Letter to Flat Hat, June 30, 2021
To the Flat Hat:
Congratulations on this excellent piece:
https://flathatnews.com/2021/06/19/college-mourns-death-of-basel-osman/
And my condolences for the loss. I am still myself in a state that I would call "grieving." In these situations, I tend to think of the loss the family suffers. And it is hard to comprehend.
I also understand the sense of loss among the students. However, Mr. Osman's very character shines through in your response thus far: it is upbeat and hopeful, rather than downcast or discouraged. Is this not precisely the attitude Mr. Osman would have encouraged you to take?
Mr. Osman was truly a remarkable young man. The publication of this Flat Hat piece, I believe, is the biggest event at the College since President Rowe was hired three years ago. It is a godsend, in many ways, as I will be able to explain.
I would ask that you consider two proposals from me. Both concern how to celebrate Mr. Osman's work and carry on his legacy. I will need several days, maybe a week or two, to iron out the details. But here are the general ideas.
The first and most fundamental and enduring way to celebrate Mr. Osman's work is to connect it to the transformation being planned, very much for your benefit, in the ways that Mr. Osman would want you to benefit, by President Rowe. The general idea is this: the president's plan is to use diversity to generate innovation. She said when she arrived, "you will hear me say this often: diversity accelerates innovation." But there is not much talk about diversity on campus, at least not systematic and explicit dialogue aimed to advance an agenda of innovation. Right? So what has happened?
Here is a clue. It is a question and answer from an interview Rowe gave to the Virginia Gazette in December 2019. I wish to make clear to you, students, that this president is extremely, extremely smart. She operates at an altitude well above that of other aircraft, rockets, and the like. Fasten your seatbelts, then, for her answer to this simple question:
Gazette: What does a diverse campus community look like to you?
Rowe: I want to start with the culture. To me it’s about a habit of mind, a way of being that is curious and appreciative about what’s different and lowers the stigma, the barriers to bringing your full self, whether it’s the classroom, the playing field or to work as an employee. How do we make it possible for everyone to bring their full selves along multiple axes of diversity?
Wow. Students, I should stress the following: I am the only person on campus who openly acknowledges that the president is way way smarter than everyone else. The rest of the faculty clearly think she's not on the ball. She tried to communicate with them. I listened; they did not.
The exercise of considering the president's transformation plans, which I am only beginning today, will benefit you students too. After all, she has to leave you out of a lot, if only to protect you. And the politics at this College are complicated. So many of you students--I am thinking, perhaps especially students of color, students who embrace diversity--you must be wondering, what is going on? Is that right? If so, you are on target. I can give you additional information that you need if you are to see Dr. Rowe for who she is. For instance, I will be able to explain that if "Black Lives Matters" is your most important priority, then this is the president you want. If my current estimates are right, few students believe that. I hope to fill in the gaps.
I will not be cheerleading, by the way. I will be giving you facts about the president, her plans, decisions, character, and so forth, and you will draw the appropriate conclusions. If I stick to only facts you can verify, the process will take care of itself.
An example of such facts? How about the question and answer above. See below how this discussion evolves. Note that I am not trying to give you a conclusion; instead, I offer premises from which you can reason to whatever end point you find most reasonable.
Again, the first and most important point about Dr. Rowe is: SMART. VERY SMART. You have to work hard to keep up with her. It's not a bad position to be in. I have enjoyed this work and I've learned a great deal. I hope to prove that to you now.
Now, not being a smart person myself, I figured out how to understand the president's answer above by listening to a different very smart and accomplished woman, reporter and journalist among many other things, named Abigail Faires. Her email is on the cc: line. A couple of summers ago, Abby and I were discussing "diversity, equity, inclusion." Familiar, right?
Abby explained to me: inclusion must come before diversity. If you do not have inclusion first, you cannot get to diversity. You must have the community and the acceptance that community brings.
Credit goes to Abby on this one.
It was several months later that President Rowe gave that answer ending in "multiple axes of identity." Again: wow. I can assure you, no Gazette readers understood that answer.
Here's what I think she was saying: "Inclusion comes before diversity." Again--not being a smart person myself--I am just copying (plagiarizing) Abby. Well, as students know most comprehensively of all, what we lack at the College above all is the strong sense of community that inclusion depends on. Instead, you are subjected to "microaggressions."
What the president has been doing, then, is building an inclusive culture. I say: why not join her? With this president, you are going to want to take some chances. Figure out what to do and take the risk: do NOT go ask for permission or request explicit integration into her plan. This transformation can work only with several independent efforts. If you misfire, the president will help you get back into line.
Okay, then, how might students help build the inclusive culture with multiple axes of identity and so forth the president says we need?
