Several Clemson students protest freshman reading assignment

[deadparrot]

CLEMSON, S.C. Several Clemson University students have joined a Higher Education Commissioner to say they don't like a book the school required for freshman summer reading.

Seven students, commissioner Ken Wingate and about 40 parents, grandparents and alumni yesterday talked about the book, "Truth and Beauty," by Ann Patchett.

The best-seller tells the story of Patchett and a friend, Lucy Grealy, who struggled with cancer and later dealt with drug addiction. Wingate says the book glamorizes what he calls "deviant and debasing" behavior. He doesn't like the book's sexual content.

Freshman Michael Melchers of Columbia says he decided --not-- to read the book after hearing about it. But Melchers says he did write an essay explaining his views and plans to attend a lecture by the author.

http://www.fox21.com/Global/story.asp?S=5309662&nav=2KPp

[saltpoint]

1. I hope these same students demand the Library dump The Bible

as well.

I heard a guy gets nailed to a board in that one.

[zreosumgame]

26. don't forget all the child rape and killings

the bible is a very very dirty book!

[saltpoint]

29. Yep. For adults only. No fragile college students allowed.

[Anakin Skywalker]

2. Who Are These Shy Flowers

who can't deal with sexuality? And these are supposedly "college" students? Incredulous! I thought they were H.S. freshmen at first.

[rocktivity]

19. DING DING DING! Anakin Skywalker, you're our grand prize winner!

...these are supposedly "college" students? Incredulous! I thought they were H.S. freshmen at first.

Expel them, I say. They aren't ready for college OR adulthood.


rocknation

[Biernuts]

23. So, when a progressive student protests an assignment to read

Ann Coulter's latest crap, you will insist he/she be expelled for not following orders as well?

Are you for freedom of thought and the right to protest or not? If they can't protest a book, can they protest the war?

[Solon]

34. This is college...

If I were assigned to read Ann Coulter's latest spewings for a class assignment, I would RELISH the opportunity to dismantle her own arguments, etc. This is College we are talking about, if I took a Political Science course, then I would be expected to read books from a variety of sources. Same for any other course, can you imagine if some religious students refused to do an assignment on discontinuous functions in math class because it proves their God imperfect? Its just as dumb.

[Richard Steele]

35. You are confusing "freedom of thought" with "refusing to think".

And you use a typical RW propaganda tactic when you
try to equate CENSORSHIP with "freedom of opinion".

How can they PROTEST something they haven't READ?
That's not a PROTEST of the BOOK, it's a PROTEST
against the notion that they should become aware
of other viewpoints.

It is not properly "a protest", it is knee-jerk emotional
aversion to 'critical thinking' itself.

If they want to PROTEST it, let them read it and
then explain just what is so WRONG about it.
People who protest the WAR are generally pretty
familiar with it, y'know.

If they can't do that, then maybe they should reconsider
whether 'higher learning' is really the right choice for them.

[teknomanzer]

42. Education...

The one thing everyone is willing to pay for,
Yet no one wants to receive.

[Bill McBlueState]

38. why would anyone protest that?

I generally enjoy reading what's on the wall while I take a dump in a public restroom, and Coulter puts the same quality of prose in a convenient, portable form.

[marmar]

3. "Wingate says the book glamorizes ..."deviant and debasing" behavior"

Ugh. :crazy:
To quote Lenny Kravitz:

What kind of circus is this ?
What kind of fools are we ?
When is the final curtain ?
What can I do to set me free ?

[ncrainbowgrrl]

4. Protesting the summer reading choice was like SO 5 years ago.

gosh. :eyes:

(Gosh was it fun to be at UNC at the time!)

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[NMDemDist2]

10. would you make the same comment if it was a Connecticut school?

or is it just because it's south of the Mason Dixon line?

[ShortnFiery]

11. I live in the South, therefore, I know "the belly of the beast"

That one's for good ole' DixieCrats who don't like "redding buks." :rofl:

[NMDemDist2]

21. southerners take enough abuse with out us adding to the sterotype

did you see Steven Colbert's 60 Minutes interview?

I thought it was telling that although he was born and raised in SC he carefully trained himself out of a southern drawl so he wouldn't be considered "stupid"

it's a shame really

[ShortnFiery]

24. Point taken.

It's cool, that I may have went "over the top" in my first post. However, I live among Southern White Folk, some who won't admit that they lost The Civil War by flying the "Stars and Bars" on their flagpoles and sporting' Lawn Jockeys (black ones) at the end of their driveways.

Yeah, some good ole' boys never have come into the present - we should not pretend it to be otherwise.

Please know that when you "make light" you are not implying that everyBODY in The South is of that mindset.

Just a thought - but yes, IMO many bigoted white folks do need to be reminded (even through humor) that The South Lost and Flying the Stars and Bars ain't happening toward patriotism. ;)

[NMDemDist2]

27. true there is usually a grain of truth at the heart of a sterotype and

believe me, you southerners don't have anything on some of these southern New Mexican/West Texans

but there are idiots in every region (just look at the 2004 election results)

:hi:

[ShortnFiery]

28. You got that right. :-)

There's always something (someone/some group) to be embarrassed about no matter what part of the world you honor as "Home."

