Otago University Student Ella Recounts Censorship in Her Classes

Sean Plunket talks to Otago University Student Ella who recounts censorship in her classes.
Watch the full interview at theplatform.kiwi/
Support The Platform & become a KZbin VIP! - / @theplatformnz
Join Platform Plus for enhanced access and features: theplatform.kiwi/platform-plus
Download The Platform app for free:
App Store: apps.apple.com/us/app/the-pla...
Google Play: play.google.com/store/apps/de...
Call 0800 DEBATE or text us at 5050 (Standard SMS text charges will apply)
Listen to The Platform's straight-talking, free-thinking hosts every weekday.
Sean Plunket: 7am - 10am
Michael Laws: 10am - 1pm
Martin Devlin: 1pm - 4pm
Leah Panapa: 4pm - 6pm
#ThePlatformNZ

[@mephistofleece]

People, put your money where your mouth is and boycott woke institutions

[@HereIam-rg3vy]

😂😂

[@gordoncooke6785]

Stay dumb and believe dribbbbbbbbble way to get ahead

[@brianmarshall1762]

Ella’s suggestion was not racist. To say it is, is the actual racism. Otago and academia has problems. Real big problems…

[@ColinIzer1111]

Self-proclaimed anti-racists are always the most racist people you will encounter.

[@whatthe6532]

Go Ella. Your classmates are pathetic.

[@larryc7035]

Grant Robinson, rainbow rooms, censorship, identity politics Grant Robinson

[@user-dz6oq3gk3w]

Big mistake for Otago being treaty lead, rebranding is going to send Otago broke, sadly. The history and integrity has gone out the door. Otago needs to be globally strategic in their outlook. Going tribal has no future in today's world.

[@bkeepr4246]

Well if Otago is truly treaty lead then it will be declaring that Maori chose to accept the plebiscite (calling it a "treaty" is just pomous christian missionary babble since there was no Maori "nation" to be a party to a treaty), and thus accepted to be British Subjects.... ordinary subjects since there is no way a super-power like Britian of those times would be allowing savages to have some special status above existing British Subjects already in New Zealand. Otago should now be telling Maori to shutup and sit down, they have no more say over anything in NZ than any other citizen born here.

[@margueritemccartney3607]

Exactly. And it’s racist for a start.

[@5150show]

Why would any young person go to any university in New Zealand!

[@gordoncooke6785]

To get ahead

[@J.Smith-rc6wh]

otago has an output problem not a marketing problem , it has gone woke and is solidly going broke, time for a real cleanout there

[@davout71]

Everyone acknowledges NZ has a housing supply and affordability problem . Yet many can't think that having net immigration of between 100,00 to 150,000 a year isn't going to be an impacting factor? Moronic.

[@paulmeersa7162]

How can you be racist defending your own race in your own country?

[@gcallananpainting]

It's not even that , 50 000 houses being built around drury, starting at $950 000 and up sold straight away because rich Indian immigrants don't even need loans, it's a false economy, keeps me in work but drives the price of land up and up.

[@paulmeersa7162]

@@gcallananpainting kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y3KTlXeQmNuspLM

[@gordoncooke6785]

Who's country

[@paulmeersa7162]

@@gordoncooke6785 Ella's country.

[@ianfaulkner238]

Go Ella. Good on you for raising such a significant issue. The immigration issue needs to be discussed.

[@AndrewJackson-mf5qp]

My son spent about 3 years at Canterbury Uni where he found out he had to keep quiet and not have an opinion. If he did there would be a campaign to destroy him. There is no freedom of speech at our uni's, period. He graduated, and now lives and works in Aussie where he is able to have an opinion.

[@caravanlifenz]

Not any more. Aussie has gone mad woke. My Aussie friends all have white guilt over the historical days when Aboriginals were removed off farmer's land. And Aussies have screaming fits and call people bigots if you even say the word immigration.

