http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/02/ucsd-leaders-legislators-condemn-student-party-mocking-black-history-month.html
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http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/02/uc-san-diego-officials-meet-with-students-angered-by-offcampus-compton-cookout-.html
"UC San Diego administrators met Friday with more than 100 students who gathered to protest a Feb. 15 ghetto-themed "Compton Cookout" and to ask for improved conditions for black students on the campus.
Tensions have escalated since a Facebook invitation filled with racial stereotypes advertised the gathering last weekend. The invitation included references to "dat Purple Drank," an apparent mix of "sugar, water, and the color purple, chicken, coolade, and of course Watermelon."
Can you imagine if something like this occurred here at UNI? What would your reaction to your peers be? What factors do you think are at play in this community that would allow something like this to take place?
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http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2010/02/uc-san-diego-officials-meet-with-students-angered-by-offcampus-compton-cookout-.html
"UC San Diego administrators met Friday with more than 100 students who gathered to protest a Feb. 15 ghetto-themed "Compton Cookout" and to ask for improved conditions for black students on the campus.
Tensions have escalated since a Facebook invitation filled with racial stereotypes advertised the gathering last weekend. The invitation included references to "dat Purple Drank," an apparent mix of "sugar, water, and the color purple, chicken, coolade, and of course Watermelon."
Can you imagine if something like this occurred here at UNI? What would your reaction to your peers be? What factors do you think are at play in this community that would allow something like this to take place?
My girlfriend recently went to a "ghetto" themed party up in Minneapolis. She went with some mutual friends and left very quickly because of the premise of the party. In her job she has a lot of contact underprivileged people and felt very uncomfortable by the party. She admits that if she had gone to this party a year or two ago (before she started her job) she probably wouldn't have been offended. However her close relationships with people that were being stereotyped by this kind of party made it all the more relevant.
Given that my girlfriend graduated from UNI, I would guess that most students would not think twice about such a themed party, which is really unfortunate. However, I would guess that there would be a good chunk of our students would take such a party as very offensive and would speak up about it.
I think the main factors at play to allow such a party would be the overwhelmingly large population of white students. I think because our campus is so white there is a lack of appreciation for what such a party could mean to some one of a different race.