Deb Wood's Statement on Rachael Ballard's Kwanzaa Incident

Wood sent this at around 8:30 PM tonight after I emailed her at 5:00 PM asking her if she had a statement. Apparently she has been in meetings these past few days...

Thank you for your email. Let me begin by saying unequivocally that diversity and inclusion are principles that Scripps College embraces and affirms daily, as do I . They are guiding principles for how we live and work in the Scripps Community. At the same time, The Claremont Colleges are institutions of higher learning, and they foster environments of freedom of expression. Publications like yours epitomizes this freedom on campus. Sometimes these freedoms are mistreated or abused--which is unfortunate--but we do not punish or censure such acts unless the conduct violates college conduct codes or US law.

All of The Claremont Colleges have a bias incident protocol, which we drafted together and adopted collectively. I have attached that policy to this email. Bias related incidents are expressions of hostility against another person (or group) because of race, color, religion, ancestry, age, national origin, disability, gender or sexual orientation, or because the perpetrator perceives that the other person (or group) has one or more of those characteristics. However, to be qualified as a bias incident, these statements must violate one or more of the Claremont Colleges disciplinary codes, and not be protected by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution or by analogous provisions of state law. Actions in violation of college codes of conduct include (but are not limited to) vandalism to college and/or student property, anonymous attacks in the dark of night, unapproved statements on bulletin board, etc.

While some or many people may not like what the student in question said, or that some of the information she referenced in her statements was inaccurate, she was sharing her own opinion, voiced it in a public forum designed for sharing of thoughts and ideas, and did not vandalize, or damage College or student property to express her thoughts. Therefore, although her comments were unfortunate, they were not unlawful or against the College code of conduct. They do not meet the standard for a bias related incident.

That said, if others do not care for her ideas, thoughts or word choice, they have the right to respond appropriately, as many (like yourself) already have done. I hope this answers your questions.

Sincerely,

Debra Wood
Dean of Students
Scripps College

Huang's Staying At CMC

Huang's Going to Continue to Paark His Caar Heah

Dear CMC Students,

I’m writing to discuss the rumors that I am leaving CMC to take a similar position at another college.

Most of you know that I grew up in the Northeast. Because of my obnoxious support of the Boston Red Sox, the fact that I talk with my hands, or that profanity occasionally slips out of my mouth, it’s difficult for me to hide my northeastern roots. My family is still in Massachusetts and New England. So when an executive search firm asked me to consider applying for a position, I did.

Since then, I have received many expressions of support. President Gann, Chair of the Board of Trustees Harry McMahon, and many others have tried to convince me that my work is valued at CMC. Shamil’s Facebook page was a really thoughtful tribute. I have felt more love from CMC in the last month than I can possibly describe. Thank you.

Last week, I was offered the job of Dean of Students at Amherst College. It was a dream that I had waited 20 years to come true. Except…

I’ve come to love CMC more. I’ve realized how lucky I am to wake up and do something I love in a place that I love.

So this morning I informed Amherst President Tony Marx and President Gann that I will be staying at CMC. I need to reiterate that I have nothing but high regard for Amherst College. It’s just that I don’t love Amherst the way I do CMC. I honestly regret that it took me this long to come to this conclusion, and apologize if this controversy has been a distraction.

In the coming weeks and months, we’re going to have a little transition in my office that was already underway when all of this business happened. Mary Spellman will be our new Dean of Students and I think you are going to find that she’s a star. I will be the Vice President for Student Affairs. I will work closely with Mary to get her going, then later I will take a brief sabbatical to complete my doctoral dissertation. Once that is completed, I will focus 100% of my attention on making the CMC experience as excellent as I possibly can. I feel like I have a new attitude, a new source of strength, and a desire to make CMC the envy of everyone. CMC isn’t perfect, and neither am I, but I like our chances together.

I will leave you with a quote from a poet of your generation that captures how I’m feeling:

“Cause we belong together now, yeah,
Forever united here somehow, yeah,
You got a piece of me,
And honestly,
My life would suck without you."


Best wishes,


Jeff Huang

Vice President for Student Affairs



You may now begin blogging.

A Quip From Our History on Stark Hall

"We have a substance free curriculum, why not a substance free dormitory?" -- A CMC government professor on the news that the new, soon to be constructed Stark Hall would be sans alcohol.

More on Cockroaches and Animalization of Fellow Claremont People

Some people commenting in the comment section have felt that I have gone too far in pointing to the historic use of the word "cockroach" in describing fellow human beings by Ms. Rachael Ballard SC '11 most certainly has racial overtones. I do not back down from criticizing the use of that language and feel myself absolutely justified in its usage. To compare a man to a beast is to lower him to be less than human.

Did we not hear just that when Pomona students wanted to ban the alma mater after there was a question as to its origins in minstrelsy? Did we not hear the same kind of argument when people suggested that the White Party evoked the animalization of black women?

Here's a more Claremont specific example for those of you so searching for one.

As many of you know, I am currently enrolled in an independent study with our dear old professor emeritus, Harry V. Jaffa. Professor Jaffa informed me a few weeks ago that the founder of the BSU once compared him to a "pig" and said that he was deserving of slaughtering like an animal.

I do not think that these instances are atypical of black power groups, which by their very design, reject the political and natural equality of men. If race matters, which they all contend it does, it must matter positively and therefore reject political and natural equality of man, the very basis of which unites the human experience and gives purpose to the principles of the Declaration.