[@HKSMan05]

as a former student in history/anthropology i can confirm this

[@rfarrr2817]

I'm at Otago Uni as well. If Ella is in this comment section, let me say: you are not alone

[@leelabella7357]

It is so disappointing when free discussion is not allowed because we have reduced our humanity down to the colour of our skin. So completely sad !!!

[@stevesut2566]

Immigration policy without discussion is not possible.

[@itsjustweard2328]

This is not just happening in universities it's pretty much throughout the school system in New Zealand

[@UnkleSi]

Good on ya Ella!

[@ZaneLike]

You think Otago is woke now, just wait for the Philippino shopper to start throwing his weight around

[@sunstar1630]

Knowing the Racial identity of the three idividuals who appose Ella may reveal why she was unable to continue her debate.

[@wendyclark6174]

Interestingly, Ella had to think about the ethnicity of those who wanted to cancel her. I don't think their ethnicity was uppermost in her mind. They were just other students to her.

[@allaboutstress361]

If any uni is not a platform for open academic discussion on any subject then it is not a university. It is something else. If Otago uni doesn’t allow such open discussion then it is not the uni of its previous reputation. That is not worth paying money for!

[@lynnebarnes3840]

You have to go to university, how else can you get indoctrination and student debt?

[@leelabella7357]

Oh my lord, how is talking about immigration racist !!

[@andym1134]

Teaching the next generation to take the country forward how not to think... genius...

[@user-me5oz5gu6j]

Teaching people how to think has been going on for the past 35yrs starting in the primary schools, thisleads us to today. What the hell happened to smart critical thinking at all levels.???!!!😢😢😢😮😮😮

[@user-vl5ye1sn3v]

Outside of NZ and the UN no-one gives a Dogs balls about the Treaty of Waitangi.......

[@gordoncooke6785]

So sad, you should get out of your bubble

[@emmacornhill3378]

that's because the Treaty of Waitangi doesn't apply to them ...

[@rossr100]

Can you believe that the students first reaction to a group assignment is to assign the actual 'thinking' to ChatGPT? Drones.

[@kungfutzu3779]

yes that's actually the most disturbing part of this whole episode

[@robinlecomte1242]

When you listen to this - we are being asked to lower the voting age - No, never.

[@gordoncooke6785]

So you think Ella is to stupid to vote but is credible in every other way 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@pradeepmagan6951]

Are not the Maori’s immigrants to?

[@wokesick]

Of course. There are no indigenous peoples of New Zealand. Maori are the first peoples to widely settle New Zealand. But 750 years of Maori colonization does not make them indigenous.

[@gcallananpainting]

The conversation for tackling the rising house prices is immigration now and into the future, not immigration in the past.

[@caravanlifenz]

Yes, Maori are immigrants, but they arrived here first, so they claimed first dibs :) And they have been warning white people for years now that immigration will ruin our way of life in NZ. We should have listened to them.

[@user-dz6oq3gk3w]

The Maori arrived in the 11th century. Chinese were here in New Zealand in the late 14th century. Then Dutch, French and then the English. We are a nation of immigrants. Move along please we have been multicultural for a long time. Being called bicultural means....Maori and others. This is both wrong and inaccurate.

[@planespotter4494]

What if the immigrants are British, Scots or Irish or from the USA is blocking immigration of people of this ethnicity still racist?

[@markreynolds1112]

exactly ther have been pomes coming across cashd up with pound sterling 4 decades buying up property.

[@user-xn2os1ht6l]

Outstanding how woke these Universities are becoming. Wake up you all 👍

[@berniefynn6623]

SUE the university for not doing what they have been paid a fee to do.We do not have educators but discriminators, home school

[@grantwright2534]

Sounds like Ella has had a good upbringing and parents maybe some hope yet for the younger generation.

[@XXXX-yc6wv]

Being from Christchurch, Canterbury, with the river Avon running through it, tbh I am all for renaming such things back to unique historic names. This is because I am descended from Scots and English who were treated like scum at home and risked their lives to come to NZ for a life that was no less hard but so very much free of an elite class ruling over them. But I cannot abide by what is happening now. The insistence and force by which Maori naming is being perpetrated is not at all the right way to represent what should actually be a source of pride for us all.

