One of the lecturers from Durham University hosted a Christmas Quiz last week. Although it was meant to provide some light relief towards the end of term but turned out to be yet another exercise of woke self-laceration,
Tell me about something you find controversial in the following. . .’ The lecturer stated. The topics included Durham Cathedral, our beloved seat of learning and its Oriental Museum.
Certain students knew what was expected and did as they were told, using buzz words like ‘elitist, ‘colonialist,’ and ‘classist.
My lecturer laughed approvingly — these were clearly the correct answers — and rewarded them with a chocolate.
However, I then suggested something that I believe is really controversial. It was how Seun Twins (the president of Durham Students’ Union) was, in my view, never elected. More people actually voted for reopening the nominations than actually voted.
Some readers may recognize her name. Last week, the Rod Liddle scandal drew attention to Ms Twins.
She supported calls to resign the Durham college head who invited the journalist for a talk at student dinner, which provoked a walkout.
What was my lecturer’s reaction to my question? ‘No comment’ — though I was offered a chocolate.
Student protest Rod Liddle’s speech
The university has become a failure to address contentious topics.
This is accompanied by an intolerance of dissent more like Maoist China rather than leading institutions of higher education within a Western democracy.
When I was 19, being admitted to Durham was the most proud moment in my life.
Despite the odds being stacked against me — a disadvantaged background and an ‘A-Level algorithm’ that threatened to derail the grades I’d worked so hard to achieve through lockdowns and online teaching — I secured a place at this institution to study law.
It is this reason that I am so disappointed in its constant attempts to placate a Left-wing minority. It is, however, a minority.
This is typical for a university, which has transformed from an academic bastion and champion of free speech to become an institution in shock to hard-Left ideology.
A Conservative Party member is something that’s unusual for students. But, my fellow students have never shown any real hostility. Nearly all the people I know find common ground, and forge friendships that transcend political lines rather than shunting those who disagree with them.
Many of the University’s Staff, especially its Students Union, are at fault.
In the Mail, earlier this month I reported on lecturers from Durham and other universities striking again over their pay and pensions. They put their interests above their obligations to students who have been affected by the pandemic.
This group-think approach has once more put Professor Tim Luckhurst’s career in jeopardy.
The Mail On Sunday reported that the Heads of 13 or more of Durham’s 17 Colleges, as well as other Professors, supported last week’s protests against Rod Liddle’s speech at South College.
In the Mail, earlier this month I reported on lecturers from Durham and other universities striking again over their pay and pensions. They put their interests above their obligations to students who have been affected by the pandemic.
On Saturday, this paper published a transcript of the ‘offending’ section — which many would argue was a defence of free speech and a condemnation of intolerance to the views of others.
Protesters are free to voice their opinions, but how does a university and its staff manage a system where any other view than the prescribed narrative of wakefulness is blocked?
They act as though they’ve never even heard of free speech, let alone supported it. In fact, Guy Adams said in the newspaper that many who left didn’t hear Liddle talk but opposed his presence.
Out of around 20,000 student protestors, the number outside the college grew to just a few. My college and my department head have sent me emails condemning the speech. The main reason was that it addressed trans issues.
It is what you see at the university.
Although Professor Luckhurst had authorized Liddle to be invited, the university placed Luckhurst under investigation and banned him from all duties. Students received an email last week from Vice-Chancellor informing them of his determination to make Durham a safe place.
The university sanctioned Professor Luckhurst’s invitation to Liddle but placed him under investigation.
He said, “Staff members, students and alumni have difficulty comprehending how college works.” [dinner] . . . could have caused such distress and upset.
Well, quite — or comprehend just how blatantly one-sided in its response the university has been.
Truth be told, this knee-bending and submission to the dictates from the woke brigade in Durham is not unusual.
For me, it all began at matriculation in October — a supposedly jolly ceremony during Freshers’ Week in which new students are formally accepted. Soon enough, Seun Twins began to harass us over ‘decolonising Durham’ and ‘elitism.
I came to Durham to study the law and learn from experts — not digest speeches on social justice from a Jeremy Corbyn devotee.
I was clearly naive to imagine the Students’ Union would represent all students — a remit for which it receives £759,000 a year. The Students’ Union doesn’t do this and it has no plans to.
I came to Durham to study the law and learn from experts — not digest speeches on social justice from a Jeremy Corbyn devotee
Last year, it threatened to withdraw funding for the print edition of Palatinate — the student newspaper on which journalists Jeremy Vine and George Alagiah cut their teeth — which really does promote free speech and reports fairly on the Students’ Union rather than acting as its mouthpiece.
Durham Union Society, which is a debate forum known for its diverse speakers, is another institution that allows free speech. They were not awake enough to attend the Freshers’ Fair, however.
Durham’s’student worker training’ classes are another absurd initiative. A Zoom class called ‘Training Opportunity for Students Involved in the Adult Sex Industry’ was held last month. It explored “the challenges student-sex workers face”.
It is not uncommon for academics to ramble Left-wing ideologies into their lectures. Students have a history of endless rants against capitalism and Tories. Many are afraid that they’ll be punished if they disagree with the Tories or challenge them.
It also offers classes on subjects such as “unconscious bias” that are available to the public. Everywhere we turn, we see that we are encouraged moral outrage and to take offense.
Last year, it threatened to withdraw funding for the print edition of Palatinate — the student newspaper on which journalists Jeremy Vine and George Alagiah cut their teeth — which really does promote free speech and reports fairly on the Students’ Union rather than acting as its mouthpiece
As someone of mixed race, although I’ve experienced racism, it has never been the fault of either my university or school. It was only the fault of bigots. I am not aware of any student signing up for such classes.
The university is still determined to offer’safe places’ for anyone feeling victimized by any trend. While they obsess about micro-issues like gender-neutral toilets (single sex loos were a forced. . . gender binary’ apparently), they are doing little to improve our everyday lives and future prospects — as evidenced by the strikes earlier this month.
It is time universities remember what their job is — and it is not to indoctrinate us in woke ideology, or convince us of our hapless victim status, but to provide a world-class education to their fee-paying students who want to get out into the world, make something of themselves and contribute to society.
To give us the tools to make the world a better place — not sit and cry about our ‘wounds’.
- Samantha Smith, a Durham University first-year student in law and commentator.