-Ahram newspaper, and publicly addressed by a leading Al-Qaeda figure. He has been recognized as one of Harvard University's 100 most influential living graduates.
Mr. Pipes founded the Middle East Forum (MEForum.org), an independent 501(c)3 organization, in 1994. With a US$1.7 million budget, the Forum's mission is "promoting American interests" through publications, research, media outreach, and public education. The Forum publishes the Middle East Quarterly, sponsors Campus Watch (Campus-Watch.org), Islamist Watch, and the Legal Project. Furman University press release Greenville News coverage Click here for more information. --END--
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Conservative Students for a Better Tomorrow presents Star Parker and Dr. Michael New January 18, 2008--Greenville, SC 
Parker 
New
| Furman University’s Conservative Students for a Better Tomorrow presents, in remembrance of the 35th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, Star Parker and Dr. Michael New. Star Parker, founder and president of the Coalition on Urban Renewal and Education, will deliver an address on “Abortion and Race” Tuesday, Jan. 22, at 7:00 p.m. in Burgiss Theater. Dr. Michael New, professor at the University of Alabama, will deliver an address on “Pro-Life Success in the States” Thursday, Jan. 30, at 7:00 p.m. in Johns Hall 101.
Both addresses will last approximately one hour and will be followed by brief question-and-answer sessions. The events both have CLP status and represent a portion of CSBT’s events remembering the Jan. 22, 1973, Supreme Court decision of Roe v. Wade. Through handouts, exhibits, and other educational displays, CSBT will remind the student body of the nearly 50 million abortions that have occurred in the U.S. since Roe v. Wade.
The events are open to the public without charge. All students, faculty, and members of the community are welcome. Seating is limited. Star Parker's address is presented in association with Young America's Foundation.
Star Parker is the founder and president of CURE, the Coalition on Urban Renewal & Education, a non-profit think tank that provides a national voice of reason on issues of race and poverty in the media, inner city neighborhoods, and public policy.
Prior to her involvement in social activism, Star Parker was a single welfare mother in Los Angeles, California. After receiving Christ, Star returned to college, received a BS degree in marketing and launched an urban Christian magazine. The 1992 Los Angeles riots destroyed her business, yet served as a springboard for her focus on faith and market-based alternatives to empower the lives of the poor.
As a social policy consultant, Star Parker gives regular testimony before the United States Congress, and is a national expert on major television and radio shows across the country. Currently, Star is a regular commentator on CNN, MSNBC,and FOX News. She has debated Jesse Jackson on BET; fought for school choice on Larry King Live; and defended welfare reform on the Oprah Winfrey Show.
Star Parker's personal transformation from welfare fraud to conservative crusader has been chronicled by ABC's 20/20; Rush Limbaugh; Readers Digest; Dr. James Dobson; The 700 Club; Dr. George Grant; the Washington Times; Christianity Today; Charisma, and World Magazine. Articles and quotes by Star have appeared in major publications including the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and New York Times.
Star has written three books, including her autobiography, Pimps, Whores & Welfare Brats, Uncle Sam's Plantation, and White Ghetto: How Middle Class America Reflects Inner City Decay.
Michael J. New is an assistant professor of political science at the University of Alabama. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate from Dartmouth College, Dr. New received a master’s degree in statistics and a doctorate in political science from Stanford University in 2002. Before coming to Alabama, Dr. New worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Harvard-MIT Data Center.
Dr. New’s research interests include the positive impact of state level pro-life legislation, state level budget rules and fiscal limits, and campaign finance reform. Four of his studies on the effects of pro-life legislation have been published by the Heritage Foundation. Dr. New has given presentations on his pro-life research at Harvard, MIT, Stanford, the University of Pennsylvania, the College of the Holy Cross, the University of Alabama Law School, Louisiana State University, and The George Washington University. His writings have appeared in The Journal of Insurance Law, Catholic Social Science Review, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Weekly Standard, National Review, National Review Online, and the New York Post. Furman University press release --END--
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Conservative Students for a Better Tomorrow presents Drs. David Kendall and Daniel Mitchell Wed., Jan. 9, at 5:30 P.M. January 5, 2008--Greenville, SC 
| Furman University’s Conservative Students for a Better Tomorrow presents Dr. David Kendall, professor of economics at the University of Virginia’s College at Wise, and Dr. Daniel Mitchell, senior fellow at the CATO Institute. Drs. Kendall and Mitchell will participate in a debate on “FairTax vs. Flat Tax” Wednesday, Jan. 9, at 5:30 p.m. in John E. Johns Hall 101.
