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The annual conference for Naspa -- Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education runs March 8-12 in Boston. View the schedule.

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Past Naspa Coverage

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Modern students are skilled multitaskers who dream big, thrive on stress, and call their parents constantly.

Conference Archives

March 11, 2008

Movie May Promote Violent Stereotypes on Campuses

John Dunkle is worried about a stigma being attached to students with mental-health issues and to students who are Asian males. A movie due out this spring could make matters worse for both groups, said the director of counseling and psychological services at Northwestern University at a session here today.

In Dark Matter, loosely based on shootings at the University of Iowa in 1991, a Chinese graduate student becomes violent in response to academic politics at the fictional Valley State University.

Northwestern officials are already discussing how they will try to debunk the stereotypes, Mr. Dunkle said, as about 200 administrators scribbled down the movie’s name. “I am very concerned about the potential impact of this film on our campuses,” he said.

Comments

1. I have an idea: all “bad guys” in movies should be aluminium robots. That way, if there are any idiots in the audiance they can leave the theater angry at all aluminium robots.

   — Armando    Mar 11, 05:41 PM    #

2. Or maybe he’s really worried about all the anti-Asian politics on campuses being publically exposed?

   http://www.gnxp.com/MT2/archives/004079.html

   — redeye    Mar 12, 12:17 AM    #

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