Netflix Comms Officer Out After Using Racial Epithet

Jonathan Friedland, Netflix's chief communications officer, was fired after using the "N-word" at least twice at work. CEO Reed Hastings sent an email to employees explaining the situation:

“Several people afterwards told him how inappropriate and hurtful his use of the N-word was..."  “We hoped this was an awful anomaly never to be repeated.” “The second incident confirmed a deep lack of understanding, and convinced me to let Jonathan go now." "[I should]...have done more to use it as a learning moment for everyone at Netflix about how painful and ugly that word is, and that it should not be used.” “Depending on where you live or grew up in the world, understanding and sensitivities around the history and use of the N-word can vary.” “For nonblack people, the word should not be spoken as there is almost no context in which it is appropriate or constructive (even when singing a song or reading a script). There is not a way to neutralize the emotion and history behind the word in any context.”

The first incident was during a PR meeting on the topic of sensitive words. It's unclear when and how the word was used the second time.

For his part, Friedland apologized on Twitter.

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Discussion:

  • What's your view of the situation and Friedland's use of the word? Consider that we don't have all of the context.
  • Given what little we know, should Friedland have been fired?
  • How does this situation potentially demonstrate a lack of humility?

Email Edits at MSU

Emails at Michigan State University reveal interesting email editing regarding the controversy about Larry Nassar, the medical doctor who sexually abused hundreds of female athletes, including many during his post at the university.

The previous university president resigned, and the interim doesn't seem to be winning much support. John M. Engler drafted an email that included these statements, obtained by The Chronicle of Higher Education:

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But his email was edited to the following, a watered-down apology if that:

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The university continues to be criticized for a lack of empathy for survivors of the sexual abuse, and perhaps here we see an example of the administration's failures to offer a sincere apology.

While trying to keep his job, Engler did apologize for an earlier statement, implying that Nassar's first victim would probably get a "kickback" from her lawyer for encouraging others to come forward. The trustees voted to keep Engler despite the controversy.

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Discussion:

  • What is the value of an apology, and what does an effective apology include?
  • What is the interim president's responsibility for the final email after the editing process?
  • Which leadership character failures are demonstrated by this example?

Tesla Employee Accused of Sabotage

A Tesla employee is accused of hacking into the computer system and changing code that affected the manufacturing process of the Model 3 car. The company believes this is the reason for the production delays.

CEO Elon Musk sent an email to employees, explaining the situation and asking them to report anything that looks "suspicious." He also writes, "This can be done in your name, which will be kept confidential, or completely anonymously." Musk blames an employment dispute:

"The full extent of his actions are not yet clear, but what he has admitted to so far is pretty bad. His stated motivation is that he wanted a promotion that he did not receive. In light of these actions, not promoting him was definitely the right move."

Musk gives other possible explanations for the deceit. He mentions short-sellers and members of the oil and gas industry who "don't love the idea of Tesla advancing the progress of solar power & electric cars."

The employee, Martin Tripp, disputes the claim, saying he was a "whistle blower." According to Tripp, he merely sent a query to a database to confirm waste and safety issues he saw at the company. Tripp has worked for Tesla since 2007.

Meanwhile, an email exchange between Musk and Tripp has become public:

Tripp: “Don’t worry, you have what’s coming to you for the lies you have told to the public and investors.”

Musk: “Threatening me only makes it worse for you”

Tripp: “I never made a threat. I simply told you that you have what’s coming. Thank you for this gift!!!!”

Musk: “You should ashamed of yourself for framing other people. You’re a horrible human being.”

Tripp: “I NEVER ‘framed’ anyone else or even insinuated anyone else as being involved in my production of documents of your MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF WASTE, Safety concerns, lying to investors/the WORLD. Putting cars on the road with safety issues is being a horrible human being!”

Musk: “There are literally injuries[sic] with Model 3. It is by far the safest car in the world for any midsize vehicle. And of course a company with billions of dollars in product is going to have millions of dollars in scrap. This is not news.

“However, betraying your word of honor, breaking the deal you had when Tesla gave you a job and framing your colleagues are wrong and some come with legal penalties. So it goes. Be well.”

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Discussion:

  • I'm curious about the possibility of employees reporting anonymously when Musk gives an email address. How is this possible?
  • Have you been in a situation where you were unhappy with how you were treated by management? What resources were available to you?
  • Assess Musk's email to employees: the audience focus, organization, tone, and so forth. What works well, and what could be improved?
  • What's your view of the dispute between the company and the employee? With whom do you side, and why?

