Posted by Sam Richards
Really, this is getting out of hand and needs to stop. Not sure how or why so many people have taken it upon themselves to be such rat heads. But silly actions seem to build upon other silly actions and soon enough there is a mess to clean up. And then when the black and brown people jump into the mix, it really get’s complicated. I love how one or two people become the spokespeople for an entire group, as you’ll see in the video below. That’s very much a dead end to any conversation and dialogue.
Here’s an article that pretty well sums up what has been happening out in California: “California Campus Sees Uneasy Race Relations”
I agree that most of the things about this story are just flat out terrible and no one should be subjected to that kind of treatment at a university. There were a couple of major things that really bothered me about this story, and I'll try to cover them all.
First, the whole noose situation is completely out of line. Whoever decided that they should hang a noose in a public place is a jackass and deserves to be expelled from the university, as well as possible disciplinary action by the state because, like the professor said, it is more or less terrorism. Th symbol of the noose stirs up bad memories of the way things used to be in the United States, and I would like to think that we changed into a more free and accepting society. However, when it is discovered that a minority student who did hang the noose and the president of the student organization said that didn't change anything, I think that is complete bs. If a white student did it, it would be, without a doubt, considered a racist act. If a black or brown student did it, it would be considered more of just a terrible act. You can't tell me that if it was discovered that it was a white student who hung the noose that Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton wouldn't be raising a hell-storm over the issue and saying that this is just another example that all white people hate black people and are trying to keep black people down. Don't get me wrong, it is immoral and wrong on all accounts regardless of who did it; however, the race/ethnicity of the person definitely plays a role in how the act is perceived.
Next, here we go again with themed parties and how they are all "targeted against black people." This is honestly the first party I have ever heard of with an outright blatent theme that takes shots at blacks. There are plenty of parties that I hear of in which white people are the butt of the joke, such as Jersey Shore parties blatantly making fun of Italians and Trailer Trash parties blatantly making fun of country-folk. However, as one of the earlier posts stated, these parties are only based on general stereotypes about the group. I am 100% Italian and yes, I have attended a Jersey Shore party and no I was not offended. Do I think that the stereotypes of Italians get annoying and that saying "guido" (which is actually a derogatory name for Italian Americans) gets annoying when I hear it all the time. Yeah, but I am ever really offended and going to cry racism? No, of course not, because it is not the true intent. The party was generally in bad taste, it was poking fun at a stereotype of blacks, just like when white people have parties poking fun at stereotypes of whites. Was it maybe not the best decision and in poor taste? Yes, but do I think it was outright racist? No.
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I’ll be honest; I’m not very impressed by the actions and statements made by the students in this case. It may be because of the reporting with every individual spoken to in both articles being Black Americans, giving us a one sided view of the situation (there are no whites, Asians, Latinos, or international students). Both representatives for the school where not only Black Americans, but they were also ranking members of a minority group or studies, which is another level of bias. Don’t misunderstand me, the professor was quite well spoken and I agreed with many of the statements that she made, the student leader of their African American group was not as impressive.
The professor pointed out the historical meaning of the noose, pointing out the need to educate the greater population of students the nooses latent meaning. And we are not just talking about white students! We are talking about black students too, since the video reported that it was in fact a Black student that hung the noose in the library. This individual may have been an international student; individuals that are from other countries don’t have the background Americans in general grow up with. This could also be attributed to the public school systems lack in educated their students about history (math and science are seen as more important and have therefore taken over the time and effort originally place on the liberal arts). We can only hypothesis until more information is released on about who the individual was that hung the noose and what his motives were (the current hypothesis is that it was a prank).
As for the ghetto party, it seems to be unclear what the problem really is; it sounds like it was a black fraternity that had the ghetto party from the video. But when you look at the news article they describe the ghetto party as “an off-campus “Compton Cookout” Feb. 15 to mock Black History Month,” but they do not follow with any cooperating facts to suggest the participants were mocking anything other than Compton and rap culture.
As for the so called ‘teach-in’ that was only really addressed in the video the student claims that his group walked out because they were dissatisfied that it was the chancellor who came up with the idea of a teach in and that it would be conducted by officials. The fact that the teach-in was not a student organization or grass-roots initiative appeared to offend this guy. He came off arrogant, as if anything not initiated by students is not worth their time. What was the most confusing was that in the next sentence he criticized the Chancellor for not taking a more active role in educating and supporting the student body about this issue. Well I have a clue for him, that is why they created the teach-in stupid.
