Teaching Tragedy (or not) Remotely

When socio-political issues come in the form of a tragedy, such as the evolving Ahmaud Arbery case, colleges and universities often provide a breathing ground for expression and discussion. Santa Monica College’s (SMC) staff and students are supposed to act in accordance with the items outlined in the “Freedom of Expression at Santa Monica College” document, drafted by the Office of Student Life.

The document both protects freedom of speech for students, and puts limitations on specific actions that violate the safety or peace of other students. “Generally, expression may not be banned or restricted because of its content (what is said),” the document’s preamble reads. “However, the time, place, and manner of free expression can be regulated.”

It normally can, but nouveau Zoom mock-ups for classes offer a new challenge for expression and any relief it provides. Students and staff are weathering the storm of processing violent tragedies in the virtual classroom environment with the recent death of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery, who was, according to police reports, unarmed and fatally shot while out for an evening jog.

“I haven’t had any teachers speak about the case at all,” Lidell Montague, a Black Collegians Officer, said. For Black Collegians, a program at SMC that is focused on “black scholar excellence and community,” tragedies can be learning opportunities.

“I would say Black Collegians’ response to this hate crime was great, especially in this time of social distancing. Providing students with counselors that they can speak to in regards to any feelings of anger or sadness that they may be having. Also, having Zoom meetings to speak about what happened with fellow peers,” Montague said.

With SMC offering critical thinking and speech courses (Politics of Difference, Speech and Debate, Argumentation etc.), and college essay prompts that push professors and students to ponder “real world issues,” there are multiple classroom platforms that give extended opportunities to practice free speech. When classes are physically in session, Club Row on the main campus, and other student-lead meetings, act as a means of student education, a direct path for involvement in world issues, and a support group.

“The student leaders of [Black Collegians] club develop topics that...relate to the African American experience,” Sherri Bradford, Black Collegians program leader, said about the would-be meetings that the club prides themselves in. “The club meetings in particular have been a space where our student leaders, myself and our counselors would have led a discussion about situations such as this to help students process.”

Some high schools in the Santa Monica area are also taking steps to foster conversation to their students. New Roads School junior Mateo Buadu Colbert talked about the case of Ahmaud Arbery in class last week, saying his school often encourages the discussion of current events.

“In my history class, students are required to bring a current event to class… What ended up happening was that people wouldn’t just get the [assignment] requirement and stop, so conversations continued to happen.” Colbert said.

However, with the recent transition to online remote learning, fluid and in-depth conversations are becoming harder to host.

“Before online classes, we’d often have some time allotted to speak about current events, and it would bloom into a larger conversation,” Colbert said. “Now I think that is a bit harder to hold a class-wide conversation via video chat.”

Still, without the usual means of student support for the cultural trauma that comes with apparent hate-based crimes, the choice is up to the teachers and the students themselves to seek out information that behooves their safety. “Discussing ways to stay safe against hate crimes like this is important,” Montague said.

“Black Collegians has always been about keeping black students aware that they are [at] high risk for hate crimes, and how to conduct yourself to be less of a risk,” Montague said. “So seeing us react to the Ahmed case is no difference. We understand that could have been any of us. So we continue to fight for a change.”

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