View source for E. Alex Jung

[[Image:AlexJung.jpg|thumb|200px|Alex Jung]]

{{dir-also|eaj2102}}

'''Eugene Alex Jung''' (usually known as '''E. Alex Jung''' or 'Alex Jung'), [[Columbia College|CC]] '[[2007|07]], was an active and well-known student at Columbia, majoring in [[anthropology]]. He was a co-founder of [[AdHoc]] magazine and later served as its Editor-in-Chief, Chair of the [[Student Governing Board]], Co-president of the [[Columbia Queer Alliance]], and was a leader in the 2006 [[SHOCC]] demonstrations. Jung has also developed a close personal relationship with [[Jewelnel Davis]], University Chaplain, while working as a Chaplain's Associate.

Jung wrote columns for the [[Spec]] that covered a range of topics: free speech, the Columbia administration, hate crimes, gender and sexuality, and the Manhattanville expansion. His columns on race, however, were the most controversial. Some consider his columns to be similar to those by [[Nell Geiser]], a former Spec columnist.

In a Spectator column on April 26th, 2007, after suggesting that all too often "the responsibility [for facilitating dialogue] falls on marginalized people for not 'reaching out" or being too 'confrontational'", Jung rhetorically offered to "dance for [readers of the Columbia Daily Spectator] kabuki-like with chopsticks in [his] hair".

== Views on race ==

Jung believes we live in a "system of whiteness". He has written that some white people, including some of his closest friends, are anti-racist lovers of justice. However, he believes that whites as a group are complicit with systemic racism.<ref>[http://media.www.columbiaspectator.com/media/storage/paper865/news/2007/04/26/Opinion/I.See.White.People-2881501.shtml "To turn an oft-heard phrase around, some of my closest friends are white. They are anti-racist lovers of justice, wholly non-representative of their group."]</ref>
He believes that white people, as a generalization, are unaware of their supposed privilege<ref>[http://media.www.columbiaspectator.com/media/storage/paper865/news/2007/04/26/Opinion/I.See.White.People-2881501.shtml "It's a generalization, of course, but not a superfluous one to state that white people at Columbia (not only of course) never think about the conditions of their privilege."]</ref> and resistant to discussing race issues<ref>[http://media.www.columbiaspectator.com/media/storage/paper865/news/2007/04/26/Opinion/I.See.White.People-2881501.shtml "Race is not an issue for most white people quite simply because they don't feel its weight. When a critique of white privilege alights on their shoulders, white people quickly cry reverse racism."]</ref>.

Furthermore, Jung believes that the [[Core Curriculum]] focuses excessively on the ideas and works of white men.<ref>[http://media.www.columbiaspectator.com/media/storage/paper865/news/2007/04/26/Opinion/I.See.White.People-2881501.shtml "Du Bois writes about the deluded Western belief that 'every great thought the world ever knew was a white man's thought.' What better subtitle for the Core Curriculum?"]</ref>

{{succession|preceded=[[Hector Chavez]]|succeeded=[[Sakib Khan]]|office=Chair of the [[Student Governing Board]]|years=2005 - 2006}}

== References ==
<references />

== External links ==

=== Jung's Spectator column ===

==== [[2006]] ====

* [http://media.www.columbiaspectator.com/media/storage/paper865/news/2006/09/07/Opinion/Sheeny.Shiny.Illusions-2260768-page2.shtml September 6 - Sheeny, Shiny Illusions]
* [http://media.www.columbiaspectator.com/media/storage/paper865/news/2006/09/21/Opinion/Civility.And.Its.Discontents-2289082-page2.shtml September 21 - Civility and its Discontents]
* [http://media.www.columbiaspectator.com/media/storage/paper865/news/2006/10/05/Opinion/Keep-Your.Head.Up-2332840.shtml October 5 - Keep Your Head Up]
* [http://media.www.columbiaspectator.com/media/storage/paper865/news/2006/11/02/Opinion/Thats.Hot.Youre.Not-2433936.shtml November 2 - That's Hot. You're Not.]
* [http://media.www.columbiaspectator.com/media/storage/paper865/news/2006/11/16/Opinion/Clear.As.Mud-2462703.shtml November 16 - Clear as Mud]
* [http://media.www.columbiaspectator.com/media/storage/paper865/news/2006/11/30/Opinion/Why-Do.The.White.Kids.Sit.Together-2513751.shtml November 30 - Why Do the White Kids Sit Together?]

==== [[2007]] ====
* [http://www.columbiaspectator.com/home/index.cfm?event=displayArticle&uStory_id=6d4fdcf7-61d6-48de-9b73-d7ab68528877 January 25 - Twinkies & Oreos & Coconuts-Oh My!]
* [http://media.www.columbiaspectator.com/media/storage/paper865/news/2007/02/08/Opinion/Everyones.A.Lil.Bit.Gay-2705082.shtml February 8 - Everyone's a Lil' Bit Gay]
* [http://media.www.columbiaspectator.com/media/storage/paper865/news/2007/02/22/Opinion/Master.Of.His.Domain-2735438.shtml February 22 - Master of His Domain]
* [http://media.www.columbiaspectator.com/media/storage/paper865/news/2007/03/29/Opinion/A.Token.For.Your.Thoughts-2811196.shtml March 29 - A Token For Your Thoughts]
* [http://media.www.columbiaspectator.com/media/storage/paper865/news/2007/04/12/Opinion/Family.Matters-2836541.shtml April 12 - Family Matters]

=== Responses to Jung's column ===
* [http://media.www.columbiaspectator.com/media/storage/paper865/news/2007/04/23/Opinion/Searching.For.An.Alternative-2873481.shtml Response by Dov Friedman]

[[Category:Columbia College alumni|Jung, Alex]]
[[Category:Class of 2007|Jung, Alex]]
[[Category:Anthropology majors|Jung, Alex]]
[[Category:Student Governing Board Chairs|Jung, Alex]]