Body Language During a Job Interview

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A Business Insider article gives tips for body language, and some suggestions are better than others.

The best advice is to "sit up straight" and "walk in with your shoulders pulled back and head held high"―good for an interview and for posture. The given example is for when you approach a receptionist, and this is a good first test of your communication skills and how you treat people throughout the interview process. Also good advice is to "nix sweaty palms with cold water" at a restroom before the interview starts.

Other advice is questionable. The point of "hold still" and "don't cross your legs" is to avoid excessive fidgeting, but a natural, comfortable position is probably best. In an hour-long interview, you can certainly shift your body a bit, which may include uncrossing and re-crossing your legs a couple of times. You don't want to appear stiff; authenticity is best.

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Discussion:

  • Which advice from the article do you find most and least useful?
  • In what ways do you tend to fidget? Have you found ways to control this, such as pulling back your hair or avoiding dangling jewelry?  

Tesla Layoff Memo

Tesla will cut about 9% of its staff, according to a memo sent to employees. In the message, CEO Elon Musk is direct about the decision, which he claims addresses some overlapping roles. Musk also says that profits haven't been a priority but that the company must now focus on profitability to be successful.

In the last paragraph, Musk expresses his gratitude to those leaving the company:

"To those who are departing, thank you for everything you’ve done for Tesla and we wish you well in your future opportunities. To those remaining, I would like to thank you in advance for ult job that remains ahead. We are a small company in one of the toughest and most competitive industries on Earth, where just staying alive, let alone growing, is a form of victory (Tesla and Ford remain the only American car companies who haven’t gone bankrupt). Yet, despite our tiny size, Tesla has already played a major role in moving the auto industry towards sustainable electric transport and moving the energy industry towards sustainable power generation and storage. We must continue to drive that forward for the good of the world."

A Bloomberg article criticizes the memo for burying news that it will end its partnership with Home Depot. Musk does address the issue, particularly how employees are affected, in the fifth paragraph.

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Discussion:

  • How clearly does Musk's memo communicate the news the employees?
  • What organizational approach does Musk use in the memo? How effective is this approach given the situation and audience?
  • What's your view of Bloomberg's criticism about the Home Depot decision? How, if at all, could Musk have handled this differently?
  • What leadership character dimensions are demonstrated in Musk's memo? Where, if at all, does he fall short?

Tonys Recap: Speeches and Politics

As usual, the annual Tony awards was a star-studded night with fancy clothes and big celebrities. But this year, the show got political.

Most significantly—or most viral—was Robert De Niro's "F-bomb" preceding President Trump's name. He received a highly positive reaction from the Hollywood audience, with people cheering and standing. The comment, which De Niro repeated, was censored in the United States, but an Australian feed let it roll, so it's available in full on YouTube.

A highlight of the night was hearing graduating students from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL, where a shooter recently killed 17 people and left more injured. Students sang "Seasons of Love" from "Rent" and encouraged us to "measure your life in love." A Washington Post article referred to this segment as "the most moving moment" of the night.

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Discussion:

  • What's your view of De Niro's outburst: inappropriate, inspiring, or something else?
  • How would you respond to the same question about the high school students?
  • One could argue that De Niro is "just being his authentic self." How would you respond to this perspective?

Valedictorian's Speech About Sexual Assault Is Cut Short

Just as a high school valedictorian started talking about sexual assault at the school, her mic was cut off. Lulabel Seitz, in Petaluma, CA, had planned to discuss issues of students, including herself, being silenced after reporting incidents of sexual misconduct. The school administration warned her to avoid the topic in her speech: “For weeks, they have threatened me against ‘speaking against them’ in my speech. Sometimes we know what’s right and have to do it despite the threats.”

When the time came for her speech, Seitz said, “Because the class of 2018 has demonstrated time and time again that we may be a new generation, but we are not too young to speak up, to dream and to create change, which is why even when some people on this campus, those some people..." And then there was silence from the podium as her classmates cheered her on: "Let her speak."

She did continue, on YouTube, where she uploaded her complete speech and the ending to her sentence: “And even learning on a campus in which some people defend perpetrators of sexual assault, and silence their victims, we didn’t let that drag us down.”

