Subject: RE: Spectator coverage of a current issue Date: Thu, 12 May 2005 13:27:45 -0500 Message-ID: <BDD0A3EABE40F04A8C7200805EDE5A6A0219F11A@PEPSI.uwec.edu> From: "Nowlan, Robert A." <RANOWLAN@uwec.edu>
On a matter indirectly related, but still relevant, I thought people
might be interested to know that I wrote a letter (on Monday) to _The
Spectator_ in response to the letter published in Monday's issue from
Leonard Gibbs of Social Work. The editor asked me to edit to 300
words, which I did -immediately, so, supposedly, she could publish it,
yet it didn't show up in today's issue (at least the on-line issue).
If they do publish another issue before the end of the semester, which I
am not sure they will, then it may still show up. Here it is:
In Monday's (5/9)issue of _The Spectator_, Leonard Gibbs writes, "If on
the very last day of class students are as baffled about where their
professor's personal opinion lies regarding major controversial issues
in the class as they were on the very first day of class, then they are
learning how to think for themselves in a scholarly way." Yet, if
university students are "baffled" by where their professor stands on
focal issues addressed in the course at the end of the semester, either
the professor has done a poor job communicating or the professor has
been intellectually dishonest. Any serious intellectual, working as a
professor at the university level, should be open with her students
about her stance on the issues she addresses in teaching the texts and
topics she does. In making her positions clear and being open about
them, trusting and respecting her students as capable of dealing with
these for what they are, she invites contestation and makes it all the
less likely that she might "deviously" "manipulate" students' thinking.
Professors who feign a position of "disinterested neutrality" in
relation to the texts and topics they teach are, in contrast, those who
are far more likely to be manipulative, because it is impossible to be
genuinely disinterested about social issues that shape who and what we
are all about, and it is also likewise impossible to remain effectively
neutral in relation to ongoing social struggles over how to conceive of
and engage with these issues. Of course, professors should strive to do
justice to positions different from, and opposing, their own, and to
welcome, in fact encourage, students always to feel free to disagree
with, argue against, and critique the positions they maintain-but
students can't do this if professors pretend to be above and beyond
positioning.
Bob Nowlan
Associate Professor, English
Efforts to suppress and curtail progressive teaching-or intimidate us
and compel us to engage in self-censorship-are active, continuous, and
multi-faceted, especially in relation to glbt issues. Despite the fact
that I always make a thorough case for this being central to and what I
am about, where I come from, and what I am doing at this institution,
from the beginning of the semester in all my classes (and repeatedly
thereafter), every time a glbt issue comes up, and every time we address
a text dealing indirectly as well as directly with glbt issues, this
becomes a highly sensitive, fraught period for a significant number of
students, and frequently a significant number of them object strongly to
engaging with these kinds of issues (and texts) at all, or without
giving due 'balance' to the 'anti-homosexual' position, or the
'religious conservative' position. What's more, they also frequently
enough contend that, the instructor, in this case me, should remain
'objectively' 'neutral' on these issues, and not indicate any support
for or affiliation toward one position versus another because they are
so 'sensitive', 'controversial', and 'upsetting' to many. This happens
in classes here at all levels, every year, every semester. I am
well-prepared by now, of course, to argue for a contrary conception of
pedagogical practice than this position supports, and to critique their
position quite thoroughly and effectively, which I always do, but it
still takes plenty of time, and energy, effectively preventing us from
doing as much as we otherwise could with these texts and issues than
would be the case if we could tackle them without having to clear these
hurdles in order to do so. In short, people like me, hired with
expertise in critical theory of sexuality as well as in glbt/queer
studies, almost always have to spend a great deal of the time and energy
we could otherwise devote to simply teaching from our fields of
expertise, and within these fields, toward justifying these fields being
taught at all. This is a serious problem; students at UWEC, as well as
at Memorial, do not, by and large, to this day obtain an adequate
education in either critical theory of sexuality and gender, or in gay,
lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer studies. And this kind of
education can make a positive-a progressive-difference, even if it can
hardly do so all by itself; I've seen this happen again and again with
many students where I've had to fight hard to break through and make a
dent in how they thought, and understood, and related. It's happening
now, once again, in a number of my current classes with issues of
sexuality, broadly conceived, and versus glbt identities, practices,
communities, histories, cultures, and politics, more narrowly, but,
again, this takes a lot of time and effort, in and beyond class time
-and it requires struggling with considerable, and often quite vehement,
resistance. In many ways it can be quite exciting, but it can also be
overwhelming too. Ultimately, we need to forge ways to make this work
a more successful collective effort, here at UWEC, at Memorial, and
beyond. We don't want well-qualified, highly accomplished, and truly
brave people like Beth Franklin to decide simply to go teach elsewhere
because it is no longer possible to be effective in this area (I have
heard that the Franklins may be moving on before too long-not
necessarily directly in response to this situation, but to seek 'better
alternatives' elsewhere). And I know there are certainly times, like
this week, when I participate in my department's long-range planning
discussion concerning upcoming retirements and their prospective impact
upon us, that I think that I myself may well retire as soon as I
possibly can so that I am not thoroughly exhausted and worn down by the
time that happens, and so that I can continue to make progressive
contributions elsewhere and otherwise after I have concluded teaching
here.
