School officials at Loyola University Maryland pressured student government leaders to drop the “America” theme for their senior class party as “very alienating, divisive and harmful” and against the university’s “core values.” The party was to be one of four celebrations for graduating seniors and the theme was selected by the students themselves but then declared as inappropriate and offensive by university officials.
The student held their ground and held their America party. University officials warned that they would intervened if students were offended. University Executive Vice President Susan Donovan sent an email to two SGA members claiming she “talked with a number of students and heard from faculty members” about the party. She warned “None of it is positive and it sounds very alienating, divisive and harmful.” She added “I encourage you to reconsider this plan in light of the legitimate concerns raised by so many We have made progress in providing a welcoming climate on campus and do we want to reverse that progress with a theme that divides us?”
Dean of Students Sheilah Horton also objected and suggested that those who wanted an America them were insensitive and had not considered who such a party “provides an opportunity for students to dress or behave in a way that offends or oppresses others.” Horton reportedly said that any offense would be dealt with by the Administration and that the party risked making students and faculty “unsafe.” She even said that the party could drive down applications at the university.
I fail to understand why a theme celebrating America (which is a melting pot of cultures) is insensitive or offensive (though, as we discussed, the use “melting pot” itself has been declared a microaggression). We have been discussing how it often seems that universities are allowing the most sensitive students to dictate speech and symbols that are used on campuses — instead of instilling a sense of acceptance for a pluralistic community of different values.
Nevertheless, the student leaders felt compelled to apologize for a “Party in the USA” theme:
“As an organization, we want to extend our deepest apologies to those that were hurt by this theme and the negative impact it had on them. Although it was not our intention to create such a divisive climate, we understand that the impact of this decision is much greater than our initial intention.”
What do you think?
Who exactly is supposed to be alienated by this? The natural born American citizens? The 1 million or so people who voluntarily choose to immigrate here legally every year and become American citizens? The several million people who want to be here so badly that they have invaded the country illegally? The foreign students who voluntarily come on student visas?
Now that’s a damn good question.
It’s a Catholic/Jesuit university with an endowment valued in excess of 200 million dollars. Money speaks. If those who fund this school, including the Catholic Church, truly found such behavior to be reprehensible and shocking, then they should withhold their contributions. Cut off funding. Will that happen? The Catholic Church, under the tutelage of the current Pope, is anything but pro-America, so this behavior, by those heading this university, should come as no great shock to any of us who have witnessed the transformation of the Catholic Church, which is, in part, influenced by the Pope. Christians are being decimated around the world, with entire communities being destroyed merely because they are Christian, and the Pope–the symbolic head of the Church– remains, for the most part, silent. Instead, he travels the globe, preaching about income inequality and global warming, as churches burn and Christian communities, dating back to the time of Christ, are destroyed. The Pope, who holds a unique and powerful platform, remains mute. No outrage. No indignation. Every concern, around the globe, takes precedence over what he should be using his time, energy and influence to change. The Catholic Church has lost its way, and this university’s actions only serve to exemplify that belief.
bambam: After looking at events at DePaw this year, I agree. Nobody says you have to fund the Church either. They all feed from the same teat.
My comment wasn’t meant to be viewed as anti-religion. Quite the contrary. One would think that the Catholic Church would steadfastly and unequivocally support and defend American values and traditions–said values and traditions which allow for the very existence of a Catholic Church. A Catholic University. Freedom of religion. A land where Catholic universities have had the opportunity to not only exist, but to flourish. The US is distinct and precious in those ways, and the Jesuits ought to be on their knees, bowing down to kiss the land and the country which permits the religious tolerance that grants their mere existence. Around the globe, the same is far from true. Every individual, and by extension, every institution, should have some innate sense of self-preservation. Some drive to perpetuate that which allows it to exist in safety and security. The Catholic Church exists, thrives and flourishes because of the US. Because of its principles. Destroy this country’s values and traditions, which are unique to the US, and the Church will tumble. As evidenced by this once proud Jesuit university, the Church has, what appears to be, a death wish.
bam bam – there is an old saying in Catholicism. There are two types of Cathocism: the Jesuits and everybody else. Pope Francis is a perfect example.
bam bam – the Catholic Church does NOT fund Jesuit colleges. The Jesuits fund those colleges and they are very good at selling naming rights.
mespo, The classics, be they philosophers like Socrates, Plato; or literary geniuses like Shakespeare, are no longer taught. They have been replaced by feel good pablum, like a post a few days ago of an idiot prof who taught The Political Influence of Beyonce.
