Take a Seat

On Oct. 12, most of the Columbia College class of 2010, or at least those who were able to get out of bed, attended the Fall 2007 Contemporary Civilization’s course-wide lecture. The lecture, “Dethroning the Son of Man: Daniel and the Antiquity of Christianity,” was given by Daniel Boyarin, a Columbia alum and celebrated professor of Talmud at UC Berkeley. While this was a required event for all students enrolled in CC, by the end of the lecture less than 100 people remained in the auditorium, a majority of whom were CC professors.

I have never encountered such blatant disrespect. Not only were students talking and sleeping during the lecture, but many students left with no concern for how much noise they made on their way out. No one expected everyone to stay in their seats, or at least I did not, but for groups of students to walk out mid-lecture is inappropriate. What is the value of a liberal arts education, and classes like CC that discuss justice and moral values, if we do not appreciate the ideas and try to uphold them?

Many students—including myself—voiced the opinion that this lecture was an inappropriate choice for a CC-wide event. It is hard to deny that the lecturer was very knowledgeable on the subject, and anyone who stayed long enough to ask questions or hear answers saw the breadth of his knowledge. Yet his use of Hebrew and Aramaic phrases throughout his speech, without sufficient explanation of the sources and characters that he was citing, made it hard for anyone without his background to follow. Even more than that, it was unclear what his academic analysis of the concept “son of man” and how it relates to Judaism had to do with a discussion of law in the Hebrew Bible or the New Testament.

Many students who missed the lecture had conflicting engagements, such as classes and sections. Others felt that it was unfair that the lecture was mandatory. But this is not the point. On a campus where we protest almost everything, there is a proper time to sit back and listen.

Walking out to make a statement is understandable. If you are offended or are protesting what the speaker is saying that makes sense and is even appropriate at times. But if you leave because you do not have the patience to listen or think you are too cool, that’s just rude. Have some respect and take a seat.

The author is a Columbia College sophomore.