[@twitchbiddy6880]

I agree. Quite a few places where the English settlers settled were not even occupied by Māori, and this was on purpose so as to not encroach with local Māori communities. Some of the new Māori names for things, places etc are new names because there was no Māori name. Having a mix of both is appropriate, not necessarily Māori above all else.

[@caravanlifenz]

@@twitchbiddy6880 Especially in the South Island around the Otago region and Southland. The South Island is freezing cold with harsh winds (the "roaring forties" winds hit the whole island) and strong frosts. Pre-European Maori people didn't have access to sheep wool and mammal skins to keep warm. It's only been since the advent of modern heating technologies that the South Island has actually become a popular place to live.

[@twitchbiddy6880]

@@caravanlifenz not to mention marauding killing raids by Māori from the north on South Island iwi - think Akaroa.

[@SoupDragonish]

This is happening day after day to thousands of young minds.

[@barefootonasandybeach638]

I’m struggling with this being in NZ.. but then again having read that diatribe from the Otago Student Union Chair the other day I find myself asking why and how a Californian can hold this position. Not only that but her indulgent anti NZ attitude would make me challenge whether she qualifies for a Student Visa.

[@robinlecomte1242]

I ask - "Would your statement be applicable to Julie Anne-Genter"? Green MP, formerly from California.

[@barefootonasandybeach638]

Absolutely. Another foreigner contributing nothing to NZ.

[@njd2342]

The new Chancellor will be creating his own black hole in the finances of Otago Uni by sucking out $630k a year for himself.

[@user-dz6oq3gk3w]

A totally crazy appointment. Otago University was an August institution. Robertson has a BA degree in politics and took New Zealand as our minister of finance from 5 billion debt to 100 billion in debt a spectacular achievement. Perfect man for the VC role at Otago. Robertson will not save Otago University from bankruptcy but guarantee to help them on their way to it.

[@Mike-mt7vu]

Ugh that's actually depressing. I remember that my essay concluding that what happend at parihaka wasn't genocide was called "brave" by the person marking it....🙄

[@nigelowen4262]

so the other people in Ella's group though that looking things up on chatGPT and baseless ad hominem attack's is a better way of spending the tutorial than actually having a productive discussion about the issue. And they are paying thousands of dollars in university fees to do this? Why are they there? why not sit at home, look things up in chatgpt and make baseless accusations on social media for free?

[@caravanlifenz]

The funny thing is that two of our major immigrant groups are South Africans and British, and both groups are mainly white. People who are saying "no" to more immigrants are saying no to more white people as well as Indians and Chinese people. The government has already acknowledged that high immigration is a major problem in NZ, and it doesn't matter which race the immigrants are. It's sad the girl was treated this way at university by those ignorant woke students, but it's not surprising given university brainwashes kids. It took me 10 years to shake off the woke brainwashing after my university education.

[@user-im3hr1ed2l]

In regard to housing, she got it dead right!

[@gregatkinson5929]

Ella good on you for coming on the platform. You are giving an insite to the reality of what is going on, and it is of concern that our education system has gone off the rails.This is concerning for parents in placing their children in an enviroment like this. Parents really need to be in their kids heads to wise them up to the nonsense's they will encounter in life. Parents have a big role to play here. Ella has her head screwed on, good on her.

[@planespotter4494]

If your inn is full and you have to tell Mary and Joseph that there is no room at the inn, is that racist?

[@nigelowen4262]

Yes, because it has nothing to with logic. In fact by trying to make a logical argument you are discriminating against everyone who doesn't want to use logic and reason and evidence in support of their point of view. This is unfair and should be canceled. in fact perhaps to gain entry into university there should be a simple logic test if you pass, you are refused entry...(that's probably how people in Ella's group got in, they probably use Chat GPT to do all their assignments for them.)