This story exemplifies the Streisand Effect, which The Economist describes as demonstrating "how efforts to suppress a juicy piece of online information can backfire and end up making things worse for the would-be censor." The Effect was named when performer Barbra Streisand sued the California Coastal Records Project for including pictures of her Malibu house. The suit was considered frivolous, and photos of the home went viral, giving Streisand far more attention than she would have otherwise received from the Coastal Project. 

In the case of the high school student, the administration silenced her during the ceremony, but her YouTube video, as of this writing, received almost 230,000 views, far more than the number of people who attended graduation. Also, now the school's handling of sexual misconduct situations is on full display.

The school responded with a short statement:

"Administrators and staff in Petaluma City Schools care deeply about the safety and well being of our students. Due to student privacy issues, we cannot and should not respond with specific information. We can say that when issues of sexual assault come to our attention, local law enforcement has initial jurisdiction and determines the course of action."

Discussion:

  • What, if anything, should the school administrators have done differently before Seitz's speech?
  • What is Seitz's responsibility? Should she have avoided discussion of sexual assault, as she was instructed by school officials?
  • What else should school officials say now? How can they repair the district's image and address issues raised?
  • How is this an issue of integrity for the school and for Seitz?

Analyzing Communications Around the USC Crisis

After the University of Southern California's president resigned last month, crisis communication experts analyzed university messaging. When a gynecologist was accused of inappropriate exams and comments over decades working for the university, 200 faculty called for President C.L. Max Nikias's resignation. Faculty wrote that they believed Dr. Nikias "has lost the moral authority to lead the University.” Although the Administration denies any type of coverup, the gynecologist was allowed to continue in his job even after many allegations in 2016. Dr. Nikias did resign.

A Wall Street Journal article chronicles the following university communications:

A May 21 statement from university Provost Michael Quick denied university leadership knew of the doctor’s improper behavior, stating: “It is true that our system failed, but it is important that you know that this claim of a cover-up if patently false.” Prior to that, the university issued statements about the matter from Mr. Nikias on May 18 and May 15, and statements from other university officials on May 15 and May 16. University administrators also are contacting students.

Criticism of the communication includes sounding defensive, not completing the investigation quickly enough, and failing to report investigation results to those affected. One writer complimented the statement by the chair of the university's executive committee.

Discussion:

  • How does this situation illustrate character dimensions such as vulnerability, accountability, and integrity?
  • Read the executive committee chair's statement. In what ways does the statement illustrate authenticity? What other character dimensions are illustrated?
  • Assess the university's other statements. What's your assessment of each?
  • What should the university do at this point to rebuild trust?

Howard Schultz Steps Down from Starbucks and Speculation Abounds

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Howard Schultz's career may get more interesting. After an incredible 40-year success story with Starbucks, Schultz announced he's stepping down from the company's board of directors.

The Seattle Times reports that Schultz planned the announcement before the controversy about two black men arrested in a Philadelphia store. He waited until the news died down, and now, the time seems right.

Schultz has never shied away from political topics, and this isn't the first time people are speculating about a presidential bid. But this time, Schultz isn't denying the possibility, as he told The New York Times:

“I want to be truthful with you without creating more speculative headlines. For some time now, I have been deeply concerned about our country — the growing division at home and our standing in the world.

“One of the things I want to do in my next chapter is to figure out if there is a role I can play in giving back. I’m not exactly sure what that means yet.”

Schultz also responded to a question about a potential presidential run:

“I intend to think about a range of options, and that could include public service. But I’m a long way from making any decisions about the future.”

He certainly has a simple, nicely designed website with a video introduction. Regardless of his campaign decision, Schultz seems to have some plans for a future. With the multiple ways to provide contact information ("Let's stay in touch!"), the focus is clearly on connecting with people.

See additional communications about the news:

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Discussion:

  • Assess Schultz's website and video. Who are his primary and secondary audiences, and what are his objectives?
  • Why do you think Schultz emphasizes staying connected? Other than for political reasons, what could be his motivations?
  • Read the company's press release. What are the main points?

Cold Email Examples

The CEO of Mapistry, a start-up software company for storm water compliance, posted and analyzed her past emails to VCs, venture capitalists who could invest in her company. Allie Janoch disputes the claim that you need an introduction to a VC; she has had some success in sending cold emails.

