Thursday, April 30, 2015

Parody Or Reality?

From The Onion:

College Encourages Lively Exchange Of Idea

Students, Faculty Invited To Freely Express Single Viewpoint

BOSTON - Saying that such a dialogue was essential to the college's academie mission, Trescott University president Kevin Abrams confirmed Monday that the school encourages a lively exchange of one idea:

"As an institution of higher learning, we recognize that it's inevitable that certain contentious topics will come up from time to time, and when they do, we want to create an atmosphere where both students and faculty feel comfortable voicing a single homogeneous opinion."

said Abrams, adding that no matter the subject, anyone on campus is always welcome to add their support to the accepted consensus:

"Whether it's a discussion of a national political issue or a concern here on campus, an open forum in which one argument is uniformly reinforced is crucial for maintaining the exceptional learning environment we have cultivated here."

Abrams told reporters that counseling resources were available for any student made uncomfortable by the viewpoint.

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 Editorial from The Hoya, Georgetown University

No Distractions

The Georgetown University College Republicans hosted Christina Hoff Sommers, an author and philosophy professor known for her criticism of contemporary feminism and her disavowal of a so-called “rape myth,” last week.

By giving Sommers a platform, GUCR has knowingly endorsed a harmful conversation on the serious topic of sexual assault.

Giving voice to someone who argues that statistics on sexual assault exaggerate the problem and condemns reputable studies for engaging in “statistical hijinks” serves only to trigger obstructive dialogue and impede the progress of the university’s commitment to providing increased resources to survivors.

It is necessary and valuable to promote the free expression of a plurality of views, but this back-and-forth about whether or not certain statistics are valid is not the conversation that students should be having. Students should engage in a dialogue that focuses on establishing a safe space for survivors while at the same time tackling the root causes of sexual assault.

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If you're interested you can find Professor Sommers and her "harmful conversation" right here.


 

1 comment:

  1. Colleges seem more like indoctrination camps these days. Frightening and sad for our country.

    ReplyDelete