Student stress story eclipsed by Fox News still being obsessed with us
Brown is famous again in the social media sphere. On Thursday, the Herald published an article on the academic and psychological difficulties experienced by students who are heavily involved with campus activism and social justice. You can read the full article here, but basically: activities such as repeatedly parsing through the Diversity in Action Plan and getting called out of class for University administrative meetings have placed a significant stress on some Brown student activists. Some of them have failed to keep up a stellar academic performance amidst these "extracurriculars," which are usually not viewed as optional, but rather necessary to changing the fabric of the University for the better. Among these students, some have sought help through Deans' notes, CAPS sessions, and extensions.Unfortunately, the article in itself is not the talk of the town. After a firestorm of comments, and internet trolls about just how ashamed Brown should feel of its "whining millennial students" and "emotional cripples," a Brown student tipped off Fox News.
Soon after, the headline "Brown University: Students Discuss Stress and Activism in Campus Publication" began trending on Facebook, along with this article from Fox News: "'Coddled' Student Activists Complain There's Not Enough Time For Homework." (We were soon replaced by a story about Hitler's deformed genitalia, so there's that).
This is hardly the first time Fox News has taken undue notice of our university. Most of the previous incidents involve Bill O'Reilly, and a bunch of creepy attempts to enter 'college sex parties' by Channel Five's most career stunted correspondent, Jesse Watters. Brunonians, if you want to educate yourself on our foxy legacy, check here, here, and here.Somehow, all of this coverage has managed to diffuse the actual story. Mental health, and exceptional levels of stress continue to be a major force acting on all students, but student activists have achieved some amazing things, throughout Brown's history, and they continue to do so in the present. When handling these seemingly deaf, and off-center media outcries, I think it is surprisingly relevant to quote Christina Paxson's HuffPo piece from earlier this year,
"As a university president, the views I see expressed in many articles leave me baffled and frustrated, because the way that events on campus are being portrayed do not match the reality of what I see taking place, or what I hear from my peers about events on their campuses. Where some see threats to the core missions of universities, others of us see constructive irreverence in action."
Although university presidents may change, some things stay the same, as Fox News continues to be unabashedly obsessed with us (seriously Fox, get a life). Who knows, maybe they will pay us a visit again this year? Sending good ole' (young?) Pete Hegseth would be the most relevant, but I personally hope they send Watters–I want to show off the Kanye song I rewrote for him.And yet, if Fox were to haul up to Providence it would be rather ironic, considering whatever washed up anchor they send us would surely be a distraction from our homework.Images via Facebook and via.