Her first email, Janochs admits, says little about her company and undermines the message with self-deprecation.

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She didn't get a response. Her second email, when her company had more traction, includes a specific subject, focuses on problem solving, uses bullets for important data points, and is personal.

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Discussion:

  • What do you consider the strength's of Janoch's second email?
  • What improvements could she make?
  • How does each email demonstrate humility? The first, as Janoch says, is self-deprecating. What's the potential problem with this approach? How does the second email demonstrate humility as well as confidence? How well does Janoch balance the two?

More About the Roseanne Situation

Reactions to Roseanne's tweets and her firing raise interesting questions about communication. Let's look at decisions and responses from five groups: cast members, ABC executives, conservatives, the makers of Ambien, and President Trump.

Cast Members

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Perhaps the most immediate and vocal reaction came from Sara Gilbert, who plays one of Roseanne's daughters on the show. Although she likely has a lot to lose, Gilbert did not hesitate in expressing her anger at Roseanne's tweet about Valerie Jarrett. 

ABC Executives

A New York Times article sheds more light on ABC's decision to cancel the show. Channing Dungey, appointed to lead ABC Entertainment in 2016, is the first African-American woman in such a senior leadership role at a network. With this decision, which was supported by more senior-level executives at ABC, Dungey has made her mark and won praise from other entertainment executives.

Conservatives

Political conservatives support Roseanne and blast the media and firing for silencing her voice. A writer for InfoWars, which has connections to radio host Alex Jones, referred to Roseanne's extraordinary ratings and the "PC police." Conservatives see this as another example of censorship of the right.

Ambien

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After the firing, Roseanne returned to Twitter and seemed to blame sleep drug Ambien for her comments: "It was 2 in the morning and I was ambien tweeting." The drug maker Sanofi responded quickly to defend its "side effects."

President Trump

The president also has jumped into the conversation, which contradicted his press secretary's claim: "That's not what he's spending his time on." President Trump's tweet took aim at CEO Bob Iger: 

"Bob Iger of ABC called Valerie Jarrett to let her know that 'ABC does not tolerate comments like those' made by Roseanne Barr. Gee, he never called President Donald J. Trump to apologize for the HORRIBLE statements made and said about me on ABC. Maybe I just didn't get the call?"

The president and Roseanne are mutual fans.

Discussion:

  • Which, if any, of these reactions surprise you?
  • Assess Ambien's response. How well did the company defend the brand?
  • Should President Trump have involved himself in this situation? Why or why not?

"Roseanne" Gets Cancelled After Racist and Islamophobic Tweet

The revival of TV show "Roseanne has gotten a lot of press, and now there's more, but not for good news. The new season addressed political and social issues, with Roseanne, on the show and in real life, a Trump supporter, and she has a transgender and a black grandchild on the show.

But Roseanne crossed the line in a tweet, criticizing former President Obama's adviser Valerie Jarrett as a mix between "muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes.” The missive was part of a series of tweets about Roseanne's view that Jarrett covered up inappropriate actions during the Obama Administration. 

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At first, she defended her post as "a joke": “ISLAM is not a RACE, lefties. Islam includes EVERY RACE of people.” Roseanne eventually apologized.

ABC Network's response was swift and direct. CEO Robert Iger announced that the show will be cancelled. 

Although Roseanne was ABC's most popular show, it was suspiciously not mentioned during the network's recent earnings call until someone asked a question. Perhaps issues existed before this tweet.

Discussion: 

  • What's your view of the tweet? Does Roseanne's role as a comedian excuse it? Is she just being her authentic self? Or something else?
  • Did ABC make the right decision? What are the consequences either way?

Teacher Edits White House Letter

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Yvonne Mason, a retired high school English teacher from Atlanta, marked up a letter she received from President Trump. She criticizes language choices, capitalization, and other issues, but some choices are by convention.

A New York Times article uncovered a federal government style guide, which is a whopping 465 pages. The guide suggests capitalizing some words, such as Nation and Federal when used to refer to the United States.

Then again, the style guide covers unusual topics, such as "Leaderwork":

14. Leaderwork

(See also Chapter 9 “Abbreviations and Letter Symbols” and Chapter 13 “Tabular Work”)

14 .1.

Leaderwork is a simple form of tabular work without boxheads or rules and is separated from text by 4 points of space above and below in solid matter or 6 points of space in leaded matter. It consists of a reading (stub) column and a figure column, leadered from the bottom line. It may also consist of two reading columns, aligning on the top line.

