Another “quick takes” on items where there is too little to say to make a complete article, but is still important enough to comment on.
The focus this time: It’s just a model…
First, a little bit of mood music:
Carrying on…
According to some, not only ancient Greece and Rome were run by “persons of color”, but apparently even Medieval Europe is portrayed as too White!
“Some Medieval Studies professors are worried that the ‘alt-right’ is co-opting the discipline to promote a ‘fantasy’ of the Middle Ages with undertones of ‘white supremacy.’
“‘It should be a really, really important time for the field to reflect on why are these things going on and what can we do to combat that,’ Vassar College professor Dorothy Kim told The Chronicle of Higher Education. ‘The worry I would have is that, is the field going to be forever linked to white supremacy?’
“The article recounts the experience of Vincent W.J. van Gerven Oei, an author and scholar in the area of Medieval studies, during the ‘International Medieval Conference’ in England.
“After noticing that all of the speakers presenting a lecture on ‘otherness’ in the Mediterranean were white, Oei was further incensed when the moderator joked that he doesn’t look as much like an “old, white man” after vacationing at the beach.
“‘Whether or not he intended it as a joke, it obviously ridicules the entire importance of race in this debate, as if it was merely a matter of lying in the sun,’ Oei said. ‘I was thinking I could do two things: Either I can just get up and leave, and it will be very awkward, or I can tweet about this.'”
Would this new history lesson include the many Christian Whites enslaved by Muslim Arabs?
Of course, wokeness isn’t limited to just Medieval history professors and students, but must also include “all student residents“:
“Oregon State University will pay a new administrator up to $61,500 to push ‘diversity education for all student residents’ in university housing.
“The new ‘Assistant Director of Diversity Initiatives and Programs’ will be responsible for creating ‘diversity education for all student residents’ while coordinating ‘diversity support services.’
“According to a job posting for the new position, the successful applicant could be paid up to $61,500 plus benefits, though must have a ‘bachelor’s degree in social justice or a related field’ and at least ‘five years [of] experiences in diversity and social justice education.’
“OSU, notably, is one of at least 232 American universities with a Bias Response Team, according to the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), and so the new administrator will also ‘serve as a first responder to incidents of bias,’ which can apparently include ‘electronic harassment’ and ‘graffiti.’
“‘Experiencing or witnessing a bias incident can result in physical and emotional trauma,’ the school’s website declares. ‘All members of the OSU community who have been impacted by a bias incident are encouraged to report it by submitting a Bias Incident Response Form.’
“Further, the job posting reveals that ‘all student residents’ will now be subjected to diversity and social justice program put on by the residential life staff.”
Not even Play-Do is safe…
“Back in November, just after the 2016 presidential election, staffers at the University of Michigan Law School scheduled a post-presidential election event entitled ‘Post-election Self-care with Food and Play.’
“‘Join us for delicious and comforting food with opportunity to experience some stress-busting, self-care activities such as coloring sheets, play dough [sic], positive card-making, Legos, and bubbles with your fellow law students,’ the description of the event announced — before school officials rescinded it in response to intense national mockery.
“The University of Michigan Law School’s embedded psychologist, Reena Sheth, was going to be the host of the ‘Self-care with Food and Play’ event.”
TTFN.
One Response to Quick Takes – ‘Tis s Silly Place: Diversity for Medieval Peasants; Diversity for Residents; Diversity for Play-Doh