Ending the Glare?

Announced today:

At the beginning of this academic year, Queen’s University began a pilot Intergroup Dialogue program as part of its ongoing efforts to foster constructive dialogue between students on difficult issues such as race, religion, sexual orientation and ethnicity.

Over the past week, the pilot program has received extensive media coverage and has generated a great deal of feedback from students, alumni, media and the general public.

We regret that the program has been inaccurately characterized as intrusive and in conflict with the right of freedom of expression. It was not intended to be so, nor in the three months of its operation has any student complained that the program has interfered with individual rights or freedom of speech.

However, in the constructive and self-critical spirit of the program, and in light of the importance of the concerns that have been raised, the University has decided to conduct an early assessment of the program.

A review panel, consisting of the Rector, a senior academic and a member of Queen’s alumni, will be established immediately and will report to me in early January 2009 on the program as it relates to our existing and planned measures to enhance diversity and inclusiveness on campus.

Patrick Deane

Vice-Principal (Academic)

Glare a Bit Less, But Still Bright

The university sent out responses to the (erroneous) news coverage but I haven't seen any printed. There are also more blogs commenting than I can find or list.

Jonathan Kay in National Post
Followup article in the Queen's Journal
University of Western Ontario Gazette
Facebook group with lively discussion

Media Glare Continued...

More action in the lions' den. So far today:

National Post editorial
Globe & Mail editorial
CTV.ca
The Whig Standard
Ottawa Citizen
American Renaissance News
Facebook group

Media Glare

I was interviewed by The National Post and The Globe & Mail yesterday about the Intergroup Dialogue program in Queen's University residences. The articles came out today and misrepresented the program, singling out something the reporters got from an ill-informed editorial in the student-run Queen's Journal. There is a colour picture of me on the Post website and black and white in the print edition, so I'm the new face of the program, and am attracting much vitriolic comment on the newspaper sites and other blogs.

You decide:
The original Journal editorial and cartoon
National Post
The Globe & Mail
Small Dead Animals blog comments
Canadian Press story attempting to clear this up

A Night to Remember

From The New York Times - after the announcement of Barack Obama's victory, First Corinthian Baptist Church, Harlem, New York City