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The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse student newspaper is looking to hire a reporter whose sole responsibility will be to cover stories related to “diversity, inclusion, and social justice.”

Earlier this month, The Racquet posted a solicitation seeking to fill two positions for the 2018-2019 school year: a “General Assignment Reporter” and a “Diversity, Inclusion, and Social Justice Reporter.”

Both reporters will be expected to complete weekly story assignments, and are expected to conduct background research, identify and contact sources, and provide at least one photo.

According to the paper’s website, reporters earn $24 per week, plus an additional $12 per article, and may also request internship credit for the experience.

[RELATED: Student paper apologizes for printing photo of Charles Murray]

The Racquet, which bills itself as “the official campus newspaper of the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse since 1910,” purports to “honor” its role as an opinion leader by “publicizing a diverse range of informed opinions.”

Its opinion section, however, is reliably left-leaning, featuring op-eds endorsing net neutrality, food stamps, “multicultural literature,” a “sex-positive” approach to grade school sex education, and more—many of which are posted under the bylines of staff reporters.

One April op-ed, for example, claims that Donald Trump’s tendency to dismiss media reports as “fake news” is “clearly the President of the United States attempting to dismantle the purpose of a Free Press.” While the author acknowledges that previous presidents, including Thomas Jefferson, have also been sharply critical of the press, she concludes that “this fact does not lessen the concern we all should have about Trump’s tweets, especially those protected by the First Amendment.”

Another op-ed, published roughly a week later, addresses a study claiming that police officers “fired on an armed target more quickly when the target was African American than when White,” remarking that the results are “not surprising considering the racist society we live in.”

[RELATED: Student paper features Jesus Christ in smut column]

The same staff reporter also penned another piece in February advocating for stricter gun control laws, arguing that t

Read more: https://www.campusreform.org/?ID=11145

A University of Washington-Seattle professor thinks “geeky” Barbies are the key to overturning the “masculine culture” in STEM disciplines.

Sapna Cheryan, who teaches psychology classes and serves as director of the UW Stereotypes, Identity, and Belonging Lab, was recently named to the prestigious Global Barbie Advisory Council, where she will serve as one of 12 individuals selected to “help inform and refine Barbie brand initiatives,” according to a UW press release. 

[RELATED: Efforts to recruit women for STEM ‘may be backfiring’]

To Cheryan, who has researched the impact of stereotypes on women for much of her career, the position is an opportunity to put her research findings in action.

“If there’s a way to influence children, it’s through a toy,” Cheryan told UW News. “Toys are really important. The first way kids get experience with different fields is through toys, like a toy microscope. But the toy market is very gender-segregated. Physics toys and dinosaurs are still seen as boys toys.” 

Though the brand has been making efforts to diversify the dolls in recent years, the effort hasn’t been without hiccups. 

Mattel faced severe backlash in 2014 over the book Barbie: I Can Be a Computer Engineer, as customers balked at the part in the storyline during which Barbie asks for help from male friends Brian and Steve. The 2016 Scientist Barbie—now out of production—was likewise criticized for wearing high heels and a short skirt.

[RELATED: Conference drops ‘unacceptable’ dress code after profs complain]

Speaking to Campus Reform, Cheryan said she hopes to help Mattel design Barbies that will ultimately help to reduce the gender gap in STEM by exposing young girls to the notion of female scientists.

“Media and role models [can help] broaden the image of STEM so that more girls and women enter,” she explained. “I am hoping to use my knowledge of why gender gaps exist, where they are most prevalent, and how we can decrease disparities to guide Mattel on how they can best empower girls and reduce gender gaps.”

[RELATED: UW science school dismisses science on sex differences] 

Though researchers have proposed myriad theories for why women are underrepresented in STEM over the past few decades, Cheryan believ

Read more: https://www.campusreform.org/?ID=11144

A Yale University law professor encouraged people to “hide” illegal immigrants from ICE, but says he has “no qualms” about revealing the home addresses of ICE employees.

Gregg Gonsalves, an assistant professor of Epidemiology and associate professor of law at Yale, has written numerous social media posts blasting the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) and supporting illegal immigration.

[RELATED: School issues warning about 'rumors' of ICE agents on campus]

“[ICE is] raiding restaurants, setting up roadblocks in New England, getting on buses to check for foreigners,” Gonsalves tweeted in late June. “We've unleashed something evil in the United States. Let the pundits debate who's winning the day as immigrants get rounded up. The rest of us have to fight.”

“[W]e hide immigrants from ICE if we have to,” Gonsalves wrote in a subsequent tweet, prompting Campus Reform Editor-in-Chief Lawrence Jones to ask whether he intended to suggest aiding and abetting criminals. 

