The Freedom to Offend
Suzan Odabasi
Issue date: 5/6/09 Section: Features
"I am free to be me, but I don't know about individuals who have a different sexual orientation-how free are they? I am not scared of my identity and don't feel the need to hide it. But it's because of my position that I have that ability. I think that St. Norbert has avenues for students to exercise theirs, but they have to know the system."
When asked which communication techniques she would recommend for respectful exchange of opinions, Brickner says, "One aspect of communicating your truth in respectful dialogue is owning it by using sentences that start with 'I feel' and that do not judge the other person. Another aspect of civil dialogue is to hear the other person express his or her beliefs."
Also, Brickner points out that consistency should not exclude the possibility of learning new perspectives. "It's a lifelong thing," she says. "Ghandi never claimed to be consistent; he wanted to always incorporate new insights."
Ryan Pavlik'09 has also handled his share of controversial issue around campus - mainly in his role as ally coordinator and past president of Rainbow Alliance. In advocating LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning) rights, he says that he is willing to take the risk of people disliking him for his views.
"If people's dislike of me serves a purpose, then it's worth it," he says. "If I have made you question your assumptions, I have succeeded. If we aren't controversial enough, nobody talks about it. If nobody talks about it, people take it for granted." By "it," Pavlik means the fact that Rainbow Alliance helps create a more comfortable climate for LGBTQ individuals at SNC.
However, Pavlik also knows that the group's ability to raise controversy has limits. "If we are too controversial, we could potentially lose our recognition. But then again, this would enable us to do something we have been scared to do at our last event. There have been programs we would have loved to do that would have been really beneficial to the college, but the risk was too high."
When asked which communication techniques she would recommend for respectful exchange of opinions, Brickner says, "One aspect of communicating your truth in respectful dialogue is owning it by using sentences that start with 'I feel' and that do not judge the other person. Another aspect of civil dialogue is to hear the other person express his or her beliefs."
Also, Brickner points out that consistency should not exclude the possibility of learning new perspectives. "It's a lifelong thing," she says. "Ghandi never claimed to be consistent; he wanted to always incorporate new insights."
Ryan Pavlik'09 has also handled his share of controversial issue around campus - mainly in his role as ally coordinator and past president of Rainbow Alliance. In advocating LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning) rights, he says that he is willing to take the risk of people disliking him for his views.
"If people's dislike of me serves a purpose, then it's worth it," he says. "If I have made you question your assumptions, I have succeeded. If we aren't controversial enough, nobody talks about it. If nobody talks about it, people take it for granted." By "it," Pavlik means the fact that Rainbow Alliance helps create a more comfortable climate for LGBTQ individuals at SNC.
However, Pavlik also knows that the group's ability to raise controversy has limits. "If we are too controversial, we could potentially lose our recognition. But then again, this would enable us to do something we have been scared to do at our last event. There have been programs we would have loved to do that would have been really beneficial to the college, but the risk was too high."
Be the first to comment on this story