Letter: Response to ‘Silence in seminars exposes a gap Brown can’t ignore’

To the Editor: 

While I appreciate the thoughtful column written by Dua Azhar ’29 regarding disparities in classroom participation, I have a much more prosaic interpretation of the situation. Silence in seminars has as much to do with students not having done the reading as with anything else. It is certainly an issue that some feel more comfortable taking up undeserved space in conversation, perhaps even one that can be demographically parsed. But those who don't speak up might just have the good sense not to bloviate about what they haven't read. Still, I would encourage everyone to show up to class well-prepared and then see how they feel about participating in a seminar discussion. I include myself in that.

Sincerely,

Julia Sprung '28