Well, if any of us were having trouble finding ways we are manipulated in our everyday lives, yesterday's bomb threat solved that problem. The supposed bomber and shooter threatened our safe environment, manipulating us to think that a package in KJ was a bomb and that we were going to be victims of a shooting. We were no longer in control of our own safety, and that was scary. The act of one phone call sent students and faculty into hiding on the most beautiful day of the year. And then there was the domino effect it created: classes canceled, papers pushed back, deadlines changes, ect. Manipulation is not an isolated act. Of course, a bomb threat and lockdown is an extreme example of manipulation that is not (thankfully) common.
Before yesterday's events, I was planning on writing this blog post on our need for manipulation. Janelle gave us the option to come up with our own essay topic, and it sent us down a rabbit hole very much like the one in Aura. We had trouble deciding on a topic, and I myself, began wishing that she had simply told us what we needed to do and how to do it. Having a choice was intimidating because, as students, it is rare that we get to design our own education. Sometimes manipulation can eliminate chaos, not cause it.
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