Georgia Southern University Under Fire
Abstract
On October 19, 2019, there was a book burning on Georgia Southern University's (GSU) campus. An author came to campus and after her lecture a few students burned her book on campus grills. GSU is not alone in negotiating racist, sexist, homophobic, and transphobic acts in the community. The ideal of a campus is as a place where one can step away from immediate concerns and engage with ideas that explain the current time in a larger context. But, the neoliberal, profit making campus is far from these ideals. And, of course, we cannot create clear separations between the people on campus and the lives they lead off campus. People are not immune to the culture of Hate that has been enflamed by cable news, social media, and, now, the US president. This has changed campus life. It has called colleges and universities to act and to respond. In this session, we will explore what this book burning can say about the current state of the GSU campus, its leadership, and our community.
Presentation Description
On October 19, 2019, there was a book burning on Georgia Southern University's (GSU) campus. An author came to campus and after her lecture a few students burned her book on campus grills. GSU is not alone in negotiating racist, sexist, homophobic, and transphobic acts in the community. The ideal of a campus is as a place where one can step away from immediate concerns and engage with ideas that explain the current time in a larger context. But, the neoliberal, profit making campus is far from these ideals. And, of course, we cannot create clear separations between the people on campus and the lives they lead off campus. People are not immune to the culture of Hate that has been enflamed by cable news, social media, and, now, the US president. This has changed campus life. It has called colleges and universities to act and to respond. In this session, we will explore what this book burning can say about the current state of the GSU campus, its leadership, and our community.
Location
Stream B: Campus Culture in the Era of Hate Special Series
Publication Type and Release Option
Presentation (Open Access)
Recommended Citation
Chapman, Daniel; Pugh, Christopher; and Sipe, Stephanie, "Georgia Southern University Under Fire" (2020). Curriculum Studies Summer Collaborative. 7.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/cssc/2020/2020/7
Georgia Southern University Under Fire
Stream B: Campus Culture in the Era of Hate Special Series
On October 19, 2019, there was a book burning on Georgia Southern University's (GSU) campus. An author came to campus and after her lecture a few students burned her book on campus grills. GSU is not alone in negotiating racist, sexist, homophobic, and transphobic acts in the community. The ideal of a campus is as a place where one can step away from immediate concerns and engage with ideas that explain the current time in a larger context. But, the neoliberal, profit making campus is far from these ideals. And, of course, we cannot create clear separations between the people on campus and the lives they lead off campus. People are not immune to the culture of Hate that has been enflamed by cable news, social media, and, now, the US president. This has changed campus life. It has called colleges and universities to act and to respond. In this session, we will explore what this book burning can say about the current state of the GSU campus, its leadership, and our community.
