The young men also spray-painted penises in several places around the church, including on a piano in the chapel, above the word “God” in a hallway, and in a stairwell where they also painted the word “Trump,” authorities said, Shupe said.
I have classes and have interacted with these kids. And man, I never saw it coming. It’s amazing how some people can smile in your face and do something so heinous and discriminatory behind your back. People think racism in college only happens in the South and think elite schools are immune. Clearly not.
To disgrace a place of worship with homophobia, anti-semiticism and racism? It’s just disgraceful. And I mean gosh, to go after so many different groups too? Sounds like the work of some neo-nazi groups! I’m just shocked.
Very proud of the university for acting swiftly and promptly expelling these two morons.
While expulsion is one likely outcome of their actions, they have not been expelled yet. According to the Daily Northwestern, they are currently on “Interim Suspension”.
I don’t really see how the university could NOT expel them but we’ll see.
I didn’t know people perceived racism to be just a southern thing or that elite schools were immune from it. My so-called elite, northern school certain isn’t.
NU alum and parent: expel them immediately, give them 48 hours to remove their personal belongings from campus, seek full criminal and civil penalties, including restoration of Alice Millar Chapel. Done and done. There’s nothing to debate. They have them on surveillance video; there is no question of guilt. Morty doesn’t need this hassle.
Probably shows up because occasional parents or students posting here are not interested in schools in the south because of what they see as more racism.
If I recall correctly, OP’s parents did not want her to go to Alabama or anywhere in the Deep South because of racism. I think when she says “people” she is referring to them and others like them.
I don’t know that anyone has said that elite schools or Northern schools are immune from it, but there have been plenty of comments where posters have said it is worse in the South which are two different statements.
@CaliCash just awful. I wonder what their motive was - could they have done it as a part of joining a fraternity or were they on a sports team together?
I wonder if there had been any complaints against them before. It would be interesting to see if anything in their background could have predicted their behavior. It makes me wonder about their applications to NU as well.
I hope we all agree that the university has a duty to create a space safe from this for its students, and that this vandalism is not just an expression of free speech, albeit one that costs money and takes time to clean up. I’d say it’s well in the macro aggression category.
In my mind there is no question that they should be expelled. I also wondered if it was part of some frat prank for new members. Just not sure what would motivate two new college freshmen to do something like this. One would think they would be looking for ways to successfully assimilate into a new community.
@HarvestMoon1 - Prank? U serious? I also think there is plenty more to the story: BLATANT BIGOTRY. Not only, they should be expelled immediately, but, also be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. It’s amazing what this real estate character from NY has awaken in people.
Considering the heinous nature of the crimes committed and damage caused, that interim suspension likely already requires the perpetrators to immediately move out of the dorms and stay off-campus until university disciplinary proceedings are complete or they are permanently expelled in which case one possible stipulation could be a long-term…even a lifetime ban from the campus.
Admittedly those proceedings are likely to be a formality considering the video evidence.
However, such formalities must be observed by the college’s own rules to avoid giving the perpetrators any pretextual grounds to sue the college for wrongful termination" on some technicality their lawyers may use to mitigate punishment or worse, get them reinstated.
Agree. There’s absolutely value in following procedure even for a foregone conclusion. For that matter, it’s also worth keeping an open mind and not assuming a foregone conclusion particularly for the people in charge of the process. Procedures and processes are developed thoughtfully over time by cool heads precisely because hot heads tend to lose perspective and want to take shortcuts (hello Duke Lacrosse).
I agree with @HarvestMoon1 I think there is more to this story. I suspect these two may be anti-Trump types who wanted to make it seem as if Trump supporters on campus had done something outrageous. In other words, they aren’t racists or anti-Semite, but wanted to make it seem as if there were people on campus who would do this. It could be a frat prank. (If you google, you’ll find evidence that one joined a frat. There’s a link to the frat’s website, but the content has been removed.)
If one is the son of who I think he is, this will be bigger news. Again, I’m speculating but my speculation is based on a google search. If I’m right, his dad must be absolutely furious.
Kids do stupid things. Don’t get me wrong—this is a SERIOUS offense. I just don’t think we should jump to the conclusion that these two actually believe the stuff they wrote on the walls.
Frat prank in that this was the motivation. I remember one case last summer that we discussed where members of an athletic team were told to steal items from local stores and the campus bookstore.
I don’t think anyone would argue that what they did could be minimized to a “prank.” I think “why” they did it still remains an open question.