Can someone tell me what the recent fuss is about? I just read an article, apparently written by a white male, complaining about white privilege. After choking briefly on the irony, I read many vitriolic responses, overwhelmingly disagreeing with the writer.
My D is a member and makes the observation that it is largely male-dominated (at least the rock climbing part), but primarily because there simply aren’t that many women who get involved.
Care to link the article?
I think he’s referring to this:
http://www.thebatesstudent.com/2018/03/aesop-and-the-outing-club-are-made-of-white-privilege/
I think it’s a bit over the top myself.
Way off base and factually just incorrect.
I only read part of it and skimmed the rest. I found the quality of writing more than a little painful.
I’m sure there are grains of truth to it though but I think the author uses too much hyperbole, attacking, and generalizations to render the piece helpful or meaningful.
I can see where AESOP can have its shortcomings - throwing a mixed bag of brand new students together with different comfort levels and experience with outdoors outings and no prior knowledge of each other. I do remember @Lindagaf reporting a few years back that her daughter’s experience was on the awkward side as she didn’t really click with her group.
Additionally, the outdoors community as a whole (not specific to Bates) has had much self-directed reflection and criticism in the past few years because it is definitely a very homogenous (read white) and male dominated industry. There are many concrete instances of sexism, for example. If you read magazines like Outdoors and follow the industry, you’ve seen this type of discussion broached in a more reflective fashion. I do think leaders in the industry are cognizant of the issue and are actively discussing ways to make it more inclusive. Therefore, it doesn’t surprise me that the same themes are observed and being discussed at Bates. I just wish the author had approached it differently which might have led to more meaningful and active discussion rather than dismissal and denial.
By the way, I don’t see any irony in white people acknowledging and calling out white privilege. we don’t make the same claim when men talk about sexism or when white people talk about racism. They all exist.
Hmmm, strange article. I found the comments interesting, particualrly the one from the “queer woman of color” who clearly thought the author was over the top. A college student wrote this, and college students write incendiary things sometimes. I didn’t look at every single comment, but no one seems to agree with the article. It was written in March and this is the first I’ve heard of it. I don’t think its a big deal, tbh. My daughter has certainly never mentioned anything about this.
As far as AESOP goes, yes, my D had an awkward trip and it wasn’t the bonding experience she thought it would be. But I am SO GLAD she did it. She’s not an outdoorsy type. I can’t picture any time soon when she will hike in the wilderness, sleep on the ground in a sleeping bag, and eat nothing but oatmeal and beans for four days with 9 strangers. Good for her! @doschicos , interestingly, she is thinking about leading an AESOP group. Maybe it will be the art gallery one!
Oddly, I was made aware of this article last month by a friend who saw the Bates Outing Club mentioned on a conservative news channel. Being in NC we don’t get much news about Bates so they made sure to tell me they saw it on tv. I tracked down the article and asked my D about it. Her take is that this student was denied a position working with AESOP and is taking his personal grudge to the editorial page.
I agree that AESOP is intimidating for the non-outdoorsy people. My D did not have the bonding experience either. She had never camped in her life. But I think Bates is really good at giving people a chance to try new things.
@Buster21 , there are other LACs, maybe unis too, which do AESOP-type programs. I know Amhest does. I was a little annoyed after my D did her program, mostly because it didn’t turn out to be quite as it was advertised. But as I said, I am now really glad she did it, and she herself says it was “okay.”
I agree with the assessment by your D. It’s a pretty ridiculous article.
When a school gives a student a platform to speak I think that’s good thing. If a reader believes those thoughts to be ridiculous they are certainly welcome to respond and say so. How, then, might the conversation become productive and an honest/insightful dialogue ensue? Who are the participants and what are the stakes? Just some wonderful things about this quick college experience.
I found the article to be hyperbolic as well, but some of those responses were far too aggressive and a little frightening.
Here’s the thing with orientation trips (at any school). Lots of kids are not going to have a great time, because after all it’s the first week of school and transition is very tough.
My Asian son was an Aesop leader and another leader on his trip (sailing) was a woman.
Also, some of the Aesop trips aren’t outdoorsy. Some are involved with doing thing in the L/A community.
In addition, it’s not part of the Outing Club.