The debate will last approximately one hour and will be moderated by a member of the Furman economics department. The event will conclude with a brief question-and-answer session. The event has CLP status.
The event is open to the public without charge. All students, faculty, and members of the community are welcome. Seating is limited.
With 30 years of experience in university teaching and research, consulting, and business, David L. Kendall, Ph.D., specializes in economic and financial analysis, quantitative modeling, and statistical analysis. He holds a B.A. in economics and the M.E., and Ph.D. in economics and statistics, all from North Carolina State University. He is currently Professor of Economics and Finance at the University of Virginia’s College at Wise where he teaches investment analysis, financial management, public finance, and other courses in economics. He is also a principal for Kendall Asset Management, a Registered Investment Advisor in the state of Virginia.
His professional career combines 10 years of experience as a senior research economist at RTI International with 20 years of university teaching and research. Dr. Kendall served as Dean of the School of Business at St. Edward’s University in Austin, TX for three where years where he later became Chief Economist and Director of Research for Empire Funding Corporation, a consumer finance company.
A long time advocate of replacing the federal income tax with a national retail sales tax, Dr. Kendall first learned of the FairTax in 2003 and began providing pro bono services to Americans for Fair Taxation. In 2004 he wrote an open letter to the President, the U.S. Congress, and the American people endorsing the FairTax. His letter was signed by 80 other economists and mailed to the President, each member of the U.S. Congress, and each member of the President’s Advisory Panel on Federal Tax Reform.
Daniel J. Mitchell is a top expert on tax reform and supply-side tax policy. He currently serves as a Senior Fellow at the CATO Institute. Mitchell is a strong advocate of a flat tax and international tax competition. Prior to joining Cato, Mitchell was a senior fellow with The Heritage Foundation, and an economist for Senator Bob Packwood and the Senate Finance Committee. He also served on the 1988 Bush/Quayle transition team and was Director of Tax and Budget Policy for Citizens for a Sound Economy.
His articles can be found in such publications as the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Investor’s Business Daily, and Washington Times. He is the author of The Flat Tax: Freedom, Fairness, Jobs, and Growth. He is a frequent guest on radio and television and a popular speaker on the lecture circuit. Mitchell holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics from the University of Georgia and a Ph.D. in economics from George Mason University. Furman University press release
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Conservative Students for a Better Tomorrow presents Dr. Oran Smith Wed., Nov. 14, at 6:30 P.M. November 9, 2007--Greenville, SC 
| Furman University’s Conservative Students for a Better Tomorrow presents Dr. Oran Smith, president of the Palmetto Family Council. Dr. Smith will deliver an address on “The Legislative Machine: The Inside Story of How S.C. Laws are Made” Wednesday, Nov. 14, at 6:30 p.m. in Johns Hall 101. Dr. Smith's lecture will focus on the social conservative agenda.
The address will last approximately one hour and will be followed by a brief question-and-answer session. The event has CLP status.
The event is open to the public without charge. All students, faculty, and members of the community are welcome. Seating is limited.
Dr. Oran Smith is the President and Executive Director of the Palmetto Family Council. He is a graduate of Clemson University where he received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, and the University of South Carolina, where he received a Masters and Doctorate. His doctoral dissertation, later a NYU Press book, was entitled The Rise of Baptist Republicanism. He has written numerous journal articles and book chapters on politics, government, and the role of Christians in politics.
His areas of expertise are research, communications, politics and public affairs. He is a former member of Gov. Carroll Campbell's economic development staff and the staff of the Business & Industry Political Education Committee (BIPEC).
