Former Daily Emerald Columnist, Former ASUO Executive Candidate, and International Man Of Controversy, Ty Schwoeffermann has been awarded the Ebony Man Of The Year award by the Black Women of Achievement. One could go crazy with the links on this one, but you should start at the ODE archive and read some of Ty’s work for context, then read this, this and this. Having read the incredibly flattering ODE piece on his receiving the award, I’m still not entirely sure why he deserves it, besides generate controversy. Ty’s a nice guy if you talk to him, but his writing this year has been heavy on the rhetoric and light on the common sense, clear goals, and results achieved. In fact, his greatest achievement this year might well be his inspiration of more ODE guest commentaries than anyone else. I’ll give him props for sparking debate, and inspiring participation, but the means to that end were not particularly award-worthy.

Former OC Editor-in-Chief and man-about-town Pete Hunt sent me this article in the Village Voice concerning racist hack* Kenneth Eng. If you’re not familiar with Eng, back in February he wrote an article for the Bay Area-based newspaper AsianWeek titled “Why I Hate Blacks.” As you might expect, the piece is downright awful and far worse than any diatribe Ty Schwoeffermann has ever written, which is saying a lot. AsianWeek took the column down from its website, but blogger Phil Yu reposted it, noting that Eng has also written pieces entitled “Proof That Whites Inherently Hate Us” and “Why I Hate Asians.” (At least we know Eng’s an equal opportunity racist.)

In the ensuing media uproar, Eng appeared on Fox News to defend the piece in question, but immediately attempted to promote his self-published book, “Dragons: Lexicon Triumvirate,” which–as you may deduce from the title–is about dragons.

In April, Eng garnered attention again by posting a video on YouTube, in which he stated that reading about the Virginia Tech shooting was the “funniest thing [he] ever read in [his] life.”

Now Eng is trying to claim credit for Seung-Hui Cho’s murderous rampage, and tells the Voice that he once planned to go own his own shooting spree at NYU, but couldn’t afford a firearm. Jeebus.

Again, I dislike bringing attention to more racist nonsense–especially when it’s obviously being used to promote a terrible-looking book–but, on the other hand, it’s sadly entertaining.

Oh, and then there’s this guy, who doesn’t appear to be racist but is probably a little nuts.

*Two for two this month!

Much as I loathe to bring attention to anything Ty Schwoeffermann writes, especially since I regard him as a racist hack*, it is hard to ignore his excruciatingly shrill guest commentary in today’s Ol’ Dirty.

Schwoeffermann starts out in typical style with an opening sentence filled with glaring factual errors and legal inaccuracies:

When the Brown v. Board of Education verdict forced public schools to desegregate on May 17, 1954, the national conscious officially reconciled the half decade of Jim Crow laws.

A “half decade” of Jim Crow laws? If Schwoeffermann is trying to make the point that we need more African-American history classes using himself as an example, well then, I guess he’s doing a bang-up job right off the bat.

Read the rest of this entry »

Former Emerald columnist Ty Schwoeffermann has added his name to the long list of candidates for ASUO Executive, running with Paul Kammerzelt. The campaign filed paperwork yesterday, designating McCall Hall as campaign manager.

Schwoeffermann has courted controversy all year, with columns on interracial dating, the athletic department, and an angry outburst at a PFC meeting. Details of his platform have not yet surfaced, but we look forward to hearing them.

Well, it’s 4 am, I can’t sleep, and apparently Ty Schwoeffermann is writing again… just what I needed.

Having disappeared from the Emerald after his now-infamous “Watch out for Jungle Fever” column, Ty is back with a guest commentary entitled “Athletics should offer more to higher education.” Whereas “Jungle Fever” was unrelentingly, overbearingly, crushingly stupid, the latest opus is more mildly confused with just a dash of the famous Schwoeffermann crazy.

The piece begins:

The majority of students are grateful for the opportunity to attend such a high-caliber school, and if your family is wealthy (the average University of Oregon student’s family income is $100,000 per year), then a quality education is implied.

The rest is of about the same quality, except for this little nugget:

Financial assistance along with many other supplements can change the racial and class disparities at this school. The Athletic Department is not causing racism and economic inequality, but it is not advocating against it. By not actively working to fix these problems, the department is only facilitating the inequality by putting student athletes to work on the plantation fields.