Here is one way. Look at how Mr. Osman lived his life:
“Basel was kind of like the Mr. Worldwide kind of character,” Osman’s former roommate Riley McMenamin ’20 said. “He was in William and Mary where we have all these different groups, like wealthy people and disadvantaged people. He could hang with people from every individual population at William & Mary. You could put him in any social setting and he would gravitate to anyone and everyone. There was no rhyme or reason to it, but he would talk to anybody.”
Look at that paragraph and go line by line through the president's answer above. Do you see the link? Mr. Osman was literally creating a sense of inclusion. How? By hanging with people from every population at William & Mary. Not easy to do. Apparently, there were no axes of identity he could not handle.
Here, then, would be the first and most profound and enduring way to take Mr. Osman's contributions and do the most possible with them, which is surely what he would want you to do: determine what an inclusive community should look like, not simply in terms of categories, but in patterns of action. For instance, look at Mr. Osman's incredible record: He could hang with anybody. No rhyme or reason. The latter might be key. Remaining flexible, perhaps.
I need the days I have requested to nail down the project's definition. There will be a general theme and then more specific questions. It will take a fair amount of time. I need to look, first, at the entirety of Mr. Osman's record here. It is a four-year record, I guess you know, and he made the most of every minute. Then, I need to line up this record with the president's requirements. I can do this. It's not hard so much as demanding.
The most important element in my deliberations will be Mr. Osman's record. Capturing what he did. We have just one chance to do this. The point is to look at his achievements and what they point to, not what we want to make of them. I have the advantage of being what is called "an old person," specifically 66 years of age, and therefore if not smart I am at least experienced. I believe I am probably ahead of most people when it comes to this matter. I believe I will be able to show you I've done the proper job when I give you my report. Mr. Osman was very special--perhaps even more special than people realize. That is my starting point.
A second and equally appropriate way to take Mr. Osman's contributions and do the most possible with them is to hold a rock concert that celebrates his unique contributions. Again, getting the details right will be important. For example, we won't name an entire concert after him--that's not who he was. Instead, there will be elements that reflect his character, contributions, and ambitions for all of you.
One year ago I identified a theme song for inclusion. Just something to sing, not the only song, not something to take too seriously, but a way to have fun while celebrating the idea of inclusion. The song is "Teenage Dirtbag" by Brendan M. Brown (2000). I submit: this is a song of inclusion. Or it should be.
I also identified a Generation Z band who would be especially good on campus to play this song and perhaps many others in what used to be called (in my day) a "rock concert": First to Eleven from Erie, Pennsylvania. Trust me, this is the band you want, even if you do not like the idea of this song (which I offer only as a starting point).
I believe the concert should be sooner rather than later. For example, it should be held by mid-September, if possible. Maybe within the window of Sept 1-15, something like that.
See the link below for related video material. Again, this is an idea that needs to be worked out.
Inclusion comes before diversity
http://www.syntirohealth.org/pres.html
Thank you for listening, Flat Hat. I will give you the same rule I give everyone: if you are not comfortable writing me, don't write. Many, many lies have been spread on campus about me and what I have allegedly done over the past five years. Three separate programs of disinformation, if you can believe that. Thus, I expect you to think badly of me, and I believe I need to earn your trust. No problem. You are safe with me.
Remember, students, that I am a faculty member, and as it turns out, in terms of dealing with the president, I am your only option. The reason for this, as you will see if you investigate, is that all the other faculty--or just about--do not think the president is super smart. They think they're on to her. They are fools.
I cannot assure you that I know who the president is or what she is going to do. But I have already shown you: I am in the ballpark. Other faculty cannot find the stadium. That would be the analogy. Many do not know a game is being played. And so forth.
You have the best VP Student Affairs of all time in Ginger Ambler. And there ARE faculty, including some who outrank me in your eyes, such as Prof Clay Clemens, you will want to call on. Prof Clemens isn't fooled. The problem is, he is hemmed in by faculty who don't know what is going on, and he depends on other faculty (me, in this case) to get him out. Prof Clemens, you will find, works on student issues. For instance, the Honor Code. My responsibility is faculty policy. It will be my policy to free him. Then he will work with you and, as I said, he outranks me among students. You are in good hands.
I will then be your one available faculty member working on faculty policy. Clemens and Ambler will help you decide what to ask of me. My point here is that I do not fear a negative reaction to this letter to you, and I will never fear doing what I believe I can explain to you, the students, is in your interests. I also believe the president wants me to succeed. That is not to say the president supports me: for the record, she does not. But she wants me to succeed in my efforts to help you and her. Figure it out from there.
In other words: respond when you feel comfortable. You are going to be safe working with me, as you will see, but that assurance is something we will have to work out.
