Controversy
The Centurion held counterprotests and has held an affirmative action bake sale four times. It prints specific names and pictures of "liberal" students in its issues from Facebook. In a matter subject to privacy implications, the paper has printed names of students who have "liberal" adornments on their dormitory doors. The magazine's inaugural headline was "Conservatives Launch Publication at Rutgers: Intolerant Diversity-Haters Promote Fanatical Agenda."[6] Since then it has had such tongue-in-cheek headlines as "Mayor of New Orleans doesn't care about Black People" after Hurricane Katrina and "Abandon all Hope Ye Who Enter Here,"[7] over the campus gate; a spin-off of one of the cantons in the Divine Comedy and one of the covers for the National Review.
"Awards"
The magazine gives sarcastic "awards" to faculty and students for holding views which the staff of the Centurion consider "liberal". One such award, for "Liberal of the Month," was given to English department professor Richard Dienst. The editors printed a private letter from Professor Dienst to the Dean of Rutgers College requesting that "disciplinary action" be taken against O'Keefe and Mertz. This occurred after they confronted Professor Dienst with a video camera and asked him if he believed in the United States Constitution, since he supposedly told a dissenting Republican student "You have no first amendment rights."[8] After the editors obtained the disciplinary letter, they printed it on page 18 of the October 2005 issue.[9] In another instance the editors presented a certificate bearing the "Centurion Award" to a history professor with the most pro-Democrat posters adorning his office door.
In late July, former editor in chief and founder James O'Keefe along with board member David Maxham set out to have the American flag hung up in every classroom at Rutgers. After approaching several deans, including Co-Vice Chair Brian Rose, the boys were told such an act would be "problematic" and that hanging up the American flag would give argument to others who would intend to adorn classrooms with their own symbols. Unsatisfied with the response, the students created a video,[10] which caught the attention of the Jersey Guys on 101.5 FM. The issue was discussed as Centurion members Daniel Francisco and David Maxham fielded questions live on air on July 31, 2006. The radio show hosts shared the views of the students and pledged to help the Centurion on the issue.[11]
Controversial issues of the magazine
The third issue of the magazine depicted well-known Rutgers alumnus Paul Robeson and criticized his sympathy and support for the former Soviet Union.[citation needed] Robeson, a Lenin Peace Prize winner, has the Paul Robeson Cultural Center in New Brunswick as well as the Paul Robeson Library on the Camden campus named in his honor (in 2010 the College Republicans chapter at the Camden campus unsuccessfully called for the library to be renamed).[12][13]
The magazine often points out that economist Milton Friedman, Rutgers '32, a winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics, and very influential in Chicago school of economics,[14] has no facility named after him.
The March 2006 issue featured the infamous Danish cartoon depicting Muhammad.[citation needed]
