“People can say what they want, but free speech is free speech and that’s what I advocate for.” The Music is my free speech, and Mr. Burbank you are preventing this. Who placed Mr. Burbank as the speaker of the school? As much as people believe that I am egotistical, I believe Mr. Burbank is just as much if not more egotistical then me. I am a student I pay to be here us as the student body pay for the teachers to be here. How can one person in a career here at UNM that is being paid have more “power” then the student body that pays for this Professor’s salary? Moving to the City News may be the next step to push Mr. Burbank off his “Save the university!” soap box. Bottom line 1st amendment rights are in jeopardy. Not only for me, but this is a loss for students in general.

When will the people at UNM start caring about something that actually matters instead of just power tripping when ever they can?
Burbank – you’re not advocating for anything. You are complaining. that’s why it’s called filing a complaint. It’s what power trippers do. If the music annoys you, close your door, put on head phones, or just be aware that it might be playing around the SUB. I hate the sound of screaming children, but I don’t file a complaint every time I hear one.
Arellano – I’ve heard your music and I’ve spoken with you on many occasions. You are a nice guy, but what you are doing isn’t exactly fist amendment. You didn’t write the music nor do you have a message to give. You are just sharing music. Please understand, you are at a school. It would just be nice if you made sure not to play the music loud outside of class rooms. If you aren’t sure if you are disturbing a class, turn it off for a moment. There are plenty of places on campus and around ABQ where you can play your music, inspire others to listen, and not disturb anybody.
Now, can everybody please get over themselves?

You can always tell when the issue at hand lacks substance: Everyone gets very very huffy about their ‘rights’.

Ho Hum.

Back to the next episode of Lucha Libre: the Musical

Burbank is not a Professor, he is a lecturer in the English dept. Maybe that’s why he is on such a power trip, trying to have some authority or sway, since he really doesn’t have much in his job. Please stop calling him a “Professor” it is not fair to the real ones, most of whom enjoy the music.

As both a recent alumnus and UNM staff member, I have always enjoyed techno guy. His music never bothered me as a student; I always viewed it as part of the eclectic atmosphere of the university. I have always viewed the SUB as a social outlet, not a study hall. His music never interferred with my classes, learning, or studying. I don’t understand what Burbank’s problem is…

Some people don’t like the music and not everyone wants to be subjected to it at high volume. The imbeciles that drive around causing noise pollution by powering their array of 15” woofers with 1000 watts come to mind. What if everyone wanted to play their personal favorite music publicly? No one is that special.

Burbank, you’re not simply exercising free speech. You took steps to silence Joshua through the UNM power structures, which is ultimately backed up by armed thugs. That’s where the problem lies.

I, too, am a graduate of UNM, and spent many days walking past this musical exposition, and because of the extreme levels, I would keep walking. While I respect the desire to share different types of music, there is no need to have the music at such high levels.
Arellano’s freedom of speech only goes so far not to be disruptive. Because the music can still be played, there have not been any rights violations.

Summerspeaker,

How has Arellano been “silenced” by the UNM “power structures” when he has been allowed back, albeit at a lower volume? (Just how low I will find out for myself tomorrow, as have an appointment at the SUB during the lunch hour).

In other threads you have advocated for negotiation, and for people to simply ask him to turn it down. Well, he was asked – repeatedly. The SUB management is asking him to turn it down (but not off) permanently.

Read his post above; he still feels his “rights” are being violated. So, apparently he – and you – don’t believe in compromise. Does the philosophy of Anarchism not allow compromise?

As AJR stated, what if everyone showed up with their own blasting boom boxes? Arellano does not “own” the SUB space. He is just one of thousands of students.

I love music too (most kinds anyway). I was joking about bagpipes last week, but apparently a piper did show up on campus. Do you like Scottish aires on the Highland Pipes? No? Well I do, would you mind hearing it full blast, shoved down your eardrums? No? Too bad; it’s my “right” to blast my music where ever I want.

Summerspeaker, you are hopelessly idealistic. In a society with armed policeman, I guess you could say that “power structures … ultimately backed up by armed thugs” enforce all laws. I wish we could all negotiate nonviolently and just sing Kumbaya, but the real world is just not that simple.

I was pretty idealistic when I was a young student (I don’t want to assume that you are either young or a student) but now, at the age of 50, I can tell you that in my experience there are just too many mean, selfish people in this world.

In my bourgeois suburb I had a next-door neighbor who would let his dog bark loudly all night. My wife and I work for a living and have to get up early to go to work everyday. I asked him nicely. It kept happening. They became increasingly nasty when I asked again, saying that I had the problem. It is a character flaw of mine that I like to sleep at night, I admit it. The last time I went over to complain he threatened me with physical violence.

