I have never taken a class with Professor Melayne Price, and as a senior, I don’t care that much about Wesleyan’s new internship program. But after reading Mytheos Holt’s, “The Price is Wrong,” I couldn’t help but respond. Mytheos objects to Professor Price’s appointment as the internship coordinator, and of course, he’s allowed to have his opinions, particularly in his column where he can rant about whatever he wants. This piece, however, does not explain his criticisms; rather it is a disgusting personal attack on Professor Price. Mytheos provides examples that supposedly demonstrate Professor Price’s ineptitude, but his main explanation is that she is liberal. His anecdotes about failing grades are childish, and the quotes from anonymous blog comments cannot be trusted as fact. It seems that this piece was his chance to get back at Professor Price and other faculty who have supposedly mistreated conservative students. I also should mention that I am disappointed with The Argus staff for allowing such a poorly argued piece to run. Like I said earlier, Mytheos does not have to like or agree with Professor Price’s appointment, but I would expect the staff to hold him to higher standards and require better evidence to support his claims. In addition, one of Mytheos’s greatest objections is Professor Price’s unwavering liberal perspective, but it would be ridiculous to say that Mytheos does not have the same intensity about his own conservative viewpoint.
I think there are a number of other problems with the piece, including his skewed views about professors’ responsibilities and the difference between academia and the working world, but really, that is not the point of this Wespeak. Mytheos, you were completely disrespectful and outside of your realm. You have no position or place to launch such criticisms or use phrases like “sparsely published peddler of propaganda masquerading as a legitimate political scientist.” Perhaps, if you began to treat all people as human beings deserving of respect rather than dividing us into liberal and conservatives, you would have an easier time of things.
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