Mason skipped a more serious grammatical error: "I did not mention the dangling modifier. I focused mainly on mechanics.”

Discussion:

  • On social media, people criticized Mason, with someone imagining her as "a lonely bitter hag with a lot of cats." Do you agree, or do you see Mason as doing an important service, or something else?
  • What is the dangling modifier?
  • Can you find a simpler way to explain leaderwork in the style guide? What is the value of such detail in a style guide, and what are the drawbacks?

 

 

 

McDonald's Ramadan Commercial

An American colleague working in Singapore sent me this McDonald's commercial about Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting. The YouTube caption reads, "Sharing food creates a bond like no other. This Ramadan, McDonald's brings you even more reasons to share."

We see an industrious McDonald's employee, delivering food as he gets weaker because of fasting. At the end, a customer offers him food when it's time to break the fast.

The response has been positive, with one user commenting that he would like to see ads like this in the United States. A McDonald's representative expressed her views of the response:

"We're truly humbled and encouraged by the positive response received from our latest video."

"We wanted to celebrate Singapore's community spirit of human kindness, sharing and togetherness during this Ramadan month, and what better way than to do it through the lens of our McDelivery riders - who connect our brand with our customers, door to door."

"It's our small way of appreciating those working tirelessly behind the scenes to deliver meals and enabling the bonding and sharing moments during this occasion."

Discussion:

  • Why do you think the video is getting such a strong positive response?
  • Would such a commercial be successful in the U.S.? Why or why not? Consider cultural differences between Singapore and the U.S.
  • The McDonald's representative says they are "humbled." What does she mean by this, and how does it relate to definitions of humility?

University of Oregon Apologizes for Statement About Student Death

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University of Oregon leadership missed the mark in its statement about a student's death during a lake trip. Although the university offered sympathy in the original notice, the statement included language that seemed to blame the student:

It is important to point out that this tragedy is connected to an unauthorized tradition among many college students. Students from many institutions have a history of demonstrating poor life choices during visits to Lake Shasta. These activities are contrary to the values of the University and Fraternity and Sorority Organization.

When criticized for the tone and insensitivity, leaders published a new statement, which excludes this paragraph, and posted their regret on Twitter.

University officials may have wanted to use the student's death as a lesson or a warning to others. On the face of it, this strategy wasn't all bad. After all, Shasta Lake is a known partying site and has been in the news for tents and other debris left by college students. One Twitter user commented, "I think the first statement was more appropriate. Although this young man's death is tragic, bad choices have bad consequences."

Discussion:

  • What's your view? Was it wrong for the university to include that statement? Why or why not?
  •  If not in this statement, what should the university leaders have done differently if they did want to focus on future safety?

Starbucks Clarifies Policy

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Following criticism for arresting two black men in a Philadelphia store, Starbucks has set a new policy for bathroom use. Company leaders decided to adopt a more open policy, allowing anyone to use a store bathroom without purchasing products.

But people questioned the effect on Starbucks locations, worrying the policy would invite homeless people and drug users. Customers want space available for themselves. Employees, particularly, complained that the policy didn't have enough guidance for them to know, for example, when to call the police.

The new policy lists the following expectations for people in their stores:

  • Using spaces as intended
  • Being considerate of others
  • Communicating with respect
  • Acting responsibly

The policy also refers to "Addressing Disruptive Behaviors" procedures and clarifies, "If a situation presents an immediate danger or threat to partner or customer safety, Starbucks partners should call 911."

I'm struggling with the term "customer." The policy uses this terminology, and the WSJ article refers to paying and non-paying customers. To me, the latter is an oxymoron, but perhaps it is not given the company's mission to create a "third place."

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Discussion:

  • What benefits and potential downsides do you see from Starbucks' open policy?
  • How could Starbucks further clarify the policy to address customers' and employees' concerns?
  • One point of clarification, if you haven't mentioned it, is about timing. How long should people be permitted to stay without purchasing an item? What are your thoughts about what is fair?
  • What's your view of the term "customer" in this context?

Communications About Cuba Plane Crash

A plane crashed near the Havana, Cuba, airport, leaving more than 100 people dead and only three survivors. Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel delivered the bad news:

"There has been an unfortunate aviation accident. The news is not very promising. It seems that there is a high number of victims."