The moral is, you just can’t reason with some people. That is why we have to have laws and police. I wish it weren’t so, but too many people are selfish, inconsiderate, amoral and even sociopathic (btw, my neighbor was a ‘good Christian’ family man).

I favor freedom of speech too. But the Founders were talking about the rights of citizens to expres political views; I think it’s a real stretch to say the 1st Amendment extends to blasting (someone else’s) music full blast.

There are plenty of serious social issues where you could release your spirit and energy. How about volunteering at a homeless shelter, or some other social agency? They always need volunteers. I hope I don;t sound patronizing, but saying a student is asked to turn down a boom box is an injustics or oppression is just ridiculous – to me it sounds more like a “controversy” at a high school campus, not a university.

Summer, Smiley, and Alumna:

Prof. Burbank does not stand alone. I, for one, was sick of this noise and am glad that it has been turned down.

Intresting that Smiley and so many other students have made it personal about James Burbank, with the name-calling and “he’s just an instructor.” Note that Arellano’s critics did not stoop that low. For example, I could call him a “spoiled child” but I didn’t :).

Mr. Arellano:

“As much as people believe that I am egotistical…”

Well, we do, based on your own statements and actions. In another thread you said “I don’t care what people think of me.” Indeed – and you don’t care about others, except for those that agree with you.

“Who placed Mr. Burbank as the speaker of the school?” Who hired you as entertainment director of the SUB north patio?

“I am a student I pay to be here us as the student body pay for the teachers to be here.” First of all, as high as tuition is – and I personally think it is too high – your tuition just covers a fraction of the cost to educate you, that is a fact.

Arellano, I am a taxpayer and we pay most of the costs for you.

“How can one person in a career here at UNM…” He is not the only one. You can’t seriosly think that the other 29,999 students, staff and faculty enjouyed your so-called music?

I see from the UNM Directory that you are enrolled in the Anderson School, good for you. I admire you for working your way through school; I worked my way through as well – working 2 jobs sometimes.

But someday you will graduate, and unless you are independently wealthy – or want to adopt the Don Schrader lifestyle – you will have to get a full-time, real job. And unless it’s in a nightclub, you will not get to play your music full blast. You will have to put up with rules and get along with others.

Unless you plan on moving back in with your parents, or buying a cabin way out in the woods, you are going to have neighbors. They might want to sleep. You will have to be considerate of others. You will learn the hard way that others have as much right to live in peace and quiet as you have to do whatever you want.

Sorry for the lecture, but it sounded like you need one. Apparently you did not learn these things growing up; I fear you will be learning things the hard way.

Well said Mr. Lawrence, however, there is one small discrepancy you should have accounted for. True, not all 29,999 students and faculty enjoy his music, however, music is an art that has changed significantly over the years and what you find appealing is likely not appealing to us younger people and what we listen to is likely going to annoy you, as your taste in music likely annoyed your parents and their parents before them. Your words still brim with the wisdom of experience, I just wanted to correct you on that one point.

If this was any other type of music, would there still be a complaint? I think not.

lawrence being that you are one of many UNM students what gives you the right over the other thousands of UNM students to turn the guy’s volume down ? you are no one just another face in the crowd.

Lawrence eh? Lawrence what, of Arabia? That name sounds like royalty, are you royalty?

Lawrence, when you say …“If I wasn’t trying to a direct other people’s realities then I wouldn’t have brought a boom box in the first place.”

Please know, I want to be able to choose the direction of my reality. That may and indeed does include times of silence.

The squeaky wheel gets the oil. I have never understood this. If everyone were to complain about one little thing that annoyed them on campus then a university could not exist. A university is a ‘melting pot’ of people and everyone holds different ideals close to them. If everyone complains about others ideals then eventually someone will complain about you. An old saying goes, “one mans toilet is another mans throne.” but what will happen when we are all out of thrones, and only have toilets. Will ay of us really be happy?

I wanted to follow up on something that Mr. Arellano mentioned in his post yesterday. Apparently the extremely loud Techno has another purpose besides love. Mr. Arellano is a music promoter and he was or perhaps is using the campus and his loud music to sell CDs and promo the parties, raves, and other gigs he produces or has an interest in through his production company. So presumably, Mr. Arellano’s speech is commercial speech.

I must commend Mr. Arellano on his dancing. I believe he said in the first article that he could understand if people were upset if he did his act in front of the library. If any of you visit the UNM Techno Guy You Tube, you can see him there with his patented boom box doing just that, dancing in front of Zimmerman.