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Maybe the University of California, San Diego should make a race relations class a requirement for graduation. The “Compton Cookout,” the noose hanging in the library, and the racial protests has created a heated college climate. Some students on campus have been participating in acts that discriminated against blacks. Action has been slowly been taken by the chancellor to stop these racist events from occurring. The students had a teach-in so students from different races can talk to each other how they feel and what they think about the this situation and the racist problems on campus. One teach-in session will not solve this issue. UCSD should consider enacting serious punishments for those involved these racist acts. They should also integrate a race relations project so students can become more aware of other races and build a mutual relationship and respect for each other.
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Wow. Reading this article and watching this video left me originally speechless, but many things can be said from all of this. It’s astonishing to see how the San Diego campus of the University of California has very dynamic sides of advocating and opposing racism towards Black people. Like UC San Diego, Penn State has a very low percentage of Black students; however, you wouldn’t find things like the “Compton Cookout” in the State College community. I could also understand how Blacks would get upset at the satirical campus television program that broadcasted a segment of the party and used racial epithets to denounce Black students. The noose, however, strikes confusion to me. How could the hanging of a noose strike the wrong chord and create such uproar from Black people?
I’m still in awe of how racial boundaries can be so easily crossed at a campus like the University of California in San Diego. I wonder if it’s a West Coast thing, where people are more open and outspoken to do what they feel is on their mind. As aforementioned, I haven’t seen a “Compton Cookout”-like scene or any racially demeaning events that are held on or off the Penn State campus. I remember Sam saying in SOC 001 that he believes everyone is a racist; if that holds true, that means EVERYONE, including Penn Staters and those attending UCSD, is a racist! But do you see the majority of the nation acting out like the students at San Diego? Like the chancellor said, we would all like to believe that racism was a thing of the 60s. However, that is not the case at this institution, where the student body seems to be in a time freeze where it’s okay to take advantage of the first amendment by ridiculing minorities not only by what the majority says, but by how they act.
The video didn’t really help any cause whatsoever. According to the caption of this video, the interview was intended to discuss ways to ease some racial tensions at UCSD. However, I don’t feel like anything got resolved or the issue has decreased in any way, shape or form. Racism and race relations are on-going things that will never have an end. There won’t be a day where everyone will get along and world peace will happen; people will always have differences from each other and the only way we can “ease racial tensions” is gaining a better appreciation of each other’s backgrounds and cultures. Classes like SOC 119 do a pretty darn good job in addressing these issues and bringing people of all ethnicities and backgrounds to the table in a hopefully peaceful manner; violence and outward oppression doesn’t solve the problem, it is the problem.
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this video is very alarming as is the events going on at ucsd. It is ridiculous that such racist events are occurring there, but it is also occurring here at penn state. I have been invited to parties that are similar to the “ghetto” party whether it be beer Olympics or a race theme party. The stereotypes are still present no matter what the theme may be. For example in beer Olympics “athletes” dress in the clothes or wear culturally significant clothes that are similar to those of their country they are representing. It is seen in good fun by those involved but from the outside I can see how it can be viewed as racist. This seems to be a minor racism problem at penn state. With penn state being in the middle of Pennsylvania, I have come across 2 accounts of extreme racism. One was sophomore year at a party, and this was my first run in with racism. While at the party a white kid was playing a black kid in beer pong, and he turned to me and said “I can not wait to beat this coon” I immediately looked at this kid and told him my feelings of the words he chose. I do not know if he took my threats seriously or not but I knew I did the right thing. The other time was this past state patty’s day when I went to a party to see my white friend. My friend was not there but his white roommate was there who were suppose to have a party. I asked where the party was and his response was to use the N word and accuse black kids from stealing their tap, although he used a much more offensive way to state this problem. I was horrified and could not believe what was just said in front of me. I had 2 friends visit from another school, and I was completely embarrassed. I could not believe this kid would represent penn state like that to myself, who he had never met, and my 2 friends. I was happy to get out of the situation but looking back ashamed I did not say anything to this kid. Racism is all over the world, and do not think it is not at penn state. I think that maybe the kid who put the rope in the library may have been trying to make a political statement. Yes he may have gone about it wrong, but it should make other students at various universities reflect on the racism at their universities.
