I found this article published on March 27, 2010 very interesting. Instead of dealing with ageism with the elder population this article is about a sophomore at the University of Connecticut who has filed an age discrimination claim with the university and U.S. Department of Education.
http://www.thetandd.com/articles/2010/03/27/features/14408480.txt
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What an amazing 13 year old. He has such self confidence and is so sure of what he wants to do with his future! I believe that as long as he and his mother have signed all the necessary paperwork to absolve the university of liability he should be able to do on the trip. The paperwork must be in order so that the university can't be sued later. He and his mom are going to use their own funds to pay for his mom to accompany them on the trip so that should be fine as well. I'm trying to put myself in the University's position and am looking for some other way in which he and his mom attending the trip could hurt the college or the students in anyway but I can't think of one. I can't wait to read everyone's comments.
ReplyDeleteYea I am with you there Cindy. I could understand if his mother did not offer to chaperone and the university was assuming responsibility for a minor but that is not the case here. I always wondered what it would be like to be a kid-genius!
ReplyDeleteI agree that this 13 year old is amazing! I'm a little jealous that he's so sure about his professional goals at such a young age, at the same time I wonder how much time he's spent just enjoying being a child. I'd never trade all the fun I had to be done with degrees and living "in the real grown-up world". On the other hand it does sound like he's had some amazing experiences like traveling all over the world with his mother! I'm with both Cindy and Morgan, I can not think of one reason that he should not be allowed on the trip if all the legal channels were taken care of! Especially if his mother was going to be with him.
ReplyDeleteI hope that he wins his case of age discrimination because judging from the article this is what it sounds like to me!
I am still having a hard time being open minded to ageism. Before I began following this blog topic, I thought I was the most open minded person alive but that was way off. In this case though, I do agree he should be able to go if his mother is chaperoning the trip and paying for her own way and all but I still wonder if his age really does have something to do with what he absorbs and if he is mature enough to make all the connections for the college educated level of learning. He may be extremely smart but he is still 13 years old. But other than that it would be a good experience for him.
ReplyDeleteBoy, I can't imagine having the direction and intellegence this kid has at 13 years old!! I agree that he should be allowed to go w/his mother as a chaperone. I honestly don't think that they will loose on this case... especially with the media involved. The article never said anything about age requirements the university has in place for students to be able to go abroad, so if the mother is willing to take responcibility for her son then he should be able to go...
ReplyDeleteMelissa, I think your point is a good one that I hadn't thought about. I think he can absorb and learn material but can he put in into context? Or just through the context of a 13 year old world?
ReplyDeleteI think this it totally an ageism suit! With the mother offering to be there then I don't see why the University should be concerned. I'm curious to find out how this situation turns out.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all is anyone else upset that a 13yr old has a higher GPA then the do. Second I would be interested in seeing how this plays out especially with the mom offering to go with him I don't see why they should say no. Last, I would like to know how the other students feel about how the school is handling the situation. If the other students, mom and professor do not have an issue I can't see why the school would. This is interesting and thanks for finding this article.
ReplyDeleteHonestly it surprises me that this happened. I wonder if a person at UConn actually specifically said that only reason thisif young man wasn't able to go was his age.. I think the media can twist things and I'm not inclined to take this article for its face value... I'd love an update if anyoen finds one
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