I’M GLAD THEY’RE GETTING PUSHBACK: Fighting Irish dean fighting mad when architecture department DEI hire dissed.
In classic alumni fashion, many of whom (especially at a place like Notre Dame) are heavily invested in the university with ongoing financial support, they felt free to speak up about the new position. As you can imagine, a grumble or two was heard from the crowd of graduates in the comments. After all, this is ostensively a school of architecture – buildings, math, and whatnot – and some alumni naturally questioned where DEI came into any of it. Some might have had a little more jaundiced view than others, but, hey. Free country! And nothing we’d think of as untoward was said from what’s been related.
Well. Didn’t use to think was rude or unreasonable, in the days of free expression. That seems not to be the case now.
I do so wish I had a Greta Thunberg How DARE you gif right now. How DARE this alumnus suggest that granting DEI sway over the department was going to somehow dilute the integrity of the course?!
Oddly enough, that’s exactly how Dean Polyzoides felt. Angry to the tips of his toes. SO mad and morally wounded, he scrawled out an aggrieved letter to be sent to all ND School of Architecture alumni. In it, he wails and gnashes his teeth about “horrific” and “deeply hurtful and hateful activity” by alumni online trying to “derail” their efforts.
Oh, this little gem is just jam-packed with all the race-baiting SJW hyperbolic dog whistles. Polyzoides didn’t choose those incendiary adjectives randomly.
Polyzoides should be replaced by someone who can engage in reasoned discussion, as academics are supposed to be able to do.