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All this effort to try and get more minorities in their school by looking at application processes or admission practices. I think they need to do something about the behavior of their student first. Ya, the minority population is low, that is not so surprising. The surprising thing is the overt racism. But I see what they are saying- the admission process may be where it starts or continues. Why would a minority even want to go to school with these kids? I cannot believe such events are still current in such a liberal state and college atmosphere. I don’t even find their “Compton Cookout” theme anywhere near amusing. And to purposefully do it during Black History Month? It is insensitive. Get a sense of humor.
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I feel that no matter what there will be people all over this world that act like ignorant, arrogant people and it is not right. I cant believe that it was alright for this group of kids to have a cookout like that. I don’t understand the point to it. I guess I will never understand why people will go out of their way to make fun of people for their race, how they look, sexual orientation, like seriously who cares. People just worry about themselves and how they come off to people because that’s the only real thing that matters. You shouldn’t sit there making acquisitions about people and having this cookout is one way of being that way.
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At Penn State, we are most certainly not diverse. With 83% of the students being “white,” these incidents should take us by surprise. This is a complicated mess, that unfortunately is really offending students. No matter what race you are, a “Compton Cookout” is highly offensive. Racially profiling people and making fun of them is morally and ethically wrong.
When the newscaster brought up the incident about the noose found in the library, I was shocked. I can’t help but wonder if this was ignorance or a message that what these students were planning was wrong, and so, the noose is a threat. Of all the objects though, a noose was chosen. Sure, the message is strong, but a noose brings along many connotations to slavery and injustices from the past.
Like other students, after reading this and watching the clip, I was confused. It took me a few seconds to fully process what was going on. We are in an era where races are mixing more and more and we are becoming more tolerable of differences. I hoped that we were past these ignorant acts, and slowly getting along. Whoever thought a Compton cookout wear students wear gold “grillz” and eat watermelon was a good idea, was just rude.
Race relations are always going to be an issue not matter how much we mix and combine. We will never be able to fully understand others because we are brought up with an unconscious bias. Actions that have occurred in the past will always keep us in check, but still play a heavy card. For instance, it is not easy for a white person to talk about slavery to a black person, or for a white person to talk to a Native American about their past. For some reason, white people are always taking the guilt. And, because this is such a high-powered majority, we are scared to talk about the issues.
I agree with a previous student that at PSU we are not safe from these events. The in-class polling proved that racial slurs are still prevalent. I grew up in a majorly black neighborhood and have dated black guys before, and see race relations from a different view as other white people, but I take offense when someone uses the term “nigger” or “milk chocolate” or calls me a “cracker” or even “ginger.” We need to be careful about what we say. We use these terms. Take for example the noose; I thought for sure this was going to be hung by a white kid. The fact that this was done by an ethnic student does not make it any better. In fact, it is more offensive. Does this kid know what he was doing? I mean seriously, why would he hang the noose and make matters worse? That aggravated me.
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I feel the student in the video did a very poor job of representing the students at UCSD. I am from California and I know plenty of students at the school and there is no way that the campus has the racial tension that the students are talking about. It is just something that has been certainly blown out of the water. The incident with the theme party was certainly ridiculous but now too many things have piled up and caused too much trouble among the students and staff. It seems to me that all the students on campus are reacting too quickly. They need to sit back and try to adjust to the situation.
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This video is eye popping to say the least. California is The United State’s most diverse state, so I would never expect this type of shenanigans to be going on there. The reporter in this video was pondering if it makes it any better that the noose was actually put in the library by a minority student- I actually do think this makes it better. Now by no means is this an okay thing at all, but if a minority is doing it, we can hope that they are only doing it to get people all fired up over nothing and that racism is not the actual source of this type of act.
