Hello, my name is… offensive!

The College Fix reports.

‘Intercultural’ campus event to offer safe-space nametags: Green means go, red means stranger danger

Virginia Tech lays out rules of engagement for Intercultural Engagement Center welcome back event

‘Please do not approach someone with a red sticker’

Virginia Tech’s Intercultural Engagement Center is set to host a large welcome back campuswide gathering today among students, faculty and staff that will employ nametags with color-coded dots – green, yellow and red – so participants can indicate whether they are comfortable being talked to or not.

“[Y]ou’ll be creating a nametag for yourself as you join us in community,” the center states on its Fall 2016 Welcome Receptions and Community Kick-Off Facebook page. “ … Add a green, yellow, or red dot to indicate your color communication.”

Organizers then go on to explain:

GREEN – The person is actively seeking communication; they may have trouble initiating conversations, but want to be approached by people interested in talking.

YELLOW – The person only wants to talk to people they recognize, not by strangers or people they only know from the internet. The person might approach strangers to talk, and that is okay; the approached person is welcome to talk back if that is the case.

RED – The person does not want to talk to anyone, or only wants to talk to a few people. Please do not approach someone with a red sticker.

In effect, an event hosted by a campus “engagement” center is concerned some “engagement” might make students and faculty feel uncomfortable, and will use the nametags as a way to turn the intercultural gathering into something of a safe space.

Phone calls and emails by The College Fix to the campus spokesman on why this precaution was necessary were not immediately responded to late Wednesday.


 
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