We’ve never met, but I know you’ve been receiving a lot of backlash from the JMSB community as a result of your article. As a finance student myself, I cannot say that I agree with your opinion, but I can at the very least respect your right to voice it. Some of the reactions I’ve seen are not just unsubstantiated, but downright hateful. I am hopeful that you can believe me in saying that, the voices of the few, the intolerant and incoherent, are not indicative of the true nature of our school. So before providing my own opinion, I’d like to apologize on their behalf.
That being said, I have been involved in JMSB school life in every facet you can imagine. Your article paints an unflattering generalization of the school… and whether or not your aim was to present a commentary on the institution, it’s a direct reflection on myself as well. By condemning the school, you inherently condemn those that have chosen to study there by projecting that image on them. We are not all the person depicted in your article.
Objectively, there is an element of truth in what you’ve said. However, I simply cannot agree with the way you’ve elected to say it. The Concordian, as I interpreted it, was intended to promote a positive message of diversity and equality. Yet, after reading your piece, I can only feel discriminated against… the same way perhaps you felt during your time at JMSB. You’ve taken an unfortunately vindictive angle on an otherwise powerful message, and as a result that message has been lost. I am truly disappointed in The Concordian’s willingness to run a piece with such a targeted, and negative undertone.
The stereotypes you’ve presented, in terms of attire, conformism, lack of creativity, and mindless capitalism, are not only superficial but also utterly lazy. If you want to paint an accurate picture of JMSB, I encourage you to look beyond the suit. It is not that business school is without flavour, it’s that you don’t like the taste.
-Paul Santache
Read the mentioned article here: https://theconcordian.com/2016/03/the-flavourless-flavour-of-business-school/
