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Iran Denounces Scholarship For Iranian Students
The Graduates
Harvard Senior Accused Of Involvement In Murder Accuses School Of Racism
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Middle East Recruitment Gives New Meaning To "College Girls"
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Bill Bender Fucked Students For 20 Years, Looking Like This

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rd2uk
11/11/09

In reply to Iran Denounces Scholarship For Iranian Students
While i completely disagree with the claim that Nedas death was orchestrated by the opposition, and do not intend to discount her death in any way, I have to agree that naming a scholarship after her does, in fact, undermine Oxford credibility. I think, as an academic institution, Oxford should not be naming internal endowments after political figures (which, unfortunately, the circumstances of Neda's death have made her). It would be a different story if the fund was provided by external donors etc, but as this is an internal institutional scholarship, it should not betray such obvious political leanings. If for no other reason, then because it will make it that much harder for students from Iran to attend/return after attending this very prestigious university.

Of course, this is just my opinion, but I say this as an academic as the other 'big university' in England. I think most academics here agree that our goal is to welcome and educate students from throughout the ethnic/racial/economic/political etc spectrum..and taking a atrong political stance as an institution makes that difficult to do.
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Edited by rd2uk at 11/11/09 9:41 AM rd2uk was starred rd2uk was unstarred

DexterHaven
11/11/09

@rd2uk: I see your point, but I think it's also hard to overlook the ideological history of much of Oxbridge's financing/endowments etc. Look at the Rhodes scholarship for a good example. Or the Said business school. And according to the story the donations were from external donors for this purpose. #iran
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greatsheelephant
11/11/09

@rd2uk: I agree with you and the comments on the Times piece show why. While I very much support the opposition in Iran, the fact that I would feel outraged if a similar scholarship was set up to commemorate something I didn't support but others do makes me think that this type of politicisation is wrong.It might be different if Neda Soltan was a Oxford alumnus but I don't see any connection there. I'm also a little worried whether the recipient of the award will suffer if she returns to Iran. By the way, the article suggests that the fund is provided by external donors.
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rd2uk promoted this comment Edited by greatsheelephant at 11/11/09 10:14 AM greatsheelephant was starred greatsheelephant was unstarred

Alohamaid
11/11/09

@rd2uk: I'm an Oxie and I totally support the creation of the scholarship. Here's why I don't think Neda is a political figure that's problematic: IMO she's not partisan. She has become a symbol of oppression not necessarily any political group, like the infamous tank man. My only critique of the scholarship is that its a bit soon. #iran
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rd2uk
11/11/09

@DexterHaven: agree with you that we at oxbridge have a history of attaching ourselves to ideaologies that we 'like' but in the recent past (past 2 decades, really) theres been a concerted effort to remove the Uni itself from any political stance - which is why I think this is problematic. With reference to the donations being external, you are absolutely that the money comes from external sources, but it is awarded by the university and not by an external body, therefore aligning it to the Uni directly. It just seems like an unnecessary political statement that is just really divisive - which is the Uni (IMO) has no business being. #iran
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DexterHaven
11/11/09

@rd2uk: I suppose my view is that if the university had rejected this endowment that in itself would have constituted a political statement, given that it has been quite willing to take money from eg Said (pretty recently too, in 2001). #iran
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rd2uk
11/11/09

@DexterHaven: thats true, but I gott say, we get hundreds of proposals for small endowments (4000pounds over 2 yrs is a small amount for grad work for an intl student as tuition itself is about 10,000 a yr), that we dont agree to take on as internal grants but direct our students to as external grants. I mean, Im glad the someone gets extra help while in school, but dont like academia getting ties to politics so blatantly, its murky waters. #iran
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Valois
11/11/09