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yesec9 Reply:
March 19th, 2010 at 9:11 pm
No, she was asking if it made any "difference". Yes, it does make a difference. No it doesn't make it "better" or "worse" It just has different (but both) implications for race relations. Had it been done by a white person, it would be a perpetuation of the historical discrimination against blacks and a demonstration of racism. But since it was done by a black person, in my opinion, it symbolized the need (want) to have reparations and get even, and, as well, a demonstration of racism. They are both bad. Both instances set everyone (White, Black, Hispanic, Mixed, Whatever) back several notches and indicate that our troubles with racism from all parties is far from over. I am frankly not surprised at the incident though. It seems to go along with all of the resent from past atrocities. I disagree with a lot of what the people in the video were saying, by the way, if that isn't already clear. Though I do agree that education is needed (I wasn't aware of all of the issues until this year, and I owe it to PL SC 110 and SOC), if it is a one-sided viewpoint from a majority of ANY race then it will be biased.
If this incident is people "getting fired up about nothing", then if the perpetrator were of a different race and people did in fact still got fired up (which I totally think would happen), then it's not about "nothing" because it involved black people. The explanation behind it and the implications it would have…are surely different but the harm is there just the same.
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Wow hanging a noose in a school library, that’s a shame why do people fell the need to participate in behavior like this. As I scrolled through some of the responses I did see people saying that this could have been a joke. Are you kidding me, nooses were used to hang African Americans some of the time to scare away from the town. Whoever did this is very bold and disgusts me, and if the reporter is right and it was a black guy he should be ashamed to call himself an African American. He is setting his own people back in time. Also destroying everything person and event that helped to bring us where we are now.
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One thing I do not quite have a grasp on his the idea of these Black Student Unions. I was under the impression that we were trying to come together as races in order to achieve equality. It seems to me that groups like the Black Student Union is only further segregating students of color from the rest of the student body. Why cannot individuals interested in uniting with students, join a student union that is color blind? Maybe since I am not a person of color, I do not understand the need for groups such as the Black Student Union. Another thing that confuses me is the need for a recognized and celebrated black history month. I think people of color need to understand that if they want to embrace their history and heritage by celebrating it via a recognized month, there is going to be a dissenting opinion. I think the recognition of Martin Luther King Day is a great thing. Dr. King made huge strides in the America’s Civil Rights Movement and an official day of recognition is certainly due to him. That being said, isn’t an entire month devoted to the celebration somewhat overkill. I guess I can see this black history month from a few different perspectives. One it seems that people of color should be celebrating their heritage 365 days a year. By making February black history month, it seems to me that black people only care about their heritage in February. Or are they just accepting a silly consolation prize from white people? I hear a lot of people, mostly whites, say: Why do black people get a black history month and white people do not get a white history month? I really don’t know the answer to this question, but I see it like this: getting rid of these damn labels, i.e., Black History Month, should would go a long way in eliminating segregation. Another way I see black history month is people of color’s need to be segregated from white people. It seems that people of color have this absolute need for equality with white people. I agree. There should be equality across races for we are all merely human beings. So why the hell do people of color want specific entitlements because they are people of color? If we are trying to create a level playing field, then one group should not receive any more of an advantage or entitlement than another group. Yes, hanging nooses in libraries is distasteful. Unfortunately, some people may think black history month is distasteful as well. It is all about free speech and celebration of heritage. I guess it is a give and take kind of thing. It is actually quite amusing to me how people of color automatically pin any racially derogatory happening on white people when it turns out that other people of color are often guilty of committing these crimes. Keep you in check.
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I think that’s its fair to say that there are going to be racial tensions and problems going on in this world for the rest of my life and most likely my children’s life and so on. I understand what’s going on this campus and on the other hand I really don’t. I going to try and break this down the best that I can. There was a party on campus with the theme of baggy clothes and dressing ghetto the keyword being ghetto that seemed to anger the students that this was from my guess at the interview a mostly white party. I get it these angers minority students because it seems that people are poking fun at the way people dress. The other incident that triggered this great outcry of racial tension was the hanging of a noose in the library which you would have to be crazy to do that in America today. If I had to guess and only come out with the truth I would say that everyone one thought that this was done by a person of European descent “white”. So young people got a reason to start a rally which is good because people should really stand up for what they believe is wrong and this is something that is definitely wrong and has no place in today’s society if we are to move forward as a whole.
But what get me is this even though that these things were done, the idea for the party came from a black guy who is friends with some guys in a frat and they went with it because well it seems as though people in Cali cant come up with cool party themes even though if they thought a little longer they could have realized that there in Cali and they don’t need themes cause its warm all the time. The noose which made headline new was hung by a minority student because well there most likely insane or just really don’t care. Ok now I wonder if the students knew this beforehand if it would have made such a big deal. I am almost at the conclusion where I don’t get it why people just can’t get along.