Thank you and God Bless.
David Dessler
Congratulations on this excellent piece:
https://flathatnews.com/2021/06/19/college-mourns-death-of-basel-osman/
And my condolences for the loss. I am still myself in a state that I would call "grieving." In these situations, I tend to think of the loss the family suffers. And it is hard to comprehend.
I also understand the sense of loss among the students. However, Mr. Osman's very character shines through in your response thus far: it is upbeat and hopeful, rather than downcast or discouraged. Is this not precisely the attitude Mr. Osman would have encouraged you to take?
Mr. Osman was truly a remarkable young man. The publication of this Flat Hat piece, I believe, is the biggest event at the College since President Rowe was hired three years ago. It is a godsend, in many ways, as I will be able to explain.
I would ask that you consider two proposals from me. Both concern how to celebrate Mr. Osman's work and carry on his legacy. I will need several days, maybe a week or two, to iron out the details. But here are the general ideas.
The first and most fundamental and enduring way to celebrate Mr. Osman's work is to connect it to the transformation being planned, very much for your benefit, in the ways that Mr. Osman would want you to benefit, by President Rowe. The general idea is this: the president's plan is to use diversity to generate innovation. She said when she arrived, "you will hear me say this often: diversity accelerates innovation." But there is not much talk about diversity on campus, at least not systematic and explicit dialogue aimed to advance an agenda of innovation. Right? So what has happened?
Here is a clue. It is a question and answer from an interview Rowe gave to the Virginia Gazette in December 2019. I wish to make clear to you, students, that this president is extremely, extremely smart. She operates at an altitude well above that of other aircraft, rockets, and the like. Fasten your seatbelts, then, for her answer to this simple question:
Gazette: What does a diverse campus community look like to you?
Rowe: I want to start with the culture. To me it’s about a habit of mind, a way of being that is curious and appreciative about what’s different and lowers the stigma, the barriers to bringing your full self, whether it’s the classroom, the playing field or to work as an employee. How do we make it possible for everyone to bring their full selves along multiple axes of diversity?
Wow. Students, I should stress the following: I am the only person on campus who openly acknowledges that the president is way way smarter than everyone else. The rest of the faculty clearly think she's not on the ball. She tried to communicate with them. I listened; they did not.
The exercise of considering the president's transformation plans, which I am only beginning today, will benefit you students too. After all, she has to leave you out of a lot, if only to protect you. And the politics at this College are complicated. So many of you students--I am thinking, perhaps especially students of color, students who embrace diversity--you must be wondering, what is going on? Is that right? If so, you are on target. I can give you additional information that you need if you are to see Dr. Rowe for who she is. For instance, I will be able to explain that if "Black Lives Matters" is your most important priority, then this is the president you want. If my current estimates are right, few students believe that. I hope to fill in the gaps.
I will not be cheerleading, by the way. I will be giving you facts about the president, her plans, decisions, character, and so forth, and you will draw the appropriate conclusions. If I stick to only facts you can verify, the process will take care of itself.
An example of such facts? How about the question and answer above. See below how this discussion evolves. Note that I am not trying to give you a conclusion; instead, I offer premises from which you can reason to whatever end point you find most reasonable.
Again, the first and most important point about Dr. Rowe is: SMART. VERY SMART. You have to work hard to keep up with her. It's not a bad position to be in. I have enjoyed this work and I've learned a great deal. I hope to prove that to you now.
Now, not being a smart person myself, I figured out how to understand the president's answer above by listening to a different very smart and accomplished woman, reporter and journalist among many other things, named Abigail Faires. Her email is on the cc: line. A couple of summers ago, Abby and I were discussing "diversity, equity, inclusion." Familiar, right?
Abby explained to me: inclusion must come before diversity. If you do not have inclusion first, you cannot get to diversity. You must have the community and the acceptance that community brings.
Credit goes to Abby on this one.
It was several months later that President Rowe gave that answer ending in "multiple axes of identity." Again: wow. I can assure you, no Gazette readers understood that answer.
Here's what I think she was saying: "Inclusion comes before diversity." Again--not being a smart person myself--I am just copying (plagiarizing) Abby. Well, as students know most comprehensively of all, what we lack at the College above all is the strong sense of community that inclusion depends on. Instead, you are subjected to "microaggressions."
What the president has been doing, then, is building an inclusive culture. I say: why not join her? With this president, you are going to want to take some chances. Figure out what to do and take the risk: do NOT go ask for permission or request explicit integration into her plan. This transformation can work only with several independent efforts. If you misfire, the president will help you get back into line.
Okay, then, how might students help build the inclusive culture with multiple axes of identity and so forth the president says we need?