@rd2uk: This may be a small point to make, but this is not University funding. As far as I understand it, it's a scholarship through Queens College, with money put up by 2 anonymous donors (most likely, former students of the College). You also have to be a member of the College to qualify for the award - it's not available to the full spectrum of philosophy students across the Uni. Of course there are political overtones to this (and please don't think that I purposefully understate them) - but as far as Oxford credibility goes...well, from firsthand experience I can say that it is nigh on impossible for an international student to afford a graduate degree at Oxford. You pay your £11,000+ in fees alone - and that doesn't cover how you will make rent, feed yourself, cover research expenses, or get home to see your family. Oxford talks alot about 'access' - but the truth of the matter is that you'd better be rich if you're foreign (and especially if you're over the age of 25). As the Provost mentioned, Oxford is losing out on the best graduate candidates, in part, because the cost of attending is simply too much for most people. This certainly relates to the University's 'credibility', doesn't it? It also relates to being able to take in the students who deserve to be there. #iran
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Glitterbug (likes life shaken, not stirred)
11/11/09

@Valois: Oxbridge may be expensive for foreign students, but there are a lot of countries where it's a damn sight worse. I really wanted to study Palaentology originally, but it isn't offered at most UK unis, and the cost of American ones, especially Ivy Leage, negated that as an option for me.

Also, I don't know about Oxford, but at Cambridge there is a policy that once someone has been offered a place at the university, they should not have to drop out for financial reasons. Especially at the larger colleges, the numbers of grants etc available are staggering. #iran
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Valois
11/11/09

@Glitterbug (likes life shaken, not stirred): I knew I should have gone to Cambridge! :) I don't want to get too off-topic, but I will say that I don't think Oxford will kick you out if you can't pay. But they WILL charge you penal interest. And they WILL let you starve in the meantime - especially now that hardship is centralised. #iran
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AuntPenny
06/01/09

In reply to The Graduates
Geena Davis is just pure awesome. She's extremely smart, and she's doing some good work. I have a daughter, and often find myself frustrated and concerned about the things she's exposed to. I started doing a little research and discovered what Geena Davis was up to and felt really encouraged.

She was my first girl-crush too, when I was little and saw her in The Accidental Tourist. So pretty.
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Trulymadlyme
06/01/09

In reply to The Graduates
And people of color. And people of different sexualities. And people who are differently abled, and people of different religions. And people of different economic class. And people of different nationalities.

Diversity if good, y'all!
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Trulymadlyme
06/01/09

@Trulymadlyme: is good. Sigh. Coffee, plz.
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misspell
06/01/09

In reply to The Graduates
Wow - the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media? She never lets me down.
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goodcheapfun
05/27/09

In reply to Harvard Senior Accused Of Involvement In Murder Accuses School Of Racism
I don't know about crime at Harvard but the crime at my University has been perpetrated by young black men (urban university). So it's not racist to be wary of a certain ethnicity in the parking deck when every robbery, carjacking, etc. is perpetrated by one race.
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Trulymadlyme
05/27/09

@goodcheapfun: This has got to be a joke. Like seriously.

Racial profiling doesn't work.

[www.ncpa.org]

Oh...and your comment is ten sorts of kind of horrible.
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goodcheapfun
05/27/09

@Trulymadlyme: Again, I'm seriously curious why this is horrible? Because I stated a fact (which you are offended by) or because I questioned the idea that it is racist to question a person hacking off a bike lock from a bike, and claiming it a racist act.

I actually find this mentality very interesting. I'm wondering how you would like to look at facts?
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Trulymadlyme
05/28/09

@goodcheapfun: Sigh. Black men are not a huge morass. Contrary to what many believe, we don't all look alike and to assume that you should rounnd up every single black man within a two mile radius of a crime is shitty.

I like in Tennessee. Meth production and sales is done by white people (though people love to blame Hispanics, it's generally made/sold/used by white people). If every single white person is rounded up in a meth conspiracy, it would be extremely inconvenient and a hassle for white people. Until you experience every single damn white person pulled over on the side of the road, you won't understand my point.
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Trulymadlyme
05/28/09

@Trulymadlyme: like = live
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casi nadie (loves MCC forever)
05/27/09

In reply to Harvard Senior Accused Of Involvement In Murder Accuses School Of Racism
I go to a university much like Harvard, although not with *quite* the same level of prestige, but it's the same sort of atmosphere and demographic makeup. And I can attest with certainty that university police at my school CONSTANTLY target black students. It's bad. I have friends who have been stopped on their way to class, books on their back, and questioned by the police because the police are convinced, apparently, that they couldn't possibly be a student at our school. If there's a spate of robberies in the nearby communities, the black students are automatically suspects.

