Incredibly rich perspectives, as usual. Thank you.
My daughter's generation, in my opinion, has a deep relationship to identity that is complex in ways I find hard to understand completely. This quest for identity feels tied directly to the cancel culture phenomenon, so I am grateful for this platform that reminds us of the value and purpose of uncensured conversation.
"Now is not the time"! A phrase coined in the last century to excuse stalling on Integration, is that their intellectual heritage? Thoughts of an old Sothern white guy.
This interview was unimpressive, in that the questions were mostly softballs and the answers were full of blame deflection and devoid of any clear exposition of Singer’s views on people with disabilities. It also reeked of old fashioned credential worship. Singer is smart and famous, but he is not entitled to protection from pointed and aggressive scrutiny of his views. If anything, his ‘pushing the envelope’ demands that he be made to state his positions. This would lead to real education, in which there are no untouchable demi-gods. I’m not sure that giving him a passive platform was wise.
Thank you for this interview, Amna. It is an example (like many of the conversations that Ed has facilitated) of an informed, respectful discussion of a complex topic that has no one right answer.
Dr. Santurri was fired for doing his job–poorly–exceedingly poorly. If I had failed at my job in such spectacular fashion I would have been fired after the first offense not the fifth. On five occasions by his own accounting, he made St. Olaf College a hostile environment for the most vulnerable and assaulted members of our community and in so doing he damaged the reputation of the college. You should have had him read the mission of the college and explain how he was building an “inclusive community.” People of color on campus--students, faculty and staff--have singled out the IFC as making them feel less welcome on campus. Under Dr. Santurri’s leadership, the IFC has come to be known as the “racist club on campus.” This is lost on Dr. Santurri. He dismisses it as unimportant or inconsequential. What is clear from the interview is that Dr. Santurri has not learned anything from his several serious failures and that he is not going to. We could have expected the same had he been allowed to finish out his term as IFC director. Campus leadership was patient with him to a fault. I applaud them for acting, if not for doing it sooner.
If you think that bringing in Peter Singer is an offense...you lack any grasp on reality. Thank you for the long paragraph insinuating things without giving any details or evidence for your claims.
How exactly did he make a hostile environment for vulnerable people 5 times? You know he was job was literally to bring controversial speakers to campus, right?
If that is the case, why isn't Saint Olaf issuing a statement explaining that Dr. Santurri had shown a pattern of inappropriate behavior...even if they can't comment further because this is an ongoing situation? Why was he abruptly removed after he had been told he had the job for another year? Why didn't HE know that there had been a plan to remove him before it happened?
I am truly glad that Olaf has made massive gains in improving diversity (including supporting the LGTQ plus community) since I was there in the 1990s. And they are at least listening to students. I was in a now defunct program called the paracollege and VERY serious issues (such as faculty refusing to teach their own classes or help seniors complete graduation requirements) weren't even acknowledged to be legitimate problems.
But the whole community has gone crazy with this new "anti racism" movement.
I have heard all of the following claims about Olaf:
we have a serious problem with past and former students proudly posting pro Proud Boys content on social media.
"it embodies anti Blackness like no place I have ever experienced and it traumatized me beyond belief (as a Black woman)".
White students terrorize Black faculty because they had White rage at being taught via Black teaching methods.
Allowing Peter Singer to talk is hate speech.
John Mcwhorter says racism isn't real.
What has actually happened:
The college has developed a massive DEI initiative.
Supporting DEI was voted the top priority for a new president in a survey about what Olad needs in a president (that current students, alumni and staff could fill out).
The entire general education curriculum has been re vamped to make anti racism the core focus.
The college has an on campus barbershop for POC, a new Black student space named for the first Black alumni and plans to create a Black only student residential house.
So (despite these claims and even though i an in Arizona) I am pretty sure Dr. Santurri wasn't fired because there is a "toxic white supremacist culture" on campus that he helped to create. He was a victim of cancel culture. And liberals need to start taking the national crisis of cancel culture seriously.
Banished is an invaluable source of open-minded thinking. You are doing a great job. Thank you.
