Sunday's letters: Fight takeover at New College, for students' sake

Witnessing death throes of New College

I recently retired after more than 40 years as a professor of classics, most recently at Case Western Reserve University. Last fall, my wife and I relocated to Sarasota.

We were attracted by the climate, of course, but that is general to Florida. What attracted us to Sarasota, specifically, was the cultural climate − the thriving arts scene, the atmosphere of tolerance and inclusion, the sense of community.

And for me, there was the presence of a first-rate liberal arts institution, New College of Florida, which, sadly, is no more. The governor has killed it, and the death throes are just beginning.

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Its symptoms:

∎ The creation of a board of trustees composed of ideologically driven opportunists with no academic qualifications.

∎ The abrupt move to impose dramatic change on New College with callous disregard for students, faculty, alumni and the community.

∎ The summary firing of a president without cause, simply to replace her with a loud-mouthed fraud.

These impostors mouth pious platitudes about a liberal arts education while they betray its values at every turn.

In the long run, the suppression of truth is doomed to failure; its ridiculousness is an archetypal comic theme. But in the short term, every citizen who cares about the truth and its free expression must find a way to fight back.

Peter E. Knox, Sarasota

Students should get what they paid for

With all the turmoil and strong feelings that have been expressed about New College, there is one factor that may not have been considered.

The currently enrolled students and their parents made informed and financial decisions to apply and enroll, knowing well the liberal arts curriculum was appropriate for them. But now they are learning that the state of Florida, which “owns” New College, has decided to model it after a private liberal arts Christian college in Michigan.

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Do the individuals involved in making these changes have any sense of obligation or responsibility to the students to complete the program that was offered to them at the time of enrollment?

Allow the students to complete their educational plans. Allow the existing faculty to continue to work with their students. It is not as though New College graduates are not successful citizens after graduation – quite the contrary.

If the state wants a Christian liberal arts college (separation of church and state notwithstanding), let it be, but a gradual transition is certainly the best transition.

In allowing this radical changeover to happen, it should never be forgotten who has been responsible. We can be rather certain that students currently enrolled at New College won’t forget.

David Williams, Venice

Deadly anti-science message

Gov. Ron DeSantis and Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, are ratcheting up their rhetoric against public health measures to gain votes (“Ladapo touts anti-vax message,” Jan. 23).

They have been spreading disinformation about the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine, and now want legislation to permanently ban vaccine requirements, mask mandates and related mitigation measures.

Their anti-science blathering seems almost comical. However, such words have had a deadly effect on followers who ignored public health and medical advice regarding preventative COVID measures.

Data conclusively shows that COVID deaths for folks who bought into nonsense like that spoken by DeSantis far exceed those of folks who accepted public health guidelines.

DeSantis and his ilk are totally irresponsible as leaders.

Instead of following science, teaching the truths of science and leading Floridians to better health outcomes, these charlatans and their Republican sycophants are preaching the opposite or spewing ignorance and denial, which leads to increasing infections.

I believe DeSantis should be impeached for such treachery, and Ladapo should be sent back to California.

There is an axiom all leaders should adhere to: Science is true whether you believe it or not.

Robert Herickhoff, Nokomis

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Death of New College, signs of fascism in Sarasota