And the frustrating thing about this is that the black students on my campus are more involved in leadership activities than any other demographic group. There is a higher percentage of black students in honoraries, Student Union, residential goverments, class councils, and as Residential Assistants than ANY other group. And yet they're subjected to the majority of the discrimination and harassment.

What a wonderful world we live in.
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Pizza!Pizza!Pizza!
05/27/09

In reply to Harvard Senior Accused Of Involvement In Murder Accuses School Of Racism
'Yeah, I'm graduating in a few weeks, probably with honors. I'm a total phenom. But what's that, you want me to help you kill someone on campus for a thousand bucks and some weed? Sure, no problem! Fuck my future!'

As fucking if.
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queenieinmanhattan
05/27/09

In reply to Harvard Senior Accused Of Involvement In Murder Accuses School Of Racism
The Crimson article shows how the Annex relates to Kirkland House. Helpful!

[www.thecrimson.com]
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battleaxonista...is a humorless bitch
05/27/09

In reply to Harvard Senior Accused Of Involvement In Murder Accuses School Of Racism
Even if she did loan him the card, she would hardly be the first person to do so in University history. No one presumes the bf of their friend is a fucking murderer. Especially not a fucking pot dealer, those are a dime a dozen around any major university. I guarantee 80% of those kids are 'sellers and buyers' at least once during their careers. Honestly.
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Rumschprinkles
05/27/09

In reply to Harvard Senior Accused Of Involvement In Murder Accuses School Of Racism
There is something major going on here that hasn't been released -- I suspect that she was not only complicit with the robbery, but had an active planning role.

Harvard tends to be low key about drug stuff. This student was caught running around naked while on LSD, punched a cop, and then was found with large quantities of weed and fake IDs [[www.thecrimson.com]]. His punishment was just a semester's suspension, to put it in perspective.
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Trulymadlyme
05/27/09

@EuroTex: There is something major going on here that hasn't been released -- I suspect that she was not only complicit with the robbery, but had an active planning role.

If she had an active role in any of this, she has the absolute worst lawyer in the world (not necessarily a bad assumption) because criminal charges would be pending and I'm going to assume a smart, black person is going to know if the police are investigating you, you're ass is going to be extremely quiet.

Where's MizJenkins when I need her?
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Rumschprinkles
05/27/09

@Trulymadlyme she has the absolute worst lawyer in the world (not necessarily a bad assumption) because criminal charges would be pending: No kidding. I live near Harvard and the University has been very, very quiet about the investigation. Maybe they're waiting on some evidence to turn over to the police? Odd all around.
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Trulymadlyme
05/27/09

@EuroTex: Yeah. The police likely have whatever evidence Harvard is relying upon to suspend her, particularly if she's being investigated.

And like I said, most black folks, particular those from large cities that know other people tangled in the criminal system, that if the police are investigating you, silence is the best policy. That's why I'm not buying the idea that she was involved in the murder (knowingly).
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utensil42
05/27/09

In reply to Harvard Senior Accused Of Involvement In Murder Accuses School Of Racism
It is unknown how Copney gained access to the dormitory.

