What's in a Pseudonym?
Butler University is suing John Doe. Well, junior Jess Zimmerman to be exact. Zimmerman started a "True BU" blog under the name "Soodo Nym," in which he started chronicling what he viewed as the unjustified dismissal of Andrea Gullickson, the former chair of the Butler's School of Music. Gullickson, who is also Zimmerman's stepmother, said that until recently, she was not aware that Soodo Nym was actually written by Zimmerman. On the eve of 2009, Zimmerman received an e-mail on his anonymous account from the University lawyer that Butler was pursuing charges against him.
Although Zimmerman's actions were clearly a conflict of interest, his intentions of pointing out what he viewed as University wrongdoing (and, according to his blog, other students' views) were justified. The counts of "defamatory and libelous statements" in the suit against John Doe are included in the document:
"Dean Alexander acted inappropriately and inexcusably in handling this matter. His actions are not consistent with the Butler Way, are embarrassing to JCFA and Butler and are ridiculously irresponsible." Other excerpts in this suit include Zimmerman's statements accusing Alexander of, "blatant disregard for the college, the School of Music and the Butler Way."
The counts of "libel" and "defamation" that Butler University cites in its suit against "John Doe" are nothing more than harmless student opinion. Higher education, built for the expansion of young people's mind and boundaries, was meant for young adults to question and consider counts of authority.
Mark Twain, a.k.a. Samuel Clemens, made his satires of society under his world-famous pseudonym, the Bronte sisters published under male pseudonyms and the American constitutional debates used pseudonyms (Alexander Hamilton, John Madison and John Jay wrote under the famous "Publius"). Heck, numerous authors wrote under pseudonyms when calling colonial British operations into question before the Revolutionary War. Pen names have enabled some of the most important American events to transpire, and the hindrance of such a voice by Butler University threatens the freedom of speech in the future of college journalism.
Although Zimmerman's actions were clearly a conflict of interest, his intentions of pointing out what he viewed as University wrongdoing (and, according to his blog, other students' views) were justified. The counts of "defamatory and libelous statements" in the suit against John Doe are included in the document:
"Dean Alexander acted inappropriately and inexcusably in handling this matter. His actions are not consistent with the Butler Way, are embarrassing to JCFA and Butler and are ridiculously irresponsible." Other excerpts in this suit include Zimmerman's statements accusing Alexander of, "blatant disregard for the college, the School of Music and the Butler Way."
The counts of "libel" and "defamation" that Butler University cites in its suit against "John Doe" are nothing more than harmless student opinion. Higher education, built for the expansion of young people's mind and boundaries, was meant for young adults to question and consider counts of authority.
Mark Twain, a.k.a. Samuel Clemens, made his satires of society under his world-famous pseudonym, the Bronte sisters published under male pseudonyms and the American constitutional debates used pseudonyms (Alexander Hamilton, John Madison and John Jay wrote under the famous "Publius"). Heck, numerous authors wrote under pseudonyms when calling colonial British operations into question before the Revolutionary War. Pen names have enabled some of the most important American events to transpire, and the hindrance of such a voice by Butler University threatens the freedom of speech in the future of college journalism.
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