And Then We All Lived Happily Ever After
Tomorrow, two other Hunter students and I will participate in a panel on anti-Semitism on campus for the American Jewish Congress along with three students from Columbia and three professionals (one from Columbia, one from Hunter, and one from the David Project). I spoke with the Hunter professional who will be part of the panel tonight after an event I ran for the Israeli Student Club and told her that when I think about what bothers me the most about my whole experience at Hunter with regard to anti-Jewish sentiment, it has to be that I feel like the administration does not take us seriously.
A staff member at Hunter told me that I may not realize it, but the administration might be doing a lot more than I know. But if I don’t know about it, it’s because they aren’t communicating with us Jewish students. So what if they even solve everything without ever telling us? If they don’t COMMUNICATE it to us, we’re left in the dark, frustrated and feeling like no one even cares to show us how to get the damn light on.
I understand--Dean Schachter, the Dean for Diversity, is out on maternity leave. This responsibility, I can imagine, would probably fall into her workload. But really, Hunter has been around since 1870--shouldn’t they have a system that works in case one person is out for a few days, weeks, or months?
My phone was dead on Friday and my charger in Washington Heights, so when Dean Schachter called like she said she would when we spoke earlier in the week, she left me a message. She told me that the Palestinian Club has posted a disclaimer to the sign stating that it is not meant to offend Jewish students but that it’s a political sign. When was this disclaimer put up and why was there no official statement released from the club so that we know something came out of our months of meetings? Or rather, why wasn’t there someone in the administration on top of things? Why do I have to find out goodness only knows when later?
I wrote an essay for my Essay Writing I class about my experience as part of a minority that seems to be disregarded as a minority when it suits people. (That sentence’s structure sucked, but you get my point, I hope.) I highlighted my experience with Dean Escott in last meeting I was at with the Palestinian Club because the hypocrisy of the scolding I underwent for exercising my free speech to write an article about the Palestinian Club’s use of free speech astounded me. I posted one of the editions of it (it went through a very long series of edits that resulted in a 91!) on Punks because it’s my blog, I can post what I want, and hardly anyone knows about us anyway. Or so I thought.
As it turns out, our readership is a lot greater than I imagined and the people who have seen that article are many more than I had anticipated. Recently, I came across a comment that was posted on that initial post by someone who referred to herself as a Palestinian Lisa. If she read my post, I will not doubt that Dean Escott (as well as others in the administration) has seen it, too. And if he has, I apologize that he had to. While I do not think that there was anything in my essay that I should not have said, some of the comments posted were uninhibited and thus, disrespectful.
Dean Escott, if you have read my essay and the comments that were posted with it, I sincerely apologize. The tone and manner in which the comments were written were inappropriate to have been regarding someone of your stature.
As for what or how much the administration has done to teach tolerance for diversity and intolerance for hatred, I have yet to hear. But then, it’s not like they’re really communicating with us.
UPDATE: Dean Schachter got in touch with me today to let me know that I should speak with Dean Ayravainen today about furthering a dialogue. Anyone interested in joining?
A staff member at Hunter told me that I may not realize it, but the administration might be doing a lot more than I know. But if I don’t know about it, it’s because they aren’t communicating with us Jewish students. So what if they even solve everything without ever telling us? If they don’t COMMUNICATE it to us, we’re left in the dark, frustrated and feeling like no one even cares to show us how to get the damn light on.
I understand--Dean Schachter, the Dean for Diversity, is out on maternity leave. This responsibility, I can imagine, would probably fall into her workload. But really, Hunter has been around since 1870--shouldn’t they have a system that works in case one person is out for a few days, weeks, or months?
My phone was dead on Friday and my charger in Washington Heights, so when Dean Schachter called like she said she would when we spoke earlier in the week, she left me a message. She told me that the Palestinian Club has posted a disclaimer to the sign stating that it is not meant to offend Jewish students but that it’s a political sign. When was this disclaimer put up and why was there no official statement released from the club so that we know something came out of our months of meetings? Or rather, why wasn’t there someone in the administration on top of things? Why do I have to find out goodness only knows when later?
I wrote an essay for my Essay Writing I class about my experience as part of a minority that seems to be disregarded as a minority when it suits people. (That sentence’s structure sucked, but you get my point, I hope.) I highlighted my experience with Dean Escott in last meeting I was at with the Palestinian Club because the hypocrisy of the scolding I underwent for exercising my free speech to write an article about the Palestinian Club’s use of free speech astounded me. I posted one of the editions of it (it went through a very long series of edits that resulted in a 91!) on Punks because it’s my blog, I can post what I want, and hardly anyone knows about us anyway. Or so I thought.
As it turns out, our readership is a lot greater than I imagined and the people who have seen that article are many more than I had anticipated. Recently, I came across a comment that was posted on that initial post by someone who referred to herself as a Palestinian Lisa. If she read my post, I will not doubt that Dean Escott (as well as others in the administration) has seen it, too. And if he has, I apologize that he had to. While I do not think that there was anything in my essay that I should not have said, some of the comments posted were uninhibited and thus, disrespectful.
Dean Escott, if you have read my essay and the comments that were posted with it, I sincerely apologize. The tone and manner in which the comments were written were inappropriate to have been regarding someone of your stature.
As for what or how much the administration has done to teach tolerance for diversity and intolerance for hatred, I have yet to hear. But then, it’s not like they’re really communicating with us.
UPDATE: Dean Schachter got in touch with me today to let me know that I should speak with Dean Ayravainen today about furthering a dialogue. Anyone interested in joining?
posted by BrownsvilleGirl at 2:35 AM
2 Shpeils
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i dont get it, what are u sorry for?? you say how u feel on this blog, thats the point of this. if people dont like how we feel than thats their problem, stay away. if we tone things down because some thinskinned administrator with an even thinner backbone than our freedom of speech has been curtailed. thus making us the losers. we have a right to feel the way we want, and express that, even u said so.
am yisrael chai
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Dear anonymous,
You don't get it, do you? I said, "While I do not think that there was anything in my essay that I should not have said, some of the comments posted were uninhibited and thus, disrespectful." Go back and read the comments. They are mean and disrespectful and while they were written out of what seems to be intense frustration, no one should have to see comments like, "What's up with jews who make better goys than the goyim?" about themselves or any of the other (more explicit) responses that post yeilded.
Like I said, I have no regrets about either having written the essay or posting it on the internet. Apologizing for comments that were written with a complete disregard for Dean Escott's dignity is different, and I did that because I feel terrible that he would have to see them. That's all. There's nothing wrong with apologizing for something, either, by the way. It doesn't take away from anything.
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