It’s too bad someone with such talent and ambition feels he doesn’t have the freedom to start a student Techno group or present his act during the outdoor events. He could be as loud as the rock groups then, but he couldn’t sell his CDs and promote his events, so maybe that doesn’t interest him.

Not selling CD’s, its an idea & vibe “not everyone understands house music. Work one day? 10 years @ Walgreens & a Manager. Life is too short to worry about what people think. “You can make people happy sometime but you cant make all the people happy all the time”

Lawrence, by supporting Bobby’s expulsion from campus, you yourself form a connection between undeniable oppression and this case. It’s part of the continuum of bourgeois violence. While your story about the barking dog is lamentable, I’d rather live with such inconveniences than invoke the aid of armed thugs. In an atmosphere of community support and connection, you wouldn’t have faced the problem alone. Comrades can perform certain police functions on an ad hoc basis; you could have brought a few friends along as protection against violence from your neighbor. Many of us navigate the world in this fashion already.

Anyone who has taken a class with Burbank can tell you that he loves to push his opinions on others. His comment that “People can say what they want, but free speech is free speech and that’s what I advocate for,” is laughable in these contexts; Music is a form of expression and his very act of filing a complaint negates any integrity of these claims. As many of you may know, Burbank has written articles in the past about how disrespectful UNM students are (referencing an article written about himself falling off a bicycle) but I digress, the point is that “Techno Guy” has been a part of the campus for some time, as has “the naked guy”, and “lobo louie”, and the crazies who come to preach on campus. Don’t take away our culture, and don’t try and speak on behalf of the rest of the campus.

Chris, you will be happy to know that I received a call from “the naked guy” this morning. He said how great it was the music volume was turned down, and that he likes his peace and quiet. You forgot the one-man band, the cellist, occasional flute players, the jugglers etc. They share one thing in common— they don’t make excessive noise, they’re not blaring at you. How does filing a complaint negate advocacy for free speech?

Disturbingly loud music does not argue for anything. It’s a nuisance and intrusion on campus life and not some form of speech.

During my tenure as campus gadfly, I have written that there is no constitutional right to breathe, that Locksley be president of UNM, that male professors should be run through sheep dip and shot, etc. Did you think these were my opinions, Chris?

It’s been nice without his noise. . Maybe he should get a job then he won’t be hanging out on the SUB corner at UNM disturbing the peace every Tues & Thurs. Does this guy get to hang out at UNM for rest of his life? Isn’t five years enough. He should go make noise in front of the Round House in Santa Fe. It’s a public place too. Thanks to the faculty member who spoke up.

Thousands of workers needed in medical transcription so find your local school to get a degree at http://bit.ly/5V4v8

“It’s been nice without his noise. . Maybe he should get a job then he won’t be hanging out on the SUB corner at UNM disturbing the peace every Tues & Thurs. Does this guy get to hang out at UNM for rest of his life? Isn’t five years enough. He should go make noise in front of the Round House in Santa Fe. It’s a public place too. Thanks to the faculty member who spoke up.” Gail listen, think stop for a moment…I work for Walgreens as a Manager, I have worked for Walgreens for 10 years, while also being the UNM Techno guy. Gail I know its hard to believe, I know, but lady its true…I have been chipping away at a degree 2 classes a semester. Gail please listen…..I work for Walgreens, again I work 40 hours a week for Walgreens, Tuesdays and Thursdays are the days of the, two days a week, just two the I am off, Gail….are you still with me? Seven days a week minus two days means five days im not on campus, Five whole days, that I work, as a Manager…are we clear? Did I go to fast for you lady? really, its true, 10 years at Walgreens!

Mr. Burbank…Your a joke, a disgrace and im sorry your life is that petie and meanning less that I am your opposition, Life is beautiful, full of many great people and good things to experience. I wish nothing but awareness to you, to be less narrow minded but to find diffrent things in your life, I pray to any and all gods that you my friend find more meaning in your life then stopping people’s actions, no matter what they are, cause one day you will be gone and what will the world remember of you? If they remember. Wake up sir! Wake up and realize your in this with all of us, all the people of world, in this thing we call reality, you can change, you can be happy, dont envy my freedom, do something about it, find a hobby something that can bring peace and joy to your life, what ever it is Sir, find it and hold on to it, cause this thing called life is short and quick and you can put into the world more positive then negative, buts a free will decision, I nor anyone else can show the way, you have to make that happen. Be Postive Mr. Burbank, don’t waste your years away on the hate and dissatisfaction of other peoples choices, you cant change the world, but you can change yourself.

