<p>This weekend hate speech in the form of derogatory slurs against African Americans and the Gay Community were spray painted on the side of Dascomb Hall (one of the First Year Experience residence halls). Not only was this graffiti left up on the building until late this morning, the college administration has yet to address the incident. Don't be fooled by Oberlin College's seemingly progressive feel. Hateful, ignorant incidents like this happen all the time on this campus.</p>
<p>What are you going to do about it? How will you be standing up against it? Or is it not your problem and for some other person to address?</p>
<p><a href=“Not In Our Town: Billings, Montana (High Resolution Version) - YouTube”>Not In Our Town: Billings, Montana (High Resolution Version) - YouTube;
<p>I’m an incoming freshman and am curious to know what exactly this graffiti was saying.</p>
<p>It was taken from an episode of South Park. Therefore I really think it was just a joke and was not meant to be derogatory.</p>
<p>Sorry mixed up my comedy central references. It was from derrickcomedy. But nonetheless still a joke.</p>
<p>Calling a slur a joke doesn’t make it any less offensive.</p>
<p>The college did respond and the president attended the “vigil”. </p>
<p>obiegirl007, I don’t find it useful to make a private matter of the college public for the sheer purpose of attempting to degrade its public reputation.</p>
<p>I along with other students organized a silent protest. Only after this protest, which the president was literally only at for 5 minutes (and was seemingly uncomfortable the whole time) was an e-mail, which only vaguely referred to the incident, sent to the campus (more than 24 hours after the incident occurred). I respectfully disagree with you, B. I think it is important for prospective and/or recently admitted students (especially those identitying with marginalized communities) to know that incidents of this sort, although not always publicized, happen regularly while the college administration sits idly by.</p>
<p>You state these incidents “happen regularly”. Have there been other notable incidents besides this one?</p>
<p>obiegirl007: That’s great that you did that! It’s also really, REALLY weird that you didn’t even allude to it until pressed for your reaction…because if you’re sincere that your purpose is to give prospective students an idea of what being at Oberlin is like, you omitted the most important fact of all: the student response.</p>
<p>What is more important/impressive to a student: knowing that your classmates will drop what they’re doing to show their support for you? Or having some stuffed shirt show up, make a generic speech, and send a strongly worded e-mail that these things are bad and won’t be tolerated? I’d look for the administration to conduct an investigation and administer justice…but their ability to create a welcoming community is limited and doesn’t have the same reach or authority that the student body itself has in that department. It’s up to *the students *to take control of this and show their mettle and convictions, collectively, when cowardice strikes in the form of anonymous attacks.</p>
<p>You’re adults, too. Don’t look to the establishment or the grown-ups to make your world a better place. It was up to you – and your fellow Obies – to counter the message. Don’t be so disappointed that the administration let students take the lead on the response. Embrace the responsibility entrusted to you instead of resenting it. Frankly, the best thing they could have done was stand aside and get out of your war.</p>
<p>(Also: I agree with quaere –> it’s not a joke, even if that was what was attempted.)</p>
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I don’t see how a derogatory comment can become any less offensive just because it was quoted from South Park or whatever source.It’s still offensive.
