Editorial: A Reflection on Students’ Respect
On Sunday, Jan. 26, University of Illinois students took to social media to blast Chancellor Phyllis Wise for not calling a snow day due to the frigid temperatures that were forecasted for the following day.
Some students went as far as to make negative comments regarding Wise’s ethnicity and gender. This was quickly picked up by news outlets and those among the U of I community, who expressed their embarrassment at the students’ conduct. The incident even made BuzzFeed, a national news source that highlights viral web content.
Perhaps the basis for college acceptance should be, rather than ACT scores and the like, a student’s level of decency – in addition to an accepting attitude towards others and a healthy amount of respect for authority.
Furthermore, appalling actions such as these detract from any weight or sympathy the students would have received due to the harsh weather conditions.
It appears that a prerequisite for teachers and administrators – much like for politicians and celebrities – is to have a thick skin in order to endure the treatment of select students.
Has our society really become one of “casual” or “funny” and nonetheless hurtful insults, allowing social networking sites such as Twitter to provide a platform for, and even encourage, this animosity?
It is a sad fact that this small percentage of students was able to bring embarrassment to all, with alumni and staff expressing their disappointment through social media. One minor facet of the student body has the power to ruin the whole’s reputation.
Student Body President Damani Bolden sent out a mass email to U of I students to counter the negative attention brought on by the incident.
“I want to reaffirm the student body’s deep belief in maintaining an inclusive and pluralistic community. We must remember that to ensure a learning and working environment as diverse as our population civility, respect, and tolerance must always be shown through our words and actions toward each other and all members of our community,” said Bolden.
“As Student Body President of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, I extend my apology to Chancellor Phyllis Wise on behalf of the students who misrepresented these values that are important to the Illinois Community.”
No amount of gratification could come of such treatment, save numerous “favorites” or “retweets” on social media. A careless act, even done in jest, can follow these students to future job prospects.
In response, Wise wrote an editorial about digital hate that appeared in Inside Higher Ed.
“The negative comments, as offensive as they were, are protected speech. But what is protected expression and what is the level of discourse we as educators expect from our students can be very different things. And the size of that gap – so evident this week – is what has been most disappointing,” she wrote.
“Racist, intimidating or culturally derogatory epithets have no place in any debate in any circumstance. Of all places, a university should be home to diverse ideas and differing perspectives, where robust – and even intense – debate and disagreement are welcomed.”
To read Wise’s full editorial, go to:
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