Thanks for this very valuable interview, and thanks to Ed Santurri for his willingness to defend the principle of free inquiry and open debate.
Incredibly rich perspectives, as usual. Thank you.
My daughter's generation, in my opinion, has a deep relationship to identity that is complex in ways I find hard to understand completely. This quest for identity feels tied directly to the cancel culture phenomenon, so I am grateful for this platform that reminds us of the value and purpose of uncensured conversation.
"Now is not the time"! A phrase coined in the last century to excuse stalling on Integration, is that their intellectual heritage? Thoughts of an old Sothern white guy.
This interview was unimpressive, in that the questions were mostly softballs and the answers were full of blame deflection and devoid of any clear exposition of Singer’s views on people with disabilities. It also reeked of old fashioned credential worship. Singer is smart and famous, but he is not entitled to protection from pointed and aggressive scrutiny of his views. If anything, his ‘pushing the envelope’ demands that he be made to state his positions. This would lead to real education, in which there are no untouchable demi-gods. I’m not sure that giving him a passive platform was wise.
Thank you for this interview, Amna. It is an example (like many of the conversations that Ed has facilitated) of an informed, respectful discussion of a complex topic that has no one right answer.
Dr. Santurri was fired for doing his job–poorly–exceedingly poorly. If I had failed at my job in such spectacular fashion I would have been fired after the first offense not the fifth. On five occasions by his own accounting, he made St. Olaf College a hostile environment for the most vulnerable and assaulted members of our community and in so doing he damaged the reputation of the college. You should have had him read the mission of the college and explain how he was building an “inclusive community.” People of color on campus--students, faculty and staff--have singled out the IFC as making them feel less welcome on campus. Under Dr. Santurri’s leadership, the IFC has come to be known as the “racist club on campus.” This is lost on Dr. Santurri. He dismisses it as unimportant or inconsequential. What is clear from the interview is that Dr. Santurri has not learned anything from his several serious failures and that he is not going to. We could have expected the same had he been allowed to finish out his term as IFC director. Campus leadership was patient with him to a fault. I applaud them for acting, if not for doing it sooner.
If you think that bringing in Peter Singer is an offense...you lack any grasp on reality. Thank you for the long paragraph insinuating things without giving any details or evidence for your claims.
How exactly did he make a hostile environment for vulnerable people 5 times? You know he was job was literally to bring controversial speakers to campus, right?
If that is the case, why isn't Saint Olaf issuing a statement explaining that Dr. Santurri had shown a pattern of inappropriate behavior...even if they can't comment further because this is an ongoing situation? Why was he abruptly removed after he had been told he had the job for another year? Why didn't HE know that there had been a plan to remove him before it happened?
I am truly glad that Olaf has made massive gains in improving diversity (including supporting the LGTQ plus community) since I was there in the 1990s. And they are at least listening to students. I was in a now defunct program called the paracollege and VERY serious issues (such as faculty refusing to teach their own classes or help seniors complete graduation requirements) weren't even acknowledged to be legitimate problems.
But the whole community has gone crazy with this new "anti racism" movement.
I have heard all of the following claims about Olaf:
we have a serious problem with past and former students proudly posting pro Proud Boys content on social media.
"it embodies anti Blackness like no place I have ever experienced and it traumatized me beyond belief (as a Black woman)".
White students terrorize Black faculty because they had White rage at being taught via Black teaching methods.
Allowing Peter Singer to talk is hate speech.
John Mcwhorter says racism isn't real.
What has actually happened:
The college has developed a massive DEI initiative.
Supporting DEI was voted the top priority for a new president in a survey about what Olad needs in a president (that current students, alumni and staff could fill out).
The entire general education curriculum has been re vamped to make anti racism the core focus.
The college has an on campus barbershop for POC, a new Black student space named for the first Black alumni and plans to create a Black only student residential house.
So (despite these claims and even though i an in Arizona) I am pretty sure Dr. Santurri wasn't fired because there is a "toxic white supremacist culture" on campus that he helped to create. He was a victim of cancel culture. And liberals need to start taking the national crisis of cancel culture seriously.