QuoteU.S.C. Cancels Valedictorian's Speech After Jewish Groups Object (https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/16/us/usc-valedictorian-speech-gaza-war.html?ugrp=u&unlocked_article_code=1.k00.EPLW.Lf3Q_73P9OeU&smid=url-share)
The university cited security concerns at the graduation. But the student, who is Muslim, said the school was "succumbing to a campaign of hate meant to silence my voice."
Quote from: Langue_doc on April 16, 2024, 01:31:55 PMQuoteU.S.C. Cancels Valedictorian's Speech After Jewish Groups Object (https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/16/us/usc-valedictorian-speech-gaza-war.html?ugrp=u&unlocked_article_code=1.k00.EPLW.Lf3Q_73P9OeU&smid=url-share)
The university cited security concerns at the graduation. But the student, who is Muslim, said the school was "succumbing to a campaign of hate meant to silence my voice."
USC is a private institution. It can do whatever the hell it wants with regard to who speaks and what is spoken. Compete well and thrive; compete badly and die.
Competition between private places ensures that we get viewpoint diversity. There is no problem.
Quote from: dismalist on April 16, 2024, 02:06:10 PMQuote from: Langue_doc on April 16, 2024, 01:31:55 PMQuoteU.S.C. Cancels Valedictorian's Speech After Jewish Groups Object (https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/16/us/usc-valedictorian-speech-gaza-war.html?ugrp=u&unlocked_article_code=1.k00.EPLW.Lf3Q_73P9OeU&smid=url-share)
The university cited security concerns at the graduation. But the student, who is Muslim, said the school was "succumbing to a campaign of hate meant to silence my voice."
USC is a private institution. It can do whatever the hell it wants with regard to who speaks and what is spoken. Compete well and thrive; compete badly and die.
Competition between private places ensures that we get viewpoint diversity. There is no problem.
It's not good for students if choosing an institution basically means choosing a single viewpoint for their entire education. When that is the case, students' intellectual development will be basically stunted at the high school level, since what they get after that will be a reflection of the choice that they made based on it.
Quote from: marshwiggle on April 16, 2024, 04:12:04 PMQuote from: dismalist on April 16, 2024, 02:06:10 PMQuote from: Langue_doc on April 16, 2024, 01:31:55 PMQuoteU.S.C. Cancels Valedictorian's Speech After Jewish Groups Object (https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/16/us/usc-valedictorian-speech-gaza-war.html?ugrp=u&unlocked_article_code=1.k00.EPLW.Lf3Q_73P9OeU&smid=url-share)
The university cited security concerns at the graduation. But the student, who is Muslim, said the school was "succumbing to a campaign of hate meant to silence my voice."
USC is a private institution. It can do whatever the hell it wants with regard to who speaks and what is spoken. Compete well and thrive; compete badly and die.
Competition between private places ensures that we get viewpoint diversity. There is no problem.
It's not good for students if choosing an institution basically means choosing a single viewpoint for their entire education. When that is the case, students' intellectual development will be basically stunted at the high school level, since what they get after that will be a reflection of the choice that they made based on it.
Well, yes. And it's likely stunted earlier. :-)
Refer to the Cancelling Dr. Suess Thread for a year-or-so's worth of this behavior. There is nothing particularly unusual here.
A class valedictorian choosing the occasion to weigh in on a tremendously emotive and polarizing issue to a captive audience--however keenly the student may personally feel about it--creates a no-win situation for all involved. It's an abuse of the student's position.
Quote from: apl68 on April 17, 2024, 06:33:19 AMA class valedictorian choosing the occasion to weigh in on a tremendously emotive and polarizing issue to a captive audience--however keenly the student may personally feel about it--creates a no-win situation for all involved. It's an abuse of the student's position.
I'd also say USC's valedictorian-selection process is a logical no-win end point of the everyone gets a trophy/failure is to be avoided at all costs mentality. Makes me glad that I went to the trade school down the river from Harvard that, unlike Harvard, doesn't do valedictorians, honorary degrees, or legacy admissions.
Perhaps I missed this, but was there some understanding of what she planned to say that scared off the admins?
Quote from: waterboy on April 17, 2024, 07:02:39 AMPerhaps I missed this, but was there some understanding of what she planned to say that scared off the admins?
Her previous social media presence:
QuoteIt cited her social media bio that included a link to a page that calls Zionism a "racist settler-colonial ideology."
Interesting bit:
QuoteAnuj Desai, a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Law School, suggested that Ms. Tabassum could have legal grounds to sue, particularly in light of California law that supports students' First Amendment rights.
"If the reason they're removing her is because of her views, then that just feels much more like a free speech problem," he said. "Ordinarily we would say, beef up the security."
But Mr. Desai said that the university could be warranted in shutting down her speech, if it learned that Ms. Tabassum planned to use the address as a forum, as graduation speakers sometimes do, to discuss their outrage over issues of the day.