As for this older white woman who is the chancellor of the university she probably has some nice credentials but come on a two hour lecture you had to know that that was not going to work. I see why he walked out but also if this lady is going to do this that guy have to look pretty ignorant walking out of that room and saying he wants more. But on the other hand he has to do what he has to do to get his point across. But don’t say on an interview on CNN that when he heard that noose was hung by a minority student that changes the story and it does no matter how you look at it. Yes its terrible but let’s no through people under the bus when you don’t know the story I the first place.
In the end people come to rash judgments real quick in life its always going to happen you have to deal with it, you have to over on with your life and stand up for what’s right.
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This article about the racism at UCSD isn't surprising but still disheartening. I mean really, its 2010 do these ridiculous parties really need to go down? And then you need to emphasize it on campus news networks? To be honest, I really don’t think deep down that the students that held and participated in the Compton party were necessarily racist, but it was still not a smart move. You can’t celebrate and make fun of a stereotype of a specific group of people and not expect an outrage. The UCSD students who held the party should be reprimanded and maybe be forced to go through a race relations discussion to maybe help them understand why what they did was wrong (even though I am pretty sure I read that they had to undergo a two-hour discussion and I agree this is not enough). Maybe then they will get it, but maybe some people just don’t get it. I also kind of agree with some of the people that mentioned that having more black professors would change things. I don’t see why that will make a difference at all. I’m not saying there shouldn’t be more black professors but the fact that this is an attempt to try and change the racist attitudes is ridiculous. I also agree that the response of demonstrations and speaking up against this obvious racism is a positive thing, not something to be devalued. This is how things get changed in this country. People bond together that realize something is wrong or unjust and then go and collectively try and make noise about it. This will eventually cause some sort of change- which is bound to be better than the previous state. I would be interested to see what would happen at Penn State if something like this happened. How much of the student body would care and protest? Would it be just the minorities or many more white students as well? I would hope that people would realize the issue of having a race party like that but at the same time I could easily see some kids thinking they are cool holding a gangster party. I personally wouldn’t go to one but I don’t represent Penn State. I think that, overall, it is a good thing that this has come to national headlines because it is an important issue that should be addressed. The only way for things to change is for people to understand that they are still going on everyday in a bunch of different places across the country. This kind of behavior simply isn’t acceptable and they should be reprimanded for their racist actions- whether they feel they were in the wrong or not.
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Im pretty sure that this started as a joke especially if the person who hung the noose is black. Why would he do something so racist towards himself unless he were making a joke about it. People usually dont say or do embarrassing/offensive things to themselves unless they have some humility about it. But even though a black person hung the noose it was not necessarily a joke he could have been doing it to start some shit with everyone. It might have been a big prank gone wrong. I know i used to pull pranks in school and one time it did go wrong and people were mad and i got in trouble, but getting into trouble is sometimes just what people are going to do.
I know that everyone there is really stirred up about this but it clearly needed to happen. There must have been a lot of racial tension built up there for it to have to come to this for people to start talking about it. Im sure a lot of people who may not have been offended by the party or the noose or anything got in on the fighting and such just to be a part of it.
Regardless of the intentions of the people who organized this event or the person who hung the noose this party turned into a much needed eyeopener for the people in and around the community. When people start to see this kind of tensions and problems between races they naturally have to put up their own feeling about it, which is what needs to happen. Sam always talks about the race table and white people sitting back and not being a part of the conversation but when this happens white people see what is going on and they must give their feelings about it which will eventually (hopefully) lead to people getting over their issues with the other race and the original tension that started this problem will be gone.
I dont think that things such as themed parties and other creative outlets can be regarded as blatant racism. It is too ordinary for people to take them seriously and project their own racist preconceptions onto them in order to become the victim. Not everything in the world is intended for you. And if it wasnt intended for you then you have to assume that it was not meant to be offensive since you do not know who the person who did it. You cant deem something as an action intended to offend if you dont know the person responsible. It is okay in this world to let things go right away and not dwell on them for a long time, a lot of people feel like it is required by them to create drama.
