@albert69, I am sorry. Your posts aren’t funny because they aren’t funny. I don’t care what your ethnic background is.
“History is written by the victors”
History is always interpretation. It is constantly being redefined. In recent years, there has been a shift in how Southern historic sites are interpreted. It isn’t unusual these days to have plantation tours with an emphasis on the enslaved population. Last week I went on one led by a woman whose ancestors were slaves on that plantation. It is a very different look at history than the sort of tours I took in my childhood, which seem to me were a very white washed version of history, now that I have been made aware of many, very different, versions.
http://www.vox.com/2015/6/29/8847385/what-i-learned-from-leading-tours-about-slavery-at-a-plantation
^^ @dstark just proved my point.
There are many comedians, which I think are not funny, but millions of others think those comedians are funny and they vote with their wallets and their feet and go see those comedians. So, exactly who is going to be the judge of which comedians are funny and should not be allowed to be comedians? Clearly, not @dstark or myself because we would choose different comedians and any decisions are bound to rile up some group.
Same problem with as who is going to judge when the negative of person outweighs the positive and thus he/she should be reviled in history. It just makes no sense to bow to the subjective standards of anyone because there would simply be very little left to “display” historically.
Some humors are designed to discredit or belittle certain groups or certain ideas that the groups value without logical argument with proper support, and those who are not members of the groups may find it funny.
It is of course not funny to members of the discredited or belittled groups, as well as those who are not in the groups, but consider such humors too immoral or rude to be funny.
So I guess it really is subjective when it comes to funny or not funny. But I hope that we have a more unified moral standard on what is moral or immoral, or at least what is rude or kind.
Not sure they are doing that, but I believe they did conduct polls and meetings regarding renaming involving the current Calhoun students. The decision however was said to be made by Yale Corporation, and where the students and alum input came into play was not specified (or I am not aware). Reactions from the faculty were mixed. I remember there was a letter from a fairly big number of faculty members requesting the school administration to reconsider the decision of upholding Calhoun name.
“So you’re saying that it’s meaningful to want to change the name of Calhoun because it’s a residential college. But it would be less meaningful / defensible / worth falling on a sword over if it were just a Yale administrative building that housed, say, facilities management. Correct?”
@Pizzagirl, I think students are more likely to become active and engaged in such a drive when it concerns their own RC, yes. Just as they’re more likely to become active and engaged in matters of their own university as opposed to some other university. I think that’s a pretty common reaction and an undergraduate version of “all politics is local.”
"Same problem with as who is going to judge when the negative of person outweighs the positive and thus he/she should be reviled in history. It just makes no sense to bow to the subjective standards of anyone because there would simply be very little left to “display” historically. "
When judging a historical figure, either positively or negatively, there is a subjective standard being used. What you seem, to me, to be objecting to is changing the subjective standard in current use. I apologize if I am misinterpreting you.
Naming the college Calhoun, was a positive subjective judgement. imho.
Re; requesting not to be in a specific RC:
Maybe they are doing things informally, or on a case-by-case basis if someone is assigned to Calhoun who objects strongly, but the University’s formal policy is only to be able to request a RC placement if one has a sibling there or is a legacy there,but not to request “not” to be assigned to a particular college. I believe there are some exceptions considered of someone has some disabilities too. Perhaps @pickpocket will weigh in.
So I noticed at least one poster in this thread whose avatar is a Yale RC (Branford), and at least one more avatar comes to mind of another poster not currently participating in this thread (Jonathan Edwards) These affiliations are meaningful. It would have been prudent to have selected a different alum to honor back in 1933, when they named Calhoun College, and hopefully the names of the new residential colleges under construction were selected with a lot more sensitivity. Perhaps one of the activities Calhoun College can consider including is something specifically to address the challenge of living with the identity of a namesake with such a controversial past, and to use that as an opportunity to address political sensitivities. Based on the reaction of some in this crowd, am not thinking a stand up comedy improv night is in order. (chill people… ).
I think it speaks volumes about whoever was running Yale in 1933 that they believed it was appropriate to name the college after a strong proponent of slavery, 68 years after the civil war.
Whatever. I bet they weren’t welcoming Jews and blacks with super-de-duper open arms either back then. Now what. At what point do you stop beating institutions up over their past foibles?
50 years ago, my D’s elite LAC housed all the Jewish girls together and all the black together because you wouldn’t want a WASP to have to room with them. So I shouldn’t have sent her there because of policies that we today consider inappropriate? How stupid would that be.
428
^I have been wondering that as well, and trying to consider it in the context of the civil rights movement of the 1930s. Of course, this is the sort of history I was never taught in school so I have to research it myself, from whatever sources are available to me.
I am not sure exploring history is beating institutions up about their pasts. On this thread people are arguing against erasing history. I agree with not erasing history.
I am yet to see anyone drop out of Yale even though they have already refused to change the name,
Interesting, dstark, thanks for sharing.
I just added Vanderbilt to the master list of college applications for the upcoming grandchild, high school class of '34
@jym626 I believe you are correct that only legacies can make a Residential College request at Yale.
Love your story of the poor Yale guy…nope, not me. But he was pretty lucky to be ‘kidnapped’ by Vassar women IMO! He’s probably talking about it to this day. 
Way back when there was a great thread about things we did in college that we’d kill our kids if they did. That little stunt with bringing back “takeout” probably belongs on the list. He was a good sport. He knew we weren’t driving back to New Haven the next day (he’d have to bus it) - even for more Naples pizza!
Wonder how much the total cost is to Vandy, between all the legal fees when the Daughters of the Confederacy sued to block them form changing the name several years back. Just curious- anyone know if its a freshman dorm, or upperclass dorm or what?
@jym626, your scale is tilted on the wrong side of the Calhoun naming issue. I think you should put your scale in a freezer. Let the scale chill. Then let it freeze until the scale is so frozen, when you drop it on the floor, it shatters.
Then buy a new scale. 
I am not as forward thinking as @alh, but Vanderbilt is now on my future granddaughter’s list of schools. As we all know, Vanderbilt is very easy to get into so that shouldn’t be a problem.
》》 But I hope that we have a more unified moral standard on what is moral or immoral, or at least what is rude or kind.《《
If this is referring to my joke I’m not sure where you’re coming from. This thread is about what a rotten person Calhoun was and why he shouldn’t be honored. My exaggeration of Satan being better was meant to exemplify that fact.
Sorry, @dstark, we usually agree, but on this one we do not. Enjoy a nice glass of California wine to quell that agitas.