To anyone else that wants to hate on me, go ahead, Im not much of a content person to be brought down by your words of lecture, hate, distain or any other feeling towards me, its just music, dont be so hyper sensetive.

Anonymity on the internet is a shame, the words that are spoken are so inhumane, I am just as guitly as the next guy, but I wont say anything on a comment or forum that I wouldnt tell someone to there face.

Dont fall for Anonymity on the internet, be real with what you say, mean it, dont just be rude or mean just cause, show some class.

“Nobody listens to techno, lets go!”

Professor Whiner is a cranky old man, look at his profile at UNM English Dept. Please move to another institution Professor Crank, and take the other whiners with you.

Maybe the tea-baggers would embrace you :)

Why do people complain about this one person but not about the bands that are ALLOWED to play their unrefined rock on the South side of the SUB? The Student Activities Center actually schedules bands to play almost every week in between Popejoy and the SUB and it is even LOUDER than Techno Guy.

Not only this, but the SAC also allows military recruiters to bring huge polluting buses on the East side of the SUB at the same time that a car is being busted up with sledge hammers not 20 feet away.

Or how about the bands that actually play INSIDE the SUB while people are upstairs trying to study?

What about the gym right across from the LoboLad Computer Pod that is allowed to blast their music at the highest levels with complete disregard for the actual work going on not 10 feet across the hall?

This is ONE guy who is doing FAR LESS than most of the things the SUB and UNM actually allow, so why is he the only one getting picked on?

Let’s be real here and not hypocrites.

Joshua, in regard to your last response in which you made a pompous, contorted attempt to take the high road:

You are an attention-whoring turd that needs to learn how to spell. You are the rude classless one that started the name calling by referring to Mr. Burbank as a joke, a disgrace, petty, and having a meaningless life.

Spelling, is one thing, the truth is another. AJR, I stand by my comemnts.

Professor Burbank, my point still remains, it does not matter how many people agree or disagree with you, the fact that you are claiming to be an advocate for “free speech” while trying to push your beliefs on others and essentially silence “techno guy” is ludicrous. Instead of simply asking him to “please turn it down a little bit” you filed a formal complaint and have essentially cut off his ability to share his music. It does not matter whether you like the music or not, his volume was not assaulting to the senses; it did not cause any physical harm to ones aural senses. A nuisance to you, maybe, but don’t try and hide your opinions behind amendments by claiming “free speech” while you yourself are attempting to metaphorically “yell the loudest”. Perhaps you should take on the music INSIDE the sub next, you silence crusader, you.

Burbank just has a small weiner, and has to take it out on others.

It is amazing to me how someone with such poor grammar and spelling abilities can be attending any college, let alone a business school that supposedly has high admission standards, at a “flagship” university, no less.

Regular student: “If this was any other type of music, would there still be a complaint?”

I think so. The volume was the primary issue; although personally I find techno-dance music quite monotonous. I would be amazed if a Highland piper played aires twice a week with no complaints.

Jack the Pumpkin: “lawrence being that you are one of many UNM students”

Correction – I am one of the 10,000 staff members.

“what gives you the right over the other thousands of UNM students to turn the guy’s volume down?”

I am an employee of this institution and we still have a (little) say in how the place is run. Besides, I don’t remember Arellano’s boom box volume being put to a vote of the entire UNM student body – and the faculty and staff. It would be interesting to see how such a vote would go.

“you are no one just another face in the crowd”

True – as is Mr. Techno Guy.

Wisdom at its finest
“Well said Mr. Lawrence”

Thank you Wisdom.

“ …what you find appealing is likely not appealing to us younger people and what we listen to is likely going to annoy you, as your taste in music likely annoyed your parents…”

True enough. My late father often told me to “turn down that Led Zeppelin.” But the point is, I did turn it down. I did not have some egotistical need to blast my music in a public area.

Led Zeppelin was my first musical love, my father bought me the complete sudio recordings of Led Zeppelin when I was 15, 12 years ago. Its all about the music, freedom. A vibe a feeling, get into it, even infront of the SUB.
“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.” William Shakespeare, I would change stage to dance floor, but thats just me.

I will not run my life in the name of the status quo, I will shake the foundation that I am involved with, I will Win in this battle over the music being played at the proper Volume and that’s just the way its gonna be! PERIOD. I am UNM Techno Guy and I approve this message!

UNM Techno Guy was playing nothing but Presdential Speeches and got a Formal Complain, not Techno no music has been played this day!

Un-American.