Posted on 12/11/2003 8:21:57 PM PST by StopGlobalWhining
The fallout from controversial Halloween photos posted on the College Republican chair's personal Web site has led one student to announce her withdrawal from the university.
Undergraduate Student Government (USG) Pollock/Nittany Sen. Vicky Cangelosi announced her resignation and intention to withdraw at Tuesday's Senate meeting.
She said she no longer feels safe at the university and that she feels Penn State President Graham Spanier put her in danger by including a link to The fallout from controversial Halloween photos posted on the College Republican chair's personal Web site has led one student to announce her withdrawal from the university.
Undergraduate Student Government (USG) Pollock/Nittany Sen. Vicky Cangelosi announced her resignation and intention to withdraw at Tuesday's Senate meeting.
She said she no longer feels safe at the university and that she feels Penn State President Graham Spanier put her in danger by including a link to Penn State's online student directory in his written public statement about the pictures. As a result, she removed her address from the directory and later decided to withdraw from the university.
Cangelosi was not named in Spanier's statement, which was distributed over the Penn State Newswire. Newswire e-mail announcements always include the directory link at the end.
Cangelosi is one of five USG members who attended former Town Sen. Brian Battaglia's controversial Halloween party.
"Quite honestly, I'm very scared of the situation and how it has escalated," she said.
Cangelosi said she is afraid to sleep in her apartment and has not been attending classes.
The USG Senate voted Tuesday to form a committee of senators to investigate the character of USG members who attended the party. The committee could call for the impeachment of the three senators involved: Cangelosi, East Halls Sen. Matt Ritsko, and South Halls Sen. Andy Banducci.
In a statement that she made about 1:30 yesterday morning, Cangelosi said her parents are afraid for her safety, and they contacted Spanier, who did not respond. They eventually spoke with Art Carter, assistant vice president for student affairs, Cangelosi said.
She said Carter told her parents that Cangelosi was "imagining things."
Carter is out of town until tomorrow and could not be reached for comment.
Matt Midles, who was appointed temporary parliamentarian for the meeting, told Cangelosi that as a gay student, he feels endangered every day.
"I'm glad that you've been given an insight to what the students who have been targeted feel every day," Midles said. "You're being treated the same way that I've been treated my whole life."
Cangelosi told senators that she did not arrive at the Halloween party until after 11 p.m. and was dressed in a pirate costume.
One of the photographs found on Battaglia's Web site (http://botag.net) pictured former USG member Jason Covener dressed as USG Vice President and former Black Caucus Vice President Takkeem Morgan. Covener's face was painted black, and he was wearing a bicycle chain around his neck.
Cangelosi said no one was wearing an "offensive" costume while she was there and that Covener must have already wiped off the blackface by the time she arrived.
Other photographers portrayed an "oversodomized frat pledge," a "sorostitute" and an unidentified white man wearing blue bed sheets with a caption referring to the Ku Klux Klan.
Cangelosi said there is no truth in the statement that Battaglia's Halloween party was racist in theme.
"I condemn all racist actions and hate speech," Cangelosi said. "I very seriously resent any notion that I am a racist."
At Tuesday's meeting, Banducci, who also attended the Halloween party, addressed his fellow senators about the investigation against him and Ritsko.
"I realize the situation that everyone is in at this table," Banducci said. "I caution you to make a judgment, when you are looking at this, based on the people you know. Judge us fairly."
USG governmental relations director Frank Camarota also addressed the Senate at Tuesday's meeting, where he apologized for his delayed reaction.
"Had I known then what I know now of the recourse of those pictures, I would have taken a stronger stance against them," Camarota told senators.
Late Tuesday night, Julia Graham, USG Supreme Court clerk, issued a statement in relation to her attendance at the party, apologizing to those who were offended by the pictures.
"As much as I regret not taking some sort of action at the party, the simple fact is that it is in the past," Graham said. "So instead of belaboring the points of these past events, I would rather focus upon the future, over which we have control."
Graham indicated that this issue would not affect her duties as court clerk.Penn State's online student directory in his written public statement about the pictures. As a result, she removed her address from the directory and later decided to withdraw from the university.
Cangelosi was not named in Spanier's statement, which was distributed over the Penn State Newswire. Newswire e-mail announcements always include the directory link at the end.
Cangelosi is one of five USG members who attended former Town Sen. Brian Battaglia's controversial Halloween party.
"Quite honestly, I'm very scared of the situation and how it has escalated," she said.
Cangelosi said she is afraid to sleep in her apartment and has not been attending classes.
The USG Senate voted Tuesday to form a committee of senators to investigate the character of USG members who attended the party. The committee could call for the impeachment of the three senators involved: Cangelosi, East Halls Sen. Matt Ritsko, and South Halls Sen. Andy Banducci.
In a statement that she made about 1:30 yesterday morning, Cangelosi said her parents are afraid for her safety, and they contacted Spanier, who did not respond. They eventually spoke with Art Carter, assistant vice president for student affairs, Cangelosi said.
She said Carter told her parents that Cangelosi was "imagining things."
Carter is out of town until tomorrow and could not be reached for comment.
Matt Midles, who was appointed temporary parliamentarian for the meeting, told Cangelosi that as a gay student, he feels endangered every day.
"I'm glad that you've been given an insight to what the students who have been targeted feel every day," Midles said. "You're being treated the same way that I've been treated my whole life."
