April 2000

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Stutt Censored and Angry as Usual

Lane Turner

Sitting in the smoking section of the Double Fortune restaurant across the street from SAIT, Ryan Stutt pulls out a pack of Players Light Regulars after scarfing-down a buffet assortment of greasy fried rice and ginger beef. Looking like your average student out for a cheap lunch, he wears a blue hooded sweater that hides a six-inch tattoo bearing the word "Gonzo" on his right shoulder. The sardonic expression on his tired face changes to a crooked smirk as he pushes the cigarettes aside. On the pack there's a Calgary Herald Union sticker that reads: "Your Newspaper? Think again!" He lights up.

"I think compared to a lot of the other campus papers, ours is tame," says Stutt, "because really, the only controversial thingÉis my column."

After seven months writing and editing in the entertainment section of the SAIT Emery Weal, Stutt, a first-year journalism student, has been inducted into a growing population of Calgary reporters who feel they've been victimized by censorship. Under the direction of managing editor Allan Connery and student association vice-president Heather Rabatich, Stutt has been ordered to "tone down" his weekly entertainment column Angry All The Time.

"I'm pretty pissed-off about it," says Stutt. "They can sugar coat it anyway they want and give whatever reason they want, but it is censorship."

In the past seven months, Stutt's writing has built a small cult of followers and critics, provoking the interest of numerous campus readers and building an increasing pile of hate mail at the Weal. Past columns have included a number of strange stories based on Stutt's experiences, observations and, varied opinions. Such stories include his first experience with LSD. His experiences working at a video store dealing with strange men inquiring about porno flicks. His opinion of other students in the SAIT journalism program. A commentary on men who treat women badly. And most recently, an online chat interview with men who enjoy sex with horses.

Stutt defends his column for its entertainment purposes, saying it was never meant to be taken seriously. Still, he's aware of his column's ability to raise controversy.

"The horse one. That was a big one," says Stutt with a hint of a smile. "That was the straw that broke the camel's back, from what I've been told."

Allan Connery, Stutt's editor, had to put his foot down to restrict the column. After student association VP Heather Rabatich mentioned complaints from SAIT administration, Connery felt it was time to act.

"It was with some regret that I told him to tone it down. I think Ryan can tone it down without losing his real edge," said Connery. "After a while, you can't go on imitating Hunter S. Thompson. You have to find your own voice. That's the next step for Ryan."

Regarding SAIT administration's opinion of content in the student-run Weal, Connery had this to say: "They've been very good about never complaining to me about that, but evidently they were dissatisfied and they complained to Heather. I think part of their problem was that they couldn't show the Weal off to Industry people, because Ryan was writing on the walls with his little piece of chalk, and they didn't care for that."

Guy McLaughlin, communications coordinator of SAIT's marketing and communication department, knew nothing of the issue and said he could see no reason why SAIT administration would want to show off a paper that was owned and run solely by the student association (SAITSA).

Meanwhile, Heather Rabatich refused to comment, saying only that the imposed a column restrictions were due to complaints from staff and students. Despite the rumours she was being pressured from the SAIT administration, Rabatich said her involvement in the issue is "irrelevant."

Stutt thinks otherwise.

"The argument (Rabatich) gave me was that, basically, she had been receiving flack for a couple months from SAIT administration," says Stutt, "and that she'd received a lot of complaints from students about my column."

This relationship between Stutt and the student association has always been rocky to say the least. Last month, Stutt ran for SAITSA president with a campaign promising students that, as president, he would do nothing but "sit on his ass" and collect the presidential salary.

"I got pretty hard on SAITSA because they don't do anything," says Stutt. "I didn't seriously think I was going to get elected. It was just basically to draw attention to the election in some way because, let's face it, none of the candidates really talked about issues. Not in the posters anyway. It was all tits and ass."

In his campaign, Stutt raised a number of serious campus issues that he says received little if any attention by the student's association. These issues included limited parking space, tuition hikes, scheduling problems, and the need for an on-campus daycare. Weeks after Stutt's campaign was defeated, all the issues he had mentioned became the center of SAITSA debate.

SAIT journalism instructor Peter Bakogeorge noted Stutt's ability to evoke issues and student response.

"I don't think there's ever been an issue that's been raised in the Emery Weal, or that's been generated by a Weal writer, that's been debated as ferociously or talked about in such an animated way as Ryan's column," said Bakogeorge. "It means that at least one of the things that a writer is supposed to do, he's succeeding in. That's getting people talking about what he's writing about."

So what will Stutt write about in future restricted columns?

"Nothing lewd, nothing controversial, nothing that people could take offense at," says Stutt as he grinds his smoke into the ashtray. "So much for freedom of speech."

Back in the Double Fortune restaurant, the server comes to the table with change from the bill and leaves two fortune cookies on the tray. Stutt gets up to heave his backpack on his shoulder as the cookies are cracked open. A thin strip of paper reads: "A man is known by his deeds, hang on to your ideas." Laughing, he shrugs and heads for the door. Unfortunately for Stutt, today that cookie's fortune wasn't for him.