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I have to say that since I joined my current sociology class, I had never really given much thought to the idea of race relations. I have always thought it best to live by that golden rule that everyone always references. I know, however, now through the course that I am taking that racism is a much larger problem than I originally thought it was. It is surprising to learn that this kind of unrest can still exist at an American university today. Having read the article, I can see that at least some of the problems that they are having in San Diego stem from the surprisingly low incoming minority population. I think that it is human nature that people become angry when they are part of a small group and they are getting discriminated against by an overwhelmingly larger one. Having said this, I feel that two of the “racist” incidents described in this article are worse than the remaining one.
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First, the Compton party that was described in the article pretty much sounds to me like a typical themed party that could happen on any college campus. Themed parties, such as this one definitely are not isolated events. In fact, themed parties, similar to a Compton party occur here at Penn State. I personally feel that these parties are fairly harmless. If anyone is victimized by themed parties I feel that it is women more so than minorities. They are not really meant to hurt anyone. I can see how someone can disagree with this and say that they are offended, but in my opinion this is the least severe of the three incidents that occurred in California. I do feel though that the broadcast connected with this Compton party was wrong. While parties like this do happen, it was definitely not right to use a racial epithet and put the spotlight on this kind of a gathering. Satire or not, it was a dumb decision that just added fuel to the fire. It was an especially dumb decision to broadcast a portion of this event at a school where there seems to be some kind of racial divide.
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The third incident that was described is by far the most offensive. I do not blame people for any kind of protesting after the discovery of the noose in the library was made. Not only does this symbol conjure up images of slavery, it is also extremely threatening. A themed party is one thing, but a noose is blatant racism. In the end, there definitely seems to be a need for some kind of race relations work to take place in San Diego. While a lot of damage has been done, it is never too soon to try to get people to respect one another.
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I’ll start by saying that the situation that started this whole mess is nothing short of ridiculous. I mean, everyone should be comfortable with a little satire from time to time, even at the expense of your culture or race, but there is a line between well meaning humor and complete disrespect. That being said, I doubt that many of the kids that were involved in this were truly racist. Rather, they’re just stupid. Mostly it comes down to ignorance. Not necessarily as to what occurred, but what it means. After all, how can a white person every truly appreciate what it means to be black? To have that kind of history. Most can’t, and this is the result. Hopefully people will keep this in mind before doing something so freaking stupid in the future.
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Any incident that contains a noose is a bad thing! I think this is so ridiculous. Although, I think the big question here is that does it make a difference that it was a minority that hung the noose. Whoever did that…I don't care what freaking color you are, i.e. purple, green… it is unmoral. Who the hell sits around and thinks of doing that shit. I noticed the lady mentioned that it could possibly not be true that it was a black guy who suggested this party. Unfortunately, we do live in a world where people hate other people, just because of their religion, skin color, or affiliations and not by our character. I feel that this was not the proper way to handle this situation either. The school should have a mandatory seminar maybe? I am not sure what a good alternative would be, but it just seemed like they did this just to shut people up and make them happy, which is offensive. I think the whole party is a terrible disgrace to white people. Meaning who the hell do they think they are. Being a white female I feel that if we want to make a difference in the world white people can't go on pretending that we are cool and down if we continue to do shit like this. It's so embarrassing being white sometimes because there are white people that are racists, no one can deny that, but it just puts a bad name on all of us, and its like people of color see me a different way when only meeting me for the first time, but I love everyone..I'm like a tree huger but for people. Honestly I hate that people hate people. I mean we can hate George bush, Hitler and Taylor Swift (JK)…people like have an exception. Whatever God that you believe in, loves the Earth's people, so I don't know what all the fuss is about. I don't care what color, religion, or social class…we are all people and none of those things makes one person better than the other. White people might be scared that black and brown people were the original people and God forbid they would ever teach you that in school. So I think naturally white people come off this way because they feel inferior. A big problem with this story is the fact that the party was trying to depict "black people". Sure the characteristics listed on the invitations could be a black person, but its the media and the stereotyping that keeps this on going, same with white trash, Jews, Asians that can't drive, etc. The problem is that I know plenty of white people or any color that do the same shit….blunts, 40's, gold necklaces… It's scary that people are taking the time out of their life to tie nooses. It's just so much hatred its sad. It sounds gay…but…can't we just all get along wtf. We are all living on this earth filled with approximately 7 billion people. It's like come on already, why don't we stop tying nooses and throwing disrespectful and racists parties and start helping to make a difference. There are so many people starving and dying from diseases even in our own country that it just seems like our priorities are mixed up. Its baffling. All I can say is that its just sad, really fucking sad.
