Amidst pressure from student and Native American groups, Brown University has changed the name of one of its holidays from the traditional Columbus Day to a more neutral, and some say disrespectful, 'Fall Weekend.'
Keep in mind, this is the same "university" which uses a pass/fail grading system. No GPAs.
Stupid Liberals. Give me a break. Anyone complaining about MLK Day? Why don't we call President's Day "Winter Wonderland"? Many of the Founding Fathers owned slaves and fought against the Indians! Anyone crying about that up in Providence?
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Actually, you may want to check in on the grading system before stating that it's entirely pass/fail... it merely allows students to take classes with that grading option, which encourages kids to take classes they otherwise would not for GPA considerations. Of course, that does allows students to learn about a broad spectrum of subjects, which could be subversive and dangerous... perhaps even anti-American?
ReplyDeleteYou should check your facts before blogging. As the previous comment pointed out, there are GPAs at Brown, and students only take a small fraction of their classes pass/fail. Just FYI, pass/fail is also an option at many other universities, including Harvard.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone actually celebrate Columbus on Columbus Day? No. It's just an excuse to have a day off. Not to mention, this is only affected the academic calendar for Brown University -- a private institution. Furthermore, Columbus is just one of the many people who "discovered" America and as an Italian-American, I think we can safely assume that Brown renaming Columbus Day is not going to diminish his role in American history.
ReplyDeleteMy point is, if no one at the university cares what the day is called, then why shouldn't the voices of a minority group be heard, if they feel strongly on the subject? It makes no difference to my life or yours, so let them have it.
Also, nice comparison with MLK Day and President's Day. Totally the same thing...
This may be repetitive, but I'd like to second everything that was just said. Brown University only offers students the option to take classes pass fail. GPAs are available.
ReplyDeleteRegarding the assertion mentioned in the video that the "folks who founded Brown were slave traders" so the University should change it's name, Brown's namesake is actually Nicholas Brown, Jr., an abolitionist. Up until 1804, when he made a contribution of $5,000 to the school, Brown was called the College of Rhode Island. Of course, the University has certainly acknowledged its connections to the slave trade, particularly through some of its founders, such as John Brown, in the Slavery and Justice Report. But the name doesn't come from these slave traders.
And Martin Luther King, Jr. Day? Did I miss something - did MLK actually murder and enslave millions of people?
You're right about many of the founding fathers having been slave owners. Of course, their claim to fame isn't exactly rooted in their conquest of slaves, but I see how you could see that as a complication.
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