Conservative-thinking student Steve Miller has already done battle with Santa Monica High School, and now his college of choice, Duke, is next in line. I think he'll do quite well in the major of political science, and Duke's professors had better be prepared for him. He's already started a Students for Academic Freedom chapter on the campus, and his sharp eyes (and equally sharp mind) have noticed signs of trouble even in orientation:
...I began to quietly, politely, question some of the troubling things I had observed during our orientation. For instance, during our schedule on one day our lunch was from 12-2. The itinerary read as follows:
"Noon-2pm: Lunch-grab lunch at the Marketplace or any one of the campus eateries.
"Noon-2pm: Students of Color Luncheon."
One lunch for whites. One for students of color. How wonderfully progressive.
In response to my question the dean remarked in the past Duke used to be segregated and that this was something the faculty was (rightly) ashamed of. He explained that they had an obligation to create as inclusive an environment as possible. He did not explain how we are to compensate for past segregation with more segregation; maybe that's one of the things I am supposed to learn at Duke.
Another student learned at Duke that it's impossible for a history course to present facts, and perhaps those who insist on factual knowledge should consider dropping it, especially if they're Republicans. Steve Miller's got his work cut out for him.
Posted by kswygert at September 9, 2003 11:07 AM