No, but we didn’t have speakers who believed that the Earth was flat until recently. Look, it’s obvious what’s going on on Florida. DeSantis wants to close NSF. But before he does so, he wants to stick the knife in and twist it for a few years before deciding that it’s beyond fixing. Very few states are so wealthy (or so progressive) that they can afford to subsidize a traditional LAC. That’s just the reality o things.
It isn’t about having a different set of values.
He routinely speaks out in areas outside of his established field where he has no academic expertise. He often, provably, overtly, says things that are established as scientifically incorrect to push a political agenda.
Someone like this is the last person who should ever speak at any respectable university.
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That is your viewpoint and I respect your perspective; I just prefer to hear the speech from the speaker’s mouth prior to offering a critique.
P.S. Listening to alternative perspectives is not the same as endorsing those beliefs or opinions; I think that many make the mistake of believing that attendance is the equivalent of an endorsement; it is not.
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This is what needs to change, both in this forum and society. This is not my viewpoint. The scientific consensus is not my viewpoint. The scientific consensus is correct. Atlas is wrong. Any conversation that doesn’t acknowledge this is dishonest.
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Atlas’ view points are well documented in the media and one can listen to his speeches on YouTube, etc.
As the saying goes, you can have your own opinion, but not your own facts. Atlas routinely ignores scientific fact.
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This reminds me of a recent incident at Stanford’s law school. A federal judge was invited to speak at the law school last March. Because of the federal judge’s position on certain issues, the judge’s speech was met with heckling and other interruptions. Many law students walked out during the speech.
We all know that the earth is flat right ?
I would rather listen in person to a speaker before judging the contents of a speech that I have not heard yet.
Even if the views expressed were the same, I would be interested in the speech techniques and salesmanship used by the speaker who had amassed such a large following.
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I don’t know much about NCF, other than what I’ve read and seen on TV. It is my impression that, until the recent changes, it has attracted a quite liberal and quirky student body. It has had an identity, much like an Oberlin is widely considered a very liberal campus.
It’s just my opinion that for a graduation ceremony it would be respectful to the students to send them off into the world with a message from a speaker they appreciate. It does not need to be a political figure… there are so many motivational speakers across all backgrounds. The students don’t need a vote or say in that speaker, but their feelings and beliefs should be considered as common courtesy. This is supposed to be a time of celebration for them. The choice of this controversial speaker seems that the Board is placing their own agenda above the students’ experience. It is also apparently a deviation from previous practices.
To me, it’s akin to inviting Matt Walsh as commencement speaker at NYU or Bernie Sanders to Hillsdale. To be clear, my only issue is the choice of a commencement speaker; campuses should welcome speakers of all viewpoints during the school year. The Board should have allowed this class to graduate before implementing the new agenda.
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And NCF is hardly a traditional LAC.
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Why do you say that?
With an enrollment of 632, it is smaller than most LACs. Smaller than most high schools, actually. Similar in size to elementary schools.
Yes to the suggestion of asking US Senator Bernie Sanders to speak at the Hillsdale College graduation; send them out thinking rather than smug.
Isn’t that nearly every politician since Ancient Athens, every political commentator, the ladies on The View?
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Before World War II, that would have been the approximate size of Haverford, Bowdoin, Bryn Mawr and a few other places; Harvey Mudd is not much bigger even today. I think you have to consider how much demand there is for LACs in a state like Florida.
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Many commentators and politicians, perhaps not the ones you watch or vote for, value the scientific consensus and respect expertise. It would be a better world if all of them did. Atlas certainly does not.
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Many things were different before WW2, including large numbers of women attending college. Class sizes 80 years ago at private schools isnt relevant to a taxpayer supported institution today.
Upthread a poster stated that 87 had graduated. If true, that is equivalent to our local public kindergarden graduation, but New School is supported by bureaucracy of thousands.
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“My preference is to listen prior to judging the content of one’s speech or position.”
This sounds nice, but it’s pablum. One needs a filter. The zone is so flooded with worthless speech and disinformation you could waste your entire life “listening” to people with nothing worth hearing, becoming less well-informed in the process. It’s why we designate certain people as “expert” in subject matters, and why educated people don’t form their positions on matters based on what a bunch of randos on Twitter say.
It’s not like Scott Atlas was some unknown person. His anti-science stances were well established. He successfully incinerated any credibility he may have had, and with it any benefit of the doubt people of good faith might have been willing to give him, while working in the White House. There is no other way to interpret his being given the platform as commencement speaker at NCF than as a stick in the eye of the students and, more importantly, professors and administrators.
All of that’s academic at this point, of course, since the speech has already been given, and its contents widely reported on. Have you actually read about it, or are you cocooning yourself from it so you only have to talk in generalities here?
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That argument goes to why LACs aren’t affordable or sustainable politically as state institutions; not to why a LAC of 1500 students is “traditional” and one that’s 500 students isn’t. Florida was aware of NCF’s enrollment when they agreed to take it over.
The falling enrollment was the reason for the takeover. A private school with that enrollment trend would have already closed.
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So, why did it take the state 48 years to figure out its enrollment was falling?
More than a few (and not necessarily wealthy or left-leaning) do seem to have LAC or LAC-like state schools:
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