[@DCG-dg5sd]

better hope Grant Robertson has nothing to do with the finances of Otago Uni, he will forget a couple of zeros while adding things up (like he did while in govt) and Otago Uni will be finished 🤔

[@dontcomply3976]

Grant Robertson must be racist, it was his policy to restrict immigration to reduce housing prices

[@DCG-dg5sd]

@@dontcomply3976 .... I wouldnt say he was a racist .... incompetent would be a much better description of him, funny how this "policy" had the complete opposite effect 🤔

[@mattyallen3396]

Is there any decent unis left?

[@Anony_mouse2]

No

[@hariseldon3786]

Sadly, no. Just as in the US almost every university is dominated by Left wing ideologues...

[@seddy69]

i have to agree - all the Unis in NZ are woke. I retired early and am looking at studying Engineering at Canterbury. I looked at Canterbury's list of first year papers and - half of them add Maori into them. But engineering is an international science vrs Maori folk lore. There are no Maori engineering words in that vocab/language. I refuse to do anything on Maori as the engineering course is going to cost me a fortune and I want to engage globally. No one outside NZ cares about Te Reo so why ram it into papers? Woke.

[@chrisallum9044]

@@seddy69 186,000 speak maori. That's it.

[@Mike-mt7vu]

Maybe Auckland - I regret going to uni (Massey). There we some really interesting papers but the woke issue is real. I'm not intimidated into being quiet but I'm sure a lot of students don't want to be shunned so roll with it.

[@nzm810]

It’s New Zealand European,and not kiwi it’s New Zealanders,stop encouraging them.

[@stryka777]

Whats scary about this is that the kids in her tutorial would rather use AI to reslove perplexing issues than think for themselves, and then turn on her for entering into actual intellectual inquiry.

[@floydrudolph321]

Is Grant Robberson hiding in the cupboard at Otago university?

[@steveschatz6256]

Sounds like they "victomised" her and they should be cancelled!

[@brettg4784]

"The University of Otago is ranked in the top 1% of universities in the world QS World University Rankings" - QS World University Rankings - Pork Pies

[@myzenlifeinnature]

That type of fear mongering and threats are going to guarentee a future of living in one's own enclaves. Happening already. Those who can afford to, will live in gated communities. Read Bowling Alone. Tell those woke middleclass students to spend time in Birmingham UK. Especially the female students. You live and learn.

[@StGammon77]

People lived in castles once and I'm all for that idea us whites are being bombarded with shit

[@gordondickson6901]

The Teachers Union representatives are not even trying save their own members jobs But take the money and sit in on the full Council of the University of Otago

[@johankaarekarlsen1383]

Stuff this woke BS this has got to stop take it to the top , come on luxon be a leader stop sitting on the fence show some leadership before we start slipping down the slope and become a third world country.

[@paulthomson2288]

Sounds like studying an Arts degree. Should change the degree and study One of Science Technology Engineering of Math because they are the real fields which contribute to society.

[@kungfutzu3779]

true. that would also solve the problem in the sense that courses like that don't have group discussions, what the heck kind of course has a group discussion about housing affodability? maybe a degree in social work or something

[@paulthomson2288]

@@kungfutzu3779 Tertiary education has gone off track so much they may as well have been discussing who is their favorite taniwha.

[@kungfutzu3779]

@@paulthomson2288 or what they did on the holidays

[@crivs72]

What happened to Kella?

[@paul-57]

Snowflake culture is in NZ too.

[@dan8317]

What if she was implying immigration from Britain or the US should be curtailed? Why the automatic assumption she means Chinese or Indian? This is the issue here - she was labelled a 'racist' when nothing racist was actually said nor implied. The idea that there is/could be a link between the # of people immigrating to New Zealand and the housing crisis is strong and it is almost certainly a factor in the crisis.

[@kungfutzu3779]

because there aren't hundreds of thousands of immigrants from britain & the usa (anymore)

[@dan8317]

@@kungfutzu3779 Yes there are. It's just the numbers of Indians and Asians is now higher than our traditional migrant countries.

