<p>My daughter was admitted ED to Hamilton in December. Since then, we have watched in dismay as Hamilton has found itself in the center of controversy. Daughter is still enthused about attending Hamilton, so we are not having second thoughts, but I can't help but wonder how much the controversy over Susan Rosenberg and Ward Churchill will hurt the college. If alumi and donor dollars dry up, any school would suffer. I guess there is really no way to know what the outcome of all of this will be, but I would be interested in hearing any comments about the possible effect on Hamilton.</p>
<p>My opinion? Not (hurt) at all. It's a nonevent. A case could be made about Colorado, because the controversey could continue indefinitely, but not Hamilton. You could even give credit to Hamilton for bringing this essay to light and exposing the "scoundrel". After all, he did write the essay 3 1/2 years ago and nobody noticed.</p>
<p>Oh, I think it will all blow over and few people will make a big deal or remember Hamilton's role in the brouhaha. Certainly not in a damaging light. I agree with NJres, if it's a scandal for anyone it's for Colorado. Just what they needed, eh?</p>
<p>I hope it doesn't hurt Hamilton as my daughter also plans to attend. I would hate for any school to suffer due to a faculty member's big mouth, but if any school needs to take the heat, it should be Colorado.</p>
<p>I am sure there will be a halt in donations from some people; if it wasn't Ward Churchill it would be something else they didn't like. I have heard rumor that a few ED students will not be attending. I'm wondering if this is a valid reason for not attending an ED school. I'm wondering if one of the ED students called a school they had applied to and explained the situation, if then these other schools would put them back into the application pool.</p>
<p>A friend of mine just returned from visiting her freshman son at Hamilton...she said there wasn't much talk about it, but that some of the alums had pulled their donations....(her son loves it there, by the way).....Not thrilled to hear that my alma mater, Wheaton, is having Churchill in late March.....already written them about it....disturbing.....glad to hear that CC'ers think it'll blow over......</p>
<p>If you made a list of all the places Ward Churchill (and Elizabeth Fox-Genovese -- I thought her remarks far more offensive) have spoken in the past three years, you could write off an awful lot of fine colleges and universities very quickly. Americans have short memories, and alums will do what alums do.</p>
<p>I thought we were the great country with no censorship...</p>
<p>Xanatos, any jerk like Churchill can say what he likes but that doesn't mean he should receive compensation for it.....</p>
<p>I don't think it will have much effect on the college. Some may withhold donations as a gesture, but I have seen worst storms on the college speakers scene. And I would have no qualms reducing or eliminating donations to my alma mater if I disagreed with how they were using the money. So many other places to donate. Free speech is one thing, it 's another if you are paying for someone who is deliberately inflammatory, hurting some open wounds of those dear to you. Churchill may well have some valid views, but who can condone those kind of hurtful words? I wouldn't want to pay to hear him speak.</p>
<p>Hamilton is in the middle of a big capital campaign. If there are any blowback that is where it will be felt. By cancelling Churchill they managed to po both the conservative and liberal alumni.</p>
<p>Columbia is getting blowback now from Jewish donors for the hostile environment they have managed to create on campus for Jewish students in general and pro-Israel students in particular.</p>
<p>A semester before I started at Cornell, a former official of the government of South Vietnam was heckled off the stage.</p>
<p>Cornell survived. So will Hamilton.</p>
<p>I think the focus of the controversy has quickly shifted from Hamilton's sponsorship of a single event involving Churchill to Colorado's hiring and continued employment of the man. And perhaps to affirmative action, the distortion of which is responsible for his position at the university:</p>
<p><a href="http://tinyurl.com/4j6xx%5B/url%5D">http://tinyurl.com/4j6xx</a></p>
<p>It may take a few years to figure out if Hamilton suffers for offering him the invitation to speak and the consequences for Hamilton, a private college, may only be known to those in the capital campaign office. The consequences for U of C, if any, will be played out publicly in the legislature and the local papers.</p>
<p>Well at least Hamilton didn't give Big Chief Churchill an honorary degree like Alfred did and the more of this story that comes out the more ridiculous UC looks. Ward the faux Indian was an affirmative action hire.</p>
<p>The administration at UC was so intent on keeping him that they had to shop him to three departments before they could get one to put him on tenure track. I'd also be curious to know how many full professors they have at UC who don't have a terminal degree in their field. It is very unusual for any achool to give tenure to anyone without a PhD. </p>
<p>This all smacks of political correctness run amock and when that happens there is always some charlatan ready to exploit the situation.</p>
<p>Nitpick, University of Colorado is generally abbreviated "CU"</p>
<p>Looks like Hamilton hasn't been hurt anywhere near as bad as Hoffman :-) Of course she was already skating on thin ice.</p>