So let’s recap: Schwoefferman railing against interracial dating is not racist, but the Athletic Department’s lack of advocacy is. C’mon Ty, don’t athletes get academic support and residence options that aren’t available to the average student? Do you really think anyone takes charges of racism seriously from someone who thinks interracial dating “isn’t right”? Don’t you think it’s a little bit insulting to the memory of the survivors of slavery to compare their ordeal to collegiate athletes in the 21st Century? And I thought the Commentator was desperate for content…

Last week there was the beautiful OSPIRG bashing by Matt Petryni, and yesterday I opened the Ol’ Dirty in my attempts to play Sudoku and Wordsearch during class to find this:

It is likely that 2010 and 2012 will be good years for Republicans, especially with the horde of problems facing the Democratic Party. While the Republican Party under Bush has suffered greatly and become ideologically corrupt, it is not as far gone as many currently assume. The next four years will be the true determining factor.

True, it did come from Ohio State University’s student paper, The Lantern. However, it’s not very often that you see decent commentary in the Ol’ Dirty, but somehow its happened twice in two weeks. And here I was waiting for another Ty Schwoeffermann-esque piece to make the KKK look race-friendly. Of course the letter to the editor immediately underneath this op-ed makes me wonder where the readers of the Emerald have been living for the past few years:

Racism is still alive and well in our nation. Sometimes I wonder, am I really living in the 21st century? Because the racism I have witnessed and heard seems like something from the 1800s. Haven’t we come far enough to disregard someone’s skin color, the pigmentation of their skin? Obama’s race should not matter. His policies and performance matter. I hope Obama’s leadership and performance in office will change people’s minds.

In Lil’ Wayne’s newest single Lollipop he states, “I get on top, and drop it like it’s hot, but when I’m on the bottom she’s Hillary Rodham.”

Personally I’d pinned Mr. Weezy as an Obama man, but this got me wondering: How many men will vote for Hil just because she’s a woman in power and they’re attracted to it?

I know all about voting based on sex appeal, I’m a Ron Paul girl, but I’d rather vote for Obama simply because (Ty Schwoeffermann, cover your eyes) I’d like to fuck him.

Perhaps this explains why I am also such a fan of Colin Powell?

I wasn’t planning on covering the Iraq war protest in Eugene yesterday, but I happened to run into it on my way to the office and decided to play “embedded reporter.”

By the time I had arrived at the EMU, there was already a large crowd gathered, hoisting various signs and such. I unfortunately missed Ty Schwoeffermann’s speech and a rap by Ari Lesser, although I imagine both were spectacular. I did, however, make it in time to hear a speech by U of O sociology professor Gregory McLauchlan. The speaker who introduced him noted that McLauchlan “has been a peace and social activist since Berkley.” (And we all know how well that turned out). Read the rest of this entry »

As I previously reported, there will be a meeting, now titled “Take Back the Campus”, held on Monday, March 3 at 7 p.m. in Willamette 100. The event, co-hosted by the ASUO and the Sustainability Coalition, will focus on student involvement on campus and recent actions by the university administration.

You can tell from the oddly proportioned “power to the people” fist on the right (the event’s logo) that the organizers mean business. Or at least have some vague concept of business. According to the Facebook event, the meeting “is not one night of complaining but a chance to come together and take action.” No, I’m pretty sure it will mostly be complaining. Not that there’s anything wrong with that; I’m just saying …

For a full list of the grievances cited by the event organizers, Read the rest of this entry »

In light of all the recent hullabaloo on campus about the Jena Six, I found this CSM article, titled “Media myths about the Jena 6”, very interesting. It lays out 12 of the most commonly misreported “facts” about the case.

The author lives in Jena and has reported on the situation from the beginning, which presumably gives him some credence. Of course, you could also argue that this gives him an inherent bias, such as when he claims “Jena is a wonderful place to live for both whites and blacks.” Sure, it might not be as racist as the media have portrayed it, but I’m still not planning my vacation getaway to Jena, Louisiana.

