Broadway Legend Joined: 4/5/04
Condoleezza Rice Subject of Racially Offensive Test Question
"A controversial question given to students during a practice test for a math final at Bellevue Community College has students - and others - shaking their heads because of its lack of racial sensitivity.
A civil rights activist said it refers to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice although it doesn't mention her by name.
The question read:
"Condoleezza holds a watermelon just over the edge of the roof of the 300-foot Federal Building, and tosses it up with a velocity of 20 feet per second.
The height of the watermelon above the ground ‘t’ seconds later is given by formula h~ -16r2 + 20r + 300.
a. In how many seconds will it pass her on the way down (she is standing at the height of 300 feet).?
b. When will the watermelon hit the ground?
c. How high did the watermelon get above ground?"
BCC spokesman Bob Adams said the college has received e-mails that are primarily angry that this could happen.
Student Chelsey Richardson, 25, said she discovered the question while studying for the math test in March. She was one of the students who brought the issue to officials at the community college in the Seattle suburb.
The college has refused to release the name of the teacher who wrote the question, but said the teacher hasn't been fired. The teacher has apologized and requested cultural sensitivity training, the college said."
I'm waiting for cookie to solve this test question. Gravity acceleration is what, 32 feet per second?
I think the more important part the teacher left out, though, which is whether Condi was also eating fried chicken.
Doesn't it actually directly refer to her by name? How many Condoleezzas have you heard of who hang out at the Federal Building?
Broadway Legend Joined: 1/31/06
I don't find anything very racially offending in that question... although I have to wonder how she'd have enough strength to toss it "up" in the first place.
Hmmm. How old are you, JC?
Broadway Legend Joined: 1/31/06
are you commenting on my "non-racially offending" part or "the how she had enough strength" part?
Calvin, I think it's 9 meters/second squared.
The former.
lord a'mighty, dat wemmins crazy when she lays hold o' dat melon, i tell you what.
Broadway Legend Joined: 1/31/06
Well considering the fact that it does not actually say anything against the race of Condoleeza (unless you bend the words to your liking) I wouldn't find it offending. Although I do think the person who wrote it may have had a different idea...
and i sure do love them ol' boys amos and andy, yassuh.
That's why I'm asking how old you are - you don't seem to realize that the watermelon reference has the potential to be racially offensive.
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/2/04
I'm admitting that I didn't get that either, Rath. I had to Google.
For some reason, all I can think about is robbiej.
great googly-moogly, these young 'uns, today.
Broadway Legend Joined: 1/31/06
I'm 16 by the way, and not afraid to admit I grew up in a very sheltered family
I'm not chastising you - I didn't understand how there could be any way you wouldn't get the watermelon reference as being offensive unless you were very young.
Ah yes, 32 feet per second per second.
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/2/05
Now I want some chicken & waffles!
would it still be offensive if it were a honeydew?
Oh DG, that sounds so good!
yes, but to koreans.
Don't Koreans eat that weird dragon fruit thing? It's purple and bumpy, white inside with black seeds? Or is that Vietnamese? Which are the chinks and which are the gooks? I can never remember.
Margo, get back in here, you bitch.
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