A native of Greer, Dr. Smith lives in Leesville with his wife Kristin and their three children. He is a member of First Presbyterian Church (ARP), Columbia where he serves as deacon, Sunday School teacher and editor of First Pres Magazine. He is a member of the board of trustees of Coastal Carolina University in Conway, SC where he chairs the Academic Affairs Committee. Furman University press release
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Conservative Students for a Better Tomorrow presents Dr. Andrew Bernstein Thurs., Nov. 8, at 7 P.M. November 5, 2007--Greenville, SC 
| Furman University’s Conservative Students for a Better Tomorrow presents Dr. Andrew Bernstein, author of The Capitalist Manifesto. Dr. Bernstein will deliver an address on “Global Capitalism: The Solution to World Oppression and Poverty” Thursday, Nov. 8, at 7:00 p.m. in McEachern Lecture Hall (Furman Hall 214).
The address will last approximately one hour and fifteen minutes and will be followed by a brief question-and-answer session. The event has CLP status.
The event is open to the public without charge. All students, faculty, and members of the community are welcome. Seating is limited.
Dr. Andrew Bernstein is a Visiting Professor of Philosophy at Marist College; he also teaches at SUNY Purchase (which selected him Outstanding Teacher for 2004) and formerly at Pace University, and Marymount College (which selected him Outstanding Teacher for 1995). Dr. Bernstein lectures regularly at American universities and appears frequently on the radio talk shows. He also speaks often at philosophy conferences all over the United States; additionally in Canada, England, Belgium, Norway, Hong Kong and Bermuda.
Dr. Bernstein’s op-eds have been published in such newspapers as The San Francisco Chronicle, The Chicago Tribune, The Baltimore Sun, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Washington Times, The Los Angeles Daily News, and The Houston Chronicle. Dr. Bernstein is the author of three Ayn Rand titles for CliffsNotes: Atlas Shrugged, The Fountainhead, and Anthem. He also authored the Penguin Teacher Guide to The Fountainhead, and The Capitalist Manifesto: The Historic, Economic and Philosophic Case for Laissez-Faire.
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"In Memory of YOE" September 28, 2007--Greenville, SC
| Christopher Mills CSBT Chief Executive Officer Perhaps the most discussed moment of last year’s “Year of the Environment” (YOE) came when a proposal that would have instituted a mandatory student fee directed towards a carbon offset company was put to a rare student body vote. Both sides of the debate were well-represented, and the Association of Furman Students wisely passed the contentious issue on to a full student vote, where the proposal failed 586-818.
As indicated by the vote, the opinion of the student body was that caution needed to be taken when allocating money to carbon offsets that would provide no tangible benefits. However, during the summer, the administration signed a compact that will require Furman to purchase carbon offsets. This deal presents several causes for concern.
First, carbon offsets are “sold” in a largely unregulated industry that allows buyers to “purchase” credits, which, depending on the money spent, supposedly “offset” a certain amount of the purchaser’s carbon emissions by reducing carbon usage elsewhere.
It is unclear if any carbon emissions are actually reduced that were not already going to be without the offset. Many carbon offset companies claim 100 percent of carbon reduction for projects to which they contribute much less than the total cost. The buyer receives nothing but a certificate, and there is no way to determine if any carbon production is limited—the Los Angeles Times notes, “the industry is clouded by an approach to carbon accounting that makes it easy to claim reductions that didn't occur.”
As quoted in the Times, NASA’s top climate researcher, James Hansen, said, “These offsets are not addressing the problem that must be addressed now. If we just fool around with marginal things, we will be up a creek without a paddle in the rather near future.”
In effect, carbon offset buyers are simply making a donation so that they will feel better about their assumed contribution to global warming, which is why some environmental organizations like the Sierra Club discourage the purchasing of offsets.
President David Shi committed Furman to buying offsets when he signed the “American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment” in June. The agreement calls for colleges to “achieve climate neutrality,” which is impossible unless colleges use the dubious bookkeeping of carbon offset companies. Further suggested actions include “offsetting all greenhouse gas emissions generated by air travel paid for by our institution.”
As for the continuing problems with offsets themselves, the commitment’s web site puts it best: “Since there is currently no established certification system for carbon offsets, the program has not adopted any specifications for what type of offsets count.”
