Grad students

Getting in grad school is only a small achievement. And only a small percentage of that achievement can be attributed to oneself (a big chunk depends on one’s economic and social circumstances, and one’s ability to adopt an institutional language, or in other words, to conform). This achievement is moreover only theoretical-based. To translate that into having a good life while being a good person is a whole another question.
So it is extremely naïve and hence, disrespectful for the people, while speaking to someone like Joya whose achievement is not only great but also independent and real, to think that their master or phd status is good enough to justify/qualify their ignorant comments.
I think complacency is one of the worst enemies to humanity.

*This is my reflection on the two grad students among the people who asked Joya questions at one of her book tour talks at York today. Unlike others, they both began their questions by parading their graduate status. Once they started their questions, i realized why they had had the need to do that.
Despite these two silly students, i am proud of most of my York student fellows. Most of us in the room knew how to appreciate the great example Joya is setting. It is also not incidental that such a talk was organized at York, and not U of T, or Ryerson.

I think Joya is right: only when i embrace my responsibilities can i be optimistic about the world and my place in it.