Opinion Board should reflect respect and tolerance for ideas

The+racism+discussion+has+been+removed+fully+from+the+board+to+make+room+for+other+conversation%2C+however+the+original+quote+post+remains+-+reminding+students+to+practice+respect+and+tolerance+during+discussions+in+the+future.+

Amodhya Samarakoon

The racism discussion has been removed fully from the board to make room for other conversation, however the original quote post remains – reminding students to practice respect and tolerance during discussions in the future.

A conversation began on the opinions board the third week of Nov. regarding racism. Started by members of Common Ground Affinity Group and  Intercultural Club (IC), the questions posed related to definition and whether racism applies to white people. This discussion spread from a single post to a series of responses nearly extending off the board, all in a matter of days. It is interesting that this sort of discussion, based around a very sensitive topic, could grow so quickly and incorporate the voices of many different students within the community.

However, students had written “-1” on posts to indicate disapproval rather than simply writing “+1” to show their support and this detracts from the purpose of the opinion board. The purpose is to facilitate discussion, not to shut people’s opinions down. When a student simply writes “-1” without an explanation, they don’t add to the discussion in any way and the readers may never know why that one person disliked it. It’s obvious why someone would write “+1” – they agree and support the post, but if a student disagrees with a post, they should put up their own opinion as to why they feel that way rather than hiding behind an anonymous negative that doesn’t indicate a reason.

Along with this, students had put up posts which, rather than adding to the discussion, merely attacked another person’s opinion. The fact that St. Paul Academy and Summit School is a place where students can engage in discussions regarding topics they are passionate about is wonderful and sparks interesting conversations in the hallways and classrooms, but students still need to be respectful.

Yes, it is understandable why a student may react to posts personally, since racism affects many people in the SPA community. However, it is not, okay for students to personally attack one another in person or on the board. An example of personally attacking a student would be saying that they do not have a right to their opinion because of their race or gender, or simply write a response that invalidates someone’s entire argument with another opinion.

When posting, responding, or publicly discussing the topics on the opinions board, students should keep in mind that the goal is not to make other people feel as if their opinion on any topic or view is wrong.  The goal is to allow all students voices to be heard, without shutting them down with negative responses many students received. Respect and tolerance are two highly valued ideals among the entire SPA community, and they should be exercised in all aspects of student and classroom life, including the current discussions on the board.

Of course disagreeing is perfectly fine; disagreements are the core of strong and engaging discussions. But, no matter what opinion a student chooses to stand by, the board should be a safe place to share thoughts and spark conversation—students need to find a way to maintain respect for all opinions, whether or not they coincide with their own while still engaging intellectually and emotionally with topics that matter to them.