<p>The overly PC perception may be more of a generational thing than anything. Most parents went through the birth of PC while we were in college or afterward, so it may seem more jarring.</p>
<p>As for “that’s gay” or “that’s ■■■■■■■■,” I guess that is PC, although I’ve stopped some of my students mid-sentence for using those expressions because I consider them unwitting hate speech and outright insensitivity. I’m pretty PC in the moderate sense. I object instead to the convoluted ways of describing gender and sexuality or the changing terminology, which doesn’t seem any better than the old except that it’s different, to define a particular group</p>
<p>Just to show the importance of going to visit the school in person, I’ll tell you that my daughter and I just got back from visiting Bates, which was on its April break so was very quiet. I got the impression that it was a serious place; the tour guide, clearly a Type A personality herself, claimed that everyone there was similarly high-energy, high-achievement, etc. My daughter disliked her tour so much that we left before the info session (this was the first college she didn’t like on the trip [we went to Middlebury, Dartmouth, Bowdoin, and Colby]; she was on the students’ tour, while I was with the parents). I definitely got the sense that the school is not a part of the town; unlike Northampton, which is so much a part of Smith, Lewiston seemed entirely separate. The tour guide said she sometimes went to restaurants there. I was also put off by the fact that the tour guide, in explaining the engineering program (they don’t have their own; you can go to Bates for three years and then go to another school which does have an engineering program for two years) got it wrong: she said you would graduate with a BA from Bates and an ME from the other college. I was really surprised at that, and questioned her–she said no, absolutely, you would end up with an ME. I looked it up when I got home, and it’s a BE. Now, anyone can make a mistake, but that’s a big one, and she was Very Sure. </p>
<p>I thought the 4-4-1 plan was odd–why would anyone want to leave campus for the month of May, having suffered through a Maine winter? And I also think that students who go “abroad” for a month’s program are not having the same experience that students have who are abroad for a year, or at least a semester, as students are encouraged to do at Smith. Bates counts them in the percentage of students who get to study abroad. </p>
<p>So Bates definitely left me cold, but someone else might like it for those very reasons. Visit.</p>
<p>Just started reading this thread and like Susgeek #10 I have been asking myself this for many weeks “where is the like button?” CC if you are lurking, please add a LIKE button!</p>
<p>MWFN, it’s not the reactions against insensitive things like “that’s gay” or “that’s ■■■■■■■■” that strikes me as PC. I’ve been trying to remember some of the examples. But it was almost Maoist at times not in terms of words that shouldn’t be used, but the Only Correct way to describe something. On the order of as bad as the “womyn” or “herstory” theories.</p>
<p>^One of the things Smith likes to put on its menu is a “fisherperson’s platter.” That one makes me roll my eyes. If Dining Services can’t bring themselves to call it a “fisherman’s platter,” why not just say “seafood platter” or give a nod to the long arm of Massachusetts and name it “Cape Cod platter?” Avoiding terms like “gay” for insults and not using “Jew” as a verb, for example, are only sensible and respectful. But sometimes Smith does cross from respectful to silly.</p>
<p>I agree, as someone who grew up in a very UN PC place, Smith seems way too PC for my personal tastes. </p>
<p>Some of it is nice, but sometimes I just roll my eyes. I’ve been chided for some things I grew up saying and never realized they weren’t ok with some people. But, if I explain that I am comfortable with this, and ask them to not police my words, people tend to calm down</p>
<p>Phanatic, I love the “fisherperson’s platter!” That’s hilarious! Does dining services have a suggestions box? If they do, go for it! If they don’t, they should! :)</p>
<p>That reminds my husband and me of his experience at an Ivy where they offered meatless chili con carne!</p>
<p>I don’t know of anyone who is upbraided for not saying “fisherperson”. We all kind of laugh at that one. </p>
<p>I guess my attitude is that sometimes people use the phrase “I’m not PC” as free pass to say offensive things and a defense mechanism for when people call them on saying things that are really not OK. It’s a two way street I know, at some point it does become a little thought police-esque, but for the most part, when I hear the words “I’m not a PC person” I brace myself for some offensive screed that almost always follows. </p>
<p>So maybe I’m just immune to it, but I do think Smith is a place where people again, spend a lot of time thinking about the power of language and challenging each other to think deeper. Some don’t want to think that deep, but I do think that in many/most cases i’ve encountered, those are the people that need deeper thinking the most. </p>
<p>Just my two cents. Certainly not directed at anyone here (all of whom I think are lovely, even when they aren’t PC).</p>
<p>I feel like I’m a little late to the party (some of my best friends are lefties) but the only thing I would add is this: if your choice ends up being between Bates and Smith, and you really like art history, the Smith art department is very strong. And the 5 college system means you would not feel as isolated as you might in Maine. </p>
<p>Bottom line, you have a lot of great choices. But I think you would love Smith and really enjoy it.</p>
<p>Good luck at whatever school you may choose.</p>
<p>S&P, D wasn’t upbraided for not saying “fisherperson” but it was something equally inane. As a writer, I very much believe in the power of words and selection thereof. I also object to choices made by ideological rote…and it happens. There’s a difference between making linguistic choices with thought and sensitivity and imposing stupid choices upon others.</p>
<p>An anecdote from family history, two examples of PC gone awry: once upon a time, many decades ago, TheMom was editor of The Daily Bruin, the UCLA newspaper, and only the second woman to be editor in-chief. There was a joint editorial being produced by the editors of the then-nine campuses. The drafters at Berkeley, male, wrote the editorial with alternating pronouns, such as, “A student trustee should be allowed to vote her conscience, casting his vote as she sees fit.”</p>
<p>A student-written health booklet of the same vintage spoke of putting a condom on a person’s *****.</p>
<p>As someone who loves language, I have mixed feelings about PC terms. On one hand, they tend to dilute the power of words with bland phraseology, but on the other, they reflect the psychology of the culture. Language is not static but rather dynamic, with additions and shifting definitions occurring all the time. The only changes that survive (sorry, fisherperson’s platter isn’t going to make it!) are those that enough people find persuasive or powerful. At least PC terminology acknowledges that words are indeed powerful.</p>
<p>I personally don’t believe in giving words power. So, if quoting Mark Twain in class, I will not say “the n word” but the word itself. Would I go out and call someone that or use it casually? No, of course not. But in a class context I would.<br>
There are some Smithies who won’t use it even in a classroom context and will take students to task for using it in that context.</p>
<p>A different example: in one of my classes, we were talking about “rape” and one student goes off about how we should be calling it sexual assault. Now the majority of the class rolled their eyes, but still, it became an issue</p>
<p>So, while not everyone at Smith is super PC, if you’re not used to it, you definitely will notice it, and might get into a bit of trouble for things you’re used to saying</p>
<p>Insisting on “sexual assault” instead of “rape” is Maoist.</p>
<p>Ach. This brings back memories of a writer’s workshop when I made a comment about a female character. The writer said that my opinion was invalid because I was male. A female writer agreed with my opinion. The writer said that the criticism coming from a female was okay. To which I replied something like “bullfeathers.” Something is true or it isn’t; who says it is of no account with respect to veracity.</p>
<p>I have no patience of ideological game playing.</p>
<p>Just thought I’d point out that rape and sexual assault are not interchangeable. Rape is a specific act, while sexual assault can apply to a variety of acts and doesn’t always include rape. </p>
<p>Just an example of how attempting to be too PC can lead to inaccuracy…</p>