Patterico's Pontifications

11/26/2015

A Tale of Two Universities

Filed under: General — Patterico @ 11:29 am

After students saw a Confederate flag displayed on a laptop, Framingham State University Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer Sean L. Huddleston wrote an email which said:

A student reported a bias incident today, in which the image of the Confederate flag was displayed on a laptop. Many of you may be aware that last month we received a Bias Incident involving two other students for a similar issue. Although related in nature, the two incidents involve separate parties.

. . . .

We recognize that bias incidents are upsetting for the entire campus community, but especially for the target(s) and witness(es) of these incidents. It is strongly suggested that anyone impacted by a bias incident find someone to speak with.

Meanwhile, in Oklahoma, one university president has a different attitude. I’m going to quote his email in its entirety because it deserves it:

This past week, I actually had a student come forward after a university chapel service and complain because he felt “victimized” by a sermon on the topic of 1 Corinthians 13. It appears that this young scholar felt offended because a homily on love made him feel bad for not showing love! In his mind, the speaker was wrong for making him, and his peers, feel uncomfortable.

I’m not making this up. Our culture has actually taught our kids to be this self-absorbed and narcissistic! Any time their feelings are hurt, they are the victims! Anyone who dares challenge them and, thus, makes them “feel bad” about themselves, is a “hater,” a “bigot,” an “oppressor,” and a “victimizer.”

I have a message for this young man and all others who care to listen. That feeling of discomfort you have after listening to a sermon is called a conscience! An altar call is supposed to make you feel bad! It is supposed to make you feel guilty! The goal of many a good sermon is to get you to confess your sins—not coddle you in your selfishness. The primary objective of the Church and the Christian faith is your confession, not your self-actualization!

So here’s my advice:

If you want the chaplain to tell you you’re a victim rather than tell you that you need virtue, this may not be the university you’re looking for. If you want to complain about a sermon that makes you feel less than loving for not showing love, this might be the wrong place.

If you’re more interested in playing the “hater” card than you are in confessing your own hate; if you want to arrogantly lecture, rather than humbly learn; if you don’t want to feel guilt in your soul when you are guilty of sin; if you want to be enabled rather than confronted, there are many universities across the land (in Missouri and elsewhere) that will give you exactly what you want, but Oklahoma Wesleyan isn’t one of them.

At OKWU, we teach you to be selfless rather than self-centered. We are more interested in you practicing personal forgiveness than political revenge. We want you to model interpersonal reconciliation rather than foment personal conflict. We believe the content of your character is more important than the color of your skin. We don’t believe that you have been victimized every time you feel guilty and we don’t issue “trigger warnings” before altar calls.

Oklahoma Wesleyan is not a “safe place”, but rather, a place to learn: to learn that life isn’t about you, but about others; that the bad feeling you have while listening to a sermon is called guilt; that the way to address it is to repent of everything that’s wrong with you rather than blame others for everything that’s wrong with them. This is a place where you will quickly learn that you need to grow up!

This is not a day care. This is a university!

I love this man.

I want my children to go to a place like this, not a place like Framingham State University or 98% of the other universities out there.

I read this to my mom and she said: “How long will it take them to fire him?”

Comments (56)

56 Responses to “A Tale of Two Universities”

here are some more Deep Thinkings from diversity pimp Sean L. Huddleston

At Framingham State University, we believe that striving for excellence in institutional diversity and inclusion efforts requires a high quality, comprehensive approach for achieving an inclusive and welcoming campus and community. It means attending to both the demographic diversity of the institution and also to the need to foster climates and cultures that provide every student and member of the campus and community with the opportunity to thrive and succeed. We believe that achieving inclusive excellence is both critical to and a condition of institutional excellence.

