<p>"On Friday evening, a member of the UA student body used a racial slur to refer to another UA student. The words that were used are offensive to our community, and are especially upsetting to African Americans. </p>
<p>I want to emphasize in the strongest possible terms that The University of Alabama finds this behavior totally unacceptable, and appropriate disciplinary action will be taken."</p>
<p>I’m not sure that an email to the entirety of UA was the best venue to discuss this incident, but I suppose it’s for the best. The University’s being a bit secretive about what happened, though.</p>
<p>Just saw that - all I can say is Wow! Not that the slur was used, offensive as it is I’m sure you can hear that numerous times in any given day within our high school, it’s that a college of 30K+ students makes it a point to address this matter openly and so seriously. Our 4500 student hs has never made such an open statement about an issue.</p>
<p>Talk about a starting point for a good discussion…</p>
<p>I guess it depends on the forum the slur occurred. If it was during an SGA meeting or a campus sanctioned public event then I can understand the email.</p>
<p>I doubt very seriously the email was sent over a private conversation where the slur occurred.</p>
<p>Obviously, any time slurs occur (anywhere) it is awful. However, I don’t know what any school can really do in such a situation except for using them as teaching moments.</p>
<p>It’s unlikely that this student can identify who said it (or even prove that it was said).</p>
<p>I’m not even sure that colleges actually have “punishments” for using bad words against others.</p>
<p>^ not legally I’m sure, free speech and all, but can’t they censure the fraternity or something like that? I’m sure there’s a code of conduct for frats somewhere, moral turpitude and all…</p>
<p>hmmm apparently I was wrong. It seems it was an isolated private incident. Not sure why Dr. Witt sent out an email about something like this. </p>
<p>First of all how can the charge be proven? Secondly you can’t stop people from being ignorant. Bigotry while reprehensible isn’t a crime. </p>
<p>I’ll bet the “N” word gets said every day at every college in the country by someone. It just gets magnified when it happens at a school like UA. And IMHO this email doesn’t help the situation any.</p>
<p>I don’t have a student at 'bama (yet), but I am glad Dr. Witt reacted to this. Yelling a slur out of the window of a fraternity at someone walking by isn’t a private conversation. I can’t imagine hearing that as the student was lost in their thoughts walking from class, they must have been shocked.
The thought that the kid felt free to do yell that out of his fraternity window concerns me. You would hope this isn’t the kind of thinking that goes on in the house in general.
I know racism is everywhere. I think it needs to be addressed when it happens.</p>
<p>It certainly wouldn’t be the first time DTD has had a member involved in calling someone the “N” word. A couple years ago football player Rolando McClain was allegedly called the “n” word by a DTD in the parking lot between their house and Bryant Hall. Needless to say, Rolando took care of business the old fashioned way and whooped his arse.</p>
<p>If other students heard this slur and Dr. Witt confirmed the story with them then fine. But IMHO a University President doesn’t need to be sending out emails over a he said / she said type of deal, regardless of the alleged word used. I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt on this and assume he’s corroborated the story with more than just the alleged “victim”.</p>
<p>^^^^I have to agree that the use of that word in particular is abhorrent as a derogatory slur. However, as much I personally dislike the word and its connotations, there are some circles where it is widely used (hip hop culture for an example). So, the situation would have needed to be reviewed.</p>
<p>I also believe that President Witt took a proactive stance so this incident would not get out of hand. I do not think that he would have done this simply on a he said/she said basis.</p>
<p>That’s what I’m afraid of AL34. And I certainly wouldn’t be shocked to see the good Reverend or Al Sharpton on campus in the next few days stirring up even more controversy. </p>
<p>IMHO this would have been better handled privately, but to each his own.</p>
<p>Leadership starts at the top and perception is reality in today’s world. Given Bama’s history and its present efforts to recruit students nationally, Dr. Witt did the right thing by getting out in front of this story. </p>
<p>His message was to the world, not just the campus. I applaud him.</p>
<p>what kind of fool shouts out of window and says something so hurtful? a coward, and probably, a drunk one. If this really happened, the UA should consider revoking the Frat’s charter. This is really embarrassing.</p>
<p>I agree with Malanai and others here. My feeling is that Dr. Witt would not have felt the need to get out in front of this unless the incident was corroborated by witnesses and done in such a manner that it really could not be ignored. Imagine, for example, if the slur was shouted with many witnesses present and this poor boy was the the clear target and “seen” by others to be the brunt. The person at the fraternity is “safe” in relative anonymity shouting from a window, while this young man is supposed to what? … just tuck his chin and keep walking? This is the type of thing that I hope that is not wide spread, even in private circles, generally at UA or other major universities in the south. I’m sure that’s not the case in this day and age.</p>
<p>Good for the head of the university calling this out and making the university’s position on racial discrimination crystal clear. </p>
<p>I don’t believe things need to be a crime for schools to discipline students for poor behavior. </p>
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<p>Absolutely. It needs to be called out when it happens. Silence empowers bullies and haters.</p>
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<p>Absolutely. As a parent of a junior very likely to be NMF, we are considering u of Alabama because of the wonderful scholarship offered. I do have concerns about diversity and tolerance on any college campus any of my kids might go to, because I would think that any of my kids (or myself for that matter) would find it soul-sucking to live with a culture of bigotry and hate for 4 years - whether it’s against someone of a certain race, sexual orientation, gender, or any other silly reason people choose to discriminate for. That isn’t to say that they will find (or need to find) a utopia where everyone hands out flowers and peace signs every day, or that any perfect place exists, but there’s a difference between having some bad apples in the bunch and an institution supporting it and turning a blind eye to it.</p>
<p>The response from the college is EXACTLY the kind of thing that helps me believe that U of A can be a fine place to go to school despite its history. Things happened lots of places 60 years ago - it’s what’s being said there NOW that matters, and I for one like what the head of the university said.</p>
<p>As an alum, I do not think this fool represents the vast majority of the UA student body, but I do think there is a need to look at the culture of intolerance that is cultivated in SOME, but probably a minority of the Greek houses on campus. Some of these young men are rather insulated from the rest of the student body, and DO look down on others. I am for free speech, but a university needs to have standards, so I applaud Dr. Witt. </p>
<p>Certainly, if this student wants to act like a nasty fool, let him do it off campus, and certainly not in a subsidized Mansion (Frat House sits on subsidized land) in the heart of campus. Folks who are privileged enough to live in one of those beautiful old Greek houses need to understand that they have an even greater responsibility to represent the UA well, and to show kindness and respect to their fellow man. This is not the first time this has happened. </p>
<p>I don’t want folks to think this is a regular occurrence. I don’t think it is, at least not from my experience. But I know that for some reason, some of the lowlifes on campus have felt a certain confidence in yelling things from windows and porches of these grand houses that they would never say to someone’s face otherwise. Maybe it is the alcohol more than anything, but again, with greater privilige comes greater expectations.</p>
<p>^^^^Well said, PinotNoir!!! I was a little worried about what it will be like when I move to bama in the fall, but seeing that the President of the University takes such offense and action against what, to some, seems like a somewhat small and forgettable incident really shows me a lot. It assures me that this campus is nothing like it was fifty or sixty years ago; it is a changed place, and changed very much for the better. Being Jewish myself, my mother has been somewhat apprehensive about my decision to attend UA as she was worried that I might encounter some bigotry. To know that the President of the University is so adamant in protecting students like me really makes us feel safe, protected, and welcome. :-)</p>