Your telling me! My youngest said when he graduated in public administration, he took one – count ’em — one, American history class. Luckily he had me at home to fill in the gaps. Some schools don’t require any. That’s treasonous.
Oops … You’re
It must be engineered that way. I have been troubled by the light history requirements for quite sometime now. It helps to create a new globalist agenda if you don’t have a national identity as reference. And you build that identity up through knowledge of history.
Of all the campus horror stories about denial of due process, safe spaces and denial of free speech, this is the most infuriating. These anti-American administrators need a new job — preferably away from students. Socrates drank hemlock for corrupting the youth of his day. I’m starting to see some merit in the punishment since these folks are anything but Socrates.
My question is how do the 300Million American who are tired of this type of infantile and offensive behavior by anti-American academics get our message to them that tearing down and destroying the greatest country is wrong. Their fascist, maoist approach is getting hard to bear but I don’t know what to do about it and how to change it!
Write letters or emails to the legislature for public universities and to the board of visitors for the private ones. Hold back money if you give. Universities are income-dependent on somebody.
Ivy League schools like Brown are getting hit by alumni of our generation who are angered by this horse manure and not donating. The NYT did a piece on this earlier this year.
I hope they hold the money back. That gets attention.
Who made you the spokesperson for all 300 million Americans?
Childen and college students all classified as anyone below age 21 should be not seen and not heard….at least until they grow up and attain adulthood.
In the meantime I find them ‘offensive’ and would ask the be confined to campus and the word campus redefined as a macro cage for micro aggression. Inability to control themselves is a sure sign adulthood and therefore responsible citizen status has not been reached.
Those having objections can find me in the harbor at Bight, ME.
If I wasn’t so committed to free speech and other liberties guaranteed to everyone, regardless of their age, then I would advocate that people who make such patently anti-liberty remarks should not be seen nor heard.
I place a big portion of this blame on the Department of Education and their office of un-civil rights. They are using Title IX as a weapon, and colleges are paying the literal price. OCR seems to be the product of years of trying by the angry studies departments to finally get their graduates in positions of power.
If Trump does one thing, I hope he lances that boil on civil rights in this country.
Sometimes when the wires get crossed all kinds of horrific scenarios emerge. Like the linking of ‘America’ with racism, bigotry, and other parts of ‘America’ that no one wants to confront. The best solution is to call it when it goes over the rim. Free speech and freedom of expression only work when they do not infringe. Free speech and freedom of expression must be allowed to infringe first and then addressed. Taking on problems before they materialize or in their absence is tantamount to electing a Trump for President, so sad.
The administration has its wires crossed. If the students were exalting in ‘America’ in its most noble aspects then go for it. If the students were focused on the more Trumpian aspects of ‘America’ then let them rant and rave and see if Turley writes about that.
issac – it’s kinda like people think Canadians are polite, aa?
Assac, found the perfect place for you to return to good ole Canada for a good ole Cunadian like yourself.
http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/dildo-newfoundland
“Free speech and freedom of expression must be allowed to infringe first and then addressed. Taking on problems before they materialize or in their absence is…”
Oh issac, you had a good couple of sentences going and then POOF, you said, “…tantamount to electing a Trump for President, so sad.” You’re continuing to shadowbox a President who has yet to have problems materialize. Take solace in the fact you did not vote for Trump and fight against the things he actually does that you don’t agree with. “Taking on problems before they materialize or in their absence is….” LUNACY!