Apparently I was blind - thanks!
CUNY Law School (https://gothamist.com/news/cuny-law-school-struggles-to-find-graduation-venue-after-last-years-israel-furor), still reeling from last year's furor, has yet to find a venue for this year's graduation. Scroll all the way down (https://www.law.cuny.edu/students/commencement/) to see that the location is TBA.
York University faculty group recommends defining support of Israel as 'racism' (https://vancouversun.com/opinion/york-university-israel-support-racism/wcm/6e2dfc30-124a-451d-b87c-0bc79b4c3e14)
QuoteA York University faculty committee has recommended that the school henceforth define any acknowledgement of Israel's existence as evidence of "anti-Palestinian racism."
According to an April 5 "recommendations report" leaked to National Post, an official committee within York's Department of Politics has proposed that any defence of Israel be viewed as "anti-Palestinian, Islamophobic, and anti-Arab."
An odd addition:
Quote"The struggle for Palestinian self-determination will support the liberation of all humans and non-humans from colonial oppression," it reads.
The kind of activism to sway institutions to support certain political goals serves to destroy those institutions.
QuoteWhat to Know About the Turmoil at Colleges Over the Israel-Hamas War (https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/17/us/israel-hamas-war-colleges-antisemitism.html?ugrp=u&unlocked_article_code=1.lE0.ZV3v.CQDB22k-c0VW&smid=url-share)
On campus, the debate over free speech and antisemitism has only become more charged.
QuoteColumbia Leaders Grilled at Antisemitism Hearing Over Faculty Comments (https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/04/17/nyregion/columbia-antisemitism-hearing?ugrp=u&unlocked_article_code=1.lE0.juUd.sdNV5-f9fR0n&smid=url-share)
The university's president, Nemat Shafik, agreed that some professors had crossed the line as she testified before House lawmakers on questions of student safety and free speech.
Don't know much about the Columbia situation, but evidently things have gotten pretty hot on campus there over the issue. One has to feel sorry for their leadership caught up in this. At least their head has so far learned lessons from the spectacular career suicide that occurred over at Harvard.
Quote from: apl68 on April 17, 2024, 02:35:32 PMDon't know much about the Columbia situation, but evidently things have gotten pretty hot on campus there over the issue. One has to feel sorry for their leadership caught up in this. At least their head has so far learned lessons from the spectacular career suicide that occurred over at Harvard.
The leadership of Columbia has
allowed Columbia behavior. No people to feel sorry for.
The lesson, rather, is, that the incentives facing university administrators are to let local interest groups run wild, the consequences be damned. No skin off the admins' back. Or, there's too much money around! :-)
Quote from: marshwiggle on April 17, 2024, 01:05:28 PMYork University faculty group recommends defining support of Israel as 'racism' (https://vancouversun.com/opinion/york-university-israel-support-racism/wcm/6e2dfc30-124a-451d-b87c-0bc79b4c3e14)
QuoteA York University faculty committee has recommended that the school henceforth define any acknowledgement of Israel's existence as evidence of "anti-Palestinian racism."
According to an April 5 "recommendations report" leaked to National Post, an official committee within York's Department of Politics has proposed that any defence of Israel be viewed as "anti-Palestinian, Islamophobic, and anti-Arab."
An odd addition:
Quote"The struggle for Palestinian self-determination will support the liberation of all humans and non-humans from colonial oppression," it reads.
U Toronto grad here. Sounds about right for York.
Quote from: dismalist on April 17, 2024, 03:01:56 PMQuote from: apl68 on April 17, 2024, 02:35:32 PMDon't know much about the Columbia situation, but evidently things have gotten pretty hot on campus there over the issue. One has to feel sorry for their leadership caught up in this. At least their head has so far learned lessons from the spectacular career suicide that occurred over at Harvard.
The leadership of Columbia has allowed Columbia behavior. No people to feel sorry for.
The lesson, rather, is, that the incentives facing university administrators are to let local interest groups run wild, the consequences be damned. No skin off the admins' back. Or, there's too much money around! :-)
How does college leadership "allow" this kind of behavior? How does one stop "local interest groups" from "running wild" on a college campus?
Half the time I don't know what you are talking about, Big-D.
Quote from: secundem_artem on April 17, 2024, 05:40:10 PMQuote from: marshwiggle on April 17, 2024, 01:05:28 PMYork University faculty group recommends defining support of Israel as 'racism' (https://vancouversun.com/opinion/york-university-israel-support-racism/wcm/6e2dfc30-124a-451d-b87c-0bc79b4c3e14)
QuoteA York University faculty committee has recommended that the school henceforth define any acknowledgement of Israel's existence as evidence of "anti-Palestinian racism."
According to an April 5 "recommendations report" leaked to National Post, an official committee within York's Department of Politics has proposed that any defence of Israel be viewed as "anti-Palestinian, Islamophobic, and anti-Arab."