good lord is that even english
happyfeet (831175) — 11/26/2015 @ 11:36 am
internet linker for the Deep Thinkings
happyfeet (831175) — 11/26/2015 @ 11:36 am
If you have a problem with 1 Corinthians 13 you have a problem with Christianity. Why are you at that school?
Pious Agnostic (4e1a81) — 11/26/2015 @ 12:16 pm
Conclusive evidence proves that a myopic knee-jerk focus on diversity is among the greatest obstacles to the achievement of an honest and intellectual learning environment. Striving for institutional diversity and inclusion first is anathema to the very concept of striving for excellence – the two are irreconcilable and mutually exclusive. The point is obscure to the wittingly blind or financially dependent, but obviously clear to anyone with the brains of a petunia.
ropelight (e596cf) — 11/26/2015 @ 12:31 pm
There are lots and lots of causes for this problem in higher education. And it’s easy to make this wholly political. But I think that the issue is more fundamental, and comes from two problems:

1. Improper parenting, and I have utterly no idea how to fix that.
2. The rise of Administration Uber Alles in academia. See “Pournelle’s Iron Law of Bureaucracy” for more details. Also the alarming book “The Fall of the Faculty.”

These things arise from a wish to make everyone feel okay, coupled with toxic narcissism.

We recently had a protest on my own campus. Some of my students told me (independently) this tale: that things started out well, with discussions on how to make “marginalized” people feel included and respected. But toward the end, things degenerated into (their words) “shoutiness” and “posturing.”

As always, there exists a large number of students and faculty who are reasonable and middle of the road. But, ironically, they feel as if they cannot speak out…for fear of retribution. And they are right to fear it.
Simon Jester (9df838) — 11/26/2015 @ 12:39 pm
Simon Jester, I agree that improper parenting has much to do with the problem.

But I humbly submit that one reason for the improper parenting is that parents think that’s the school’s job. And, to square this circle, one major factor is that the educators tell parents to butt out of their kids’ lives.

In loco parentis. I offer as just one example the fact that educators can help a girl get an abortion without telling the parents. Or, look at the school administrators deciding who can shower with whom, the parents’ wishes be d@mned.

Maybe educators shouldn’t be complaining about improper parenting if they’re telling the parents, no, we’ll feed your kids breakfast and lunch. Maybe the educational establishment, if it wants to see proper parenting, should not usurp basic parenting duties. Like feeding the d@mn kids.

I am not directing any of these comments at you, SJ.
Steve57 (a13395) — 11/26/2015 @ 12:52 pm
Many of these universities are utterly dependent on continued support from alumni. They hate that, of course, but unless they have a bazillion in endowments, they need those alumni dollars, at least in the medium term, to keep the lights on. Most college endowments are only a few years operating costs, and the investment return is 10-20% or annual costs.

Don’t give them any money, and tell them why.
Kevin M (25bbee) — 11/26/2015 @ 12:53 pm
Political correctness is the public expression of campus fascism, it’s today’s version of the same old totalitarian whore we’ve always known, but now with a fresh painted face and all tarted up with guilt trips to deceive the intellectually lazy.
ropelight (e596cf) — 11/26/2015 @ 1:06 pm
Oh, Steve, we are 100% in agreement. This is all “It Takes a Village” nonsense. Depends on the village.

My sons are flabbergasted at how many parents just don’t pay attention to their own kids’ lives.

Your comments about pregnancy is very apt. A kid can’t get a tattoo until they are 18. But an abortion? It’s a sacrament, to some.

Kevin, I have heard that more and more alumni are increasingly concerned with nonsense on campus. I hope that is true.
Simon Jester (9df838) — 11/26/2015 @ 1:06 pm
I can’t find the article but Kevin Williamson wrote about educators decrying “White Privilege.”

Basically what they meant was that whites read bedtime stories to their children, and so on. This “privileged” their children so they did better than other kids. And they wanted white
people to cut that out, because… unfair!

