Christine Lagarde's Disappearance
Christine Lagarde is part of Smith College's administration. She holds a very critical position as the managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the very first woman to be in this position. Many students expected to hear from her about when they will resume their studies this year. Unfortunately, Madam Lagarde hadn't planned for this. Her disappearance raised concern among the learners and her colleagues and planned to hold demonstrations (Lachman 46).
Lagarde's Letter and Discomfort
Lagarde withdrew from the commencement occasion through a letter where she had expressed her discomfort with working with people whom she felt they did not recognize her position. Therefore, Lagarde had no option other than putting down her tools. This issue was taken with a lot of concern since it came days after Rutgers University withdrawn after she was alleged to have participated in the Iraq war. Additionally, she worked at the secretarial office during George W. Bush's reign.
Lagarde's Respect for Academic Freedom
Lagarde, in her letter, represents herself as a person who respects other people's views though she better understood the role of academic freedom. Thus there was a need to uphold the usual mood of the highly respected occasion. The students could not believe that Lagarde was one of the most achievers of all time in the world.
Smith College's Values and Demonstrations
However, the students were criticized for not understanding the mandate of the IMF in the contemporary world. Smith College is known for championing women empowerment in the world through an initiative dumbed "women for the world. Students here are always encouraged to raise the alarm in case of any sign of malicious activity, and that's why they wanted to have a system that will respond accordingly to their grievances. The few who were against this demonstration were seen to be happy because they felt that their expectations had been fulfilled. Hard times were predicted to befall the College and the community in the absence of Ms. Largade. This is due to her outstanding performance over the years and her expertise in finance. Campuses have a common feature of division in the lines of race, politics and free speech. Some of Smith College students comprehended this and saw the need to have a movement which was to be used as a channel of communication and have amicable solutions to issues.
Students' Demonstration
Students were right to hold a demonstration, despite the fact that they did not give room for negotiation. They all rallied at the Presidents home with a claim that the naming of Miss Lagarde as the commencement speaker amounted to support of IMF. It was a way of showing the administration that they were in support of the IMF and that it was contrary to Smith's values for one to back the promotion on gender equality. Largade has a good history of leadership in the world, and this explains why the students wanted her to continue in with her work. They wanted someone who will back them to fight the vices in the college. Though the system was regarded as corrupt, Madam Lagarde was known to be a good person. Hearing her at the commencement meant a lot to the students and implied that they were fearlessly in support and recognition of her position and the IMF as well. There was a misunderstanding that the invitation could be meant to push the existing views and policies of her juniors which was not in line with the college's values. The president felt unease and scared because she never expected such an incidence to happen. Smith College is an institution of higher learning; its students should be professional and be able to handle things formally.
Works Cited
Elliott, Larry. “The World Bank and the IMF Won't Admit Their Policies Are the Problem.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 9 Oct. 2016, www.theguardian.com/business/2016/oct/09/the-world-bank-and-the-imf-wont-admit-their-policies-are-the-problem.
Investopedia. “What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of the International Monetary Fund?” Investopedia, Investopedia, 1 June 2018, www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/061115/what-are-advantages-and-disadvantages-international-monetary-fund.asp.
Lachman, Desmond. "Two Cheers for Christine Lagarde." The International Economy 27.1 (2013): 46.
Pérez-Peña, Richard. “After Protests, I.M.F. Chief Withdraws as Smith College's Commencement Speaker.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 20 Dec. 2017, www.nytimes.com/2014/05/13/us/after-protests-imf-chief-withdraws-as-smith-colleges-commencement-speaker.html.