Yes, because god knows, if you stand outside a dorm and tell people you are meeting a friend, no one inside it will EVER open the door for you. Ever.
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DangerMouse
05/27/09

@utensil42: Especially if you're a boyfriend that people have seen around before.
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The Lone Scout
05/27/09

@utensil42: Exactly.
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MrJez2u
05/27/09

In reply to Harvard Senior Accused Of Involvement In Murder Accuses School Of Racism
Clearly lots more to this story than we know so far. As bad as campus police are, they have nothing to do with kicking a student off campus and not allowing her to graduate. That's the role of the administration, which is surely being advised by nervous legal counsel. None of this justifies or condemns the actions taken, of course. Just think it demonstrates there's more going on.
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The Lone Scout
05/27/09

@MrJez2u: Or maybe this is a demonstration of either the Sunk Cost Fallacy ("We've already spent so much time/money/reputation on this that we can't stop now!") or the Where-There's-Smoke-There's-Fire-and-Our-Student-Handbook-Allows-Us-to-Suspend-a-Student-on-a-Prima-Facie-Basis rule.
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The Lone Scout
05/27/09

@The Lone Scout: Whoa! I wuz redacted!

/Where There's Smoke, There's Fire, and Our Student Handbook Allows Us to Suspend a Student First and Ask Questions Later
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Ms. Nickels
05/27/09

In reply to Harvard Senior Accused Of Involvement In Murder Accuses School Of Racism
At least one of these two women had something to do with it. Someone unaffiliated with Harvard would not come all the way from New York to enter a Harvard dorm to shoot a drug dealer he would have no way of knowing was there. Someone who buys drugs from the drug dealer and knew he would be there at that time must have helped him set it up. Maybe it was the girlfriend and not Chanequa, but I think Harvard is reasonable to keep her off campus until they sort it out. They are a private university and they don't have to wait until she's proven guilty to take steps like this.
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bluebears
05/27/09

@Ms. Nickels: why are you so sure one of the women had something to do with it? maybe Copney was just you know, visiting his girlfriend? and heard about the pot dealer carrying a large stash? and acted independently? honestly it doesn't seem like a stretch. it seems like a stretch that two girls attending Harvard would arrange a murder of a local pot dealer. for? a grand?
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Trulymadlyme
05/27/09

@Ms. Nickels: @bluebears: Exactly. And I'm not trusting what the actual murderer is saying because he's probably trying to take the heat off himself. Like many women, the girlfriend may have had absolutely no clue the guy was dealing. Considering that this woman wasn't even directly connected to the guys, I'm going to have to say that this assumption: At least one of these two women had something to do with it. says a lot. And I'm not going to even bother pointing out the obvious "guilt by association" is really "guilt by what people assume a person is associated with."

Listen, I don't know what happened. But the main fact we have is that Harvard has acted without giving this women its reasoning. And like I mentioned above, it's been over a week. I'm guessing it's high time they show their cards.
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bluebears
05/27/09

In reply to Harvard Senior Accused Of Involvement In Murder Accuses School Of Racism
EVEN IF her security pass was used to give entry I STILL don't understand why she would be barred from graduation. She's not a danger and she hasn't been convicted (or most likely even committed) a crime.
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Raraku
05/27/09

In reply to Harvard Senior Accused Of Involvement In Murder Accuses School Of Racism
Um, what happened to "in dubio pro reo"? Doesn't Harvard have a law school that teaches that kind of stuff?

It makes me angry to think that this girl doesn't have any way to properly defend herself against these allegations. Just because the police suspects something, doesn't make it true.
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The Lone Scout
05/27/09

@Raraku: Here I go again... It's not about The Law, it's about the campus regulations and the campus judicial process (unless the school were to sanction her so harshly that they provide her with something actionable in the real world). Here's a key question: Does Harvard's regulations provide or allow an advocate/advisor for students who are pulled into the campus judicial process? Believe it or not, at some schools students must represent themselves--no parents or other advisors are allowed. As you wrote, just because the police suspect something, it doesn't make it true. But a school is a private institution that can (and often does) act in its own interests within its own regulations.
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The Lone Scout
05/27/09

@The Lone Scout: What I mean is that at some schools students must appear individually and alone when interviewed by the dean of students or when a decision is rendered. Of course, they may avail themselves of their friends', professionals', and parents' advice outside the dean's office. But once inside it's possible they will have no one there to guide them under the scrutiny of a practiced, adult administrator acting as investifator, judge, and jury.
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The Lone Scout
05/27/09

@The Lone Scout: /investigator
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