From vaccines to marijuana
By David A. Tizzard
This past week on social media, I ve watched as friends, relatives, and acquaintances have posted pictures and comments related to two topics seemingly very far from Korean life: COVID-19 vaccines and marijuana.
Tuesday was 420: a day on which people gather to celebrate and consume cannabis in various parts of the world. It s both a holiday and a politically-charged event, as stoners and regular folk engage in a little bit of civil disobedience to try and enact legislative change.
There is no 420 culture of note in Korea and the possession or consumption of marijuana remain both illegal activities and strong social taboos. However, it is interesting to note the seemingly increased Korean-language media attention given to the topic, and the ways in which social media is facilitating a more open and democratized conversation on the topic.
From vaccines to marijuana
By David A. Tizzard
This past week on social media, I ve watched as friends, relatives, and acquaintances have posted pictures and comments related to two topics seemingly very far from Korean life: COVID-19 vaccines and marijuana.
Tuesday was 420: a day on which people gather to celebrate and consume cannabis in various parts of the world. It s both a holiday and a politically-charged event, as stoners and regular folk engage in a little bit of civil disobedience to try and enact legislative change.
There is no 420 culture of note in Korea and the possession or consumption of marijuana remain both illegal activities and strong social taboos. However, it is interesting to note the seemingly increased Korean-language media attention given to the topic, and the ways in which social media is facilitating a more open and democratized conversation on the topic.
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Frank Gunter, left, and Ziad Munson
Lehigh University asked professors in its business school to advise the new Biden administration on their areas of expertise via short “kitchen table talk” videos. But one professor’s short talk on poverty, including its relationship to race, proved divisive and that the topic needed a more thorough analysis, the university said. So after temporarily removing the video for review, Lehigh reposted it alongside additional context from other scholars.
The outcome wasn’t ideal for anyone involved. The professor at the center of the controversy feels wronged by Lehigh, while some of his fellow faculty members are disappointed that the video was published in the first place. Many students feel hurt by the professor’s words. But the incident and the resolution do offer a potential framework to other institutions grappling with cases of similarly offensive speech: make room for and model academic critique, and be transparent about the process