And there it was, gone! That’s about all that’s left to say after the University of New Hampshire removed the so called Bias Free Language Guide from its Web site. Two days ago, university officials posted a statement from U N H President Mark Huddleston at the top of the page containing the guide decrying it, saying he was quote “troubled by many things in the language guide, especially the suggestion that the use of the term ‘American’ is misplaced or offensive.” Huddleston implied it was a violation of school policy saying quote “The only UNH policy on speech is that it is free and unfettered on our campuses.” He seemed to strike a conciliatory tone with those who posted the guide by concluding “It is ironic that what was probably a well-meaning effort to be ‘sensitive’ proves offensive to many people, myself included.”
Huddleston: Clueless
In a statement issued yesterday, there was little in the way of a conciliatory tone. Quote “The president fully supports efforts to encourage inclusivity and diversity on our campuses. He does not believe the guide was in any way helpful in achieving those goals. Speech guides or codes have no place at any American university.” The statement went on to announce that Huddleston had ordered a review of web posting policies, saying he was quote “surprised and unhappy to learn that the university does not have practices that make clear which web pages include UNH policies and which pages include content that reflects the opinions of some members of our community.” The statement said the university has more than one million pages on its Web site and was not aware of the “language guide” until this week.
Still in charge at UNH
FYI, the link we posted to the guide in yesterday’s story now leads to a page entitled “Inclusive Excellence,” complete with a Diversity Statement that reads in part quote
“We expect nothing less than an accessible, multicultural community in which civility and respect are fostered, and discrimination and harassment are not tolerated. We will ensure that under-represented groups and those who experience systemic inequity will have equal opportunities and feel welcome on our campus. We accept the responsibility of teaching and learning in a diverse democracy where social justice serves as a bridge between a quality liberal education and civic engagement.”
Looks like the language guide lives on in spirit, doesn’t it?
News from our own backyard continues after this.
Livingston: Hurray for us!
Quote: “This an outstanding compliment to the Manchester School District, the city of Manchester, and the high caliber of teachers here. We strive to become the “best place in the state” for teachers. Our students, families and city will benefit.” That’s what Manchester Superintendent Debra Livingston finally offered as a comment on a recent article proclaiming Manchester one of the top ten cities in the country for teachers. We sent it to her last Friday at about one thirty seeking both comment and confirmation of some of the data mentioned in the article. About an hour later, she replied to our questions about employment data saying the district had filled about half as many positions as cited in the article, but that it was too late in the day to delineate how many of those positions were teachers, which was a key factor in the city’s rating in the article, along with average teacher salary. She provided her comments around five thirty on Wednesday night. This is our first opportunity to report them given yesterday’s busy broadcast news day.
Free concert in Manchester tomorrow night!
Stars, Stripes, and Strings with the Air Force Strings and the Jimmy Lehoux Band will take place tomorrow night in Manchester’s Veterans Park to celebrate current and veteran members of our nation’s military. The free concert is scheduled to start at six o’clock and runs until nine thirty. Bring the family, bring your chairs, come and go as you please for this patriotic tribute to those who have served and are currently serving.
The Nackey S. Loeb School of Communications is presenting the New Hampshire author of an inspiring memoir that chronicles the lives of her parents and grandparents caught up in the chaos and destruction that befell Germany under Adolf Hitler. Marina Dutzmann Kirsch, of Kensington, pays tribute to her parents, Rolf and Lilo Dutzmann, who somehow stayed alive after meeting in 1940 Berlin – with Rolf drafted into the Luftwaffe and Lilo enduring daily hardships and fleeing Allied bombs. The tale also includes the journey of Rolf and Lilo’s parents, including Ernst Dutzmann, a scientist who inspected the V-2 rockets that Hitler hoped would help him win the war.
Kirsch: Telling the family’s tale
The story follows the family to America, where Rolf and Ernst were instrumental in the early years of the U.S. space program. The session will include Kirsch’s incredible journey of documenting and presenting the story of her parents and grandparents, as well as instruction and tips for others who might feel compelled to do the same. Flight of Remembrance: A WWII Memoir of Love and Survival will be presented at the school (749 E. Industrial Park Drive, Manchester) on August 6 from 6:30-8:30 pm. Admission is $10 per person at the door. Admission is free for all military veterans and their spouses.
We’ve linked to their flier with all the details. Click here for more info Flight of Remembrance Flyer
That’s news from our own backyard, Girard at Large hour ____ is next.
