While perusing last week’s issue of The Campus, I came across ABC’s ad for the Tuesday discussion.
I looked for the main article and found nothing, not even a blurb in a cramped Features corner announcing the event.
Then racism’s stench floated up the Alumni grapevine and I got a text explaining that two students thought it would be a good idea to use blackface on Halloween. No one dissuaded them.
I went to Allegheny.edu. Not a word. I went to AlleghenyCampus.com. The same. How unsurprising.
Every time something racist occurs at Allegheny the incident is buried in Bentley’s filing cabinets.
Appearances? Preserved! Internal turmoil? Smoldering. Complicit in all of this? The Campus.
I know that the discussion is covered in this issue. What disturbs me is the paper’s silence up until now. There is a website, so is it necessary to wait for the print edition to cover news?
If the newspaper staff is too busy, aren’t students aware The Campus is application-free and that they can send in an e-mail or attend a meeting to pitch story ideas?
The administration has remained silent on this incident as well.
The Campus is Allegheny College’s official newspaper. Did those in charge not return calls?
Were they too busy deciding where to put the newest ceramic alligator to make a statement? I can think of several, President Mullen, if you’re at a loss. Here you go: “We take student concerns seriously and are looking into the incident.” (I thought you’d like that one—it’s non-committal.)
Diversity is emphasized in Allegheny’s advertising. Yet of what use is diversity without respect?
Racism is a problem this college struggles with.
By not addressing the issue until next week or next year, you are actively perpetuating the problem.
Mainstream media suppresses as much as it reports.
That doesn’t mean The Campus should.
Letter to the Editor: Campus coverage of blackface incident disappointing, says alumna
Story continues below advertisement
More to Discover
Steven J. • Nov 11, 2010 at 5:42 pm
I have a bit of an issue with this scathing article regarding The Campus. They would not take on ads like that unless they know what it is about. To me ABC created this full page ad to stir up interest and spread knowledge of the incident gradually so it would build up to this event. I have the feeling The Campus may have been asked or suggested to keep the incident unreported in the paper.
If the incident was blatantly covered by The Campus simultaneously with the advertisement, it would not have received the hype it did on Tuesday. You would have possibly heard a lot of students saying “too late” I think attacking this incident. But so many (including myself) were kept in the dark so that when we found out and went to the event, it had a deep impact and was all new and fresh to us.
The issue is a serious one to be discussed and I was glad to see it happen, as I’m not aware of every case of prejudice or potential racism on campus, but I think we need to act on a quote made by President Obama to this issue, as well as others on campus:
“When, you know, I’m busy…cleaning up…we don’t want somebody sitting back saying, ‘you’re not holding the mop the right way’. Why don’t you grab a mop, why don’t you help clean up. ‘You’re not mopping fast enough’…Grab a mop –- let’s get to work.”
Jessica McGrady • Nov 11, 2010 at 12:11 pm
I agree with Kat’s opinion. While The Campus did a great job covering ABC’s response to the racist incidents, it troubles me that they waited until ABC responded to cover the event. If ABC had not hosted the panel, these incidents would have gone unnoticed and unreported like so many others.