You see, doing things for your children is in bad repute among the educational elite. Who think it’s wrong to expect minority children to “act white” and study or something.

http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/11/23/dartmouth-president-announces-investigation-black-white-intimidation/

…“F*** you, you filthy white f***s!” “F*** you and your comfort!” “F*** you, you racists s***s!”

You know what the white kids were doing that was so obnoxiously racist? Studying.

I’m going to step back and observe that I don’t expect less from black people than anyone else. The genetics and melanin don’t matter much. But here’s the deal, when you expect less and less from people, you get less and less.

White, black, whatever, it doesn’t matter. If educators expect less parenting, they get less parenting. The people now tearfully apologizing to the Black Lives Matter crowd and Occupy Wall Street spent their lives making up excuses for bad parents.
Steve57 (a13395) — 11/26/2015 @ 1:15 pm
Class diversity is a racist, sexist, whatever scheme that is exploited to bias and engender prejudice in a population. It is an artifact of yesteryear before class diversity schemes were confronted and defeated by civilized people.

Since Americans, specifically Conservative Republicans, led civil rights reforms, the left has stumbled over one violation of civil and human rights after another in their race to marginalize and defeat their competitors.
n.n (0b901a) — 11/26/2015 @ 1:17 pm
you can leave an unwanted baby at a police station or church but an unwanted tattoo you’re pretty much stuck with

this is why you should always make sure you get consent before you make a tattoo on someone
happyfeet (831175) — 11/26/2015 @ 1:17 pm
Basically, what you reward, you get more of.

As for Dartmouth, I nearly got a neck injury from the double take…it seems that the champions of the microaggression sensitivity brigade want other people to NOT be sensitive about having racist comments shouted in their faces.

Weird.

But rewarded. So….
Simon Jester (9df838) — 11/26/2015 @ 1:18 pm
when you expect less and less from people, you get less and less

The spoiled brat syndrome is endemic to liberal societies. Religion or moral philosophy was supposed to temper their juvenile orientations and behaviors. Of course, that is a secondary mode to parents taking responsibility for inculcating a responsible, self-moderating character in their children.
n.n (0b901a) — 11/26/2015 @ 1:23 pm
And Steve and Simon, let’s not forget the student loan programs that bury the young graduate. This, too, takes more of the parenting out of the hands of the real parents. As for OKWU, finally someone is using that 6″ between their ears.
bald01 (f38852) — 11/26/2015 @ 1:24 pm
I hope nobody interprets my last comment as a slam on black people. I know of white people
who are lousy parents. H3ll, who doesn’t. Google it.

Black people can suck at it, too. Black folks can do anything white people can do.
Steve57 (a13395) — 11/26/2015 @ 1:24 pm
13. …As for Dartmouth, I nearly got a neck injury from the double take…it seems that the champions of the microaggression sensitivity brigade want other people to NOT be sensitive about having racist comments shouted in their faces.

Weird.

But rewarded. So….
Simon Jester (9df838) — 11/26/2015 @ 1:18 pm

I hope you appreciate this quote:

http://chuckcowdery.blogspot.com/2008/03/soft-bigotry-of-low-expectations.html

…And you can see this paragraph:”Some say it is unfair to holddisadvantaged children to rigorous standards. I say it is discrimination to require anything less ?the soft bigotry of low
expectations. Some say that schools can?t be expected to teach, because there are too many broken families, too many immigrants, too much diversity. I say that pigment and poverty need not determine performance. That myth is disproved by good schools every day. Excuse-making must end before learning can begin.”…
Steve57 (a13395) — 11/26/2015 @ 1:36 pm
The Soviets used to have political officers in every organization. They were universally hated, just not out loud. We are well down the same road.
Kevin M (25bbee) — 11/26/2015 @ 1:55 pm
The proper term for a diversity minder is “chekist”
Kevin M (25bbee) — 11/26/2015 @ 1:56 pm
There is hope, folks. Check it out:

