<p>First I would like to point out that the minorities I know at Penn deserve to be there just as much as everyone. They contribute as much if not more to Penn as a community. It’s completely necessary to have diversity in order to provide a complete learning environment. I think as a whole the university is pretty forward thinking. We unfortunately live in a world that still struggles with racism, but I think the community at Penn for the most part is sensitive of this and is willing to advocate for increasing awareness.
One of my friends who is African American once told me that his father said he always wanted him to go to Penn because it was very diverse.</p>
<p>I kind of wish the editorial writer had gone through University channels with a complaint against the students who harassed him rather than writing a somewhat whiny editorial. The behavior he describes is completely unacceptable. The students involved should be subject to discipline, and I have no doubt they would be if anyone pursued it.</p>
<p>I understand that it’s hard to take a stand when you are embarrassed. But it’s also not fair to criticize the University for tolerating this stuff when the University WOULDN’T tolerate this if anyone gave it a chance.</p>
<p>Utterly despicable. Penn does have that fratty image, but I don’t think it’s responsible to blame the school. I really hope the administration does something about this though.</p>
<p>45 Percenter, honestly do you work for Penn? It sure seems that you do.</p>
<p>Quoting a comment from the DP comments section. I share some of the same sentiments:</p>
<p>"Although what has happened to the individual was horrible, stating that the university does not go out of its way to support or foster a minority community is a bit exaggerated. Beginning with its course offerings and ending with the many outreach programs benefiting the West Philadelphia community, the university’s efforts at promoting diversity and awareness of minorities has been substantial to say the least.</p>
<p>This being said, certain deplorable acts and bad habits will always be around. Just as a future world without homicides only exists in one’s imagination, there will always be taunts and ignorant comments. But if anyone thinks that people at Penn, or Philadelphia or in this country have it bad, I would urge him or her to visit any other part of the world and find a more pluralistic and accepting environment. That’s right. They don’t exist.</p>
<p>Finally, people should be reminded that racism is everywhere and it isn’t solely white on black…or latino on asian…or pashtun on nuristani. If I wrote an article for every time a west philly resident said a racist comment to me while I was walking home alone to 48th and chestnut late on a friday or saturday night, I’d probably fill up several pages of the dp. Thankfully, however, I don’t base the value of my college experience solely on the insults of a few *ssholes."</p>
<p>I feel the pain and horror of the writer of the article and OP, but the recommendation for URM’s not to attend Penn is rather emotional and destructive than logical or constructive. If Penn has displayed patterns of racial discrimination, then ‘yes’, no URM’s should attend Penn. But. isolated incidents of racial discrimination occur everywhere, and this is what all minorities have to fight against. Imbeciles are everywhere, and even white people can be harassed by some drunk blacks in some occasions. </p>
<p>Minorities sometimes think Dr. King had resolved all the problems for them, but it’s not true. He left some work for you to take over for your children. Don’t flee from the problem, but face the challenge. You can make Penn a better place. You can make the world a better place for your children to live.</p>
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Only as a loyal alum.</p>
<p>But thanks for noticing. ;)</p>
<p>^ An alum who works with admissions?</p>
<p>^ Nope. :)</p>
<p>I think I am more distressed by the comments than by the article. </p>
<p>Obviously racism occurs at most universities but that does not mean we should condone it. </p>
<p>Whereas the article’s proposed solution is outrageous at best, I understand that it stemed from anger and not logical thought. I however applaud the author for bringing to light an issue that has apparently been swept under the rag, not by the administration (whose efforts to promote diversity are laudable), but by the penn student community. I think that dialogue is a great place to start.</p>
<p>^kimathi</p>
<p>You think there isn’t a racial dialogue at Penn? You’re wrong. I get so many emails each month about Penn’s Race Dialogue Project. Today there was supposed to be a gathering outside of Van Pelt against racism in light of the comments - I couldn’t go because I had a mandatory class at the time, but many of my friends planned on going. Last week (and earlier in the month) there were festivals about African and Latino culture. Penn has extremely active women’s, LGBT, and culture centers to make people feel more comfortable. Overall, there are always things going on to foster understanding and awareness.</p>
