While walking around campus last week students may have noticed posters hanging in various locations exclaiming “FCUK FINALS,” with a half-naked, seductive-looking woman on them. They might also have noticed in big letters, “Plazma Closing Party hosted by WCSU Football Team.”
Director of Athletics Edward Farrington wrote in an e-mail last Thursday, “Dean Cramer, Coach Burrell, and myself were made aware of this last week prior to the holiday and to the best of our knowledge, there is no connection to the current members of the WCSU Football Team regardless of what the poster, which I have not seen, may imply.”
Last Thursday afternoon, the Head Football Coach John Burell also confirmed that he was aware of the flyers, but was firm in stating that the club was using the football team’s name without permission to draw in crowds. However, invitations sent out by RockBottom Productions on Facebook boasted some of the players’ names as contacts for the party: Devin Myers and Oswald Jean-Baptiste. A third name, Rob was also listed but it could not be determined if he had a relationship to the football team.
“The clubs downtown have, forever, tried to attract our students to their clubs by posting all kinds of advertising on campus. They know they are not supposed to do this,” said Director of Student Affairs Walter Bernstein. “They know that we will take down all the advertising. Of course, sometimes they actually employ our students to distribute this stuff in the garages and around campus. We see the material, we take it down. Ms. Guck, our Drug and Alcohol prevention person on campus has been working with the State and others to pursue strategies to get these establishments to stop this advertising and/or serving our underage students in town.”
Jean-Baptiste confirmed on Thursday that the party was, “only sort-of” being hosted by the football team. He explained that the promoter had contacted a few members of the football team and offered to give the club to them for free in exchange for using their name to promote the event to bring in more patrons. Once RockBottom Promotions got the okay from the team members they made the posters and hung them up around campus.
Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Jane Gates was made aware of the flyers last Wednesday by a student and informed President James Schmotter the following day.
“Dr. Schmotter was in attendance at a meeting off campus and did not return to campus until the following day. An investigation was launched immediately,” she said.
The coach was asked if disciplinary actions were going to be given to any of the football players involved in using the school’s name in this way.
“At this point I am still investigating who on our current roster has had any direct involvement in organizing the party at Plazma. I have been in conversations with Dean Cramer and Director of Athletics Ed Farrington regarding this matter. I will be in contact with them again early next week. We are taking this flyer very seriously. Until I can gather more information I have no further comment,” said Burrell in an e-mail the day after the party was held.
“Pure and simple, we do not endorse these kinds of things and will take action if we know who was responsible for the advertising and/or promotion of such ‘parties.’ The student athletes know this as do their coaches,” said Bernstein.
Staff Writer
Now at least I know why there were no students at our “Yes he Can!’ event at Bank of America to hold banks accountable for foreclosures nor were there any at our at our Occupy the Courts action at the Danbury Superior Court on Friday the 20th. Hey, guys! Student loan debt? Job opportunities? Participation in the democratic process that will impact the quality of your lives for decades to come? Anybody?
Valerie O’Rourke
Greater Danbury Council Organzer MoveOn.org
Occupy Danbury
ActforProgress
FB