U. of C. tells incoming freshmen it does not support 'trigger warnings' or 'safe spaces'

Chicago

University of Chicago class of 2020, get ready for a college experience filled with debate, discussion — and possibly discomfort. As colleges across the country wrestle with balancing academic freedom and open discourse with student health and safety, University of Chicago Dean of Students John Ellison told incoming freshmen in a letter what they should expect on campus. "Our commitment to academic freedom means that we do not support so-called 'trigger warnings,' we do not cancel invited speakers because their topics might prove controversial, and we do not condone the creation of intellectual 'safe spaces' where individuals can retreat from ideas and perspectives at odds with their own,"

I personally think this is great news. It has been worrying to see universities, where the sharing and debating of ideas and ideologies should be encouraged, were seemingly being closed down due to the fear of people taking umbrage to opposing views.

I hope more faculties take up the call to allow freedom of the expression of thought on their campuses.

a reply to: CatandtheHatchet

It's always calmest in the eye of the storm.

a reply to: CatandtheHatchet

Thank God, I work skilled trades and in shop, not in front of customers, the talk is rough. We talk about every aspect of life. And there is no hold barred.

I remember talking about a no food/heat/economic collapse, one mechanic is prepped and another who isn't said he would just go to the prepped guy's house. The prepped mechanic told him, "you'd be dead a the end of my F!@#ing drive way as!@#$%".

That was a tame normal conversation. Real world, college is supposed to prepare students for.

Glad to see the the adults have had enough of the these antics going on in university and stepped up to counter these children.

a reply to: seasonal
Some believe such people unreasonable or ignorant as a result of such "paranoia" or that's the Prog opinion,but I 've noted as well such people don't talk outside their circles, they HATE polls because it's nobody's business and the cussing is in fact intelligence related.

a reply to: CatandtheHatchet

If you're going to a secondary education, you should be mature enough to appropriately deal with the world unless you have some sort of disability or emotional issues.

The fact that this made news tells us how sick our society is

It's about time. It made no sense, these young adults are supposed to be ready for the real world.
The real world isn't always nice, and the thought of young adults running, crying to a "safe place" was just ridiculous.
We had to be street tough by the age of 16 before, that was when many people left mommy and daddy to enter the real world (when it was more affordable).

originally posted by: seasonal
a reply to: CatandtheHatchet

Thank God, I work skilled trades and in shop, not in front of customers, the talk is rough. We talk about every aspect of life. And there is no hold barred.

I remember talking about a no food/heat/economic collapse, one mechanic is prepped and another who isn't said he would just go to the prepped guy's house. The prepped mechanic told him, "you'd be dead a the end of my F!@#ing drive way as!@#$%".

That was a tame normal conversation. Real world, college is supposed to prepare students for.

Ten thousand people will be going to that guys house with all the food and guns.

Mowing down the zombie hoards in the driveway, huh? What a cretin. Those types will be the first to die. Its called hoarding, illegal in times of national disaster. If you have goods you will be allowed to distribute them in a peaceful manner, or else.

To the thread: Safe spaces don't exist.

a reply to: seasonal


I think peoples language choices and their mannerisms tends to vary depending on who they are talking with. I subconsciously adjust depending what environment I'm in, the way I talk with mates, and the way I talk with work colleagues is subtlety different due to familiarity. However when I talk to the public in a professional capacity, I'm entirely more restrained and consciously polite.

I think universities should be free of artificial constraints on thought and opinions. How can anyone explore ideologies if they have to worry about being degraded for not agreeing with the popular opinion. Peer pressure is bad enough at that age, and universities faculties should not be officially condoning 'otherising' of its students who want to think outside the box.

a reply to: FamCore

I agree, I think its possible that the pendulum is swinging back, and some of the absurdities such as thought crime against the group think will diminish.

I'm concerned that we are fast approaching a point where technologies will exist which will allow direct control of an individuals thoughts, as in literally programmable.

If we have a society which follows an ideology where the ends justify any means it will be very easy for such tech to be used, a politicians wet dream, a citizens living nightmare.

We have to ensure our societies retain the right to freedom of thought, even the ones we don't personally like, as a golden rule not to be violated.

a reply to: CatandtheHatchet

Why are colleges coddling adults as though they were in Kindergarten?

Seriously, If a person cannot stand to hear differing opinions without throwing temper tantrums then they will most probably never be employable (except Government jobs and Academia).

a reply to: CatandtheHatchet

They're already working on "prototypes" for thought-readers, and talking about putting false memories in your brain... the elites have plans my friend. If you have time check out this vid, talks about their plans (and illustrates the freaky way with which these "leaders" talk about the subject)

a reply to: CatandtheHatchet

Thank god. Some small sanity in a society losing it's collective mind.
We have to hope more universities follow this course and stop breeding sjw madness before they bring down the entire country and we end up like a weirder version of Venezuela.

a reply to: FamCore

Thanks for that! Now you have added substance to my concerns. I'm going to have to track down the whole Davos panel video so I can watch the whole thing unedited in the hopes its not quite so bleak

a reply to: CatandtheHatchet

Talking about the human brain saying "it's essentially just a blob of meat that we can decode"

And asking if our own thoughts should be considered private and protected by the law... like are you kidding me? The power-hungry globalists can't wait to start using this brain tech. to further violate our liberties and our privacy quite unsettling...

I came on the site today with the intent of posting just this. Kudos to you for getting it out there!

It is a shame at the level of depravity that our universities have sunk to these days where knowledge is hampered by 'safe zones' and people having to be worried about be at odds with others' opinions. If we were to do things the way the far left (who control most universities now) or thought police would have us do, then we all might as well walk around with blinders on and duct tape on our mouths.

S&F

a reply to: JDeLattre89

I was browsing my youtube recommendations when I saw MundaneMatts video commenting on the article, which I subsequently read and thought was good news. I think Matts points about why trigger warnings and safe spaces are bad for universities are fairly compelling. Sorry to pip you

Here's his video if people have the time and inclination.

awesome, now I can send my kids to school and not worry about the school turning them into snowflakes.

Well this is great.

A university is a supposed to be a place of academic freedom and the free exchange of ideas. That is impossible with enforced censorship of certain ideas because they are considered "offensive". It is impossible to discuss the merit of ideas when those ideas are suppressed.

I was lucky to complete my time at university before this SJW madness took hold of things. I can't even imagine how it must be now, and this was only a few years ago.

Although I do worry about the university though. No doubt the regressives will be out en-mass in protest to demand their censorship through "safe spaces" and "trigger warnings".