http://dailyprincetonian.com/opinion/2015/11/we-can-do-better/

https://www.facebook.com/PrincetonOpenCampusCoalition/?fref=nf
Simon Jester (9df838) — 11/26/2015 @ 2:05 pm
And Kevin, you are right. But NONE of that has been covered in ANY history course these students have taken.
Simon Jester (9df838) — 11/26/2015 @ 2:06 pm
I made a mistake blaming the educators. It’s the administrators who are the problem.
Steve57 (a13395) — 11/26/2015 @ 2:08 pm
Well, there is plenty of bizarro world antics among faculty, sure. Administrators are a whole new level of weird, though.
Simon Jester (9df838) — 11/26/2015 @ 2:10 pm
Greetings:

The only thing that I would have added to the e-mail was my father’s advice for various miscreants to “Next time you see your parents, tell ’em I said that they still have some work to do.”
11B40 (6abb5c) — 11/26/2015 @ 2:31 pm
21. …NONE of that has been covered in ANY history course these students have taken.

Simon Jester (9df838) — 11/26/2015 @ 2:06 pm

Maya Angelou ain’t my cup of tea. But here she is talking abut Shakespeare.

http://teachingshakespeareblog.folger.edu/2014/06/03/my-maya-angelou-moment/

…She walked down the few steps between us, sat down next to me on the bench, and in that completely unbelievable voice, commented on the beauty of the day, and on the fact that she was in a meeting at the Library but just needed to get a little air. I was completely useless: numb, dumb, breathless, utter disbelief.

This was well before her poem at Bill Clinton’s inaugural, way before Oprah, way way before her “Shakespeare must be a black girl” quote. She was not exactly a household name at that point. She was to me though. This was the woman who wrote I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings and Still I Rise… words that changed the minds, hearts, and in many cases, the lives of my students. And mine too. This was MAYA ANGELOU, for heaven’s sake.

She asked me about my work. I managed to answer something, I guess. She spoke about reading Shakespeare when she was a little girl. “I just saw a copy of the First Folio,” she said. “It was magical.” And then, “What’s wrong with people who don’t understand that Shakespeare is for everyone? They just don’t get it.”

I do remember saying, “Teachers and their students need to know that Shakespeare is definitely for them. That’s my job.”…

This struck me because I was reading about grade school English teacher talking about teaching black kids. She used the euphemism “inner city children.” And, get this, she wouln’t teach them anything written by dead white males. She considered that
cultural imperialism.

She thought it was more important to teach the kids about East African oral tradition. She believed her students couldn’t relate to Shakespeare.

This is an English teacher, mind you. Refusing to teach English. Maya Angelou got
Shakespeare.

This is how white liberals poison minority childrens’ minds.
Steve57 (a13395) — 11/26/2015 @ 2:34 pm
Enjoy your culturally-appropriated Turkey you stole from the Native Americans, white people.
Steve57 (a13395) — 11/26/2015 @ 2:38 pm
That corn? Give that back, cultural appropriators!
Steve57 (a13395) — 11/26/2015 @ 2:39 pm
turkey appropriated one of fancy fancy putin’s fancy flying machines and failmerica’s weebles greased the people in it to where they were splurgh (sp?)

this has been one of the highlights of red cup season so far which is ironic cause of turkey is actually virulently islamic and is not an enthusiastic observer of red cup season
happyfeet (831175) — 11/26/2015 @ 2:47 pm
Ever notice how the cry bullies ticked off about white people enjoying taco Tuesday never get upset about the school cafeteria serving tofu?
Steve57 (a13395) — 11/26/2015 @ 2:51 pm
28. …this has been one of the highlights of red cup season so far which is ironic cause of turkey is actually virulently islamic and is not an enthusiastic observer of red cup season

happyfeet (831175) — 11/26/2015 @ 2:47 pm

You know what’s in that red cup? Why, a drink made from culturally-appropriated South American beans.

