Feel the truth, unity & love

In “Villainy at Villanova” I wrote about the Wall Street Journal column by Villanova Professors Colleen Sheehan and James Matthew Wilson as well as the response by the Villanova president and provost. The president and provost were big on the truth, unity, and love the new “diversity” questions in the student evaluation would bring to Villanova. Professors Sheehan and Wilson decried the enforced conformity they threatened.

Sociology Professor Rory Kramer wanted it to be known that he disapproved of the Sheehan/Wilson column. He’s all in for “diversity” as we have come to know it. He emoted on Twitter (below).

I wrote him to ask if the “B” in “that B’s” column stood for “bitch’s.” Professor Kramer responded: “it was autocorrect for BS as in bullshit. Do not quote this but get it correct.”

I told him I couldn’t agree not to quote him in that he is the only source I would have for the explanation. I know it’s hard, but remember: this guy is an associate professor of sociology at Villanova. He responded in a second email: “Lol, wut?” Further: “It was a phone autocorrect. End of story. I stand behind the tweet and calling the article BS, but your assumption was 100% wrong. You can quote that[.]”

Well, thanks. I intended to quote him, as I had already advised. I wanted to get it straight. I can’t help but wonder, however, how autocorrect rejiggered “BS” but missed “turrible.”

Professor Kramer then reiterated his email messages to me for public consumption on Twitter.

Good to know that we inspired gales of vulgar laughter in roarin’ Rory. Left to his own devices, he is probably a little short in the humor department.

In good Mao-man style, the Villanova Department of English has united to condemn the Sheehan/Wilson column. They have issued a statement avowing their commitment to “diversity and inclusion” in the style to which we have all become accustomed (see tweet below). Students of good writing may note that the commitment to “diversity” requires the “inclusion” of needless words, the incantation of “diverse” shibboleths, and the repetition of mind-numbing clichés. It is somehow inimical to decent writing.

The Villanova Department of English uniformly supports “diversity” in aspects including the new student evaluations. There is no “diversity” in this commitment. As seems frequently to be the case in large university groups, the commitment to “diversity” does not extend that far.

Last night the English Department protested the Sheehan/Wilson column with a reading “by acclaimed playwright and poet Claudia Rankine.” The Ghostbusters team was apparently unavailable.

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