by Mary Janicke
Mark Welsh didn’t resign last week as president of Texas A&M because he lost the confidence of students or faculty. He resigned because politicians demanded it. And that should outrage anyone who believes universities exist to pursue knowledge rather than to appease partisans. The sequence was depressingly predictable. A children’s literature course included material about gender identity. One student objected, invoked religion and a Trump-era executive order, and complained. Instead of being a moment for education—for engaging uncomfortable ideas—the episode became a weapon. A video went viral, lawmakers pounced, and the pressure machine revved into high gear. Welsh tried to manage the firestorm. He reassigned administrators. He fired the professor. He ordered a sweeping audit of the curriculum. But it was never going to be enough. —Cartoon and news summary by Nick Anderson, September 21, 2025
The hallowed halls now hollowed
Academia no longer a place for ideas
Now a place for ideology
A professor professes inclusiveness
Is now excluded for not honoring exclusiveness
A president supporting his faculty
Now questioned about his faculties
The learning of students stifled
Because one of them felt uncomfortable
So academia becomes a wasteland
Where young people go to have their minds
Closed not opened
Academia no longer a place for ideas
Now a place for ideology
A professor professes inclusiveness
Is now excluded for not honoring exclusiveness
A president supporting his faculty
Now questioned about his faculties
The learning of students stifled
Because one of them felt uncomfortable
So academia becomes a wasteland
Where young people go to have their minds
Closed not opened
Mary Janicke is a gardener, poet, and writer living in Texas. Her work has appeared in numerous journals and anthologies. Her haiku appears on Substack.
