Student Union Education candidate Joshua Climax Gorman has apologised over an elitist email he sent to all fellow Ad Astra scholarship students in first year.
The revealed email obtained by the Tribune, stated that ‘we cannot believe that we are superior to others, but we must recognise that we are different’. Gorman, who is on Ad Astra, sent the email to fellow scholarship students to look to form a ‘Scholars Council’.
‘we cannot believe that we are superior to others, but we must recognise that we are different’
The Student Union election candidate stated that the ‘email has tormented me since minutes after I sent it. It is probably the most colossally stupid thing I’ve done in my entire life’.
The email Gorman Climax sent out last year detailed that ‘we are the home of future Olympians, world class musician and leaders in all areas of society. We cannot believe that we are superior to others, but we must recognise that we are different. All of us hold in common a standard of success which is far above the norm’ he said.
Climax, who secured a university scholarship, had looked to set up an Ad Astra Scholar’s Council ‘to give a space where world-class standards are our normal standards and where every last one of us can push to achieve the absolute most that we can’ he outlined in his email.
‘You were accepted to this academy because you achieved what most people thought would be absurd to even attempt. You were accepted because your performance went above and beyond all standard expectations of ability’ the email continues.
Recognising the sentiments expressed were elitist Gorman said he has been working on changing his outlook on life and changing himself for the better since then. ‘I was in a very strange and isolated place when I wrote it. I got by day to day because I was compelled by this grand vision of the good that I could do in the world. A vision disconnected from people and from reality. I thought that it would be great if what I was writing was true, so I guess I assumed that it was’ Gorman outlined.
‘It was never malicious. I never thought that I deserved the life I had – indeed that guilt is largely what motivated me. I wanted to take advantage of my privilege and use it to make the world a better place’ the election candidate detailed.
The mail-out was sent to the near 150 Ad Astra UCD students. ‘We’re not saying that we’re perfect or unique or some sort of celebrities – we all know that smart people do literally the stupidest shit ever. But amidst the general confusion of our lives, we’ve been able to set down a plan that reaches just a little bit further, in a few particular areas, than the majority of people around us; and it’s all of those little steps beyond that make society move as a whole’ Gorman Climax wrote in the email.
‘And it’s not enough to achieve one victory and sit back with that memory in the background for the rest of our university life. The determination that got us here is such a small thing – just a spark shot out into the darkness – but every fire must begin with a spark, and the academy is here to support a true flame’ the email detailed.
Speaking now he said ‘I still don’t understand who or how I was at the time and my vision’s still clouded by remnants of the outlook I had back then. I’ve talked to my closest friends – they knew me at the time and they’ve been helping me deal with my problems ever since – and they promise me that I’m so much better now than I was then. It’s still a struggle and I’m still out of touch sometimes – I recognise that. If nothing else, I can accept when I’m wrong. But I accept that I have a problem’ Gorman Climax stated.
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Jack Power | Editor