Cangelosi told senators that she did not arrive at the Halloween party until after 11 p.m. and was dressed in a pirate costume.
One of the photographs found on Battaglia's Web site (http://botag.net) pictured former USG member Jason Covener dressed as USG Vice President and former Black Caucus Vice President Takkeem Morgan. Covener's face was painted black, and he was wearing a bicycle chain around his neck.
Cangelosi said no one was wearing an "offensive" costume while she was there and that Covener must have already wiped off the blackface by the time she arrived.
Other photographers portrayed an "oversodomized frat pledge," a "sorostitute" and an unidentified white man wearing blue bed sheets with a caption referring to the Ku Klux Klan.
Cangelosi said there is no truth in the statement that Battaglia's Halloween party was racist in theme.
"I condemn all racist actions and hate speech," Cangelosi said. "I very seriously resent any notion that I am a racist."
At Tuesday's meeting, Banducci, who also attended the Halloween party, addressed his fellow senators about the investigation against him and Ritsko.
"I realize the situation that everyone is in at this table," Banducci said. "I caution you to make a judgment, when you are looking at this, based on the people you know. Judge us fairly."
USG governmental relations director Frank Camarota also addressed the Senate at Tuesday's meeting, where he apologized for his delayed reaction.
"Had I known then what I know now of the recourse of those pictures, I would have taken a stronger stance against them," Camarota told senators.
Late Tuesday night, Julia Graham, USG Supreme Court clerk, issued a statement in relation to her attendance at the party, apologizing to those who were offended by the pictures.
"As much as I regret not taking some sort of action at the party, the simple fact is that it is in the past," Graham said. "So instead of belaboring the points of these past events, I would rather focus upon the future, over which we have control."
Graham indicated that this issue would not affect her duties as court clerk.
If Spanier wants to pick on relatively [defensive] students, ...
defensive = defenseless
It's the dual standards that tick me off. Our ex Governor (Carnahan D-MO) performed blackface skits, Robert "sheets" Byrd (also D) was an actual member of the KKK......Where's the outrage??? (Just a rhetorical question, I already know the answer)
"I'm glad that you've been given an insight to what the students who have been targeted feel every day," Midles said. "You're being treated the same way that I've been treated my whole life."
What a kangaroo court! One member of a self-identified politically correct "victim class" thinks its perfectly fair that another be unfairly victimized simply because of his alleged psychological hurt. These campus thought police are truly fascistic!
First, Graham Spanier has demonstrated a very leftist oriented bias against conservatives on campus, as well as those of us in the surrounding community, since the first day since he arrived here.
Second, I trust the word of Vicky Cangelosi more than I trust Graham Spanier. I take Vicky at her word about the treatment she has been subjected to.
Third, in my opinion, Spanier was wrong to issue the statement to the public he made on this issue.
I would like to continue this dialog with you, but I have to quit for the night and get some sleep. I would like to ask you some questions if you are willing, either tomorrow, over the weekend, or perhaps next week if you have some time.
Thank you for your question.
Did the party gain a single black for caving and replacing Lott with the wimpy Frist? As weak as Lott was (conspiring with the Dumocrats to find Clinton "not guilty"), he was better than Medicare Frist.
It just shows that you gain nothing by attempting to appease and be nice to the Dims. That's why I believe the College Republicans at Penn State should retract their apology and go on the offensive!
To Vicky Cangelosi if you are reading this, please reconsider resigning your USG position and come back next semester. Please don't let these meanspirited hate filled left wing hypocrites force you out of Penn State. We need more people like you here.
Rhetorical nature of the question aside, the outrage is in you, and in me. I am as equally outraged by black-on-white racism or insensitivity, as I am at its opposite, or any other kind of manifested racial prejudice.
A lot of folks 'round here seem to be offended only by one variety. Consistency of outrage across racial lines gives me a lot more peace of mind, and peace in my relations with a diverse American populace.
At the end of the day, people will always reveal whether they feel love and respect, or hatred and disdain, for other people.
How multiculti of you
Where I'm "coming from" is supporting equal rights and protection for all people, including white people
I know that's terribly offensive to you
Relevant quote (about halfway down on right: Dr. Graham Spanier was appointed Penn State’s 16th president in September, 1995. Spanier returned to State College after serving as chancellor at Nebraska since 1991. He was a member of the Penn State fac- ulty from 1973-82, then served at SUNY-Stony Brook, Oregon State and Nebraska.
So it seems he left a few months before the Phillips thing totally hit the fan.
Relevant quote (about halfway down on right: Dr. Graham Spanier was appointed Penn State’s 16th president in September, 1995. Spanier returned to State College after serving as chancellor at Nebraska since 1991. He was a member of the Penn State fac- ulty from 1973-82, then served at SUNY-Stony Brook, Oregon State and Nebraska.
So it seems he left a few months before the Phillips thing totally hit the fan.
Relevant quote (about halfway down on right: Dr. Graham Spanier was appointed Penn State’s 16th president in September, 1995. Spanier returned to State College after serving as chancellor at Nebraska since 1991. He was a member of the Penn State fac- ulty from 1973-82, then served at SUNY-Stony Brook, Oregon State and Nebraska.
So it seems he left a few months before the Phillips thing totally hit the fan.
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