Student Suspended over Crude Video

Posted on 22. Oct, 2009 by Peter Katz in Campus

The following information is an account based on a phone interview with Robert Curnutte at 12:53pm on Thursday, 22 October 2009. All facts and opinions expressed – aside from the general, official statements made by the administration – are based on information from Curnutte’s perspective. All administration is bound by FERPA confidentiality, and must therefore officially decline to comment or acknowledge any case.

For intramurals, Robert Curnutte (sophomore) and his teammates named their team “Triple Thick Protein Shake.” According to Curnutte, when Coach Bob Paulson was in the process of examining the appropriateness of the teams’ names, he came across a video Curnutte had made in his Newton dorm room last year. In the video – which has been removed from the site – Curnutte talked about a prank involving a high school classmate, a milkshake, and bodily fluid. Curnutte maintains that the actual event never happened, and was merely capitalizing on a rumor that had circulated his senior year of high school.

As Curnutte tells it, Paulson first contacted the team captain, and then called in Curnutte. He allegedly conveyed that he found the video distasteful, and told Curnutte to expect a call from the deans. Curnutte met with the deans, who purportedly questioned him for approximately an hour. “It felt like I was going to get a slap on the wrist,” Curnutte says of the meeting.

Three days later, at 6:00pm, Curnutte says he received a call telling him to report to PUC’s Judicial Committee at 1:00pm the next afternoon. Curnutte reports feeling that “I didn’t have enough time to get an advocate,” and after the meeting, he felt that it would be “useless” to get one for the second, because he felt as though the only remaining question was “what should we do to punish you?”.

Curnutte says that the committee brainstormed punishments, and had him formulate a proposal for possible punishments. He proposed counseling, community service, and Bible studies, in an effort to, as he put it, “seem remorseful and try to come to some sort of conclusion.” At 9:00pm that night, Curnutte says he received an email sent at 7:30pm informing him that he had been suspended, and needed to vacate the premises for three days. According to Curnutte, his father had to “borrow money from my grandparents” to come and retrieve him and take him to their home.

In addition to suspension, Curnutte says that the Judicial Committee is requiring him to talk with the individual about whom the video was made. Curnutte says the individual has “never seen the video,” and does not attend PUC.

Dr. Lisa Bissell Paulson, head of PUC’s Judicial Committee this year, is by law not allowed to comment on any specific case, and officially declined to confirm or deny the existence of any judicial case at this time. She did give this statement: “For any judicial system that we deal with, we prayerfully deliberate and make decisions that are consistent with what we’ve done before, and that we hope will be right for the student and the college’s best interest.”

In the case of any judicial matter, she also directed all inquiries with this statement: “Every student has signed an agreement to abide by the expectations of the college, and that information and the whole process and procedure can be found online the student handbook.” Curnutte maintains that Judicial Committee informed him that he has violated the fourth responsibility in the Student Life Agreement found in the Student Handbook, which reads: “To maintain high standards of taste and decency in conduct, expression and citizenship.”

In addition to a Facebook group, there is circulating on campus a student petition that claims that Curnutte did not receive due process. Student judicial rights are on page 38 and 39 in the Student Handbook.

Thespianage: A DAS Update

Posted on 11. Oct, 2009 by Tim Widmer in Campus

Dramatic Arts Society (DAS) is happy to announce their 2009-2010 Season. DAS once again continues in its tradition of excellent theater this year with a jam-packed new season, and boy, this season is a great one! Not only do I have to tell you that because I am the intern and it is my job, but because we truly do have an awesome season lined up. Many of you attended Lyrics from Lockdown, our first major event of the year. The incredible Bryonn Bain rocked the microphone in our very own Dauphene Chapel this past Sunday. The show had an incredible turnout and an incredible showing of support, and I would like to thank all of you your support of an incredible performer. Bain’s one man show is not that only incredible thing we are going to bring to you this year.

Our next event is entitled Shuffle: A 24 Hour Festival. I have to say this is one of my favorite events of the year. All of the artists will get together, and in twenty-four hours, we will prepare and perform for one night only these brand-new creations. Last year, I had the opportunity to direct for the event, and I have to say that it is by far one of the most exciting and entertaining theater going experiences I have been a part of. Four writers, four directors, twenty actors, twenty-four hours of craziness. Shuffle will be performed on November 15th.

Later this quarter the Dramatic Arts Society has been commissioned by the Adventist Association of Women and Spectrum Magazine to create a new work entitled This Adventist Life. The piece imitates the NPR live radio show of a similar name (This American Life) and is hosted by PUC’s own Alexander Carpenter. The show itself is a combination of story, song, and video mashup using material ranging from the 1990s film The Nostradamus Kid, and the Uncle Arthur bedtime story The Two Carolines. In short, this show is about what makes us Adventist when viewed by insiders and by those outside of the community looking in.

And that’s just fall quarter.

Winter Quarter brings us an as yet untitled new work festival, headed up by new work by local playwrights, including many aspiring student playwrights. Spring Quarter will bring the sounds of show tunes to our campus, as the next big DAS project will be a full musical production.  The word on the street is that it just might be the famous Sound of Music.

It’s going to be an incredible year of theater, and I hope to see you all at the show!