The president also described recovery efforts:

"Things have been organised, the fire has been put out, and the remains are being identified,"

The reason is unknown, although an Al Jazeera article referred to the Boeing 737 as "aging." Aviation accidents are rare, but a BBC article chronicles several, including the previous crash in Cuba, in 1989, which killed 150 people.

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Discussion:

  • How well does the president communicate the events? We see only two short quotes here, so he may have said more. What else should he say? How can he communicate compassion?
  • Research communications around other deadly plane crashes. How do the situations compare, and how should the communications differ?
  • Should Boeing make a statement about the situation? Why or why not?

Japanese Train Company Apologizes for Early Departure

In the United States, we're used to late transportation services, but in Japan, early departures can be an issue—even 25 seconds early. Japan's rail system is known as "one of the most punctual railway services in the world."

West Japan Railways (JR West) issued a statement and formal apology for the delay: "The great inconvenience we placed upon our customers was truly inexcusable.” The statement included a commitment to do better: “We will be thoroughly evaluating our conduct and striving to keep such an incident from occurring again." 

Also interesting, from a cultural perspective, is the decision process: the conductor mistakenly thought the train was departing at 7:11. Realizing the mistake but having already closed the doors and seeing no waiting passengers (although a few were waiting), the conductor decided to leave early rather than reopening the doors, which could have caused the train to be late, a far worse result.

A Sora News article explains the impact on the Japanese people:

"Being six minutes late is enough to get you in trouble in with bosses and teachers in Japan, and those who missed a transfer because they couldn’t take the 7:12 would be even later reaching their destination."

Back in 2013, I wrote about NY Metro-North's failure to apologize for a derailment that killed four people. Although the MTA has been more willing to apologize lately, this situation represents a stark contrast.

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Discussion:

  • How would you describe the cultural differences—about both time and apologies—between Japan and the United States illustrated in this situation? What might account for these differences?
  • What are the risks of over-apologizing?
  • How does this situation illustrate accountability and integrity as character dimensions?

"Can We Use 'I'?"

In an article, "The Soul-Crushing Student Essay," a writing instructor at The New School in New York City laments first-year students' writing. Every semester, he says, students ask, “Do you mean we can write with the word ‘I’?” He says, "Somewhere along the way, these young people were told by teachers that who they are in their writing ought to be divorced from who they are on their phones, or as the writer Grace Paley may have said, with their families and on their streets."

He encourages students to write about their own experience:

First, we need to value more the complete and complex lives of young people: where they come from, how they express themselves. They have already lived lives worthy of our attention and appreciation.

Second, we need to encourage young people to take seriously those lives they’ve lived, even as they come to understand—often through schooling and just as often not—that there’s a whole lot more we’ll expect of them. Through this, we can help them learn to expect more of themselves, too.

I'm sensitive to the topic because several students recently asked me this question about their final assignment—a self-reflection paper.

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Discussion:

  • Were you taught to avoid "I" in writing? What was the reason?
  • What is the value of writing from your own experience?
  • How does using "I" make your writing clearer and more concise?

Cornell Student Presents Thesis in Underwear

Upset about a professor's advice to wear professional clothing, a student at Cornell University delivered her practice senior thesis in her underwear. The news is making international headlines, and some of the facts presented aren't quite what transpired.

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In this theater class, "Acting in Public," the faculty member encourages students to consider everything about their presentation, including dress. When a student wore cut-off shorts, she was asked to consider the impression she wanted to make.

Most students in the class did not agree with how the situation was portrayed, and 11 of the 13 other students in the class wrote a long description from their perspective. They write that, although they support the student's fight for equality, "All of us feel that our professor’s words and actions were unfairly represented in the post, with certain quotes taken out of context, and we wish to clarify any misunderstandings that may have occurred." They also explain that the professor "apologized for her choice of words, acknowledging that the notion of 'short shorts' on women carries a lot of cultural and political baggage." But the student wasn't in the classroom to hear this comment.

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Discussion:

  • Read the Cornell Daily Sun article and the other students' perspective. Whose side do you favor and why?
  • How do you view the student's actions: courageous, distasteful, disrespectful, or something else?
  • What's your opinion on "professional attire"? In what situations should people adjust what they wear?
  • Compare this situation to an employment interview. What is similar, and what is different?