The New Intolerance of Student Activism

[Martinus]

Isn't the pushback email taking the position that people in fact have a right to be assholes, and other people don't actually HAVE to get offended by it?

I think the original "Hey, lets not be assholes" email was fine.

And I think the "Hey, you don't actually have to get all bent out of shape over people being assholes, and honestly, learning how to deal with different viewpoints is kind of important too" pushback email was fine as well.

I think this is more nuanced than that. Most ethnicity-based Halloween costumes are in fact not equivalents of black face, as the original email was implying.

[Berkut]

Isn't the pushback email taking the position that people in fact have a right to be assholes, and other people don't actually HAVE to get offended by it?

I think the original "Hey, lets not be assholes" email was fine.

And I think the "Hey, you don't actually have to get all bent out of shape over people being assholes, and honestly, learning how to deal with different viewpoints is kind of important too" pushback email was fine as well.

I think this is more nuanced than that. Most ethnicity-based Halloween costumes are in fact not equivalents of black face, as the original email was implying.

So? Who cares?

The basic point of the email is "Look, don't be a douchebag." There isn't anything wrong with that message, even if you feel like some of things the email mentions are not actually that douchebaggery anyway. So what?

It is kind of ironic to me - people seem to get offended at the first email. Which is pretty funny, since the basic point of the pushback email is that people ought and can say shit you don't agree with without the need to get all worked up over it.

I think my view here is nicely consistent - I think the people who wrote the first email did so in good faith, and that is fine. And the people who wrote the second did so in good faith, and THAT is fine.

[Monoriu]

Dear Yale students,

The end of October is quickly approaching, and along with the falling leaves and cooler nights come the Halloween celebrations on our campus and in our community. These celebrations provide opportunities for students to socialize as well as make positive contributions to our community and the New Haven community as a whole. Some upcoming events include:

• Haunted Hall Crawl & Costume Ball at Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History • Grove Street Cemetery Tours, Grove Street Cemetery, New Haven • YSO's Halloween Show, Woolsey Hall

However, Halloween is also unfortunately a time when the normal thoughtfulness and sensitivity of most Yale students can sometimes be forgotten and some poor decisions can be made including wearing feathered headdresses, turbans, wearing 'war paint' or modifying skin tone or wearing blackface or redface. These same issues and examples of cultural appropriation and/or misrepresentation are increasingly surfacing with representations of Asians and Latinos.

Yale is a community that values free expression as well as inclusivity. And while students, undergraduate and graduate, definitely have a right to express themselves, we would hope that people would actively avoid those circumstances that threaten our sense of community or disrespects, alienates or ridicules segments of our population based on race, nationality, religious belief or gender expression.

The culturally unaware or insensitive choices made by some members of our community in the past, have not just been directed toward a cultural group, but have impacted religious beliefs, Native American/Indigenous people, Socio-economic strata, Asians, Hispanic/Latino, Women, Muslims, etc. In many cases the student wearing the costume has not intended to offend, but their actions or lack of forethought have sent a far greater message than any apology could after the fact...

There is growing national concern on campuses everywhere about these issues, and we encourage Yale students to take the time to consider their costumes and the impact it may have. So, if you are planning to dress-up for Halloween, or will be attending any social gatherings planned for the weekend, please ask yourself these questions before deciding upon your costume choice:

• Wearing a funny costume? Is the humor based on "making fun" of real people, human traits or cultures?

• Wearing a historical costume? If this costume is meant to be historical, does it further misinformation or historical and cultural inaccuracies?

• Wearing a 'cultural' costume? Does this costume reduce cultural differences to jokes or stereotypes?

• Wearing a 'religious' costume? Does this costume mock or belittle someone's deeply held faith tradition?

• Could someone take offense with your costume and why?

Here is a great resource for costume ideas organized by our own Community & Consent Educators (CCEs) https://www.pinterest.com/yalecces/

We are one Yale, and the actions of one affect us all..., so in whatever fashion you choose to participate in Halloween activities, we encourage everyone to be safe and thoughtful during your celebration.

Sincerely,

The Intercultural Affairs Committee-

So Joan this is not just asking students to "think before they put on blackface."

