madness at loyola marymount
what the hell has happened to this campus?
it all started on september 3.
in two different locations, in different dorms, the n-word was tagged onto walls on campus. naturally this caused quite a stir. an article was printed in the paper and the community got riled up about it, understandably so.
then, it kept happening. it happened again and again. the first incidents gathered so much attention that the incidents kept occurring. I think it's the same person or the same group of people... but that's just me.
since september 3, there have been about 6 incidents where racial slurs have been reported on campus- some graffitied onto walls and posters, some on peoples doors.
one even happened today, after the school paper printed almost an entire edition concerning the incidents. a meeting was held tonight to discuss what's going on. people from ASLMU (associated students of lmu) and BSU (black student union) and public safety all asked for anyone with any information to come forward and report anonymously. the community is frightened and disappointed. I haven't experienced something like this since 9/11, albeit not on the same level or with the same end product as 9/11.
how coincidental it is that I'm enrolled in a race and hate crimes course right now. my professor, max leung, is a really intelligent guy who's really raising my awareness about this issue. I've been reading a lot for the class this weekend, about what fuels hate crimes, and what the specific definition of hate crime is. I kinda of feel like I'm as close to being in the eye of the storm without being a direct victim.
granted, most of the incidents haven't been hate crimes, or at least that's what people are saying. professor leung said today that vandalism of property that is directed towards a specific person is a hate crime. one of the instances involved a note being left on the door of a group of african american RAs in mccarthy (I believe it was mccarthy). the note listed their names, as since it referenced specific people, there is no question that this is a hate crime. the LAPD was called in to help with the investigation. public safety is partolling at night.
the whole safety bubble of lmu seems to have been punctured.
I haven't considered lmu the real world, because it's not. the real world is not a majority of beautiful people with impossible amounts of money driving fancy cars and living so close to home all the time. this school is a good 80-85% of all the same person over and over again-- wealthy, fashionable, and probably used to having mom and dad foot all the bills. so, I never really regarded lmu as the real world, but I did consider it my private area of the world I knew I was safe in, my own tiny los angeles haven to call my own (of course to share with everyone else in the school, but it was somewhere I was allowed and welcome to call my own, because I earned that privilege).
but now, that bubble seems to be gone. there is no more guarantee of safety or acceptance.
I say this as a white girl, true. but I do say it as a girl, as an out-of-state person, as a person with her hair dyed pink currently. I say it as a girl who can't fit in anything under a size 12. I say it as a girl who does not come from a wealthy family, or even much of an upper-middle class family. I say it as someone who is very accepting of gays and lesbians. I say it as someone who is comfortable and proud to speak her mind, as someone who is fiercely dedicated to what and who I love, and as someone who stands by her beliefs come hell or high water.
it is just as ridiculous to be prejudiced against anything about me as it is to be prejudiced against someone who is a different race or ethnicity.
what is the need to torture people who are just living their lives? where's the sense and decency in it? there is none. it's completely unjust on every level conceivable.
african americans have been targeted. now, an asian female has been targeted. who next? what is the perpetrator seeking to prove? if the person responsible is, say, a white male, does that mean he's going to lash out against anyone who's not exactly like him? and would he attack a white male for a reason that's not as easy to discover, like his sexual orientation or his political beliefs?
I am so disappointed that this is happening to this, my, our university. I am truly saddened by it. I am fiercely dedicated to loyola marymount, and its jesuit tradition. it is absolutely abhorrable that someone is out there defacing the school's students and reputation, not to mention is completely brutalizing the school's mission to promote justice. it's just sickening.
I am so hopeful that the person or people responsible are caught soon. tomorrow a rally will be held that will march from uhall to sunken gardens. black t-shirts will be available that say "discrimination affects me."
