<p>I have no doubt that this professor enjoys stirring up a little controversy in the same way that artists occasionally do (google P-i-s-s Christ), trying to get a reaction from prudes and the ultra-religious. The way to annoy him most would probably be to yawn and remark, “been there, done that.”</p>
<p>Given college students’ obsession with sex, I’ll bet there were at least a dozen more graphic sexual encounters occurring at the very same time of this lecture, in empty classrooms, under stairwells, in bathroom stalls, maybe even in some professors’ offices.</p>
I am female. If I were forced to have sex blindfolded with a random stranger, I’d take anyone from the BDSM community over a random elite-university student. That particular subculture is VERY well-versed in safe sex procedures (where “safe” means more than not getting pregnant or ill).</p>
<p>To clear up one issue, the Chicago Tribune reported that the couple involved had volunteered for the demonstration, did not ask to be paid, and were engaged to be married (yes, to one another).</p>
<p>I may be somewhat leery of the academic value of this totally elective, “forewarned,” after-hours class session. But then I’m somewhat leery of the academic value of much of what goes on in the social sciences :)</p>
<p>Certainly a great way to fire up campus debate.</p>
<p>I think you’re right, jrpar, at least for the students. My S is a freshman at Northwestern and when we Skyped last night, this topic came up. Rather than being a topic where students he knows were offering any opinions (and trust me, they can be opinionated) this was just a quick, gossip column kind of topic to be dropped into a conversation (“Did you hear… Really?”) and then they moved on to something else. Most would probably be surprised at how quickly and how long this thread has gone on (unless their parent has been vocal about it.)</p>
<p>wbwa, the couple may have “volunteered” but the extent of the exercise changed dramatically after they started. That’s bait and switch to me, and does not speak well at all to the professor. That he did not immediately say, that is not what we have planned today, is just unacceptable.</p>
<p>Findaplace - my daughter didn’t even know what was going on. It was posted on Facebook how disappointed students were with Morty (Pres.), my daughter was clueless as to why, but all agreed that they thought the President was giving in to outside public opinion. One student did defend him saying that his “job” was to keep money flowing into the University so he had to back the “establishment.”</p>
<p>Keep in mind, none of us were in the class, we have no true idea what happened or how it came about. Much ado about nothing. I’m still proud (maybe even more proud) that my daughter goes to NU, I’ve not lost any esteem for the university.</p>
<p>Does anyone know what the Prof originally expected to happen? He claims he gave three warnings of the “graphic” nature of the demo, but that would have been before he knew that the couple was going to fornicate with a power tool on stage. I am also curious about the alleged “misconception” about female orgasm that this demo was supposedly going to clear up.</p>
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<p>Since this was purportedly a “teaching” moment, I hope these BDSM “experts” imparted to these random elite students, all their superior safety precaution knowledge of using an altered (voiding the warranty?) electric saw in a vaginal cavity. For some reason, I doubt it.</p>
<p>I am curious about the legality of this demo too. Could a for-profit university routinely offer classes with live demos? Could they offer ‘refresher’ classes every week? Could they offer special rates for occasional audits? Could they offer six week adult-ed night classes down the hall from the ‘how to do your taxes’ classes? If what they did at NW is legal, why not this?</p>
<p>I agree, amtc. I know someone who’s S is applying to NU and other schools this year. We chatted about the incident. We both concluded that an isolated incident such as this does not change our opinions about the quality of the university.</p>
<p>NU, while not huge, is of substantial size. When you pause to think how many people are employed there – faculty, staff and students, full and part time – occasionally headline incidents do happen. How the university choses to deal with it is the proof in the pudding. It’s one of the more difficult aspects of Pres. Schapiro’s job.</p>
<p>In any event, our S said he agreed with our position. These classes could be included in a broad psychology/sociology curriculum, but given all the other media available to convey the professor’s lesson for the day, a film plus discussions by the invited speakers (without live, seemingly spontaneous, demonstrations) would cover the topic and be much less likely to expose the university to any number of risks, beyond the obvious headline PR issues.</p>
<p>I think this is an interesting topic for discussion with our students, to give them a real world example on how judgement calls should be analyzed, then made.</p>
<p>Yes, and gadad #129 I agree with this - “especially those who have been taught that “common sense” is inherently better than … rethinking taboos.”</p>
<p>I worry about strict parents who are already disinclined to send their daughters to college because of bad immoral influences. Yes, they are out there. How many more young ladies will be prevented from getting an appropriate education because of stunts like this?</p>
<p>The way I look at it, independent of legality etc. is:</p>
<p>Is this something you would want known about your school? Is this something you would be happy to tell your prospective applicants about? Are you proud that someone in your school did this? </p>
<p>If the answer is no, then the Prof probably should not have allowed it.</p>
<p>I for one, would not want my 18 year old son sitting in class and watching this ‘demonstration.’</p>
<p>I think the school’s attorneys must have had something to do with the university’s abrupt about face and the legality is the only reason why the professor in question has stated that it’s too early for him to say whether or not he regrets the stunt. The Tribune stated that not only was the male involved paid several hundred dollars for his appearance, the professor also gets additional funding from the university to host after school lectures and demonstrations. Police are investigating to determine if laws were, in fact, broken.</p>
<p>I am also highly suspicious that this all wasn’t pre-planned and the few minutes the professor took to supposedly ponder the thing wasn’t staged on his part. Saying that the demonstration was a last minute, “freebie” volunteered by the couple is a good way to attempt to avoid claims that any money changed hands. I don’t know and I suspect neither does the school or the professor, whether or not that will hold up legally. </p>
<p>Even if legal, extremely inappropriate and unethical. Students were put in a situation where they had all of a few minutes to decide whether or not to walk out. Requiring the decision to be made midway through, surrounded by a classroom of students is also in no way acceptable. And, give me a break, the demonstration was mostly for or resulted mostly in prurient interest.</p>
<p>Can’t fraternities can be kicked off campus for less than this? They are also on “private university property.”</p>
<p>What bothers me when I watch a movie or TV show isn’t sex or violence per se but GRATUITOUS sex or violence. Stuff thats thrown in inappropriately and just for the hell of it. Pure titillation. Its the same principle here. </p>
<p>This prof was extraordinarily gratuitous with this demo which would lead me to question his judgement as a teacher on all other fronts. This demo was not something graded, on a test, or mandatory to attend. It didn’t cover anything not otherwise covered in the course. So basicially it wasn’t neccessary. But he presented it anyway. Very poor judgement IMO.</p>
<p>“If the answer is no, then the Prof probably should not have allowed it.”</p>
<p>I agree that this class was not good for the university’s brand, but I’m not sure this is a good test for what ought to be allowed. Universities ought to be doing some controversial things that it would be foolish to advertise to the parents of teenagers. Stem cell research comes to mind. I’m strongly in favor of it and proud of it, but it is not what I would put on the cover of an undergrad viewbook.</p>