Notice all the college kids protesting Starbucks.
Steve57 (a13395) — 11/26/2015 @ 2:55 pm
Cotton is actually a shrub native to the tropics and subtropics. Africa, India, and Mexico.

So the next chance I have, I’m going to guilt-trip a college chick into getting out of her jeans.

“Cultural imperialist! Take off those pants. And, uhh, you want a lift home and maybe some drinks?”
Steve57 (a13395) — 11/26/2015 @ 3:03 pm
“Hey, those silk panties were culturally-appropriated from China. Better hand those over, too.”
Steve57 (a13395) — 11/26/2015 @ 3:06 pm
if you add soy milk it cancels out the culture propreations

it says so on the bottom of the cup
happyfeet (831175) — 11/26/2015 @ 3:13 pm
I wouldn’t know, I only drink culturally appropriate white peoples’ drinks like scotch.
Steve57 (a13395) — 11/26/2015 @ 3:25 pm
The only message on the bottom of my cup is, “Hey, wouldn’t more scotch be nice right about now?”
Steve57 (a13395) — 11/26/2015 @ 3:29 pm
that new Heroes show was written by a multi-culti jack-off

i bailed on the second episode

it’s as bad as Sense8
happyfeet (831175) — 11/26/2015 @ 3:51 pm
I stayed with it, the kid is Claire’s, they both are, she survived the events at Primatech,
narciso (732bc0) — 11/26/2015 @ 3:58 pm
mohinder is a dumb name

how is this not a dumb name
happyfeet (831175) — 11/26/2015 @ 4:03 pm
i wouldn’t name my dog mohinder

even if he was ugly and mono-expressioned
happyfeet (831175) — 11/26/2015 @ 4:04 pm
mohinder looks like the guys from wham! uk
happyfeet (831175) — 11/26/2015 @ 4:05 pm
except with a majorly stupid name
happyfeet (831175) — 11/26/2015 @ 4:05 pm
well he was the false flag, but he was good guy in the original, seriously ripping off x men,
the chris claremont years,
narciso (732bc0) — 11/26/2015 @ 4:07 pm
also the word “evo” does NOT work for me
happyfeet (831175) — 11/26/2015 @ 4:08 pm
going to the main issue, universities are supposed to be where you explore ideas, the world has no safe spaces, in fact it’s more like a drone shooting gallery,
narciso (732bc0) — 11/26/2015 @ 4:09 pm
it’s scary though, when people disagree with you

but for when this happens there’s firecake

and thank muslim jesus for that
happyfeet (831175) — 11/26/2015 @ 4:12 pm
*s*
happyfeet (831175) — 11/26/2015 @ 4:13 pm
people’s exhibit a,

https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanhuddleston

I rest my case,
narciso (732bc0) — 11/26/2015 @ 4:33 pm
Along similar lines, some high school marching band (from Murfreesboro, Tennessee) was in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and instead of batons, the majorettes — who were almost certainly all ciswomen, demonstrating their transphobia — were tossing around (obviously fake) rifles! Didn’t they realize how the display of such (obviously fake) weapons would microassail the people in the crowd who are just horrified by guns?

I denounce them all.
The completely horrified Dana (1b79fa) — 11/26/2015 @ 5:40 pm
A lot of colleges call themselves Christian or some denomination thereof, few practice it. Always glad to see one which does.
nk (dbc370) — 11/26/2015 @ 7:50 pm
I would ask if you can believer this crud, but unfortunately it happens too often.

http://www.christianpost.com/news/episcopal-priest-defrocked-after-refusing-to-recant-muslim-faith-37847/

Say what you want about the Pope, but this kind of s*** just doesn’t happen in Roman Catholic Church. Mainline Protestants. What are you going to do with them?
Steve57 (a13395) — 11/26/2015 @ 9:19 pm
these are some confused people, when you depart from the words of faith, one is lost,
narciso (732bc0) — 11/26/2015 @ 9:24 pm
I tought i taw a Dixie Cross, I did! I did! I couldn’t believe my eyes, the very thought of it gave me the vapors, I yelled out loud, my stomach churned, my vision suddenly blurred as salty tears spontaneously welled up and rolled down my face, then dripped off my chin.

