Students’ Voices are Boiled
Down
The Cult News| October 2014
by G.Garro
The Cult News| October 2014
by G.Garro
Article 19, from the Universal
Human Rights Declaration:
Everyone has the right to
freedom of opinion and
expression; this right in-
cludes freedom to hold
opinions without interfer-
ence and to seek, receive
and impart information
and ideas through any
media and regardless of
frontiers.
We are all entitled to express our thoughts and emotions freely; however, what happens when you are censored in class- room?
Today’s class was about Human Rights and their universal quali- ty. Most of students agrees with Prof. Jack, who has explained that this set of moral principles apply to every human being in the world, regardless of their ethnic background, skin color, sex, religion, or any other in- dividual characteristics. Later on, group discussion opens.
The professor starts wandering around, listening carefully and giving feedback accordingly. Sud- denly, he approaches quickly to one group when he hear Dolly stating, “Human Rights are not universal; they are relative.” Con- sternation fills up every single
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| Illustration by A.Ugalde. |
We are all entitled to express our thoughts and emotions freely; however, what happens when you are censored in class- room?
Today’s class was about Human Rights and their universal quali- ty. Most of students agrees with Prof. Jack, who has explained that this set of moral principles apply to every human being in the world, regardless of their ethnic background, skin color, sex, religion, or any other in- dividual characteristics. Later on, group discussion opens.
The professor starts wandering around, listening carefully and giving feedback accordingly. Sud- denly, he approaches quickly to one group when he hear Dolly stating, “Human Rights are not universal; they are relative.” Con- sternation fills up every single
soul as soon as Mr. Jack blows
out in dissent, making clear for
anyone that Human Rights are
universal.
Fortunately, Dolly does not stay quiet, and they begin a debate arguing their points of view, while everyone else decides to put cellphones aside, sit back straight, and tighten up their dropped jaws. Dolly tries her best to not let her beliefs be trampled underfoot, but of course her po- sition as a student doesn’t ben- efit her. Shortly, Jack takes over the discussion and concludes Human Rights are universal..., but are they? If Human Rights were universal, then you should be able to express your opinion in class, without anyone, regardless of their authority, trying to ban and to manipulate your thoughts.
I really wonder how healthy it
is for an academic environment to find out that students cannot share their thoughts freely in college, at least not with every professor, that people don’t mind transgressing by all means your position, and that a lesson of Hu- man Rights actually mirrors the lack of its practice in our educa- tional system. How enriching!
Fortunately, Dolly does not stay quiet, and they begin a debate arguing their points of view, while everyone else decides to put cellphones aside, sit back straight, and tighten up their dropped jaws. Dolly tries her best to not let her beliefs be trampled underfoot, but of course her po- sition as a student doesn’t ben- efit her. Shortly, Jack takes over the discussion and concludes Human Rights are universal..., but are they? If Human Rights were universal, then you should be able to express your opinion in class, without anyone, regardless of their authority, trying to ban and to manipulate your thoughts.
I really wonder how healthy it
is for an academic environment to find out that students cannot share their thoughts freely in college, at least not with every professor, that people don’t mind transgressing by all means your position, and that a lesson of Hu- man Rights actually mirrors the lack of its practice in our educa- tional system. How enriching!
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