The Student Room Group

The Telegraph opens up black Cambridge student for barrage of online abuse

Newspaper The Telegraph published a picture of Cambridge student Lola Olufemi under the headline "Student forces Cambridge to drop white authors", after the student had written an open letter calling for the university to include more black and ethnic minority authors on the syllabus.

Olufemi says that her facebook and her email were flooded with sexist and racist abuse after what she calls a "very targeted form of harassment” by the media.

The letter, which was signed by other English students on the course, calls for the "de-colonisation" of the syllabus, after fears that is was too concentrated on white, male authors.

What do you think? Was it right for the Telegraph to focus on this story? Do you think it was a headline designed to induce hatred towards Olufemi?

You can read the rest of the story here, an an opinion piece by Nish Kumar here.

Scroll to see replies

Reply 1
That is truly disgusting. I see nothing wrong with trying to diversify the types of books students are taught about. The Telegraph was obviously writing a hate post with a disgustingly false title in attempt to bring hatred to the student, which is not okay.
(edited 6 years ago)
Reply 2
I read about this a couple of days ago. The Telegraph splashed her face over the front page with a massively misleading headline, then two days later printed a minuscule correction indicating that the headline was factually incorrect. Extremely sleazy behaviour for a news outlet that tries to paint itself as a reliable news source.
Did she ask for the dropping of white authors or the inclusion of more ethnic and minority authors? The difference is important in this case.

The statement from Cambridge
At a national news level, a student wanting a change in a university syllabus is an absolute none-story. The Telegraph should not be running it as a major news story.

Yet the Telegraph did and deliberately inserted some weasel words to misrepresent the strory. It pushes the buttons of angry keyboard warriors, which generates advertising revenue for the paper. Shoddy journalism but they know how to manipulate their readership and that is how they generate revenue.
Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic at Cambridge had better watch out....

http://www.ancientpages.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/holgerdanske3.jpg
Original post by PQ

The statement from Cambridge


Unfortunately, I disagree with Cambridge.

A curricula at a World-leading university should not be developed based on how inclusive and representative it is.

A curricula at such a university should be developed based on the intellectual development and challenge it provides.

Anyone arguing about inclusiveness and representation is just chatting SJW junk and deserves the barrage they get.

If it is not a World-leading university, the curricula can be developed on two other basis:

a) Relevance to local interest and population

b) Ability to attract interest, hence revenue.

Cambridge should only change its curricula if the change would bring increased
intellectual development and challenge for its future students. They should only add materials, or make changes, that increase these. Anyone that does not like it can go to another university that operates based on (a) or (b).

Other universities should be recommended for Lola Olufemi if she is that keen on inclusiveness and representation, rather than intellectual development and challenge.
.
Original post by RoyalBeams
Unfortunately, I disagree with Cambridge.

A curricula at a World-leading university should not be developed based on how inclusive and representative it is.

A curricula at such a university should be developed based on the intellectual development and challenge it provides.

Anyone arguing about inclusiveness and representation is just chatting SJW junk and deserves the barrage they get.

If it is not a World-leading university, the curricula can be developed on two other basis:

a) Relevance to local interest and population

b) Ability to attract interest, hence revenue.

Cambridge should only change its curricula if the change would bring increased
intellectual development and challenge for its future students. They should only add materials, or make changes, that increase these. Anyone that does not like it can go to another university that operates based on (a) or (b).

BPP, Buckingham, Ibadan, OAU, Lagos, Addis Ababa, Nairobi universities should be recommended for Lola Olufemi if she is that keen on inclusiveness and representation, rather than intellectual development and challenge.
.

I’m sure that the Cambridge staff would be delighted to hear your thoughts on how they’re doing their jobs wrong:rolleyes:
Reply 9
Original post by RoyalBeams
Unfortunately, I disagree with Cambridge.

A curricula at a World-leading university should not be developed based on how inclusive and representative it is.

A curricula at such a university should be developed based on the intellectual development and challenge it provides.

Anyone arguing about inclusiveness and representation is just chatting SJW junk and deserves the barrage they get.

If it is not a World-leading university, the curricula can be developed on two other basis:

a) Relevance to local interest and population

b) Ability to attract interest, hence revenue.

Cambridge should only change its curricula if the change would bring increased
intellectual development and challenge for its future students. They should only add materials, or make changes, that increase these. Anyone that does not like it can go to another university that operates based on (a) or (b).

BPP, Buckingham, Ibadan, OAU, Lagos, Addis Ababa, Nairobi universities should be recommended for Lola Olufemi if she is that keen on inclusiveness and representation, rather than intellectual development and challenge.
.


Surely it's up to the faculty themselves to decide in the end? You may or may not agree with it, but they're the ones running the course.
Original post by PQ
I’m sure that the Cambridge staff would be delighted to hear your thoughts on how they’re doing their jobs wrong:rolleyes:


I am sure they would.