I heard from professor leung today that there might have also been 2 rape incidents over the weekend on campus, but I'm not sure if that's been confirmed yet or not. god help us all if it's true. what's going on?
last night, the school was featured on cbs channel 2 news. of course, the cabel is out in leavey 5, and I didn't get to see it.
tonight at the meeting, a reporter from (I think) fox news was there, according to daisy. the cable is still out.
everyone's going to know, and is going to wonder what the hell is going on, just like we are.
it all started on september 3.
in two different locations, in different dorms, the n-word was tagged onto walls on campus. naturally this caused quite a stir. an article was printed in the paper and the community got riled up about it, understandably so.
then, it kept happening. it happened again and again. the first incidents gathered so much attention that the incidents kept occurring. I think it's the same person or the same group of people... but that's just me.
since september 3, there have been about 6 incidents where racial slurs have been reported on campus- some graffitied onto walls and posters, some on peoples doors.
one even happened today, after the school paper printed almost an entire edition concerning the incidents. a meeting was held tonight to discuss what's going on. people from ASLMU (associated students of lmu) and BSU (black student union) and public safety all asked for anyone with any information to come forward and report anonymously. the community is frightened and disappointed. I haven't experienced something like this since 9/11, albeit not on the same level or with the same end product as 9/11.
how coincidental it is that I'm enrolled in a race and hate crimes course right now. my professor, max leung, is a really intelligent guy who's really raising my awareness about this issue. I've been reading a lot for the class this weekend, about what fuels hate crimes, and what the specific definition of hate crime is. I kinda of feel like I'm as close to being in the eye of the storm without being a direct victim.
granted, most of the incidents haven't been hate crimes, or at least that's what people are saying. professor leung said today that vandalism of property that is directed towards a specific person is a hate crime. one of the instances involved a note being left on the door of a group of african american RAs in mccarthy (I believe it was mccarthy). the note listed their names, as since it referenced specific people, there is no question that this is a hate crime. the LAPD was called in to help with the investigation. public safety is partolling at night.
the whole safety bubble of lmu seems to have been punctured.
I haven't considered lmu the real world, because it's not. the real world is not a majority of beautiful people with impossible amounts of money driving fancy cars and living so close to home all the time. this school is a good 80-85% of all the same person over and over again-- wealthy, fashionable, and probably used to having mom and dad foot all the bills. so, I never really regarded lmu as the real world, but I did consider it my private area of the world I knew I was safe in, my own tiny los angeles haven to call my own (of course to share with everyone else in the school, but it was somewhere I was allowed and welcome to call my own, because I earned that privilege).
but now, that bubble seems to be gone. there is no more guarantee of safety or acceptance.
I say this as a white girl, true. but I do say it as a girl, as an out-of-state person, as a person with her hair dyed pink currently. I say it as a girl who can't fit in anything under a size 12. I say it as a girl who does not come from a wealthy family, or even much of an upper-middle class family. I say it as someone who is very accepting of gays and lesbians. I say it as someone who is comfortable and proud to speak her mind, as someone who is fiercely dedicated to what and who I love, and as someone who stands by her beliefs come hell or high water.
it is just as ridiculous to be prejudiced against anything about me as it is to be prejudiced against someone who is a different race or ethnicity.
what is the need to torture people who are just living their lives? where's the sense and decency in it? there is none. it's completely unjust on every level conceivable.
african americans have been targeted. now, an asian female has been targeted. who next? what is the perpetrator seeking to prove? if the person responsible is, say, a white male, does that mean he's going to lash out against anyone who's not exactly like him? and would he attack a white male for a reason that's not as easy to discover, like his sexual orientation or his political beliefs?
I am so disappointed that this is happening to this, my, our university. I am truly saddened by it. I am fiercely dedicated to loyola marymount, and its jesuit tradition. it is absolutely abhorrable that someone is out there defacing the school's students and reputation, not to mention is completely brutalizing the school's mission to promote justice. it's just sickening.
I am so hopeful that the person or people responsible are caught soon. tomorrow a rally will be held that will march from uhall to sunken gardens. black t-shirts will be available that say "discrimination affects me."
I heard from professor leung today that there might have also been 2 rape incidents over the weekend on campus, but I'm not sure if that's been confirmed yet or not. god help us all if it's true. what's going on?
last night, the school was featured on cbs channel 2 news. of course, the cabel is out in leavey 5, and I didn't get to see it.
tonight at the meeting, a reporter from (I think) fox news was there, according to daisy. the cable is still out.
everyone's going to know, and is going to wonder what the hell is going on, just like we are.