I shall have to strongly disagree.It’s important for prospective students to have unbiased information to help them make informed choices.If this kind of thing is prevalent at Oberlin then it is incredibly important for prospective students to be fully aware of it and judge for themselves whether they would like to spend 4 years in an environment like that.</p>
<p>From my perspective as a recent alum and as a current member of the Oberlin community, I would say that it’s a gross overstatement to say that “hateful, ignorant incidents like this happen all the time on this campus.” Honestly, I can’t think of a similar incident. In fact, Oberlin is the most hyper-aware and tolerance-focused place I have ever been, which is well-illustrated by the furor that an isolated incident of graffiti can cause. </p>
<p>While I appreciate Obiegirl’s anger over unacceptable behavior, and I sympathize with her desire to disabuse prospective students of the idea that Oberlin is a perfect utopia of tolerance and harmony, as someone who spends a lot of time talking to prospective students about the differences between Oberlin and other schools, and as someone who possibly has a bit more perspective on how things might be like in other places, I don’t find it helpful or even remotely accurate to paint a picture of Oberlin as a hotbed of intolerance and apathy, because I believe that nothing could be further from the truth.</p>
<p>I agree with ElizabethHouston. Having been at Oberlin for 38 years, I can remember exactly one similar incident, about 20 years ago. (A racist statement was painted on a campus monument. After a great deal of uproar, it emerged that the graffiti had been done by a Chinese American student as a political statement.) </p>
<p>Although it is not a perfect place, Oberlin is one of the most tolerant and progressive campuses in the country. Prospective students should not be frightened into thinking otherwise.</p>
<p>Hmmm,it looks like the majority of posters are rushing in to defend the perpetrators and dismiss the incident as trivial and inconsequential.It’s important to remain objective here,which I believe is the whole point why the OP highlighted this issue in the first place.TO simply brush of an act of racism as “a joke” is not good enough.Perhaps the people who are posting in this thread do not identify with either of the marginalized groups that were the target of derision and so cannot really comprehend the scope of how something like this can affect a person.It’s not good enough to just say “Oh well,an act of hate occurred.But hey,Oberlin is a tad bit more"progressive” than other schools,so it doesn’t really matter that much."This incident should not cause people associated with Oberlin to beat their chests and trumpet how progressive and inclusive they are when in fact there is glaring evidence that throws that reputation into serious doubt.It’s probably time for some serious dialogue.The administration,which ,according to the OP only reacted after there was a student uprising(and the potential for a scandal) acted very complacently.This sort of reactionary attitude leaves a lot to be desired IMO.</p>
<p>I doubt if you could find a single college campus where there hasn’t been an incident of some thoughtless or misguided student writing graffiti on a wall or bathroom door that is offensive. College administrations, which will have to deal with possibly sensitive disciplinary issues, have to be careful in how they handle such situations and their aftermaths - taking some time to assess the situation is hardly a sign of apathy or complacency. Oberlin has a long history of welcoming and supporting the very types of students who were unfortunately targeted by the graffiti - it is ridiculous to suggest otherwise based on this single incident. The student response, and the participation of the president of the college in that event, speak far louder and more eloquently than that unfortunate slur in this isolated instance of vandalism on the dorm wall.</p>
<p>Macmill #14 ^^^^^^^^^</p>
<p>No, one person maintained it was a joke and minimized it, not a “majority of posters”</p>
<p>three things:</p>
<p>1) macmilll, you are doing what the OP did: take a specific event and make it into a general comment on the place </p>
<p>2) two things are both true: a despcable act of intolerance occurred; Oberlin is a progressive place; one does not negate the other </p>
<p>3) as a parent of a kid at Oberlin I care much less what the adminstration does than what the students do about this; the important issue and dialogue at the school is not between the bureaurcats and the stduents; it is among the students themselves</p>
<p>the culture - and the reaction to the event - belongs to the students </p>
<p>P.S and slurs like that ain’t a “private matter”</p>
<p>And, by analogy, on the Grinnell subforum people have posted of incidents of “homophobic hate crimes” on their campus. Then others have responded that the student body has protested and spoken out in response. These are two of the campuses in the entire country where such incidents are probably among the least likely, IMO.</p>
<p>It is impossible to preclude the possibility that the odd loony will be present, at any campus. But the prevaling campus culture of an institution is not defined by the odd loony.</p>
<p>My D is a freshman in Dascomb. She says that there has been a lot going on in response–not just the vigil but also discussions. It sounds to me like the Oberlin community is taking the incident very seriously.</p>
<p>I haven’t read anything here to suggest that people at Oberlin are dismissing this or excusing it because it might have been a joke. Hey, Dyer Maker: we were in opposition on the admissions thread, but I"m with ya on this one!</p>
<p>I am in agreement that bad things can happen anywhere; what’s important is the community response, and it is great to see that the students are speaking out against it.</p>
<p>In response to Kei-o-lei:
A natural reaction,don’t you think?The bottom line is that this event occurred and is symptomatic of the deeper issues that may be underpinning this one incident.There is no smoke without a fire,and like I said earlier it’s not enough to be dismissive and wave it off as an “isolated” incident.Whether or not it’s isolated is irrelevant.What matters is that it happened and it should be addressed.
Really?I would think that this incident is regressive and therefore counter progressive.</p>
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It’s as much the administration’s mandate to address the situation as it is the students’.Remember that it is the same administration that publishes admissions materials that pitch inclusivity and progressiveness as the mainstay of an Oberlin education.It is as much their job as the students to make sure that the ethos of the school are preserved.</p>