Lubinator's Air & Space:
Next time, press the freaking delete button!
Xavierite, Nov. 20, 2002

By Joe Luby
Viewpoints Editor

"No." "No thanks." "Sorry, I'm kinda busy." "Due to my own personal beliefs, I cannot in good conscience support your cause, but here's the name of a professor who might be interested in helping you." Any of these phrases, including the above headline, would have been an acceptable response to Cadet Kurpiel's request to help advertise an upcoming annual academic forum on international relations.

But nooooooooooo! That didn't happen. Before you could say tenure, Professor Kirsten's response had been forwarded to all military personnel past, present, and future. What a PR nightmare for SXU.

What's done is done. For those unfamiliar with the events surrounding Kirstein and Cadet Kurpiel, this issue of The Xaverite offers a recap in the news section. The goal of this week's paper is to present the issues surrounding Kirstein objectively and let you, the reader, make up your mind regarding Kirstein, as you inevitably will. Well, that's good and all, but I am going to chime in with my own two cents, so please don't have me fired.

And for the record, after talking to a friend of a friend from the Naval Academy, Kirstein made mistakes in his initial response. No aircraft deploy AAA, that's because AAA stands for Anti- Aircraft Artillery. And it should be rain (not reign) death & destruction. Just thought I should point those two things out for the public.

Ok, I've given a lot of thought to Kirstein's extreme left wing (what some might label communist) statements regarding the military. I've even read over his online teacher homepage to get a refresher on his political views. I say refresher because I actually had the man for the course U.S. History to 1877 freshmen year. Now, that was an interesting class. I ended up getting a B in the class. I wasn't thrilled with the grade because 1) I wasn't prepared for the two questions about Bob Dylan's antiwar songwriting ability on the final exam and 2) the all-night, end-of-the-school-year keg party in Regina Hall that conveniently took place in the dormroom next to mine that didn't end until 6 o' clock the following morning, made getting a good night's sleep virtually impossible to come by. (Puke and rally!)

Before I get to Kirstein, I would be remiss if I did not voice my disappointment with this university's silence on the matter until November 11th. I understand that the University wanted to react accordingly and take into account all sides before issuing an official statement, but what about in the meantime? I basically got wind of this story Friday night, November 8th, a week after the fact, when two people affiliated with the Air Force whom I've never met emailed me and voiced their outrage over the matter. Then the next morning, Saturday, I'm in my assistant football coach's office getting ready for our last regular season football game reading the Sun-Times, when there it was on page 5 for all of Chicago to read.

Why didn't the University immediately fire off a memo to all its students regarding the situation or call an emergency public forum where people could voice their concerns? Why? Because only like everyone was talking about it! Instead, nothing. Silence for two long weeks. I'm not blaming the school for this mess in any way, it's just strange seeing the school I like so much having its name dragged through the mud.

Back to Kirstein. Our history professor's initial email to Cadet Kurpiel asked American servicemen and women to disobey orders. In other words, to defect. And this isn't the first time he's shared this viewpoint. In an October letter to Arab News, Kirstein wrote "It is my hope that large segments of our armed forces would refuse to engage in aggressive military action that would disgrace their families, their nation and all those who have worn proudly the uniform of the United States."

Everyone's entitled to his or her own opinion. Hey, I could stand in Mary's Circle and scream at the top of my lungs as people walk to their next class, "I believe in death. I believe in destruction. I believe in disease. I believe in murder. I believe in inhumanity and cruelty. I believe in slime and stink. I believe in sickness, and ugliness and all that's corrupt." The issue here isn't what he said. The issues are especially a bit more complex with all that's happened to America since 9/11 and History majors who claim that the most interesting class they had was taught by Kirstein.

Ultimately, a university professor failed in his position. His goal is to educate students while advancing knowledge in his field. If he did not wish to help a student in a non-academic function, he should have simply declined.

I don't understand how someone claiming to be a pacifist on one hand can be so aggressive with the other? I don't get how Kirstein can write "it's clearly inappropriate for professors to assert they are spokespersons for a college or a university" as he wrote in a letter to the editor of Academe in response to September 11th, and in the next instance, reply to a mailing list from a cadet as a History Professor of Saint Xavier University, making it official correspondence, and thus speaking on behalf of the University? I'm sure supporters of Kirstein will argue that the correspondence between him and the cadet was private and that professors, like Kirstein, who speak against American militarism should not have to humble themselves or their remarks.

Regardless of the context, your words carry weight and consequences. For example, just off the top of my head, how many people will bother to sign up for his classes next semester with registration this week? This question will linger because Kirstein will be on sabbatical next semester, but the question still remains if he returns. When or if he returns, and no one signs up for his classes, does he still have a position and receive a salary? What about this semester, as other teachers assume control of his class schedule? How will the final grades be figured out because Kirstein liked to give oral exams for tests other than mid-term and final? More long-term, how many people will or have already withdrawn their applications as a result of what happened with Kirstein and the Cadet?

Our words carry consequences, sometimes beyond our control. This episode has gotten national coverage. It's all over the Internet. Kirstein has been labeled a coward, and a symbol for all that is wrong with America, fairly or unfairly. Like I mentioned before, the Sun-Times ran with the story. The Chicago Tribune published an article on November 10th at the top of page 3 of the Metro section with the headline "St. Xavier apologizes over e-mail."

Now that headline really bothered me. It makes Saint Xavier look really bad. It looks like the university is the bad guy in all of this. The last line is especially priceless. "Kirstein, a professor who specializes in recent U.S. history including the Cold War & Vietnam, was voted professor of the year by students in 1997."

I don't get why that statement is even in the article, but it's there. To me, that statement indirectly states to the reader that SXU supports Kirstein's actions. Who cares if he was professor of the year in 1997? That was five years ago. Tommy Lee and Pamela Andersen have been married and divorced 86 times since then! The '97 award has no relevance to these issues. How many people are still at SXU from '97? Just the ones who are either doctors or the ones from my high school that are on the six-year plan. The answer to that question is easy: zero because there is no M.D. Program here and hardly anyone graduates college from Bremen.

While in college here at Saint Xavier, I've encountered a number of professors, both good and bad. I can honestly say that I have taken something positive from every professor.

Kirstein writes on his personal teaching website bio that "teaching is a moral act." Yes, your teaching style is reflected through your own morals and values, but some of our greatest minds have been corrupted by their vision of what is moral. You can have your morals, you can be righteous, but sometimes, in the long run, it's best to walk the other way and make up your own mind.

E-mail Joe Luby at lubinator@yahoo.com