Posted on 06/05/2017 10:30:34 AM PDT by BenLurkin
The students in the spin-off group exchanged memes and images mocking sexual assault, the Holocaust and the deaths of children, sometimes directing jokes at specific ethnic or racial groups, according to screenshots of the chat obtained by the Crimson. One message called the hypothetical hanging of a Mexican child “piñata time.” Other messages quipped that abusing children was sexually arousing.
Then, university officials caught on. And in mid-April, after administrators discovered the offensive, racially-charged meme exchanges, at least 10 incoming students who participated in the chat received letters informing them that their offers of admission had been revoked.
...
The repercussions spurred both praise and criticism from Harvard students, alumni and others at a time when university campuses across the country are in the midst of clashes over free speech. Some felt the decision was justified, while others expressed a belief that admissions officers crossed a line by judging students for their private conversations.
Erica Goldberg, an assistant professor at Ohio Northern Law School who calls herself a “free speech enthusiast,” wrote in a blog post that by “ferreting out” the members of the private chat group and revoking their acceptances Harvard “has proven that there is an oppressive force to transgress.”
(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...
Play stupid games win stupid prizes.
There is no “sphere of privacy” when a private entity is involved. If you don’t give them what they want they can just deny you anyway.
You would think by NOW these kids would know the internet is FOREVER.
Yep the lesson is, don’t put anything inappropriate on the internet. Be aware of political correctness and common decency.
Kids tend to gravitate to extreme behaviors. It’s very common with STEM students. The more outrageous, the better. There are internet sites where they plan school shootings and the like. That’s why school shooters always destroy their hard drives.
I was a teen during the age of the National Lampoon. You couldn’t print any of that stuff today.
Of course show a decapitated pic of Trump, and they probably would get extra credit.
Samantha Schmidt, the author of this piece, evidently things the word “meme” means “something a person posts online”.
According to Samantha, I am posting a meme right now, with these words.
I tend not to post sarcasm or "comedy"
If Kathy Griffin wants to showcase the head of a decapitated American President - that's her legal right. It's ALSO the legal right of the rest of us to cancel her shows, not attend her routines etc.
There Harvard wannabees have the right to be horrible people - Harvard ALSO has the right to reject them as students.
Yes, the little jerks have free speech - but SO DO THE REST OF US... SUCK IT UP CUPCAKES... MELT AWAY SNOWFLAKES...You lost this round.
Yes, the student’s were at fault for posting such material,
but I think over time, such justifications for rejection will be less frequent, and more specific.
I wrote lots of poems and free verse, decades ago, when I used to write unsingable songs to amuse myself. Crude limericks about my teachers, family members and my friends on the block. Nobody knew of the poems or songs unless I brought it up.
Today’s kids grown up with full access to all these fantastic tools of communication. These tools are out there, one cannot put that Genie back into the bottle.
I do not think something you blurt out at age 13 after sipping your first lite beer at a party should be prevent you from getting a scholarship when you graduate high school years later. I really don’t. That would discourage and inhibit too many kids from enjoying their young lives.
Too much ‘Big-Brothering!’.
The exception is when your remarks are a fully developed threat with capacity, intention to harm and from an applicant with a recent history of doing similar harm.
My prediction is this policy will be challenged and then litigated multiple times. After such episodes, a more realistic acceptance policy will be put into place.
I strongly support free speach but I try to limit it to what I call barstool free so each. You are free to say it but if it is highly offensive somebody is likely to knock you off your barstool.
George Takei said, essentially, the same thing.
Works for me... The State doesn’t step in - reality does - knocking a person right off a barstool... or out of a classroom.
People will find ways to scrub their identities.
Probably already a growing industry around this.
freedom of speech is only the promise that government will allow it.we are all free to listen or not to listen and make judgement non government institutions are free to make there decisions on whether to associate or not associate with individuals based on what they say when they take advantage of the ability to voice there beliefs.
those kids have learned a valuable lesson that if you espouse something it better be worth saying saying because anyone can choose to shun you.
freedom of speech is only the promise that government will allow it.
we are all free to listen or not to listen and make judgement.
Non government institutions are free to make there decisions on whether to associate or not associate with individuals based on what they say when they take advantage of the ability to voice there beliefs.
these kids have learned a valuable lesson that if you espouse something it better be worth saying because anyone can choose to shun you for your views or what they think your views are.
I’ll bet the 10 selected were not on the PC “A” list, they get in no matter what. Heck they don’t even have to show up for class and they get a degree. They can even be a no show head editor of the school paper.
Harvard still has standards?
Harvard, eh? They say soetoro supposedly went there. Though no one remembers him.
A broken clock and a blind squirrel.
You can always tell a Harvard student. But you can’t tell them much.
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