Columbia Student Says She Is Traumatized After Being Forced To Read About White People In Class
Columbia University held an open discussion on Wednesday night to discuss many topics. One of the topics involved the inclusion of more curriculum pertaining to colored students and for more centralization of resources towards them.
One of the students who spoke at the forum, Nissy Aya, talked about how she was traumatized from reading about white people in class.
From The Columbia Spectator:
“It’s traumatizing to sit in Core classes,” Aya said. “We are looking at history through the lens of these powerful, white men. I have no power or agency as a black woman, so where do I fit in?”
Aya mentioned that even in her most recent Art Humanities class, the word “primitive” was used five times to describe Congolese art—a label she did not speak up against because she was tired of already having worked that day to address so many other instances of racism and discrimination, she said.
So, from my knowledge, we know that primitive as an adjective has two meanings. The first means the early stage in the evolutionary or historical development of something. The second means not developed or derived from anything else. I assume that the teacher meant the first when describing Congolese art because it’s been around for so long and helped form modern day art. But even if the professor was going with the second definition, all they were saying was that the art was not derived or developed from any other form of art. How in the world is that racist?
I think this quote sums it up though:
“I was accepted as the class of 2014,” Nissy Aya, CC ’16, said. “I will not receive a degree until 2016, if that is any marker of how hard it has been for me to get through this institution.”
Let me get this straight. You go to a prestigious Ivy League school, and you are complaining that it is hard? Do you want Columbia to become easier because you’re not smart enough? I can understand graduating a year after you originally intended to – 5 years seems to be normal for some – but pushing it towards six or seven is on the verge of Texas Tech territory..
[via The Columbia Spectator]
Image via YouTube
I give up.
9 years ago at 10:52 amNot enough time studying, and too much time spent being a victim. Enjoy paying off your student loans beyotch!
9 years ago at 10:53 amThis is really getting out of hand. Seriously, this isn’t a joke anymore.
9 years ago at 11:01 amwhere does this chick fit in? she doesn’t. her ancestors fit in the cargo hold of a ship. that is fact, that is history, that is disturbing, such is reality. learn and move the fuck on.
9 years ago at 11:03 amI hope her treatment involves a brick to the face
9 years ago at 11:04 amFuck this shit.
9 years ago at 11:05 amIf you’re “traumatized” by reading about history, then what you need is therapy, not the school changing its entire curriculum to cater to you.
9 years ago at 11:09 amShe is incoming 2014 and won’t receive her degree “until” 2016? Assuming spring graduation, that is only 3 years for a 4-year degree. What the fuck?
9 years ago at 11:26 amWhen she says “accepted as the class of 14” that means she started school in the 10-11 academic year, which would graduate in 14 if done in four years. But to understand college classes are labeled by their intended graduation year and not their starting year I guess you would have to be in college and not high school. Or maybe your 21 and working at McDonald’s because you’re stupid.
9 years ago at 11:58 amI would type the wrong your in the same sentence I’m calling someone else stupid…fuck me.
9 years ago at 11:59 amHer name is exactly what I imagined an article like this would be written about.
9 years ago at 11:45 amHow about instead of being offended by how our country was built why don’t you just shut up and take an African American Studies course. Or just get the fuck over it. That usually works.
9 years ago at 11:46 am