Saving money and improving the environment by implementing sensible environmental policies in areas like construction is reasonable and should be encouraged; spending university money on donations that achieve “carbon neutrality” only on paper helps neither the environment nor the value of a Furman education. After two consecutive years of steep tuition/fee increases at Furman, our money should be spent so that it actually improves the quality of education we receive at Furman instead of benefiting for-profit and unregulated carbon offset companies.
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Former Furman trustee praises CSBT in Paladin newspaper op-ed 
| Truth Was the First Casualty
There was a fight at Furman, but it wasn’t a fair one.
By Dean Williams
Charlottesville, Virginia
Furman University President David Shi recently published a Greenville News column, titled Campus controversy can be a great teacher. In it he expressed Furman’s values and the threats to them. At its core, however, was his strongly-worded public reprimand of a few Furman students. They had offered a petition opposing sponsorship of a visiting performing group. Many professors reflected President Shi’s actions by signing a faculty counter-petition opposing their students.
President Shi’s direct involvement was unexpected, since he is on sabbatical leave this year. Unfortunately, his column did not include any facts about the students or the visiting group which could be verified. These few facts, for example, could have allowed readers to learn more and make up their own minds: The visiting group is, “The Kinsey Sicks.” The students’ website is www.furmancsbt.org. Their petition reads:
To: (student organizations) FUSAB, RLC and EROS: We, the undersigned, recognize that FUSAB, RLC and EROS are co-sponsoring a drag queen show by the “Kinsey Sicks” and are trying to bring them to campus with over $10,000 in student money. We further recognize that the “Kinsey Sicks” is an overtly political activist group that uses tactics not in line with the values of Furman University. Finally, we recognize that there is no inherent educational value in the “Kinsey Sicks” production. Therefore, we request that FUSAB, RLC, and EROS reconsider their co-sponsorship of the “Kinsey Sicks.”
President Shi did not name the visiting group. He referred to them as a cabaret group and as a nationally prominent troupe known for satire. If he had given their name, readers could have learned for themselves about the cabaret group. A New York Times review judged The Kinsey Sicks act, “inspired silliness” and “seriously offensive to many.” Other reviews noted that their satire includes the view that Republicans are the same as the Ku Klux Klan, their song, “Why Can’t We (F**k)?” and parodies of Jesus in sexual situations.
Likewise, if President Shi had included the students’ petition in his column, readers could have decided for themselves if his public allegations about the students were fair and accurate, or even necessary. The students did not address their petition to the University. They addressed it to three other specific student organizations. The students did not demand that the University cancel anything. They used the word request and asked other students to reconsider their co-sponsorship.
The students did not ignore the other three student organizations or disregard any of their actions. It was to them that they addressed their petition. It was to them that they made their request to reconsider. Their concern was not voluntary attendance. It was mandatory use of their funds. The students did not call for censorship. It was the students who promoted awareness of the event and urged others to learn more. It was the students who gave us the group’s name. It was the students who researched and publicized the material that President Shi said they tried to censor.
Public censure of students for offering a petition is tenuous ground for university Presidents and professors, because they so frequently remind us of their own rights to freedom of expression. Their obligation for accuracy and fairness is always great, but especially so when making public accusations against their students.
University Presidents and professors have great power over their students. This includes the very real power to censor them by intimidation. Some may find this tempting because it requires so little courage, but it also threatens the very freedoms they assert so readily. Gratuitous display of this power sends a strong message to everyone. What will happen to the next small group of students at Furman who want to petition other students to reconsider something? Will they be censured in the press? Will they feel the same isolation and disillusionment that these students and their anguished parents must feel now? If they fear similar retaliation, each of us is diminished with them.
The students expressed themselves by the democratic means of petition. The words in their petition are neither harmful nor irrational. Their views are shared by many other Furman students, their parents, alumni and donors. Surely not all of them can be labeled, “partisans on the extremes.” In his column, President Shi lauded Furman as a place where, “different opinions and different students {are} cherished and protected.” If these students and their parents now find these admirable words to be hollow, we can understand why.
To dwell on the Kinsey Sicks and their act misses the point. They have come and gone. Time and the marketplace of ideas will judge them fairly. What endures is that these young Furman students have shown initiative, principle, courage, and commitment - all traits of character that we would welcome in our own children and wish for in our leaders. They deserve better than misrepresentation and public condemnation by the President of their University. They deserve our respect and our support. They have mine.
