4A = THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
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OPINION
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TUESDAY,NOV.27,2001
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KNIGHT RIDDER TRIBUNE
PERSPECTIVE
Multiculturalism doesn't mean anything
Multiculturalism is one of those 50-cent words that are often bandied about amongst the intelligentsia without much consideration for exactly what it means or how it is attained. And like all currency, its prevalence has led to an intellectual inflation of sorts, where whatever meaning the word used to possess has been lost in a stampede to political correctness.
For example, consider the teaching of the Quran in KU's mandatory Western Civilization course. While proponents will undoubtedly assert that its place in the curriculum in these trying times is absolutely necessary, upon closer examination it becomes apparent that its inclusion is based on the flimsiest of rationales.
The first claim made by Quran proponents is that Islamic society had a huge impact on the development of Western Civilization, and thus the work ought to be included in the course. Initially this argument is appealing. After all, Islamic scholars preserved the works of ancient Greece and Rome and also made numerous scientific advances of their own. The Islamic empire stretched well into Europe, and wasn't expelled until 1492 (which is why Colombus managed to get his little project funded).
commentary
Robert Chamberlain
Columnist
opinionkansan.com
So certainly Islam has had a profound influence. Which is interesting until one begins to ask what any of that has to do with the Quran. Christian empires have waged wars of conquest the world over. Yet if I wanted to understand the influence of the conquistadors on South America, I wouldn't read the Bible to do it. Instead I would find a good history or two. Reading a religious text to understand the influence of practitioners of that religion on a region over the course of a millennium is a questionable technique, to say the least.
The second claim made by Quran proponents is that, regardless of the actual involvement with Western Civilization, knowledge of Islam is still important for inhabitants of the modern world. True as that may be, I fail to see how 60 pages of reading, a lecture or two, and a discussion can impart the knowledge desired.
The three hours or so spent on Quranic study in Western Civ are about the length of a professional football game. Yet after seeing only a single game, I would be hard pressed to successfully involve myself in any sort of in-depth discussion about the sport. Similarly, I doubt that including the Quran in Western Civ really imparted useful knowledge to anyone in the class.
anyone in the class. However, the proponents of the Quran will still fall back on the devalued currency of multiculturalism to make their third claim - "at least." they will say, "the students are getting some multicultural exposure." However, far from making the students erudite world citizens, it is likely to imbue students with unwarranted confidence in their expertise. This in turn, will only retrench many of stigmas and prejudices that reading the Quran purports to eliminate.
Quran purposes.
For example, imagine a conversation between a KU student who has "read" the Quran in Western Civ and his hometown buddies. Because the KU student has learned a few vocabulary words and read a few passages that his buddies have not, he will gain instant credibility. However, his sophomoric knowledge isn't really suited for an thoughtful discussion, and because he lacks the requisite
expertise for insight and analysis, he will merely regurgitate the same platitudes that float around the culture at large and reinforce these notions with a few fumbling references to "people of the book," "fire" and "infidels." So all reading the Quran in Western Civ really does is retrench the dominant paradigm regarding Islam, because the knowledge imparted by Western Civ is too limited to replace that paradigm with anything else.
else.
Western Civ in general seems to be an exercise in phony multiculturalism and false cosmopolitanism. The course readings are all incredibly important to the development of modern culture, yet because of time constraints, works of staggering depth are to be placed in proper context and fully explored in the time span of a feature film. The Quran is an especially good example, as few students have a great deal of knowledge about Islam, thus making false "multicultural" judgments all the more likely. The entire pedagogy of Western Civ merits rethinking, and the elimination of the Quran from the required readings would be a good place to start.
Chamberlain is a senior from Topeka in Political Science
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KU2030
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To the cute blond girl in the black I provide I saw Sunday night: I love you.
To the girls who went to see Howie Day: I
Welcome to the 2029-2030 academic year at the University of Kansas! We know you will enjoy your five-to six-year stay in Lawrence. To help you get the most out of your time, enclosed is the 2030 Orientation Guide. It is a short list of things you should do and places you should visit during your first month of University life. Also, compare the campus you meet when you arrive to the enclosed picture taken 100 years ago.
Welcome to Mt. Oread,
President Orientation
2019 Orientation Guide
1) While in the Kansas Student Union, purchase your textbooks, go CyberBowling and get a glass of cold beer at the student-run microbrewery. (Enroll in brewery studies for course credit in KU's world-famous College of Agricultural Sciences!)
2) visit the Strong Museum! The third floor of this administrative building is now completely a museum, open to the public. Using both real antiques and cutting-edge visual imaging technologies, "offices" and "classrooms" are set up in the styles of decades gone by. Old-fashioned relics of previous decades - sports equipment, personal computers, clothing styles - will take you back to the KU of many generations ago. Try not to laugh, because one day the 2030s will have their own museum space!
3) Take the 13th or 14th Street Moving Walkways. These one-way sidewalks serve the students and visitors who live or park at the bottom of the Hill. It's free and it's fast!
4) Hang out in one of the popular smoking lounges in the basements of KU's renowned Scholarship Halls. These are the best places for smoking the famous weeds grown in KU's own West Campus laboratories. (Enroll in herbicultural studies for course credit in the College of Agricultural Sciences!)
5) Join the University Governance System! All decision-making at KU is done by the University Senate, which is empowered to make all policy and financial decisions. The body is comprised of one-sixths each of the following, equally important groups: undergraduate students, graduate and professional students, full-time faculty, part-time faculty, other staff and administrators.
6) Visit one of KU's seven networked libraries. Much of your student work will be done in or connected with these libraries. Pick your favorite library and register for a student cubicle on the basement level! For those times when a roommate gets on your nerves while you're studying organic chemistry, a 24-hour space in the Fizell Library is just the thing!
Orientation guide submitted by Amy Cummins, Lawrence graduate student
10) If you work for KU, join one of the labor unions on campus! KU now has union chapters serving all employee groups. So if you are both a student and an employee of KU, join the union!
11) Drop by the Chancellor's Open Happy Hour! Every schoolday from 5 to 6 p.m., the KU community is invited to gather on the chancellor's lawn. Enjoy playground equipment, discuss current events, and partake of that famous, student-brewed beer (free!) Since the chancellor's office was freed from many administrative duties by the reorganization of University Governance, she now has more time to meet with students and faculty about their ideas for KU.
9) Watch the fish in the Stadium Aquarium! The area formerly used as seating for football games was converted into a series of large aquariums. Freshwater and salt water fish, dolphins, seals and a whale all live on Mississippi Street. And while you are visiting the Stadium Aquarium, cast your vote for the next aquatic life to be added to this wonderful student service! (KU ID required for voting.)
8) Go for a swim in the Stadium Pool! This area, used as a football playing field when KU had a football team, was converted to a pool in 2010. Now accommodating KU's numerous water-related sports, the pool has plenty of hours and lanes for every one to enjoy.
7) Enroll for classes online or through one of the voice-activated modules in Anschutz Library. Simply bring your KUID to register your student identity. Remember, the only hard part of enrollment is choosing which great classes to take!
12) Relax in the Wescoe Atrium. The atrium in the center of Wescoe Hall on Jayawk Boulevard houses a hanging garden, a 50-foot waterfall and soundproof walls. cate the tranquil side of life in the Wescoe Atrium.
Photo looking east down Jayhawk Boulevard in 1928 from The Years on Mt. Oread by Robert Taft
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