An odd addition:
Quote"The struggle for Palestinian self-determination will support the liberation of all humans and non-humans from colonial oppression," it reads.
U Toronto grad here. Sounds about right for York.
Yeah, that was my take as well.
Quote from: Wahoo Redux on April 17, 2024, 07:38:38 PMQuote from: dismalist on April 17, 2024, 03:01:56 PMQuote from: apl68 on April 17, 2024, 02:35:32 PMDon't know much about the Columbia situation, but evidently things have gotten pretty hot on campus there over the issue. One has to feel sorry for their leadership caught up in this. At least their head has so far learned lessons from the spectacular career suicide that occurred over at Harvard.
The leadership of Columbia has allowed Columbia behavior. No people to feel sorry for.
The lesson, rather, is, that the incentives facing university administrators are to let local interest groups run wild, the consequences be damned. No skin off the admins' back. Or, there's too much money around! :-)
How does college leadership "allow" this kind of behavior? How does one stop "local interest groups" from "running wild" on a college campus?
Half the time I don't know what you are talking about, Big-D.
There's not any way for admins to prevent (or not) controversial speech and activism on campus when passions on an issue are running this high without seriously offending somebody. It's a no-win situation for them. I can't help feeling sorry for admins confronted with a situation like this, even if I don't agree with particular aspects of their handling of it. At least if they show some common sense in the process.
Quote from: apl68 on April 18, 2024, 07:26:52 AMQuote from: dismalist on April 17, 2024, 03:01:56 PMQuote from: apl68 on April 17, 2024, 02:35:32 PMDon't know much about the Columbia situation, but evidently things have gotten pretty hot on campus there over the issue. One has to feel sorry for their leadership caught up in this. At least their head has so far learned lessons from the spectacular career suicide that occurred over at Harvard.
The leadership of Columbia has allowed Columbia behavior. No people to feel sorry for.
The lesson, rather, is, that the incentives facing university administrators are to let local interest groups run wild, the consequences be damned. No skin off the admins' back. Or, there's too much money around! :-)
There's not any way for admins to prevent (or not) controversial speech and activism on campus when passions on an issue are running this high without seriously offending somebody. It's a no-win situation for them. I can't help feeling sorry for admins confronted with a situation like this, even if I don't agree with particular aspects of their handling of it. At least if they show some common sense in the process.
So, colleges are lawless realms.
Oh sure, they can always take measures to sanction or try to prevent speech that they fear will prove problematic. But their measures, however lawful or in accordance with written procedure, will often court the sort of backlash from some quarters that they had hoped to prevent from others.
Updates on the Columbia Universtity situation:
QuoteLive Updates: Police Arresting Pro-Palestinian Protesters at Columbia (https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/04/18/nyregion/columbia-university-protests?ugrp=u&unlocked_article_code=1.lU0.Kbry.yCqCrehXD53z&smid=url-share)
Officers began arresting students on Thursday, a day after university officials testified about antisemitism before Congress.
QuoteIn Congress, Columbia's Leaders Try to Please. At Home, They Face Anger (https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/17/nyregion/antisemitism-columbia-president-university-protest.html?ugrp=u&unlocked_article_code=1.lU0.P0fv.koHZQpMRKY4R&smid=url-share).
For Columbia's president, Nemat Shafik, a hearing on antisemitism went relatively well. But on campus, intense protests suggest a difficult road ahead for the university.
QuoteRep. Ilhan Omar's Daughter Suspended for Involvement in Columbia Protest (https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/18/nyregion/ilhan-omar-daughter-columbia-suspended.html?ugrp=u&unlocked_article_code=1.lU0.g_y_.g2F9cDp-5IzL&smid=url-share)
QuoteHundreds of protesters occupy South Lawn, call for divestment from Israel during Shafik testimony (https://www.columbiaspectator.com/news/2024/04/17/dozens-of-protesters-occupy-south-lawn-call-for-divestment-from-israel-ahead-of-shafik-testimony/)
The group began to pitch tents in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
Isra Hirsi, the Democratic congresswoman's daughter, was part of a tent-encampment, organized to protest the war in Gaza, that has escalated tensions on campus.
Quote from: apl68 on April 18, 2024, 07:26:52 AMThere's not any way for admins to prevent (or not) controversial speech and activism on campus when passions on an issue are running this high without seriously offending somebody. It's a no-win situation for them. I can't help feeling sorry for admins confronted with a situation like this, even if I don't agree with particular aspects of their handling of it. At least if they show some common sense in the process.
Amen. Particularly the bolded. Particularly now that conservative politicians have found a new way to McCarthyize political theater. Admin are fallible humans, after all, put in a frightening position.
And I find it beyond hypocritical that a conservative ideology that fostered the J6 riot can call out anybody on issues of public behavior or peoples' safety.