In last weeks class, performance studies professor,Fred Moten, and Middle Eastern studies professor, Asli Igsiz, addressed several issues within the University itself and a widespread problem across universities statewide. Can (and does) sanctuary truly exist within the University itself?Though it seems the answer to this is a mixed bag, I found myself questioning whether sanctuary exists as it relates to my own community. The black … Continue reading Decolonizing the University: Is there Really Sanctuary In Higher Education For Black Students?

The entire system of higher education is founded on taking advantage of oppressed peoples. It is entrenched in racism and sexism, yet those oppressed also reap the benefits. As Professor Moten described, it is a difficult terrain to navigate, and as a student it is hard to consider these factors in the larger context of careers. I am a Tisch student studying Film/TV. In the … Continue reading Time’s Up in the Classroom: Demasculinizing Art School

How do we decolonize a university like NYU? What is the meaning of decolonization within an institution built upon the legacies of slavery, settler colonialism, and the interests of capital? How do these legacies confront and interact with student demands for greater democracy, accountability, and transparency on and beyond campus? Fred Moten’s lecture last Wednesday not only ventured to pose and answer some of these … Continue reading The University Town Hall: Symbolic Farce or Key Encounter?

I have always been uncomfortable with the term “grammar Nazi,” a term embraced and proudly self-proclaimed by those who see themselves as arbiters of language, most commonly Standard American English (SAE). The term is really quite ironic; meant to convey its bearer’s commitment to conscious syntax, it makes callous use of a word that, for many, calls to mind intense trauma and a regime whose … Continue reading Lingua Franca Redux: Exploring the Connections Between Linguicism, Sanctuary, and the University