T. Dean Williams is a graduate and former Trustee of Furman University. He chaired the Finance Committee of the Board of Trustees and served five terms on Furman’s Advisory Council, most recently as its Chairman.
Contact: dean@arc-light.com Reprinted from the Paladin student newspaper Click here to read about CSBT's "Kinsey Sicks" petition. --END--
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Conservative Students for a Better Tomorrow presents Dr. Richard Lindzen Wed., May 9, at 7 P.M. May 4, 2007--Greenville, SC 
| Furman University's Conservative Students for a Better Tomorrow presents, in celebration of the university's "Year of the Environment," Dr. Richard S. Lindzen, a climatologist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dr. Lindzen will deliver an address on "Global Warming Alarm" Wednesday, May 9, at 7:00 P.M. in the Watkins Room of the University Center (map).
The address will last approximately one hour and will be followed by a brief question-and-answer session. It is the second part of CSBT's "Year of the Environment" lecture series.
The event is open to the public without charge. All students, faculty, and members of the community are welcome. Seating is limited. The event has CLP status.
Dr. Richard S. Lindzen has been the Alfred P. Sloan Professor of Meteorology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology since 1983. He is the author of over 200 books and papers in the scientific literature. He was a lead author on chapter 7 (on physical processes) of the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s Third Assessment Report (2001).
One of the world’s foremost atmospheric scientists, Dr. Lindzen was elected in 1977 to both the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He has received the Macelwane Medal of the American Geophysical Union and the Meisinger and Charney Awards as well as the Haurwitz Lectureship of the American Meteorological Society. He is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and a fellow in the American Meteorological Society, American Geophysical Union, and American Association for the Advancement of Science. He is also a member of the World Institute of Sciences and the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters.
Dr. Lindzen previously worked at the National Center for Atmospheric Research and taught at the University of Chicago and at Harvard University, where he held the Burden Chair in dynamic meteorology. His A.B., S.M., and Ph.D. degrees are from Harvard University.
Furman University press release --END--
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Conservative Students for a Better Tomorrow presents Eric Daniels Wed., Apr. 18, at 7 P.M. April 13, 2007--Greenville, SC 
| Furman University’s Conservative Students for a Better Tomorrow presents Dr. Eric Daniels, Visiting Scholar at the Clemson University Institute for the Study of Capitalism. Dr. Daniels will deliver an address on “The Morality of Capitalism” Wednesday, April 18, at 7:00 p.m. in James C. Furman Hall 214.
The address will last approximately one hour and will be followed by a brief question-and-answer session.
The event is open to the public without charge. All students, faculty, and members of the community are welcome. Seating is limited.
Dr. Eric Daniels is a visiting scholar at the Clemson University Institute for the Study of Capitalism. He taught for five years at Duke University, in the Program on Values and Ethics in the Marketplace, and at the University of Wisconsin, where he earned his doctorate in American history. He has lectured internationally on the history of American ethics, American business and legal history, and the American Enlightenment.
Daniels's publications include a chapter in "The Abolition of Antitrust" and five entries in the "Oxford Companion to United States History."