They would be smart enough to know when they are wrong and stand to be corrected.

Original post by Dez
Surely it's up to the faculty themselves to decide in the end? You may or may not agree with it, but they're the ones running the course.


They have been a bamboozled victim of crybullying and have succumbed to the the force of it.


They need to be corrected and encouraged to stand up for what is right without, or despite, fear of being called racist.

So many wrong and illogical decisions have been made in the UK and other Western countries because of the fear of being labelled some -ist or -phobic by the SJW brigade.

We all saw what Angela Merkel did to EU to show she is not an -ist or -phobic.
Original post by Guru Jason
Did she ask for the dropping of white authors or the inclusion of more ethnic and minority authors? The difference is important in this case.


Another important information everyone needs to know about the case is Lola Olufemi's history and record of racist utterances and crybullying.
Original post by RoyalBeams
Unfortunately, I disagree with Cambridge.

A curricula at a World-leading university should not be developed based on how inclusive and representative it is.

A curricula at such a university should be developed based on the intellectual development and challenge it provides.

Anyone arguing about inclusiveness and representation is just chatting SJW junk and deserves the barrage they get.

If it is not a World-leading university, the curricula can be developed on two other basis:

a) Relevance to local interest and population

b) Ability to attract interest, hence revenue.

Cambridge should only change its curricula if the change would bring increased
intellectual development and challenge for its future students. They should only add materials, or make changes, that increase these. Anyone that does not like it can go to another university that operates based on (a) or (b).

BPP, Buckingham, Ibadan, OAU, Lagos, Addis Ababa, Nairobi universities should be recommended for Lola Olufemi if she is that keen on inclusiveness and representation, rather than intellectual development and challenge.
.


Curriculum

Edit: suggesting she goes to Africa, seriously?
(edited 6 years ago)
Reply 13
Original post by RoyalBeams
They have been a bamboozled victim of crybullying and have succumbed to the the force of it.


They need to be corrected and encouraged to stand up for what is right without, or despite, fear of being called racist.

So many wrong and illogical decisions have been made in the UK and other Western countries because of the fear of being labelled some -ist or -phobic by the SJW brigade.

We all saw what Angela Merkel did to EU to show she is not an -ist or -phobic.


Universities are independent academic institutions. That means the government cannot force them to change what they teach, study or research. Cambridge has the freedom to change the curricula as they please, and their freedoms are far more important than your opinions on the matter.
Sounds like an incredibly misleading headline that was unfair to the student; I see nothing wrong with calling for more diversity within the syllabus, and regardless, if their opinion is to be challenged it should be on the basis of what they actually said, not on the grossly exaggerated version that was printed.
Original post by Tian1Sky
Curriculum

Edit: suggesting she goes to Africa, seriously?


Your point is?
Original post by Dez
Universities are independent academic institutions. That means the government cannot force them to change what they teach, study or research. Cambridge has the freedom to change the curricula as they please, and their freedoms are far more important than your opinions on the matter.


Please highlight to me where I argued that government should force any university or has forced any university on what to teach.

Or what was the point of this post?

You had no argument and decided to create a new line of argument?
Reply 17
Original post by RoyalBeams
Please highlight to me where I argued that government should force any university or has forced any university on what to teach.

Or what was the point of this post?

You had no argument and decided to create a new line of argument?


Original post by RoyalBeams
They need to be corrected and encouraged to stand up for what is right without, or despite, fear of being called racist.


You seem to be taking an authoritarian stance there, so if not the government, who do you expect is going to enforce your opinion on an otherwise independent institution?
Original post by shadowdweller
Sounds like an incredibly misleading headline that was unfair to the student; I see nothing wrong with calling for more diversity within the syllabus, and regardless, if their opinion is to be challenged it should be on the basis of what they actually said, not on the grossly exaggerated version that was printed.


I disagree.

It is not unfair on her. It is a taste of her own medicine.

People should learn to not dish out to others what they would not like being dished out to them by others.

Here is the title of the letter she penned: 'Decolonising the English Faculty'

How is a historical English university based in England deciding to study mainly English history, activities and literature in the English department an act of "Colonisation"?

Is that not an attempt at intentional mislead to push them on the defensive and gain a "victim" advantage? Just like some are about to do here. Typical SJW tactics.

She has a right to request but definitely not a right to attack, which she did.
Original post by Dez
You seem to be taking an authoritarian stance there, so if not the government, who do you expect is going to enforce your opinion on an otherwise independent institution?


The request I made of you is to highlight to me where I argued that government should force any university or has forced any university on what to teach.

Not to throw more misalignment or accusations and expect me to go on the defensive so as to distract from the fact that you have no argument against my original argument.

Now, lets go again, please highlight to me where I argued that government should force any university or has forced any university on what to teach.

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