Bob Nowlan
-----Original Message-----
From: sfpj-request@listserve.uwec.edu
[mailto:sfpj-request@listserve.uwec.edu] On Behalf Of Hale, C. Kate
Sent: Thursday, May 12, 2005 12:46 PM
To: Richmond, Elizabeth B.; Markgraf, Jill S.; Wilcox, Jean A.; Alea,
Mary Ellen; Wesenberg, Nancy Christine; SFPJ
Subject: Re: Spectator coverage of a current issue
How many folks on the SFPJ listserve have children at Memorial? Or
elsewhere in the ECASD? Perhaps we could do a "group" letter to the
school board.
I have a son, just finishing his junior year at Memorial.
Kate Hale
On 5/12/05 11:10 AM, "Richmond, Elizabeth B." <RICHMOEB@uwec.edu> wrote:
I have sent a letter of support of Franklin to the Board, but I didn't
mention being a parent of school age children. Some of the school board
members have expressed appreciation for the letters of support. Jill's
idea has merit.
Betsy Richmond
________________________________
From: sfpj-request@listserve.uwec.edu
[mailto:sfpj-request@listserve.uwec.edu]
<mailto:sfpj-request@listserve.uwec.edu%5d> On Behalf Of Markgraf, Jill
S.
Sent: Thursday, May 12, 2005 9:39 AM
To: Hale, C. Kate; Wilcox, Jean A.; Alea, Mary Ellen; Wesenberg, Nancy
Christine; SFPJ
Subject: RE: Spectator coverage of a current issue
Hi,
I'm new to this list, so maybe this has been done already. I know many
of us have contacted the school board. But what about sending to the
school board a petition or signed letter from parents in support of
tolerance, acceptance and discourse in our schools to counter the
unsigned letter?
Jill Markgraf
________________________________
From: sfpj-request@listserve.uwec.edu
[mailto:sfpj-request@listserve.uwec.edu]
<mailto:sfpj-request@listserve.uwec.edu%5d> On Behalf Of Hale, C. Kate
Sent: Thursday, May 12, 2005 9:35 AM
To: Wilcox, Jean A.; Alea, Mary Ellen; Wesenberg, Nancy Christine; SFPJ
Subject: Re: Spectator coverage of a current issue
Jean and all---
I actually typed "scary" at first . . . I'm trying NOT to be scared, but
in truth I am at least part of the time.
Jean, your point is absolutely correct: I think we have some educating
to do here so that people understand that the status quo IS already
political.
But how to proceed?
Kate
On 5/12/05 9:30 AM, "Wilcox, Jean A." <wilcoxja@uwec.edu> wrote:
Kate and Others,
I find this more than disheartening; I find it downright scary. I
particularly find the "unsigned" letter from parents scary. Is not
allowing the discussion of political issues in the classroom in fact
allowing a political statement to be made in the classroom?
Jean Wilcox
________________________________
From: sfpj-request@listserve.uwec.edu
[mailto:sfpj-request@listserve.uwec.edu]
<mailto:sfpj-request@listserve.uwec.edu%5d> On Behalf Of Alea, Mary
Ellen
Sent: Thursday, May 12, 2005 9:14 AM
To: Wesenberg, Nancy Christine; Hale, C. Kate; sfpj@listserve.uwec.edu
Subject: Re: Spectator coverage of a current issue
Question: where is the principal in all of this. It seems to me his
voice has been quiet. I thought he was a stand-up kind of guy. --ME
Alea
On 5/12/05 9:00 AM, "Wesenberg, Nancy Christine" <WESENBNC@uwec.edu>
wrote:
Just for your information, The board of directors of the LGBT Center
of the Chippewa has crafted a letter in support of Beth Franklin which
will be delivered to the School Board and the L-T today. N.