So True! :hi:

[Democrat 4 Ever]

6. Well, as long as they don't risk expanding their minds....

I was in a freshman philosophy class a few years back that the majority of the students tried to get the professor fired because he told them straight up he didn't believe in God. Said he was open to change the minute one of them gave him proof there was a God but until then he was remaining an atheist. They actually went to the university president demanding that this godless soul be fired. It didn't go anywhere but the prof had a good laugh.

What got them so upset - the assignments for reading and discussion was St. Thomas Aquinas, "Whether God Exists" and Bertrand Russell's essay "Why I Am Not a Christian. If the professor had thrown in Nietzsche's "God Is Dead" and those kids would have had to leave the campus. Several students cried in class when the teacher made it very clear they were expect to read and discuss both essays. They could not imagine questioning anything about religion. Very, very scary.

Their whole attitude was, "Just give me the credit but don't you dare make me think." They didn't and he didn't pass them.

[Odin2005]

20. Which college was that?

I go to Minnesota State University Moorhead (across the river from Fargo), a fairly socialy conservative area, and nobody started preaching hellfire and brimstone in the Intro to Western Philosophy course I took this spring when we discussed the existance (or lack there of) of God and the supernatural.

[wellst0nev0ter]

30. Well, They Did Fire A Gay Music Teacher At UND Last Year.

because of the fact he had a gay lover. Ho well, I know for a fact that the college campuses over there seem to be the ONLY areas of enlightenment and diversity in those areas.

[OwnedByFerrets]

7. I'll bet my paycheck that

they had nothing but glowing words for Last Temptation of Christ, a huge deviant and debasing piece of material.:evilgrin:

[acmavm]

8. Obviously these dainty little flowers probably better not plan on being

lawyers, doctors/nurses, law enforcement officials, clergy, or any other professional that has to deal with the realities of life.

Did no one ever tell them that life has a very dark and unglamorous side? Sheesh, are they up to Zola or any of the great Russian writers? I think not.

[Horse with no Name]

9. Don't these prudes have their own colleges they can attend

that pander to their "special" needs? Oral Roberts, Brigham Young, Bob Jones, etc?

[Corgigal]

12. This is Clemson, people

One of the decent colleges in this state. I think the "students" should have gone over to Bob Jones University if they can't handle the arts.

[NVMojo]

13. GREAT! I'm buying the book now!!!

[NVMojo]

14. GREAT! I'm buying the book now!!!

[petersjo02]

15. This is a wonderful book

I'm a 64-year-old grandmother, and it didn't offend me. Opened my eyes to just how painful growing up "different" can be. If any of you haven't read this book, I highly recommend it.

[Freedomofspeech]

16. These are college students?

Sounds like a group of 7th graders whose parents are whining about the reading list. How pathetic.

[pitohui]

17. hey anything to get out of doing their homework

i say flunk 'em and move on to the students who do the assigned reading and who are not afraid to be challenged...

[Richard Steele]

39. Thank you for sharing your first-hand opinion of the book.

And welcome to DU! :hi:

[Botany]

18. ATTN Clemson students .... it is called college; and you will

.... have to read a lot of books that you don't like.

Freshmen English @ Harvard on the Hocking aka Ohio University
Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf :puke:
The Great Gatsby :puke:

Also Macro Economics ...... Organic Chemistry ..... Physiology ......
Cellular Biology ..... Physics .......

Born again idiots .... "i don't want to read know or think about anything
I don't believe in already .... I am 18 and know everything"

[DemoTex]

22. Old news. The Fox link doesn't even date.

I've been reading about this crap all summer in the Greenville Mews. The only reason it is news in the SC upstate is because of the BoJos (Bob Jones-ers, and their ilk).

My advice to Clemson students who don't like the reading list: Transfer to Bob Jones "University." There you will have to read only one book.

[McCamy Taylor]

25. Boycott every work of fiction with male on female rape, if he is so moral.

[missingthebigdog]

31. It's college! They CHOSE to enroll in this course.

Every college I have attended offered a wide variety of courses and professors to meet the required curriculum. If students don't like the assignments/views/sexual orientation, they can choose a different class. It's called being a grown-up.

[Igel]

36. No, they decided to enroll at Clemson.

The reading is non-fiction, and part of no course.

Not optional. And frequently serving a social or moral--not academic--goal.

If faculty want to be in loco parentis, I figure they should provide their own kids that they can be parentes of. I hated moralizing professors when I was an undergrad--they usually assumed that parroting their pov was true 'critical thinking', while objecting to it was simply 'reactionary', in the "true" (i.e., warped) version of critical thinking.

[6000eliot]

40. Regardless of how individual teachers teach,

students do NOT choose the curriculum in their classes. W hated The Grapes of Wrath when he went to school as well. Tough. Deal with it or go to another school. Bob Jones University is accepting applications.

[rodeodance]

32. oh for chists sake. expand your minds---if you able!

[aaronbees]

33. Makes me want to read the book

Seriously, do these people protesting understanding anything at all about developing critical thinking skills? Or is what we learn just supposed to pat us on the ass and say our worldviews are right? Is this college or Sunday school?

[Igel]

37. Protesting isn't a bad thing.

Sounds like some people have learned to question authority early.

[Jawja]

41. They don't want to read a

university reading assignment?? Then WHY go to an institution of higher learning???