“It’s called civil disobedience,” he argued in a follow-up tweet after blocking Jones' Twitter account. 

“Aiding and abetting is about facilitating crime,” he added, asserting that “here the moral crime is against immigrant children and families, women, and workers.”

In addition to his support of illegal immigrants, Gonsalves has also endorsed violating the privacy of ICE agents and immigration officials, calling for their addresses to be released to the public.

When one Twitter user asked if “anyone already made a map of all the detention centers, ICE offices, locations of companies supplying them,” Gonsalves suggested that the “home addresses of major ICE officials” should be released, as well.

“I’m such a bad person,” Gonsalves wrote. “I have no qualms about showing up at ICE regional directors’ homes. They can leave their jobs at the office and feel free from scrutiny at home. Lucky them.” 

In follow-up tweet, Gonsalves clarified that releasing the information would be “a last resort” after another user warned that “this

Read more: https://www.campusreform.org/?ID=11143

Students are demanding that Lee University in Tennessee cancel an upcoming appearance by Vice President Mike Pence because they disagree with Pence’s political positions.

The petition, started by student Cedes Harris, argues that Pence’s political views are directly at odds with the values of the Christian institution, asking on behalf of "concerned students, faculty, and alumni" that school administrators cancel the his scheduled appearance at Pangle Hall on July 21.

It offers seven reasons for why the event should be cancelled, three of which relate to Pence’s affiliation with America First Policies, a political advocacy group created to promote President Trump’s agenda.

[RELATED: Pence accused of 'xenophobia' by fellow alumni, ND students] 

“Both his involvement with the America First Policies organization and his exhortation of its values defy and ignore the following Christian values,” the list of complaints begins, citing Bible verses about caring for the poor and being hospitable to foreigners.

“America First Policies dehumanizes both refugees and immigrants who seek justice, liberty, and freedom from discrimination in the United States,” it continues, adding that “America First Policies, along with local sponsor Allan Jones, supports tax regulations and policies which will inevitably secure wealth for the middle and upper classes while further afflicting the working and poor classes of society.”

The petition then begins to accuse Pence of outright bigotry, saying he “supports actions and policies against the LGBTQI+ community which shames [sic] and suppresses [sic] this community in ways which are harmful and disrespectful.”

Moreover, it alleges that Pence not only “refuses to acknowledge overt police brutality afflicting the black community,” but that he also “actively supports the further militarization of police and ICE officers, putting all of the aforementioned communities at greater risk of unnecessary violence.”

[RELATED: ND students ‘feel unsafe’ about Pence giving Commencement]

As of press time, 327 had signed the petition, but Harris told Campus Reform that she is also organizing a protest of Pence’s speech to supplement the effort.

“I will be protesting the event,” she vowed, adding that she “expects a good turnout” because &ldquo

Read more: https://www.campusreform.org/?ID=11142

The University of Colorado-Colorado Springs is no longer offering a course that critiqued “individualism, consumerism, meritocracy,” and “productivity” as staples of “white culture.”

As first reported by Campus Reform in May, UCCS graduate students were initially offered three academic credits in exchange for facilitating a series of 11 “Witnessing Whiteness” workshops at a local community center.

[RELATED: Course critiques ‘superficiality’ of ‘dominant white culture’]

Created by academic Shelly Tochluk, the “Witnessing Whiteness” curricula is open source, meaning all course materials are available online. One worksheet, for instance, encourages students to recruit locals to discuss the “transformation of white culture.”

According to the curriculum, harmful aspects of of white culture include “individualism, consumerism, meritocracy as an ideal, superficiality, competition, ambition, productivity, [and] extreme exploitation of labor/resources for profit.”

Another worksheet warned students against saying “My culture is American culture,” or “My culture has been passed down to me from my family,” suggesting that white students who express those sentiments are ignorant of their own white privilege. 

[RELATED: Academic: Teachers must prevent ‘assimilation of whiteness’]

The class was one of two courses created by Tochluk that UCCS offered for academic credit. The other, “Unmasking Whiteness,” required attendance at a whites-only conference in North Hollywood, but was cancelled two days after Campus Reform reported on its existence. 

“We believe that inclusive academic exploration is the best outcome for our students and we expect the same inclusivity from those with whom we partner,” UCCS Chancellor Venkat Reddy told The Gazette at the time.

While Tochluk’s “Witnessing Whiteness” class likely evaded the same level of scrutiny because enrollment was not restricted to white students, UCCS’s website indicates that students can no longer earn credit for the class. 

[RELATED: School severs ties with ‘Unmasking Whiteness’ conference]

Both “Witnessing Whiteness” and “Unmasking Whiteness” were initially offered as a way for students to earn a Graduate Certificat

Read more: https://www.campusreform.org/?ID=11141