In any case, I think the Jena Six debacle will probably go down in future years as a textbook example of how the media latch on to and distort stories. Race violence is top priority news these days, right behind “missing white woman” and “Britney Spears is crazy.”

Here’s the ODE write-up of the recent rally in support of the Jena Six. See how many of the “media myths” you can spot before it turns into a Diego Hernandez and Ty Schwoeffermann quote-athon. Also, OC Publisher Guy Simmons had a run in with some crazy Jena Six supporters a while back (with wacky results). Finally, props to Hit & Run for the find.

The comment section over at the ODE website have been hosting some discussion on the recent string of commentaries on race relations. Since some people seem afraid to engage in debate here on our site, some of us have been mixing it up over there. Check out the discussions on recent pieces by Diego Hernandez, Ty Schwoeffermann,  and our own Andrea Blaser.

On a related note, I really wish the ODE would stop moderating comments. What are you afraid of? You guys refused to post one of my comments a while back… was it because I linked to this site? Here we are linking to you, now get over yourselves and stop censoring.

Diego Hernandez, who we last saw losing the election for EMU Board Senate Seat 6, wrote a letter to the editor in yesterday’s Ol’ Dirty Emerald in response to Sean Jin’s criticism of Ty Schwoeffermann’s guest commentary from last Friday.

While Jin’s letter was critical of “people of color” who held contemptuous attitudes toward white people, it was written in a rather conciliatory tone:

As one that identifies as a minority, I feel that it is my responsibility to emphasize how important it is to practice what we preach, and that the true solution to racism and ethnic bigotry is to create positive connections amongst different cliques and groups on campus. While I cannot fully understand the hardships and frustrations that many people of color have endeavored through to be where they are now, I have come to the firm conviction that community connection and communication is the ultimate key to equalizing opportunities for people of color.

Now, let’s contrast Jin’s words with those of Hernandez:

Sean Jin said that he had never experienced racism before he came to the University and it was not until people of color started “expressing their hatred and contempt for whites” that he saw ethnic bigotry… To assume that people of color only have hatred toward white people is bigotry. If standing up to racism and if fighting for equality is hatred, then so be it.

All right! Throw an accusation of bigotry at your editorial opponent. Way to come out swinging!

Read the rest of this entry »

Racism is having the Best Week Ever! Imus is going down for his “nappy-headed ho’s” comment, ASUO Exec candidate Ty Schwoeffermann called white rappers “appropriation” and “minstrelry” before kicking off a white-boy rap showdown in the amphitheater between his VP Paul Kammerzelt and ASUO Exec hopefull Ari Lesser, and to top it all off, Tobi Hill-Meyer came back like deja-vu to declare “There is an epidemic of racism in the student senate.” It’s like, the more I hear about it, the less this cracker-ass honky understands racism.

I wrote a guest commentary for the Emerald, in response to Hill-Meyers piece. It was a bit rushed, and I don’t feel particularly comfortable writing on this topic, but I felt like someone needed to respond. My problem with what is going on is that accusations are being made and not explained. Students have to deal with these accusation of racism hanging over their heads, without so much of a shred of evidence to support them.

This smear tactic raises real questions about the motivations of those making the accusations. How are senators supposed to correct their racist ways if they aren’t informed/educated about how they are, in fact racist. If racism is so entrenched a problem as Hill-Meyer claims, why is it only brought up during elections? Is racism, or lack thereof, tied to dollars and cents of Incidental Fee funding? The entire situation has the reek of McCarthyism to it, where the suggestion is made, guilt is presumed, and it is up to the accused to defend themselves from undocumented and nebulous charges. Then, as now, it is incumbent upon the accuser, not the accused, to substantiate such serious charges. Furthermore, if racism is truly a problem on Senate, then there must be a solution other than character assasination. The health and harmony of our political system depends on it.

Good night, and good luck.

OC Editor-in-Chief Edward Niedermeyer filed elections paperwork today, entering the already crowded race for ASUO Executive. Speaking at a lonely media event, attended only by this blogger, Niedermeyer outlined the many challenges facing the ASUO, and his plans for the future. “The ASUO needs to check itself,” said Niedermeyer, “because projecting current trends into the future, it appears very much at risk of wrecking itself.”