Olly
Some one described lunacy as doing something that doesn’t work over and over again, such as the trickle down concept of lowering taxes on the rich so they can hire more people, so stupid: Reagan=recession, Bush=recession, same old bag of beans Trump=? or recession. As for shadowboxing, Trump is laying the foundation, as we blog, for an ethical, moral, and financial recession. My ‘shadowboxing’ is, as is all that is posted on this blog, therapy. One has to release one way or another. The way I release is by hitting the nail on the head and hoping some of it penetrates. Lot of thick skulls though, and empty heads; penetrate into what?
issac – the problem is that you keep missing the head of the nail.
“I suppose it is tempting, if the only tool you have is a hammer, to treat everything as if it were a nail.” Maslow
“Some one described lunacy as doing something that doesn’t work over and over again,”How’s that working for you?
Happy Thanksgiving
Olly – doing something over and over and not having it work is a perfect description of government work.
I wonder what itâs going to take for people to pull their kids out of these schools until the attendance gets so low they are forced to close their doors?? I wouldnât allow nor pay for a child of mine to be part of the insanity that goes on at these institutions of âhigher learningâ. Doesnât seem to me they are learning a damn thing. M. Syron
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Mary Syron – the alums can do more to correct bad behavior at a school than anyone.
The idea of the melting pot is now the idea of the salad bowl. These administrators are loony tunes.
Just don’t go to the party!
Although skimpy on details, the story is pretty shocking. And the worst part is the “deepest apologies”. But it also shows, rather starkly, that school administrators are not necessarily offended by the theme but, instead, are very frightened of public reaction. They know that it can become a big “story” that the media will exploit like crazy. That every “offended” student will get a platform to demand action against them, and pressure will build until some goat is sacrificed for this “outrage”. Please, please, they’re saying, can’t you just pretend that you love your country…in secret.
Knowledge is power. Go to the website wwwprofessorwatchlist.org to find what profs control the speech of conservative students.
Do the school administrators hear themselves?
They are loons.
I think the student “leaders” were gutless to back down.
I imagine the campaign theme, Make AMERICA Great Again had something to do w/ the vapors of the administration people.
J Pismo, Bingo! Trump needs to cut Federal funding for any college that doesn’t get a passing grade from http://www.thefire.org. Although, this kind of horsesh!t helped elect him, so he might want it to continue.
I can tell you I don’t want it to continue! The majority of the individuals conducting this anti American bull want it both ways. They want to run around kicking this country in it’s ass but never putting any skin in the game. These professors hide under the freedom of speech guise while indoctrinating these half whit “millennials” with their Marxist rants. They are paid to educate not indoctrinate.
I have said the following more then once on this blog: Bring Back The Draft. Here’s the problem, our education system is failing badly with the shyte that all these kids are equal in intelligence and everyone must go to college. Unless your kids go to a private or parochial school they will be held back with the way the schools teach. For most College has only become the new high school. They claim they can’t find work in their chosen areas of study, well maybe there aren’t many openings for Psych majors. So after graduation it’s back to the attic room at momma’s for about 3 or 4 years and an apprentice with uncle Max’s Plumbing Co which is where they probably considered early on. Just to set the record straight uncle Max got pretty wealthy cleaning your butt seat.
Two years of Military service under the direction of D.I. Sgt. Roundtree would have given young Mike or Mary ten years of maturity. When they leave service or stay they will have a better grasp on the direction they should travel. When they enter college this around it will probably be after consideration what awaits them on graduation. I also imagine when one of these educators goes off into a comrade class room speech they will be less susceptible to buying into their shyte.
Wolf J Flywheel – we need to draft the faculty.
Good question J Pismo! Glad we ruled out this hack school. This education bubble is going to burst before long, taking all this ridiculous fat with it. Maybe schools will be about education again one day soon.
How come know one feels alienated when they take Federal funding?
I think these people ought to be displayed far and wide, shout it loud and proud, so the rest of us can understand and avoid them as best we can.
Thanks for that!