Re: Navy SEAL finds no snowflakes among real undergraduate

He mentions David Quint, very impressive Yale prof.

Dan

On Fri, Dec 27, 2019 at 12:11 PM Szegedy-Maszak, Andrew <
[email protected]> wrote:

> Thanks, Dan, for sharing this excellent essay. I posted it a few days ago
> on our vets' FB page, and the responses have been uniformly and
> enthusiastically positive. As for CC, it's worth mentioning that he write=
s
> about studying and discussing the Iliad and Aristotle.
>
>
>
> Andrew Szegedy-Maszak
> Professor of Classical Studies
> Jane A. Seney Professor of Greek
> Wesleyan University
> Middletown, CT  06459
> ph: 860.685.2065
> fax: 860.685.2089
> ________________________________
> From: Classical Greek and Latin Discussion Group <[email protected]>
> on behalf of DANIEL P. Tompkins <[email protected]>
> Sent: Friday, December 27, 2019 12:07 PM
> To: [email protected] <[email protected]>
> Subject: [CLASSICS-L] Navy SEAL finds no snowflakes among real
> undergraduate
>
> Today's college students are receiving a heap of obloquy, often based on
> isolated and exaggerated accounts of what's really going on in
> universities.  I read these accounts, weigh them against what I've observ=
ed
> since I began teaching 55 years ago, and realize they're mostly vicious a=
nd
> misguided.  The general technique is to represent a single event as typic=
al
> of life in the thousands of four-year institutions in the USA, without an=
y
> effort at rigor.
>
> So, it's worthwhile to note this account by a 52 year old Navy SEAL who
> chose to attend Yale and was bowled over by what he saw: smart and
> industrious undergraduates, thoughtful about today's world.  Worth a look=
.
>
> My Semester With the Snowflakes
> <
> https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fgen.m=
edium.com%2Fmy-semester-with-the-snowflakes-888285f0e662&amp;data=3D02%7C01=
%7CCLASSICS-L%40lsv.uky.edu%7Cea232f1c842c4ccb12b508d78af004b0%7C2b30530b69=
b64457b818481cb53d42ae%7C0%7C1%7C637130635786092592&amp;sdata=3DITZgn33lMEM=
KriAc9WdUqbwOw31JnBWaa1QiQnHHNQo%3D&amp;reserved=3D0
> >
> At 52, I was accepted to Yale as a freshman. The students I met there
> surprised me.
> <
> https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Fgen.m=
edium.com%2Fmy-semester-with-the-snowflakes-888285f0e662&amp;data=3D02%7C01=
%7CCLASSICS-L%40lsv.uky.edu%7Cea232f1c842c4ccb12b508d78af004b0%7C2b30530b69=
b64457b818481cb53d42ae%7C0%7C1%7C637130635786092592&amp;sdata=3DITZgn33lMEM=
KriAc9WdUqbwOw31JnBWaa1QiQnHHNQo%3D&amp;reserved=3D0
> >
>
> I hear the term occasionally from buddies of mine who I love, they say
> things like; =E2=80=9Chow are things up there with the liberal snowflakes=
?=E2=80=9D
> Let me assure you, I have not met one kid who fits that description. None
> of the kids I=E2=80=99ve met seem to think that they are =E2=80=9Cspecial=
=E2=80=9D any more than
> any other 18=E2=80=9322-year-old. These kids work their asses off. I have=
 asked a
> couple of them to help me with my writing. One young woman volunteered to
> help me by proof-reading my =E2=80=9Cprose=E2=80=9D and, for the record, =
I believe she will
> be the President someday.
> ...
> It hit me that what I thought a =E2=80=9Csafe space=E2=80=9D meant, was n=
ot accurate. This
> young woman, the one who used the phrase, =E2=80=9CSafe Space=E2=80=9D is=
n=E2=80=99t scared of
> anything. She is a life-force of goodness and strength. She doesn=E2=80=
=99t need
> anyone to provide a comfortable environment for her. What she meant by
> =E2=80=9Csafe space=E2=80=9D was that she was happy to be in an environme=
nt where difficult
> subjects can be discussed openly, without the risk of disrespect or harsh
> judgement. This works both ways. What I mean is, this young woman was
> comfortable, in this University setting, wrestling with things like the
> Aristotelian idea of some humans being born as =E2=80=9Cnatural slaves.=
=E2=80=9D She was
> quite comfortable in that space. The question was, how comfortable was th=
e
> 52-year-old white guy in that discussion? Did it make me uncomfortable?
> Yes. I=E2=80=99m grateful for the discomfort. Thinking about things I don=
=E2=80=99t
> understand or have, for most of my life, written off, is a good thing.
> Being uncomfortable is KEY in this world of ours...
>
> A very worthwhile contribution.
>
> Dan
>