Re: What we've done in class

["Bronwyn T. Williams" <btwill02@GWISE.LOUISVILLE.EDU>]

I appreciate the honesty and reflection of these and the other comments I
have been seeing about this issue. It has given me a great deal to ponder
as this week has passed.

My feeling is that it is hard to determine a "most appropriate" classroom
response this week. During a crisis, a tragedy of these proportions the
best we can often do is have each respond according to her/his gifts. I
spent my Tuesday classes talking about this with my students, answering
questions, trying to be reflective and honest. I spoke with a colleague on
Wednesday who said she felt the best thing to do was to carry on and felt
she would have been ill-equipped to talk about the events with students
and would not have served her students well by doing so. I believe that
both of our actions were the best we could do for ourselves and our
students.

At a commencement exercise I was part of a few years ago, at a college
overseas, a former UN Human Rights Commission official who has just
returned from the carnage and suffering in Bosnia told the students that
they did not have to serve others by becoming UNHCR workers in war zones.
He said many would not be cut out for such work and should not feel guilty
that they were not. Being on the front lines was not for everybody, nor
was it always necessary, he told them, but doing something, anything to
ease suffering was.

I used to be a journalist and saw some tragedies on a much smaller scale.
I know from that experience that I could not face the experiences of being
an emergency worker. They are special people. The best I can do is serve
my students as best I can and for me that is being as humane and
thoughtful and reflective a voice as I can be this week. Others may choose
other paths.

I guess I'm hoping that we can cut ourselves, our students, and each other
some considerable slack this week and each act in the way best suited to
his or her gifts to ease the suffering and grief of others.

Bronwyn

Bronwyn T. Williams
Assistant Professor
Department of English
University of Louisville
Louisville, KY 40292
bronwyn.williams@louisville.edu
www.louisville.edu/~btwill02