Here is one way. Look at how Mr. Osman lived his life:
“Basel was kind of like the Mr. Worldwide kind of character,” Osman’s former roommate Riley McMenamin ’20 said. “He was in William and Mary where we have all these different groups, like wealthy people and disadvantaged people. He could hang with people from every individual population at William & Mary. You could put him in any social setting and he would gravitate to anyone and everyone. There was no rhyme or reason to it, but he would talk to anybody.”
Look at that paragraph and go line by line through the president's answer above. Do you see the link? Mr. Osman was literally creating a sense of inclusion. How? By hanging with people from every population at William & Mary. Not easy to do. Apparently, there were no axes of identity he could not handle.
Here, then, would be the first and most profound and enduring way to take Mr. Osman's contributions and do the most possible with them, which is surely what he would want you to do: determine what an inclusive community should look like, not simply in terms of categories, but in patterns of action. For instance, look at Mr. Osman's incredible record: He could hang with anybody. No rhyme or reason. The latter might be key. Remaining flexible, perhaps.
I need the days I have requested to nail down the project's definition. There will be a general theme and then more specific questions. It will take a fair amount of time. I need to look, first, at the entirety of Mr. Osman's record here. It is a four-year record, I guess you know, and he made the most of every minute. Then, I need to line up this record with the president's requirements. I can do this. It's not hard so much as demanding.
The most important element in my deliberations will be Mr. Osman's record. Capturing what he did. We have just one chance to do this. The point is to look at his achievements and what they point to, not what we want to make of them. I have the advantage of being what is called "an old person," specifically 66 years of age, and therefore if not smart I am at least experienced. I believe I am probably ahead of most people when it comes to this matter. I believe I will be able to show you I've done the proper job when I give you my report. Mr. Osman was very special--perhaps even more special than people realize. That is my starting point.
A second and equally appropriate way to take Mr. Osman's contributions and do the most possible with them is to hold a rock concert that celebrates his unique contributions. Again, getting the details right will be important. For example, we won't name an entire concert after him--that's not who he was. Instead, there will be elements that reflect his character, contributions, and ambitions for all of you.
One year ago I identified a theme song for inclusion. Just something to sing, not the only song, not something to take too seriously, but a way to have fun while celebrating the idea of inclusion. The song is "Teenage Dirtbag" by Brendan M. Brown (2000). I submit: this is a song of inclusion. Or it should be.
I also identified a Generation Z band who would be especially good on campus to play this song and perhaps many others in what used to be called (in my day) a "rock concert": First to Eleven from Erie, Pennsylvania. Trust me, this is the band you want, even if you do not like the idea of this song (which I offer only as a starting point).
I believe the concert should be sooner rather than later. For example, it should be held by mid-September, if possible. Maybe within the window of Sept 1-15, something like that.
See the link below for related video material. Again, this is an idea that needs to be worked out.
Inclusion comes before diversity
http://www.syntirohealth.org/pres.html
Thank you for listening, Flat Hat. I will give you the same rule I give everyone: if you are not comfortable writing me, don't write. Many, many lies have been spread on campus about me and what I have allegedly done over the past five years. Three separate programs of disinformation, if you can believe that. Thus, I expect you to think badly of me, and I believe I need to earn your trust. No problem. You are safe with me.
Remember, students, that I am a faculty member, and as it turns out, in terms of dealing with the president, I am your only option. The reason for this, as you will see if you investigate, is that all the other faculty--or just about--do not think the president is super smart. They think they're on to her. They are fools.
I cannot assure you that I know who the president is or what she is going to do. But I have already shown you: I am in the ballpark. Other faculty cannot find the stadium. That would be the analogy. Many do not know a game is being played. And so forth.
You have the best VP Student Affairs of all time in Ginger Ambler. And there ARE faculty, including some who outrank me in your eyes, such as Prof Clay Clemens, you will want to call on. Prof Clemens isn't fooled. The problem is, he is hemmed in by faculty who don't know what is going on, and he depends on other faculty (me, in this case) to get him out. Prof Clemens, you will find, works on student issues. For instance, the Honor Code. My responsibility is faculty policy. It will be my policy to free him. Then he will work with you and, as I said, he outranks me among students. You are in good hands.
I will then be your one available faculty member working on faculty policy. Clemens and Ambler will help you decide what to ask of me. My point here is that I do not fear a negative reaction to this letter to you, and I will never fear doing what I believe I can explain to you, the students, is in your interests. I also believe the president wants me to succeed. That is not to say the president supports me: for the record, she does not. But she wants me to succeed in my efforts to help you and her. Figure it out from there.
In other words: respond when you feel comfortable. You are going to be safe working with me, as you will see, but that assurance is something we will have to work out.
Thank you and God Bless.
David Dessler