Earlier this month the longest-running program on the Ham Channel, the Fairfield Wrestling Federation, was ordered off the air by members of the university administration.
Unlike a network-television cancellation in the corporate world, FWF was not removed from the air because of low ratings or a lack of high-profile advertisers. But according to FWF participants, it was pulled from the airwaves without any notice because of its violence that mimics the real-life version of the “sport.”
Whether a fan of professional wrestling or not, it’s easy to understand that such an activity can be very dangerous for its participants. And considering that wrestlers were treated for injuries at the university health center, Fairfield University’s concern over liability for such a program filmed on university property and aired on campus television is very understandable.
However, the fact that past episodes that are currently banished from the Ham airwaves remains a totally different matter. Is it in the best interests of a high-ranking university to allow students to hurt each other within its own walls? Certainly not. But is the removal of past taped episodes from the Ham library bordering on censorship of a student-created product? Yes.
More importantly, on a campus where student apathy is a problem that is addressed in varying ways every year, a student-produced show should be in higher regard to those in charge of our education. It’s also not unfair to say that the show’s participants should be at least notified of, if not consulted on, subject matter that university officials feel is unsuitable for a Jesuit institution.
In the future, The Mirror believes that, while it is the duty of a university administration to look out for the best interests of that university’s image, it should also keep in mind the consequences of imposing censorship on its student media.
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