An alleged student at Warren Wilson College in North Carolina claims to have been banned from a class after she called out the use of “oops” and “ouch” in class and uploaded the conversation to Facebook.
According to a YouTude account, the student is one Joscelyn Gradstein, who uploaded a video titled “I’m currently suspended from class for uploading this video to Facebook”. In the video, she calls out the lecturer for asking students to use words such as “ouch” and “oops”.
The two words are used when discussing controversial topics. For instance, a person says “oops” if they catch themselves using a troubling term or an argument. Those offended by someone’s speech, meanwhile, can say “ouch” to signal their pain.
“I still don’t really get the oops and ouch issue, like is it something that I said that we are ‘oops’ and ‘ouching’ about?” asks the female filming the scene. A university staff member replies: “No, it’s if you think you’ve said something wrong, you say oops, and if I’ve said something wrong, I’ll go ouch.”
The student then questioned the point of the method, saying “But doesn’t that take away from the fact that you know that a college should be challenging each other with our different thoughts instead of giving to the echo chamber that our liberal campus is?”
“Does anyone else have an issue with this? I can’t be the only one. For real?” she continued. “I mean I get the concept, like I offend you and I’m gonna say oops or whatever, but doesn’t that take away from the fact that you know this liberal campus, I’m liberal person, but this campus is an echo chamber, I’m just trying to like, say what I think.
“If everyone is going to get offended with somebodies (sic.) thoughts that doesn’t give from a place for academic discussion.”
An alleged lecturer then said: “Right, so if your thought is to say transgender and you don’t say it, but you accidentally say transgendered instead of transgender, then you can say ‘oops’ I just caught myself I added an ‘ED.”
Another university staff member added saying it’s her job to create a “learning environment” that is welcoming to everyone. “I need that feedback and I’m not going to get offended by it.”