<p>Nobody is trying to condone racism. But do you think that the people who are most racist, or most sexist, will be going to the events that raise awareness of these issues? No. And with a student body of around 24,000 including graduate students (I think), I don’t see how anyone can expect Penn to force every single one of its students to attend dialogues and so on. Penn offers everything it can to make people more understanding, but how do you punish a random person who said things to the author, when the author doesn’t even know who they are aside from their color?</p>
<p>And everyone experiences racism. Everyone. I tutor at West Philly schools, and one of the school administrators actually made a snide remark about us Penn students. Was it appropriate? No. When we wake up at 7:30 on a Friday morning to voluntarily help students whose education system is failing them, why should we be called out amongst all Penn students? And does that moment define our time at Penn? No. Because the student body as a whole tries to embrace everyone, and I don’t see how you can force someone to change so drastically if they’ve been raised a certain way. The best thing you can do is ignore them and take the high road, which is a lesson that can carry you through life no matter what your race is.</p>
<p>Just came online to post a quick message to any minority students considering Penn: this institution, regardless of the blemish Chris’ dilemma has given to it, is still a tremendous place of learning and a depository of opportunity. The environment is generally supportive and tolerant, and a few people who do not fit the mold should not factor into your decision of whether to attend. As a minority, episodes such as this one are just bound to happen, but one will not always have the resources and support necessary to address them. You have access to such at Penn, and for that reason alone, any student of any background should strongly consider attending this school should they be offered acceptance to the university.</p>
<p>That’s my two cents. I’m out.</p>
<p>The author of the article wrote:</p>
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</p>
<p>This does not seem to match with the statistics that Penn class of 2014 has 9% of black students (I can’t remember where the statistics is).</p>
<p>is it possible that the person who wrote the article made up the incident? I know that things like he reports happen. they absolutely do happen. but when i read his conclusion I have to wonder if he has ulterior motives, like making a name for himself, or maybe just trying to draw attention to the problem of racism, while in the process making up a story that gets attention. Somebody as brave as him for putting his name to the article must have reported the incident to the police?</p>
<p>Here it is: [Penn</a> Admissions: Incoming Class Profile](<a href=“http://www.admissionsug.upenn.edu/profile/]Penn”>http://www.admissionsug.upenn.edu/profile/)</p>
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<p>Wow.</p>
<p>10char.</p>
<p>“Drunk kids, acting on their base bigotry. Why expect more? But to turn away from an institution like UPenn? Sorry I disagree. Also, I’d say, what nirvana then do you recommend that’s free of any aspects of racism?”</p>
<p>The kids were drunk and this in no way should deter URM’s from going to a great school like Penn. These idiots do not represent White students behavior on Penn’s campus overall and can happen anywhere.</p>
<p>To those who may be thinking not much is being done about this, check out Penn’s student-run blog, underthebutton dot com. </p>
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<p>Apparently, Amy Gutmann, the president, was there, too.</p>
<p>As many have noted, these incidents are not rare on college campuses across America. However, Penn students and administration are not ones to remain apathetic.</p>
<p>We are doing the best we can in an imperfect world.</p>
<p>Thanks Nattilee for exposing the “Orangehat” ■■■■■ as a non Penn student and probably belonging to Villanova. He is probably ****ed because Penn rejected him.</p>
<p>Hi, I just read your article and I wanted to say that I, as a minority, have know many students from the University Park area including students from Penn (who are also minorities). From what I’ve heard and read, Upenn is an extremely diverse school that that is one of the big reasons people love it there so much. And grant it, wherever you go there will always be ignorant people who only know how to be rude when they think they are superior to someone. Instead of putting the blame on Penn, maybe you should focus on those types of people, or racists, in general. Believe me, I completely think it was wrong of them to be so rude to you and they deserve nothing in this world for being so ignorant. But please don’t blame Penn, because as far as whites, some of them are even afraid of rejection because the school wants to remain diverse.</p>