One of the professors I work for did a great study with a prof in the Sociology department at Biola. They were studying why the percentages of retention for minorities at the school have been decreasing over the past decade. They interviewed several students to ask about what it's like going to the school as a minority. They also interviewed deans, faculty, and staff in an effort to undertsand the opinions held by those persons as well. The results of this research will soon go public, and trust me, it's not a little thing. Some of the comments - on campus, in class, and even in bubbs, are some things you should never hear coming out of a Christian's mouth.
Now, usually you see me joke around about my heritage, and how I feel really white instead of embracing my hispanic culture.... all of that still holds true. What I don't want to joke around about is other people's cultures. Listening to this professor talk, and reading what kind of things came up in the interviews, I was really surprised and saddened to think that people at Biola can be so cruel as to actually believe certain minorities are more stupid than others, and that some people at Biola insult (very directly or less directly) other people who actually do embrace their culture. So if I seem to suddenly care a bit more, now you know why. I'm really glad to be working with someone with a real passion and integrity in studying this subject, and I'm happy that working with him has made me think about my own actions.
I'm looking into it, but one of the places they found problems was on bubbs itself. They said some of the hot topic folders were the key places they saw problems. They mentioned Chaos as well. Now, I know we joke around a lot, and there are many jokes that we, who are comfortable with each other and with who each other are, don't find offensive.
But as Christian witnesses, I think we should think a little more carefully about what we publicly post when it comes to naming stereotypes or joking around about certain issues. I just want to let you kids know that I still have a sense of humor, and that, in the company of friends, I don't mind some jokes because I know it's obvious that none of my friends are racists. I just want to be a little more sensitive on bubbs to the fact that not everyone has everyone else's sense of humor, and that some things we find funny might actually offend someone who doesn't understand our sense of humor, or someone who has had some of the bad experiences I've learned about recently.
On a side note, something else that was mentioned was that bubbs has become a subculture that is dominated by certain personalities, and that, for the most part, the dominating people are alumni. So just to let you know, it is something that they are watching, and I would recommend watching your backs. I know we've been pretty good lately, but I'm just saying - I think they're going to start getting a little more watchful. So there's a heads up for you.
Posted by wendytime at April 1, 2003 02:07 PM | TrackBacki can hear roland now: "yeeahh! for thought police!" you're right though, j-dog. now that i think about it, there does seem to be a predominant presence of alumni...maybe cuz we were there when bubbs started and helped form the culture.
i always thought a thorough, comprehensive study of bubbs and all the tangental issues it has ramifications on would be an interesting sociological study.
If you're talking about Brad Cristerson, he's a douchebag. I've interacted with him on bubbs and if an original thought ever crossed his mind, it would be a long a lonely trip.
There is no doubt in my mind that he took posts EXTREMELY out of context. For example, Don Swetz, the most "anti-racialism" person I know has been known to post ridiculous things AS A SATIRE of the things the so-called "civil rights leaders" say. It's called "demonstrating absurdity by being absurd".
They probably took something like that and isolated it out of its context and BLAMMO: RACISM ON BUBBS!!!!
Trust me, I'm active in all the Hot Topics conferences, especially the Multiculturalism one. In all the years I've been on there, the only blatantly racist things I've ever seen were posted by minorities or apologists like Cristerson or Ronald Morgan.
As for the alumni on bubbs: I don't see a gun pointed at any undergrads' heads preventing them from being active. After all, alumni were once undergrads too. No one stoppe dus from being vocal. No one's stopping them.
Posted by: Roland on April 1, 2003 11:24 PManother thing:
I don't give a rats ass if there are more or less minorities at Biola. I care about the humans that are there. I refuse to categorize us/them into bullshit labels.
I can't wait until the Supreme COurt rightfully bans affirmative action and we can go back to looking at qualifications and not physical appearance.
Posted by: Roland on April 1, 2003 11:26 PM1. I work for Pete Menjares. He's more levelheaded than Christerson. But my assumption is that they probably DID take some things out of context. Nevertheless, I PERSONALLY want to think a little more before I post.
2. The point isn't to have a certain percentage of minorities at Biola. The point is that the percentage of minorities who START at Biola and then LEAVE is going up... because they're not comfortable there... because our own faculty and staff and students have made completely out of line comments in and out of the classroom. This study isn't about categorizing minorities - it's trying to get people to STOP categorizing them. It shows a lot of instances in which the white people are segregating away from the minorities.
You may have the right point of view, but a lot of people don't. This study wasn't designed to say, "hey, let's look at this minority." It's designed to examine the campus climate and how it drives people away instead of embracing anyone for who they are beneath their skin.
Posted by: jeri on April 1, 2003 11:57 PMI don't know what's going on in the classrooms, so he may be right. But i DO know what's going on on BUBBS and if they found anything racist there, it had to be taken out of context. Go to Multiculturalism and click on Nate Warner's latest post. It's dripping with sarcasm, but taken at face value, it could totally be used to hype an agenda that Nate probably agrees with.
Personally, I don't have a lot of sympathies for minorities. I'm a minority and I'm doing just fine.
Posted by: Roland on April 2, 2003 06:02 AMYou are HALF a minority, and weren't even RAISED like many minorities. You're as butt white as I am.
I don't want to give minorities special treatment, but I do believe they deserve to be treated just like anyone else.
Posted by: jeri on April 2, 2003 08:05 AMMy mom tried to raise me as a minority. I just didn't buy it. You should see her trying to teach me spanish. It's sad. But if we're going to play "more ethnic than thou", I'll win. I'm from the ghetto, yo.
And I agree with your "treating them like everyone else" statement. Because they ARE everyone else.
Posted by: Roland on April 2, 2003 01:44 PMOh and check my blog for Don Swetz' reation to what you wrote.
Posted by: Roland on April 2, 2003 01:45 PM