By*Justin Wm. Moyer*February 23 at 5:25 AM** At Rhode Island’s exclusive Brown University, where tuition is more than$50,000 per year, times are tough. Students don’t have to go only to class — they also have to fight against injustice.*So said a recent piece in the Brown Daily Herald called “Schoolwork, advocacy place strain on student activists.” Subheadline: “Students struggle with mental health, academic pressures as they act on social justice responsibilities.” “There are people breaking down, dropping out of classes and failing classes because of the activism work they are taking on,” a pseudonymous source told*the Brown Daily Herald. “… My grades dropped dramatically. My health completely changed. I lost weight. I’m on antidepressants and anti-anxiety pills right now. [Counseling and Psychological Services] counselors called me. I had deans calling me to make sure I was okay.” The article cited the demands of*protesting racist columns*published in the student newspaper as well as the ongoing implementation of the school’s “diversity and inclusion action plan.” It also detailed the struggles of one graduating senior: Justice Gaines ’16, who uses the pronouns xe, xem and xyr, said student activism efforts on campus are necessary. “I don’t feel okay with seeing students go through hardships without helping and organizing to make things better.” In the wake of The Herald’s opinion pieces, Gaines felt overwhelmed by emotions flooding across campus. Students were called out of class into organizing meetings, and xe felt pressure to help xyr peers cope with what was going on, xe said. Gaines “had a panic attack and couldn’t go to class for several days.” Another student, forced to complete a project after a professor denied her request to suspend it, noted*the choice between schoolwork and activism “has systemic effects on students of color.” At least one administrator offered support. “If a student is at a sexual assault event, and the student is a victim him or herself, that student might talk to me about it,” Ashley Ferranti, assistant dean of student support services,*said.*She added that students*“might be impacted, something might be triggered or they might suddenly remember more at that event they were protesting.” The premise of the piece —*Ivy League students too wrenched by injustice to actually do their schoolwork —*was pilloried by some commenters. “Students’ responsibilities are academic, period,” one wrote. “If one cannot handle the balance between schoolwork and activism, then one should go elsewhere and give his or her spot to one of the thousands of other deserving applicants who want to come to Brown to learn.”*Another wrote: “It’s increasingly difficult to create effective satire, because reality is clearly more absurd than any fiction imaginable.” “Fox and Friends,” ever impatient with the debate over trigger warnings and similar campus goings-on, also sharpened its knives. “ managed to graduate without anyone ever saying, ‘Oh, here’s some more time. You don’t have to go to class,’” Fox contributor and Princeton graduate*Pete Hegseth*said. “These are coddled elites.” Mei Novak, the author of the piece and a senior staff writer at the Daily Herald, was not immediately available for comment. Justin Wm. Moyer is a reporter for The Washington Post's Morning Mix. Follow him on Twitter:*@justinwmmoyer.
This is what our country's universities are sending out into our society. What a laughing stock. They would hate me as a university president. I'd tell them to take a hike with that non sense.
They should just go out and party and fornicate once in while, they will feel so much better when they are no longer hung over.
It looks to me like the article is talking about a handful of students at Brown? The company I work for hires recent college grads all the time. My experience is that most of them are just normal, hard working people.
I think these "students" need to take on more and work harder...natural selection/survival of the fittest is a useful tool.
I never realized Activism was a sanctioned activity by the universities. I worked two jobs while I was in college. I didn't have time to piss and moan about things.
Proof that a bleeding heart comes with it's limitations...like blood capacity. Vampires have been aware of this problem for years.
I did the same exact thing in college. Some of these students have no clue what the stresses of real life are actually like. They will be ready to off themselves if they actually have to work for the things they get.
These gender pronouns are gaining ground in a select few colleges. So don't lose all hope just yet. But I have seen/heard of schools sending out social justice placemats. Lack of real hobbies is the issue.
I'm a senior in college right now I and sure as hell don't have time to be an "activist" between EE homework, senior design, a part time internship, keeping the apartment in livable shape, try to make decent meals, and throw on a gf on top of that and decent sleep and sometimes I have time to check the forums inbetween class. Must be business majors Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
If they can't handle college, how are they going to handle real life with a job? Maybe someone should put together a petition saying people should mind their own damn business and not waste their tuition and parents money on stupid crap. If they can't figure out what's important and prioritize in college, they are in for a world of hurt.
