Academia, Bizarre, Society

Bowdoin Students Facing Impeachment For Attending Party With Sombreros

BowdZmedalGold_220UnknownWe have been discussing the crackdown on speech deemed offensive or insulting to anyone or any group on U.S. campuses. The latest example can be found at Bowdoin, one of the country’s oldest and leading colleges. Two student government members are facing calls for punishment and impeachment for attending a party where some people wore tiny sombreros.

In the latest case, students threw a birthday party for a friend. The email invitation read: “the theme is tequila, so do with that what you may. We’re not saying it’s a fiesta, but we’re also not not saying that :).” The invitation was reportedly send by a student of Colombian descent who seemed concerned to even use the word “fiesta”. Some students wore miniature sombreros and pictures were posted to social media. That quickly prompted the launching of a formal investigation into an “act of ethnic stereotyping.”

20021_10153330925368194_5848403594537230124_nNotably, sombreros were worn at alumni events at the college as the Washington Post reported — and posted this picture.

In an interview, Michelle Kruk, a senior and vice president of student government, insisted that “It’s not about tequila or sombreros . . . It’s about casual racial and ethnic stereotyping and cultural insensitivity at a school that has seen far too many examples of both.” Sounds like it is the tequila and sombreros. The policing of stereotypes or insensitivity in the speech or associations of students has become a growing focus on colleges and universities. This movement has obvious and negative implications for free speech on campuses as well as associational rights. The point seems to be that college students who want to throw a themed party should be disciplined because they are too “casual” in their treatment of a given culture or group. The standard is so fluid as to be unintelligible to any but those objecting at any given moment.

What do you think?

48 thoughts on “Bowdoin Students Facing Impeachment For Attending Party With Sombreros”

  1. Maybe it’s time to send your kids out to work instead of universities that teach them occupations where there is no need? There was a time when college produced professionals who offered the world great things. Now you can get better advice from your plumber and his income is better.

  2. Was the part on campus? If not, what right does a campus have to police this? So happy I’m not a kid these days.

  4. Tequila and sombreros go together. I live in a border state with a Mexican restaurant every other block. They all serve tequila and they all have sombreros.

  5. Liberals have created the Trump Monster w/ all their PC horse manure. Normal people are FED UP!

  6. The word “impeachment” does not seem to fit in with some college discipline.

    Where the frig is Bowdoin anyway? How do you pronounce it. Bow-done or Bow Down or BowDoin as in coin?

  7. Product of inbreeding and too much time on their hands. Taken anymore seriously is missing out on an object of humor.

  8. I’m not seeing the First Amendment problems here. We’re talking about student government at a private school where conduct charges have been made (but not yet tried and determined) against two members.

    It’s a student government; they are learning. And the process isn’t over. Let’s see how they do. After all, there’s no state action proscribing speech here. Indeed, Freedom of Association would protect the student government’s right to handle this internally.

    Are mini-sombreros a silly reason for impeachment? Perhaps. Let’s see how they they do. And really, can anyone honestly say they haven’t heard of a sillier reason for impeachment?

  9. I think that all students at that so called college should wear black armbands in the shape of a sombrero and wear them to class. The victims here who get scolded or punished should file suit against the university. If the students get expelled then they should also seek to remove the status from this college as an academic institution. Blacklist the school. Parents: if you are out there. Do not send your kid to a school like this. You gain nothing by this private school tuition cost.

    Mexicans should be offended. They have a right to celebrate.

    Next is Santa Clause outfits this coming December. Oh, that is a slur on Germans and Sintur Klaus.

  10. So starting a Mariachi band on campus would be offensive? These guys are actually good! Play it while reading the comments.

  13. And another thing: If we didn’t let the Bedouins into the country in the first place, none of this stuff would be happening! They need to pack up their little tents and go back home!

  15. Cant wait to see what happens during St Pattys Day. Dont wear Green you racists

    or Greek Week

    Michelle Kruk is a moron

    Somebody let Nike know that this is racially offensive *eyeroll*

  17. The article you linked to about the Dartmouth student is from a satirical website. From < their About page:

    Q. Are your news stories real?

    A. No. Our stories are purely fictional.

  18. Are tourists, visiting Mexico, still being sold handmade items, such as sombreros, with the word, MEXICO, embroidered on them? If so, the tourists, once they reenter the US, should be charged with a crime. They are, obviously, bringing in contraband. Why even have Cinco de Mayo parties? Only to complain that insulting music was played, offensive bean burritos were served and outrageous sombreros were worn? I say, have a French party, instead–serve runny, stinky cheese, crusty baguettes, play old Edith Piaf songs, wear berets and tell everyone to abstain from showering for a week. The French will love it. Just like home.

  19. Oh Squeeky… you know damn well we were North Korea before North Korea was North Korea.

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