The fictional world of Arundhati Roy
Indian novelist Arundhati Roy is full of rage against the United States, snidely dismissive of free-market capitalism, and an unrepentant Marxist — and in the halls of academe, she’s believed to be one of the most important voices in the world.
New Student Orientation and Racial Identification at N.C. State
“Greetings! Your first step towards academic success at NC State University begins with your orientation to the university. The University requires all first-year students to attend New Student Orientation, during which you will be introduced to the academic opportunities available to you. As part of your orientation we invite you to attend the White Folks Symposium. Faculty and staff members, as well as the Symposium Counselors will be on hand to assist you and to answer your questions about NC State’s academic programs and campus activities.
UNC-CH opens study abroad program in Castro
This semester the College of Arts & Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has begun a semester abroad program in Cuba. UNC-CH officials say they want a “head start” on Cuba for when relations improve between Cuba and the U.S. Critics say the university implies legitimizing a dictatorship.
The ‘New Age’ university: at odds with American core principles
The last third of the twentieth century witnessed the rise and triumph of the post-modern or, better yet, the “New Age University,” whose core mission involves bringing America into a new age based on substantially altered principles and social forms.
The Top 10 Nuttiest Campus Events in N.C. for 2003
Among the highlights: When “Free Expression” isn’t; UNC seeks more illegal immigrants and others from out-of-state; crazy rape stats aplenty; another terrorist speaker; a “diversity czar”; a self-stated friend of terrorists seeking to shut up a newspaper; a professor fired for a tolerance demonstration gone awry; and two UNC schools find the idea of student groups keeping membership and leadership reserved for students who agree with the ideas of the group unconscionable.
UNCW faculty accuse College Republicans of fighting for right to discriminate
On Nov. 10, the University of North Carolina at Wilmington derecognized the student group the College Republicans. The university took the extreme measure — which involves freezing its funds and disallowing its use of campus facilities — because the CRs refused to add to its constitution the nondiscrimination clause the university requires. The university has also turned down a conservative student group’s application for registration for the same reason.
At issue are two nondiscrimination clauses that the Student Organization Committee requires to be in student groups’ constitutions.
Bark! the ‘Germanic language’ rings — in this bizarre UNC-CH course
Since 1997 I have written the “Course of the Month” column for Carolina Journal to highlight courses in North Carolina universities that feature “overt political content, rabid infatuation with pop culture or sexuality, [or] abject silliness.” In the seven years I have been running this feature, this course has to be the most absurd course I have ever encountered.
“EC” abortion advocates encourage dangerous, irresponsible behavior at UNC-Chapel Hill
Abortion advocates were promoting “safe” sex as part of an October awareness week at UNC-CH. This involved “barhopping on Franklin Street passing out condoms and dental dams to unsuspecting patrons.” In other words, to celebrate emergency contraception week, abortion advocates actively encouraged drunk people to go have sex.
Oops! Congressional “mistake” prompts NIH review
A mistake by a Congressional staff member ignited a review of research projects approved by the National Institutes of Health. But despite what U.S. Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) called “scientific McCarthyism,” it turned out Congress had not declared war on the NIH approval process.
Modest proposals from NCSU profs to work diversity into technical courses
North Carolina State University has a new “diversity czar.” This new czar “said professors should integrate diversity into the classroom of every discipline, no matter how technical.”