Amid Controversy, The University Star Pulls Sugar’s Ad

By Kelsey Bradshaw

After running in two different issues of The University Star, a half-page advertisement for the gentlemen’s club, Sugar’s in San Antonio, is being pulled from printing in next Monday’s paper after receiving backlash in the community.

The ad reads: “Pay Your Tuition! We are looking to hire entertainers and waitresses. Make $$$ while going to school! Work only 3 shifts a week,” and features silhouettes of women dancing. The advertisement had run twice before last week and was scheduled to run in the Feb. 8 and Feb. 11 print editions of The University Star.

The San Antonio Express-News published a story after a tweet featuring the ad got over 500 retweets. After the Express-News story was published, The University Star got calls from Fox 7 Austin and Fox San Antonio to inquire about doing a story as well.

When the ad ran initially, Kelsey Nuckolls, who works as the coordinator for student publications advertising serving both the campus paper and KTSW 89.9, the campus radio station, did not think it would cause as much controversy as it has.

“After the response we got from the community, we’re reviewing our policies,” said Bob Bajackson, director of student publications.

After seeing all the attention the ad was getting, Bob Bajackson, director of student publications, and Nuckolls decided to pull the ad from printing in Monday’s paper and review if it will run in Thursday’s paper.

“We want to get our ducks in a row,” Nuckolls said. “And to kind of let it die down a bit.”

The University Star’s Editorial Board, comprised of 10 members, had no problem with the advertisement.

No refund will be issued to the gentleman’s club, because they had not yet paid for the next two advertisements.

Judy Oskam, the director of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Texas State, asked what procedure was in place when making decisions on whether or not to run advertisements like the Sugar’s ad, Nuckolls said. Nuckolls and Bajackson agreed that the advertising staff uses their best judgement when selling ads. Nuckolls makes the final call on an advertisement before it goes to print.

Oskam did not respond immediately for comment.

“I didn’t expect the reaction because I even talked to my daughters about it. Neither one of them had a problem with it- it’s not like the ad was going to make them go to that club,” Bajackson said. “I didn’t feel it would have the response that it did.” 

This article originally published in the University Star.