I’d like to say a word about a specific Wespeak, and also about the broader issue of dialogue on our campus. Especially in light of recent Wespeaks which seem intended to simply provoke anger and frustration in the communities that they address, I was proud to read Professor Claire Potter’s recent contribution to the Argus. It made me very, very happy to see a professor making a straightforward and passionate attempt to communicate with students, and I hope it gives us some guidance in how we can write statements that have a positive impact, rather than simply raging against some vague administration, other group of students or anyone else that we feel is out to get us.
Are there significant problems with our school, student body, faculty and administration? The answer is a resounding yes, although I think any informed student will doubt that we are unique in experiencing these problems. But we shoot ourselves in the metaphorical foot by forgoing real dialogue, and instead villainizing, abstracting and raging through forums like Wespeaks. I’ve worked with our student government, the faculty government, and the administration for the past three years, and believe me, I recognize that there are serious issues at hand, and in fact, some of the most troubling issues are never even seized upon by what we generally think of as the “activist community.”
But here’s the gist of what I have to say: criticism is often the only way to incite change, and as a community of incredibly intelligent and thoughtful students, it is not only our right, but our responsibility to try to guide this University in the right direction. But criticism alone is not generative; it can only destroy, it can never create. We are just plain foolish if we spend all of our time making snarky comments, demeaning other people and groups, or just plain being bitchy about things that we often haven’t taken the time to either fully inform ourselves about or tried to change. There must always be a revolutionary movement on Wesleyan’s campus; there must always be a movement of discontent. But that movement will always be self-defeating if it focuses on vilifying its opposition rather than actively seeking solutions to problems. I know this can be read as hugely paternalistic, and I understand that many people who feel passionately about University issues may disagree with my tone here (rather than responding by starting a Wespeak Battle, I’d ask you to e-mail me at: sruth@wesleyan.edu, so that we can actually discuss the issues in question).
In any case, there’s one thought I’d like to leave you with. I’ve been lucky enough to see the process of several decisions be determined by students, faculty, the administration and the mysterious Board of Trustees. I’ve seen fights for student rights in every one of these forums, and I can honestly say that I’ve never, ever, ever believed that any of these groups made a decision that they did not believe was in the best interests of Wesleyan students. Were they always what I considered to be the “right” decisions? Absolutely not. But the problem has always been in interpretation or follow-through, never in intent. Once we recognize our common purpose, we can begin to really talk to one another.
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