Student Takes off Her Clothes in the Middle of Presentation After Professor Questions Her Shorts

[Paidithalli]

Letitia Chai is a senior student at Cornell University.

via: Cornell

 

While presenting her thesis to an entire class of students, she decided that she would strip down to nothing but her undergarments in order to stage a protest against “inappropriate” comments made by the professor.

Just before Chai was about to start her presentation, the teacher chimed in...

Rebekah Maggor questioned Chai on her choice of attire, claiming that her shorts were “inappropriate” for the lesson. The student took to Facebook to tell her side of the story.

 

This is what she had to say:

 

The rest of her post addressed the reasons that the professor decided to call her out:

via: YouTube

“The professor proceeded to tell me, in front of my whole class, that I was inviting the male gaze away from the content of my presentation and onto my body.”

This is the problem.

“The first thing that the professor said to me was ‘is that really what you would wear?’ She, a white woman, continued: ‘Your shorts are too short.'”

“A white woman”… while I do believe that, if someone feels discriminated, they should speak out about it, I don’t think that race is the key issue here

[Paidithalli]

Why on Earth should a woman change the way that she is dressed because a man can't control himself?

via: YouTube

It’s genuinely disgusting. It would be more understandable if the reason was something along the lines of: “You’re giving a presentation and that’s not an appropriate outfit for a professional setting.”

But no.

It’s the lame-ass excuse of “the male gaze.”

"She said I was making a statement by wearing my outfit."

via: YouTube

 

The professor even went as far as to ask her what her mom would think if she saw the shorts she was wearing. But Chai revealed that her mother was a “feminist, gender, sexuality professor,” so she would be cool with it.

[Paidithalli]

As with every story though, there are always two sides

While it seems that Chai saw this as a direct act of discrimination towards her, another classmate let the world know that Maggor’s comments had an “error in phrasing.”

Apparently, her point was supposed to highlight "the importance of professionalism in certain public speaking situations."

That seems more justifiable, but even the mention of the “male gaze” is enough to discredit that completely.

The other student also said that the professor did apologize for her initial comments.

She quickly jumped ship upon realizing that her comments could be misconstrued as something problematic, which they were. The professor decided to refine them by expressing how the notion of “short-shorts” carries “a lot of cultural and political baggage.”

[Paidithalli]

 

And the internet seemed completely divided over the issue too...

While some praised Chai for her actions, others called her an “attention-seeker.”

[MRI]

mahatmulani produce chesina college..  

[AleAle]

5 minutes ago, MRI said:

mahatmulani produce chesina college..  

Alumnus anpinchukunav

[Meow]

42 minutes ago, MRI said:

mahatmulani produce chesina college..  

 

38 minutes ago, AleAle said:

Alumnus anpinchukunav

Weill Cornell or the one in Ithaca

[dasara_bullodu]

He should have doubled down mottam chupinchedi

[xano917]

nice.. video unte post please.  I like papa's dhairyam 

[r2d2]

మా క్లాసులో ఇలా జరగలేదెందుకు చెప్మా...

[Kool_SRG]

@Arey_enti_ra_idi

[MuPaGuNa]

I want to see her full presentation 

[xano917]

Just now, MuPaGuNa said:

I want to see her full presentation 

[JohnSnow]

Respect to the  girl