[@bugseecooper940]

Don't be surprised when the students from Otago Uni loose out on jobs over students from other Universities.

[@nigelowen4262]

I certainly wouldn't want to employ someone who has been "educated" to use chatGPT to do their job and makes baseless illogical woke accusations against their colleagues...

[@IM-lr6vz]

Facts.

[@IM-lr6vz]

@bugseecooper940 I'm stating your correct.

[@auintogold4725]

Labour Jacinda camp! Grant Robinson X minister of finance now our country is broke why would you hire this guy and give him 600k a year at Otago university. Yep of course they are going to follow his woke suggestions give it 5 years and the university will be broke

[@wendyclark6174]

Out of the mouths of babes.

[@metanoian965]

Academics want to get their stipends. Lecturers, Fellows, Professors, Honorary hangers on, Emeritus have beens will not rock the trending woke BS sinking waka, 'cause they all want to get a buoyancy aid package to keep them afloat during the next academic year. It's all about $$$$$

[@jameslikesbooks]

I don’t understand why she was so nervous to begin with. If she did the readings for the class and were confident to make the point, then she should have boxed her corner and defended her argument. If the students next to you are using AI to write their answers and people are accusing you of something - explain why you are making the point you are. I don’t agree with what you raised in class, but if you literature that supported your argument you could have better defended yourself. This is what university is all about. The people using AI to write their essays and lazily throwing accusations at people aren’t engaging and will come out worse off.

[@JimmyStrings]

She's nervous because of the social cost of being branded a racist by your peers, you dolt.

[@user-im3hr1ed2l]

If you get shouted down and put upon unexpectedly in the heat of the moment it can be hard stand your ground and unfortunately for many it’s safer to go with the flow . If you listened to conversation ,you would realise your comment is not relevant, not your fault because as a video clip it doesn’t really stand on its own , without the context of the entire conversation .

[@jameslikesbooks]

@@user-im3hr1ed2l I listened to the full conversation twice - once this morning live and again this afternoon on the website. Why is my comment not relevant?

[@magingi]

The platform often likes to get rid of comments which they do not agree with. Main stream media to be sure.

[@pauljennings4587]

It's unfortunate that the others said that was racist. But at the end of the day if the people you are interacting with don't want to discuss something, then you can't force them to discuss it. I don't think calling it cancel culture is helpful.

[@mephistofleece]

It is bullying others to silence. Not productive and not good for anyone. It was neither racist talking about immigration, nor good to silence opposing ideas and thoughts in learning environments like a university that should be a buzzing ground for clashing ideas. Go hide in your basement woke douchebag.

[@HereIam-rg3vy]

Poor Ella had her feelings hurt 😢 boo hoo

[@mephistofleece]

Looks like you had your butt hurt... poor man 😂 must be tough to be either ridiculed or pitied by everyone 💩

[@chocolatepugmsp2796]

What a clown

[@brucegibbins3792]

Geez, talk about leading the witness. "Who was getting down at you", is not a question for an aging on air personality to ask any female especially one who is likely to still be in their teens.

[@davidblake8612]

You offended?

[@whatthe6532]

I think you misread the situation badly.

[@kungfutzu3779]

i think it was to determine if it was the tutor/professor, i.e. the institution itself, or just fellow students, i.e. just some guy

[@edonruse]

It's not a court trial, it's a conversation.

[@operator6786]

Well a short while ago the question came up whether I would be okay with a rebranding of Otago University and of course I was not at all in favor of a racist Maori name given to a famous established English New Zealand university of long standing & why on earth would anyone want to change the name and why would anyone allow the change, this is a disgrace to all who have passed through these halls of learning & it is a continuing discomfort in all universities in New Zealand that we have certain individuals corrupting the very essence of learning & free speech... You cannot change the Name of OTAGO university in reality the name will always remain in the hearts and minds of the individuals who have passed through these halls of learning. "LONG LIVE THE NAME OTAGO UNIVERSITY."...............

[@user-ry5cj6if1z]

Orwell's 1984