Need some perspective/opinions

[sunshinevet]

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Hi Guys, just wanting some perspective/a few opinions on this issue.

I cant give too many details as the case is still before the courts but need some advice from an anonymous area!!!

Every year the vet school here produces a calendar to raise funds for halfway day. We go and get sponsors to help cover the cost of printing the calendar so we can raise as much money as possible. (Halfway day is a massive party/piss up for the students halfway through the degree to celebrate making it that far).

This year, one of the major sponsors providing a substantial amount of funds toward this calendar is a horse trainer. He is supplying these funds for personal reasons.
He is currently appealing a 12 month suspension for allegedly doping one of his horses, but has been awarded a stay of proceedings so the matter is not fully resolved yet.

As the calendar and its sponsors are coordinated purely by the cohort, there is no involvement of the faculty (aside from making sure the images arent too "racy"). I am unsure if faculty are aware of this horse trainers current "situation".

Personally, I feel having this horse trainers name on the calendar reflects poorly on the school. Most importantly however, I feel it provides the potential for the school to recieve some very bad press. As we are meant to be an insitution promoting the ethical treatment of animals, and bettering their animal welfare, I feel that having this trainers name on the calendar, given his situation, does not reflect that message. And I feel that members of the public/media may feel the same way if they make the connection.

I am thinking of alerting the dean to this situation - however there may be significant personal ramifications to this. (For reasons I unfortunately would rather not disclose). What do you guys think? Do you think I'm worrying over nothing? Making a mountain out of a molehill? Justified? I just dont know. Given how some animal rights groups can act, and how prominent this case is in the local press, I feel like it is a bit of a ticking time bomb...

I mean, essentially the vet school has accepted money from a horse-drugging trainer for a party. In my opinion, it just cant look good, and I want to alert the dean so they can atleast have a damage control plan in place, even if nothing comes of it.

 

[Bisbee]

On the one hand, the horse trainer is innocent until proven guilty. As you say, his case is still being decided. On the other hand, you don't want to take money from someone who will likely be proven guilty soon enough. on the third hand, it sounds like the money is going, eventually, toward buying a bunch of alcohol for a big party, which isn't the most altruistic cause either. Maybe since it's just about a party it's not such a big deal where the money is coming from. It's not like this person is putting up the money for a new wing on a building at the school with his name on it or anything.

 

[Cypress]

I think you are on track with being concerned - I would be too - I think that as a student involved in the function its your duty to report anything that may be a problem to the school - they ultimately should be responsible for deciding if the school wants that kind of support.

As for personal ramifications - do your best to discuss the situation without bringing your name into it - I don't think there is anything wrong with asking the dean to keep your name quiet to avoid any personal ramifications. Unfortunately responsibility is not always popular - I commend you for reaching out about your concern.

Reputation of a university means almost as much as the education you recieve there - I'm sure you school would value the opportunity to assess the situation before anything negative potentially drags their name down.

 

[Minnerbelle]

So... if I'm reading this right, this would be kind of like let's say the sophomore class at Penn getting funding from Michael Vick to make calendars that will be sold as a fundraiser for a "WOOHOO we're entering clinics" party (esp before the trials were over).

Yeah, not so sure that would be received well by the people who buy the calendars.

Are there class officers you can talk to about this, who can bring it up? Or is it that you personally have issues with it when the rest of your class is fine with it? I feel like if at all possible, the best thing would be to resolve it with your class first. But if that's not a comfortable situation, I don't see anything wrong with talking with the dean calmly about a "possible concern," but rather than saying you have issues with it, maybe ask what his/her opinion on the matter is? If no one else has issues with it, I would decide if it's worth it for you to be the martyr for this cause before doing anything else. But then, I tend to be one of those people who's on the "I'll maybe bring it up, but it's up to everyone else to decide so long as I don't get blamed for the aftermath" side of things, but that's not everyone's MO.

 

[sunshinevet]

Thanks for the replys guys. I sent minnerbelle more info via pm (if you would like more too, let me know so i can pm you).

A little bit more info to add some perspective - I am professionally involved with the actual case so discussing my concerns at this time with the wider cohort is not possible or appropriate. 🙁

 

[StartingoverVet]

1) I am admittedly ignorant about horse racing, but is blood doping really harmful to the horse. I don't believe it is in humans. Then, it is really only the ethics of racing which I don't think is as big a deal.
2) If you are in any way associated with the case then you best keep your mouth shut. You could be endangering the case and displaying bias.
3) Minnerbelle's example of Michael Vick is good to a point. If this person has been pre-judged to be guilty, and it is well-known, then the PR disaster could be larger than if his case is controversial or not as well known.

I mean would a Cancer foundation turn down Lance Armstrong's money because he has been accused of doping? I don't think so.

Personally, I feel if the case is not well enough known that other people in your school are worried, then you are probably premature in getting involved.

 

[Minnerbelle]

1) I am admittedly ignorant about horse racing, but is blood doping really harmful to the horse. I don't believe it is in humans. Then, it is really only the ethics of racing which I don't think is as big a deal.

Wait, are you talking about blood doping as in putting in high hemoglobin content blood back in, or like shooting analgesics to mask pain kind of doping? Cause I dunno anything about horse racing either, but I thought the latter was really bad.

 

[sunshinevet]

The kind of doping we're talking about masks pain. So yeah, really bad.