Janine Macaraeg
Section A01
Week 10
“Every man
for himself” has never been more true as I read “Introduction to Fight the
Tower” by Professor Kieu-Linh Caroline Valverde and Wei Ming Dariotis. Not regarding the people affected, but the university and those who hold power. It’s
especially discouraging to learn how the university acts as a big corporation
as we learned a few weeks ago, and how it doesn’t defend its faculty, those who
hold top administrative positions even; “the system is designed to protect
itself” (p. 4). Prior to attending this university, my mind was wrapped around
finally being able to come here in the first place because it’s always been a
dream of mine. Not everyone can attend the school he/she wants to go to. But
after learning of the corruption and selfishness that I suppose happens “behind
the scenes,” I was taken aback and wondered how many other students aren’t
aware of this issue. And not to mention, students at other universities as
well. It’s ironic to know that universities would rather have its members stay
silent rather than to speak up when they see or feel something wrong. Valverde
and Dariotis explain how people are “suffering” and how misery is deeply hidden
(p. 5) yet the university appears to not be compelled to do something regarding
their welfare.
It’s simultaneously
reassuring and discouraging to know that this occurs not at just one university.
However, I also feel confident that change will happen in the future because of
how much the community is involved. Is it possible for there to be checks and
balances within the university to prevent further discrimination and biases, or
personal issues that withhold women/people in academia to advance in their
positions?
References:
Marcu, Amber D. (2008, February 3). The voices of tenure-track faculty: Their transitional experiences [Word
cloud]. Retrieved from http://amsdiane.blogspot.com/2008/02/soesa-poster-presentation-voices-of.html.
Valverde, C. & Dariotis, W. M. (2017). “The Time to Fight Is Now”: When Asian
American Women In Academia Go Rogue. Retrieved November 24, 2017.
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