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I agree almost wholeheartedly with your post. There is no reason for such silly behavior, especially such that is not intended to do much harm and that is more a joke than anything else. Yes, a noose is serious, but at the University of San-Diego, I have strong doubts that there will actually be any racial violence associated with such items. Honestly, there must be someone behind the scenes attempting to accentuate what they see as tension without any actual intentions of making anything happen.
I also agree that designating two people to speak in regard to the problem creates a dead end in regard to discussion. Whoever the news network chooses to speak about the problem, and what they say is going to be pretty uniform and predictable. Without even watching the interviews, (or “round table discussion,” whatever they want to call it) I am already almost positive that the President of the Black student union will be displeased about the latest “wrinkle” (as anyone would be), call for these actions to stop, and ask for the school to take action against these destructive happenings. The school leader, in return, will address the student, acknowledge that these actions are horrifying or some similar over-reacting adjective, and then say that the school is doing all that it can to combat the problem, when in actuality they are waiting for it to die down.
I believe that this type of press happens far too often, as Sam said, accomplishes nothing, and may be even stifling to the conversation that could actually solve problems. That being said, what conversation, network interview, protest, rally or demonstration is going to find the one joker that thought it would be hilarious to plant a piece of rope tied a certain way in a university building? I would bet that the individual who did the above action is sitting back and loving the amount of controversy he has stirred up, and for what? Almost nothing. As I said previously, I do not believe that a student at the university stated is going to make a serious move in regard to race or in regard to increasing tensions at the school. For a campus with such diversity, I believe that this individual is very pleased with the publicity he his getting, and does not really want to take it any farther. From this, I believe that there is really no need for such an uprising, and I can say that it is definitely an overreaction. Past that, I will say and agree that I would most likely do the exact same thing, though I also acknowledge that this would definitely be the wrong decision.
Overall, if I feel that if I have something that I feel needs to be of solved, I will solve it by myself or with the help of my extremely close friends who I consider to be as close as my brothers. I feel that the bystander effect, as discussed earlier in class, is a huge part of what goes on in these campus wide demonstrations, and that the aim of the demonstration truly needs to be re-evaluated by these students who really expect to make a difference.
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USCSD is a beautiful campus. I do not know why they are not attracting more black students…however, given the stats mentioned in this article-whites being 30 percent, Hispanics 20 percent, and asians 30 percent, seems like a diverse representation. The other statistic stating blacks make up 6 percent of San Diego County while only making up 2 percent of the student body of USCSD should not imply that USCSD is racist in anyway…USCSD is located around La Jolla and Torrey Pines which are upper class white areas…my point is that USCSD is not the only university in southern California and the reason for it's low number of black students enrolled is simply demographics. It seems-by the wording of this article-that the faculty is beginning to get some heat for this Compton cook out nonsense. The press goes wild over stories like this. Especially liberal print companies such as the New York Times. It seems to me that this was simply an isolated incident of bad taste. Jigga Boo Jones is a fool out for his own interests…by interests of course I mean money. We have seen people do this before. It is pathetic that one would exploit there own community for self gain but many stoop that low. The idiot student body were probably more interested iin getting drunk than hurting feelings. I'm sure dumber things have happened on this campus as well. In a perfect world people could get drunk in large groups without hurting anyones feelings. How unfortunate we are not that lucky. In conclusion I have driven through Compton and agree it is worthy of making fun of…but in good taste of course!
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I think that Sam poses a good point here in the fact that these two people in no way, shape or form represent the campus at the University of California San Diego. I remember us talking early on in the semester about “themed” parties and why white people do that. I couldn’t really come up with a good answer to that question but I know for a fact that here it just crosses the line. A party themed “Compton Cookout,” is just outrageously discriminatory. What do these kids know about growing up in one of the most impoverished areas in California? Likely nothing. Also another issue is the fact that California, usually a liberal state needs to quickly find a new policy to diversify their state college campuses. It really becomes a problem when there is 103 enrolled blacks at the Los Angeles Campus. Now that is truly surprising and something that needs to be fixed.
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