I wiped my eyes and blew my nose – then – I looked again. It was still there in all it’s pride, persistence, and arrogant defiance – the Red, White, and Blue battle flag of the Army of Northern Virginia – a banner initially created to minimize confusion during the smoke and clamor of battle, yet now both hated and loved so passionately the sight of it is as likely to enrage as it is to inspire. And, after over 150 controversial years it’s still one of our most important historical symbols and it’s every bit as American as apple pie.
ropelight (e596cf) — 11/26/2015 @ 9:34 pm
Christianity is as much about afflicting the comfortable as comforting the afflicted.

If I were the parents of this little idiot at OKWU, I would be so mortified that I would fetch home this brainless issue of my loins, check and change his diaper, and put him back in his crib and basically start over, hoping beyond hope that, this time, I might raise him right.

Clearly this little “special snowflake” has no purpose roaming around outside a carefully monitored pre-school playground….
WarEagle82 (44dbd0) — 11/27/2015 @ 7:57 am
a large number of students and faculty who are reasonable and middle of the road. But, ironically, they feel as if they cannot speak out…for fear of retribution.

Have you read Jonathan Haidt’s piece about elite high schools?

Here is where we are headed. You are alone when trouble comes.

These kids are convinced that civilization is a default state of society. My problem with pure Libertarians is that they assume everyone obeys the same laws.

I think serious trouble is coming and hiding under the bed will not work. Does anyone think these kids could jump into Normandy on D Day ?
Mike K (90dfdc) — 11/27/2015 @ 8:37 am
These kids are convinced that civilization is a default state of society.

I wonder how many of them would survive an extended time (for, say, a few years) in the heart of Detroit, Michigan or Chicago’s Southside, or perhaps Maduro’s Venezuela, etc?

Live the dream, live the glory, up close and personal.
Mark (f713e4) — 11/27/2015 @ 8:43 am
All:

Please forgive my slow reply to your note of a week or so ago concerning my This is Not a Day Care article. I am very grateful for your support and encouragement I am a bit embarrassed it is taking me this long to get back to you.

The response to the “Day Care” story has been overwhelming and, frankly, quite unexpected. We’ve had over 990,000 views of the article on our http://www.okwu.edu website and when you add those who have engaged the story via FOX and Friends, The Blaze, The O’Reilly Factor, Varney and Company, NBC Today, TIME, Todd Starnes, the Washington Post, the New York Times, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, etc, the views go into the millions. The affirmations have been pouring in with hundreds if not thousands of emails, texts, tweets, phone calls, FaceBook messages and letters.

Again, I am overwhelmed by your support and that of thousands of others. Thank you!

As we approach Christmas and the celebration of the birth of Christ perhaps you will find the following two messages encouraging.
– The first is an op-ed I wrote recently titled Always Winter – Never Christmas http://www.okwu.edu/blog/2015/12/always-winter-but-never-christmas/
– The second is the commencement address I just delivered last weekend here at OKWU titled Believe in Christmas! http://www.okwu.edu/blog/2015/12/believe-in-christmas/.

Thanks again and remember the message of Christmas. Remember the story of Christ is true and that this Truth sets us free! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RKsKhwqH48

Blessings and Merry Christmas!

Everett Piper
President
Oklahoma Wesleyan University

PS. If you want to stay in contact with OKWU on an ongoing basis consider this link http://us1.campaign-archive1.com/?u=26554704410904520e1e63892&id=c05fea9cd7&e=%5BUNIQID%5D
Everett Piper (fac936) — 12/20/2015 @ 4:56 am

11/26/2015

A Tale of Two Universities

56 Responses to “A Tale of Two Universities”

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