The centerpiece of Niedermeyer’s campaign is what he terms as “the dire threat of global douchebaggery.” “Transnational douchebaggery presents an existential threat our campus,” Niedermeyer explained, “student leaders must stand up and be counted: they are either with us or against us.” According to Niedermeyer, douchebags are responsible for many of the recent attacks on the dignity of the student body, from Toby Keith’s attendance of the Oklahoma/Oregon game at Autzen this fall, to Ty Schwoeffermann’s column on interracial dating. “Our own student government is complicit in these acts of douchebaggery,” said Niedermeyer, “indeed, I am currently compiling a list of douchebags who have infiltrated our own student government. These douchebags must be smoked out of their Suite 4 offices and brought to justice.”

The Niedermeyer campaign has yet to announce a running mate, and is still in the process of developing its platform. “I am very interested in decreasing the incidental fee, yet there are important issues that will require judicious amounts of student money” said Niedermeyer, when questioned about his commitment to fiscal responsibility. “For example, I think it is crucial for campus diversity to offer drinking fountains that serve Pabst Blue Ribbon as well as Labatt Blue. Yes, it will cost students an extra $3 million to provide this capability, but I think we can all agree that diversity is always good, regardless of the cost… especially given the fact that Canadians are tragically underrepresented on this campus.”

Tolerance was another serious issue for Niedermeyer, and one which also appears to have trumped his longstanding commitment to fiscal responsibility. “It’s important to educate all students about the importance of tolerance,” said Niedermeyer “and make sure they never forget this crucial lesson.” In support of this position, Niedermeyer is considering using student funds to establish “re-education camps” to teach students the importance of tolerance. “We will not stand for students who perpetuate a micro-brew hegemony, and constantly oppress those who find pleasure in the cheaper beers,” Niedermeyer explained, “maybe a few months of hard labor and hard liquor will teach them that all beer is beautiful, whether lovingly hand-crafted or industrially mass-produced.”

The villainy of Tyler Graf clearly knows no bounds. After years of dissing on the Daily Emerald’s Commentary section, former Commentator Editor, and freelance intoxication consultant Tyler Graf is officially on the Emerald Masthead as ‘Ol Dirty’s new Commentary Editor. While we congratulate our old friend and colleague for his success (and expect him to buy a round once in a while with his fat editors paycheck), We cannot help but be concerned for his future.

Graf has inherited a troubled Commentary section from outgoing editor and current columnist Lucas Pollock. Fall term saw mediocrity building to downright racism in the work of columnist Ty Schwoeffermann, hacky talking points from College Democrat Supreme Leader Ben Lenet, supplemented by solid contributions from Graf and fellow former Commentator, Bryan Roberts. That ‘Ol Dirty at no point this year has had a full compliment of five active columnists is a challenge unto itself, that fully half of those columnists (and the good half, at that) are former Commentator staffers is a downright embarrassment. Clearly Graf has his work cut out for him, and given that most of the ink spilled from his mighty pen over the years has gone towards belittling the half-baked opinions of the ODE Editorial board, he must have some good ideas…

A glance at Graf’s first page three as editor reveals plenty of work left to do. A Editorial Board paean to Governor Kulongoski’s proposed 12.5% higher education budget increase dominates the page, revealing unexpected sympathies for a long-time libertarian such as Graf. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a no-brainer for a college newspaper to support increases in funding, and may in fact be good policy to boot. It does, however, send the message to fans of Graf’s more controversial positions that the Editorial Board will change him, rather than vice-versa. Reinforcing these worries is Graf’s column, a toothless puff-piece on “Ashley the ‘Pillow Angel,’” which is about as controversial as a pb & j sandwich.

To be fair, two new columnists are listed on the Masthead, opening at least the possibility of improvements in the quality of Commentary, especially if Graf had a hand in the hiring process. Needless to say, knives are being sharpened in the Commentator office in the likely event that our initial optimism about the newcomers will be horribly dashed in typical ODE fashion. If all this seems a bit bitchy, remember that we really do like Graf, and that he’s done more for the Commentator than anyone currently attending the U of O. It would be a shame to see his legacy hijacked by the easy money and intellectual sloppiness he so dyspeptically rumbled against in his Commentator days.