Wesenberg
________________________________
From: sfpj-request@listserve.uwec.edu
[mailto:sfpj-request@listserve.uwec.edu]
<mailto:sfpj-request@listserve.uwec.edu%5d> On Behalf Of Hale, C.
Kate
Sent: Thursday, May 12, 2005 8:19 AM
To: SFPJ
Subject: FW: Spectator coverage of a current issue
Colleagues,
This is disheartening-the rally at Clairemont yesterday was well
attended and the energy there was good. But this response, these
additional comments from Mr. Bennett, really troubles me.
We need to stay alert and to be prepared to act as necessary.
Kate Hale
English
------ Forwarded Message
From: "Phillips, William H." <philliwh@uwec.edu>
Date: Thu, 12 May 2005 06:42:16 -0500
To: "ENGL.STAFF" <ENGL.STAFF@uwec.edu>
Subject: Spectator coverage of a current issue
The Spectator - Campus News
Issue: 5/12/05
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Discussion, photo of student angers parents
By Karline Koehler
Eau Claire community members are divided after a local high school
teacher showed photographs of transgendered UW-Eau Claire senior
Jessica Janiuk's face as part of a discussion about lesbian, gay,
bisexual and transgendered people.
On April 14, Memorial High School English teacher Beth Franklin showed
classes photos of Janiuk's face before and after (see photo) her sex
change. The lesson took place during the Day of Silence, an event "to
recognize and protest the discrimination and harassment" against LGBT
people.
During the discussion, one student walked out of the classroom. His
father, Neal Bennett, filed a complaint against the school board,
stating the situation constituted harassment.
"She's taking her own agenda and she is forcing it on the students,"
Bennett said. "It doesn't matter what that agenda is - if it's a
controversial issue, that's wrong."
Franklin is the adviser for GLASS, Memorial's LGBT student group. She
declined to comment for this article.
"This whole incident is the very reason that the Day of Silence even
exists," Janiuk said. "This is an attempt of a large community to
silence minority groups. I won't stand by and let that happen."
That's why Janiuk organized a rally in support of Franklin Wednesday
at the corner of Keith Street and Clairemont Avenue.
"Her lesson was in line with all the policies of the school," Janiuk
said. "The problem here is ignorance. It's not bigotry; it's not hate
speech. The only way to fight ignorance is through education."
However, Bennett said he believes such discussions can be harmful to
still-maturing high school students.
"They may look like they're adults, but they're teenagers," he said.
"They have a lot of stuff that they're trying to figure out."
Janiuk said the parents' criticism of Franklin's teaching was also
personal.
"Even though he may not have directed it at me, it attacked me," she
said. "It's not an easy thing to deal with, knowing a sizeable part of
the town is upset that you exist."
Bennett said parents should have been notified ahead of time about the
discussion and given the option to remove their children.
"You can talk about gays, but there are times when that discussion
needs to stay away from the students. It becomes offensive to people,"
Bennett said. "If someone decides to do that to their own body, that's
a very private issue."
Janiuk disagreed.
"They're not private issues, they're life issues," she said. "They're
no more private than your ethnicity or your family. That's who you are
and there's nothing wrong with expressing it. It doesn't have to be
kept secret."
In addition to the rally, Janiuk said, she is organizing an
educational panel and forum at Memorial in response to the debate. She
also plans to meet with the school's principal.
"I've had a lot of people say, 'Jess, just tell me where to be,' "
Janiuk said. "I'm not concerned (for myself). It's for everyone who is
now being told they're not welcome here."
In early May, the school board received an unsigned letter from
parents objecting to sexual and political issues in the classroom.
Bennett said the group is asking for the school's administration and
staff to be retrained on rules, for the school to enforce a dress code
for teachers banning "offensive" clothing such as "rainbow-colored
necklaces," for the school board to hold a forum with parents twice a
year and for the educational system to "return to American heritage
and tradition in the classroom."
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