Iris Wu
Section A01
Week 7
In the article, “The Coddling of the American Mind,” “trigger
warning” is brought up. It is a form of protection that universities claim to
be useful for protecting students from discussions and reveal of certain sensitive
issues. This action is indeed helpful for those suffering from their traumatic
past and would never want to recall. However, I do not fully agree this to be a
good idea. This action not only restricts students’ academic freedom, but also
acts as an overprotection. The sensitive issues can possibly be brought again anytime
in our lives and there is no doubt that we will have to face them someday. It
might be better that we open our views and learn about topics no matter how
uncomfortable it may make us feel.
In another article, “Berkeley Free Speech Movement: Paving
the Way for Campus Activism,” Robby Cohen introduced about the Free Speech
Movement at University of California, Berkeley in 1964. Students were protesting
for their rights to freely give speeches and hold political activities. The
protest ended up successfully. The university loosened the restrictions and opened
up spaces for free speech and discussions. I am impressed by the students’
courage and persistence on this issue. Also, I believe this should be greatly
praised as they proved the unneglectable power of students and set up a model
for future freedom movements. The two readings gave me a better understanding
of “academic freedom”
Question: Do you (everyone) think UC Davis or even generally
all universities have reached the satisfactory of giving students enough “academic
freedom”? If not, what are some more improvements we look forward to seeing?
Reference:
1.
Cohen, R. (1985).
Berkeley Free Speech Movement: Paving the way for campus activism. OAH Magazine
of History,1(1), 16-18.
2.
Lukianoff, G. & Haidt, J.
(2015). “The Coddling of the American Mind.” The Atlantic.
Singal, J. (2015). Is There Any
Evidence Trigger Warnings Are Actually a Big Deal? Retrieved from http://nymag.com/scienceofus/2015/12/are-trigger-warnings-actually-widespread-at-all.html
3. Assaultive Speech
& Academic Freedom Review. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://assaultivespeechacademicfreedom.weebly.com/assaultive-speech--academic-freedom-review.html
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