I don't see anything wrong with this email.  It is a helpful reminder that Yale students should not put their future at risk by doing something stupid, like putting on an SS uniform or something like that.  I think the whole situation is a storm in a teacup.  I find it bizarre that news sites choose to write about such a non-story, and to generalise it by saying that "student activism" as a whole is somehow endangered.   

[Admiral Yi]

I think my view here is nicely consistent - I think the people who wrote the first email did so in good faith, and that is fine. And the people who wrote the second did so in good faith, and THAT is fine.

Totally agree.

[Admiral Yi]

I don't see anything wrong with this email.  It is a helpful reminder that Yale students should not put their future at risk by doing something stupid, like putting on an SS uniform or something like that.  I think the whole situation is a storm in a teacup.  I find it bizarre that news sites choose to write about such a non-story, and to generalise it by saying that "student activism" as a whole is somehow endangered.

I get the very strong impression you have not watched the video.

[Monoriu]

I don't see anything wrong with this email.  It is a helpful reminder that Yale students should not put their future at risk by doing something stupid, like putting on an SS uniform or something like that.  I think the whole situation is a storm in a teacup.  I find it bizarre that news sites choose to write about such a non-story, and to generalise it by saying that "student activism" as a whole is somehow endangered.

I get the very strong impression you have not watched the video.

You are right, I didn't watch the video.  But I read the article, which described what happened in the video. 

So one nameless student over-reacted to a perceived wrong.  Happens every day around the world, I suppose. 

[Eddie Teach]

You got a transcript for the video? All I got was that the girl was very upset.

[Monoriu]

You got a transcript for the video? All I got was that the girl was very upset.

I assume that the video is about this -

"In your position as master," one student says, "it is your job to create a place of comfort and home for the students who live in Silliman. You have not done that. By sending out that email, that goes against your position as master. Do you understand that?!"

"No," he said, "I don't agree with that."

The student explodes, "Then why the fuck did you accept the position?! Who the fuck hired you?! You should step down! If that is what you think about being a master you should step down! It is not about creating an intellectual space! It is not! Do you understand that? It's about creating a home here. You are not doing that!"

[Martinus]

Isn't the pushback email taking the position that people in fact have a right to be assholes, and other people don't actually HAVE to get offended by it?

I think the original "Hey, lets not be assholes" email was fine.

And I think the "Hey, you don't actually have to get all bent out of shape over people being assholes, and honestly, learning how to deal with different viewpoints is kind of important too" pushback email was fine as well.

I think this is more nuanced than that. Most ethnicity-based Halloween costumes are in fact not equivalents of black face, as the original email was implying.

So? Who cares?

The basic point of the email is "Look, don't be a douchebag." There isn't anything wrong with that message, even if you feel like some of things the email mentions are not actually that douchebaggery anyway. So what?

It is kind of ironic to me - people seem to get offended at the first email. Which is pretty funny, since the basic point of the pushback email is that people ought and can say shit you don't agree with without the need to get all worked up over it.

I think my view here is nicely consistent - I think the people who wrote the first email did so in good faith, and that is fine. And the people who wrote the second did so in good faith, and THAT is fine.

Oh I agree. To me this isn't really about the first email as much as the fact that the guy got pilloried for the second email by some angry bitch.

[Siege]

[Legbiter]

Tumblr goes to college. 

[Valmy]

When I was a university student, all I did was go to school, study, and take exams.  I knew a whole bunch of Chinese students in the same faculty, and they were all the same.  We never talked about politics, in Canada or China.  Only exams, courses, assignments, jobs, games, sports, movies.  Well they talked about sports, I had no idea about hockey.  The student union was something that took our fees arbitrarily, and that's all I knew.

I don't understand why people who go to Yale bother. 

What was your major?

[Monoriu]

When I was a university student, all I did was go to school, study, and take exams.  I knew a whole bunch of Chinese students in the same faculty, and they were all the same.  We never talked about politics, in Canada or China.  Only exams, courses, assignments, jobs, games, sports, movies.  Well they talked about sports, I had no idea about hockey.  The student union was something that took our fees arbitrarily, and that's all I knew.

I don't understand why people who go to Yale bother. 

What was your major?

Business.

[dps]

• Could someone take offense with your costume and why?

Yes, no matter what your costume is, because some people are useless idiots.

[Valmy]

Business.

Yeah well that is how things work in departments like that. In Engineering politics was never discussed either.