Click here to view Furman's news about the event. --END--
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Greenville News op-ed regarding "Kinsey Sicks" March 4, 2007--Greenville, SC 
| Diversity is nothing to hide behind
Christopher Mills, CSBT Chief Executive Officer The banner of "diversity" is frequently used to validate any number of programs at institutions of higher learning. Diversity can often be a noble goal, but what happens when diversity is used to justify hate speech? More importantly, what happens when students question that abuse of diversity? In the past month at Furman University, we have seen the answers to both of those questions. Last week, President David Shi wrote a column in which he delivered lofty rhetoric about "diversity" and "free speech" to defend an upcoming drag queen show at Furman rather than addressing valid concerns that have been raised about the event. Dr. Shi neither gave the name of the drag group nor admitted that student fees are funding the show. Indeed, a drag show by the "Kinsey Sicks" is planned for Furman's campus in March. Three sponsoring student groups intend to pay for the Kinsey Sicks with over $10,000 of money from student fees. After hearing about the planned event, a campus organization, Conservative Students for a Better Tomorrow (CSBT), researched the Kinsey Sicks' past shows and found many disturbing features. The group's typical program is highly offensive, with numerous references to Jesus in sexual contexts, vulgar descriptions of sex acts and politically charged hate speech against Republicans and Christians. The university is rewarding this obscene event with preferred "cultural life program" status, which gives students credit for attending a program with perceived cultural value. In conjunction with other student organizations, CSBT started a petition to allow students to express their disapproval with how their student fees are being spent. The administration refused to allow any links to the petition to be posted on the campus e-mail news, and some students and staff felt intimidated by vocal administration opposition to the petition. Still, over 10 percent of the student body, plus many concerned parents and alumni, signed this petition opposing the use of student fees to fund upfront the event's entire cost. Surely Dr. Shi would agree that students have the right to voice their opinion on how their student fees are being spent. Dr. Shi suggested that students opposed to the Kinsey Sicks are afraid of the ideas they might present. Actually, it is their lack of ideas and surplus of obscenity that we, along with hundreds of other members of the Furman community, object to. After CSBT started this petition, some faculty and staff members sent a counter-petition to the student newspaper accusing us of "censorship." Without contacting CSBT or finding out details of the controversy, these faculty members claimed the Kinsey Sicks is being funded by a "cultural programming budget" that does not exist. This faculty petition pressured many students to withhold or remove their names from the CSBT petition; after all, these are our professors, the same people who may be grading our final exams or teaching our next class. Some students were even instructed to retract their signatures or risk campus positions. Not once have the students opposed to the Kinsey Sicks asked "the university" to cancel this event. Rather, concerned students have circulated the petition asking that the sponsoring student groups reconsider their decision. It is this harmless act of free expression, initiated by a student organization with no power to censor, that Dr. Shi and some faculty label "censorship." Authoritarian tactics under the guise of "diversity," from intimidating students to decreeing that one side of this debate advocates censorship, do not encourage the "free exchange of ideas" or "open dialogue." In fact, quite the opposite -- sadly, the only lesson Furman is promoting from this controversy is that students better not voice their opinions next time. Yet, it is a question that must be answered: where would we draw the line? Would Furman use student fees to fund a "comedy" that places Muhammad in sexual contexts or ridicules people of other faiths and ethnicities? The Kinsey Sicks' show, which crudely attacks the beliefs of others and, as one petition signer put it, portrays "gross stereotypes," will do nothing to promote diversity or tolerance. When we have differences of opinions, we should keep our standards high and have honest, civil discussions. Students should be encouraged to appropriately dialogue and converse about such issues as we seek to make our school and community better places. "Diversity" does not excuse any and all types of programs, and, as a great university, we should at least allow ourselves the opportunity to discuss how best to encourage this goal. Greenville News: "Diversity is nothing to hide behind" Greenville News op-ed by President Shi Faculty letter to the editor responding to Dr. Shi Letter to the editor: "Furman's on wrong side of drag show" Greenville News stories: Drag show agitates Furman Kinsey Sicks leader relishes protest Greenville News blogs: Drag show opposition ain't censorship Free speech on campus Furman debate drags on... More on Kinsey Sicks, Furman and free speech Drag queens and gangsta parties
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Greenville News features letter to the editor
regarding drag queen show at Furman February 17, 2007--Greenville, SC
| Event will reflect poorly on Furman
Jason Novak Let it be known to the Greenville community, with its many gracious Furman University supporters and alumni, that their university has decided to spend over $10,000 of student money on a self-described "over-the-top drag" queen show put on by a group called "The Kinsey Sicks." Already, hundreds of Furman students have signed a petition to oppose this use of student fees, but the university shows no sign of reconsidering its sponsorship of this event. "The Kinsey Sicks" is a group whose stage acts have included talking about Jesus in sexual contexts, bashing Republicans and crudely describing the merits of oral sex. As one of the students opposed to this wasteful event, I think it is only proper the Greenville community be aware of what is going on at what should be one of its finest institutions -- not only does this event reflect poorly on the university, but also on the greater Greenville area. Greenville News link --END--
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